Establishment and analysis of key pest control indicators in grasslands in China

Rodents, insects, and poisonous weeds are key components of grassland ecosystems that play important roles in material circulation and energy flow. However, when their population density exceeds the environmental tolerance level, they become pests and pose a threat to grassland ecological livestock production and human health. Therefore, scientific pest control and biodiversity protection are of great significance for maintaining the dynamic balance of the grassland ecosystem and promoting the sustainable development of grassland animal husbandry. The establishment of grassland pest control indicators is not only the premise of scientific prevention and control of grassland pests, but also the basis for scientific decision-making for a grassland pest control management system. Formulation of control indicators for rodents is determined according to the number of effective holes or new rat mounds per unit area and proportion of bald spots, that for pests is according to the population density of different pests, and that for harmful plants is based on their different vegetation coverage. This study summarizes the history and current status of the establishment of grassland pest control indicators in China, interprets the new idea of formulating grassland pest control indicators, and suggests the construction of a grassland pest control index system in the future.