The development of “grassbased livestock husbandry” (GLiH) plays an important strategic role in promoting the adjustment of agricultural structure and ensuring national food safety and ecological safety. The underlying mechanisms for sustainable grassland use and what strategy is essential for the development of the GLiH remain unknown. In this study, we considered “grass-livestock-human” system as a coupled social ecosystem, and used the theories and methods related to population, resources and environmental economics to explore strategies on the development of the GLiH. Taking the Altay Prefecture in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China as an example, we constructed an index system to evaluate the sustainable utilization of grassland resources, analyzed the coupling coordinative degree among productivity, protection, stability, economic feasibility, social affordability of grassland resources. We further provided strategies on the development of GLiH in the arid and semi-arid regions, northern China. The sustainability of grassland utilization in Altay Prefecture was generally at low level, which was manifested in low productivity, insufficient protection, deficient stability, poor economic feasibility and relatively low social affordability. Moreover, the coupling coordinative degree among productivity, protection, stability, economic feasibility, and social affordability of grasslandresources was relatively low. The result may mainly be explained by the non-equilibrium of the grassland ecosystem, the complexity of the interaction and particularity of logical connection amongsubsystems within the “grass-livestock-human” system, and a lack of effective trade offamong the ecosystem, the development of animal husbandry and the increase in herdsman’s income of pastoral areas. It is critically needed to promote the sustainable and healthy development of the GLiH in the ways of vigorously developing a goodquality forage industry, strongly building a modern animal husbandry system, quickly increasing the capacity of herdsman, and enhancing the coupled “grass-livestock-human” system in the arid and semiarid regions. These strategies can be helpful to enhance the integration of natural, economic, and social processes of grassland system, and be beneficial for fundamentally resolving the contradictions between grass and livestock, between supply and demand, and among the “production-living-ecological” functions. It is necessary to strengthen communication and cooperation among multiple departments, to integrate theories and methods of multiple disciplines, and to integrate policy resources among multiple fields. We suggest to formulate medium and long-term development plans of the GLiH scientifically, and thus to promote a high-quality development of the GLiH and rural revitalization of pastoral areas. It is urgently needed to carry out in-depth scientific and technological innovation, experimental demonstration and promotion of the GLiH, to form quickly trinity pattern of good-quality forage, modern animal husbandry and new-type herdsman, and thus to chronically maintain the harmonious and symbiotic relationship between man and land in pastoral areas. The integration of all these measures would be fundamental for sustainable and healthy development of the GLiH in the arid and semi-arid regions.
