Page 18 - Read Online

Page 14 of 17 Zhang et al. Carbon Footprints 2025, 4, 36 https://dx.doi.org/10.20517/cf.2025.29

Figure 7. Greenhouse gas contribution rate and principal component analysis of greenhouse gas balance under different stocking rates.
(A-C) represent LSR, MSR and HSR systems, respectively. (D) shows RDA analysis. AMGE: Alpine meadow GHG emissions; EFGE:
enteric fermentation GHG emissions; FI: farm input; DPGE: dung patches GHG emissions; UPGE: urine patches GHG emissions; MHGE:
manure heaps GHG emissions; NPGE: night pens GHG emissions; DBGE: dung burning GHG emissions; SR: stocking rates; MAT: mean
annual temperature; MAP: mean annual precipitation.

Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats-edited (CRISPR-edited) fodder (Leymus chinensis
expressing Methanobrevibacter-inhibiting peptides) reduced enteric CH by 31% in feeding trials .
[46]
4
Probiotic supplements (Bacillus subtilis DSM 32540) further decreased rumen methanogens by 19% while
improving feed conversion efficiency . The phenology-based grazing calendars of Tibetan herders (e.g.,
[47]
Karma Tsering system) align closely with satellite-derived optimal grazing windows (R = 0.79).
2
Participatory modeling workshops have co-produced stocking rate guidelines that balance emissions and
livelihoods [14,48] . Payment for ecosystem services (PES) schemes could monetize the QTP’s role in Asia’s
-1
-1
water tower, with downstream users compensating herders $12-18 ha year for maintaining watershed
function .
[22]
CONCLUSIONS
Our study demonstrates that the greenhouse gas (GHG) balance of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP)
alpine meadow ecosystems is fundamentally governed by CO dynamics linked to carbon sequestration,
2
irrespective of grazing status. Through a life cycle assessment of yak pastoralism across varying grazing