Preliminary studies on ecosystem services and human well-beingin grassland of Inner Mongolia
内蒙古草原生态系统服务与人类福祉研究初探

People have recently paid more attention to ecosystem services and human well-being. This has led to studies of different kinds of ecosystem services and human well-being, getting into the mainstream of hot research ecology. This study discussed ecosystem services and human well-being in grassland Inner Mongolia. This is significant as it not only protected grassland ecosystems, but also improved human well-being and provided services of tremendous benefits to the people. The relationship is not linear between ecosystem services and human well-being in the grassland. No consistent increment was noted in human well-being. People paid increasing attention to ecosystem services and human well-being of the region partly because of the changing ecosystem services and its deep effects on human well-being. Government issued policies for rebuilding and protecting the natural environment was another driving factor. We noted that some questions still needed redress regarding the study of ecosystem services and human well-being in the region. These were summarized as follows: (1) shortages of dynamic data about ecosystem services impact on human well-being existed; (2) qualitative and quantitative research on how changing human well-being conditions affected ecosystem services of grassland was lacking; (3) sustainability of national policy was also questionable. On the basis of above, the authors suggested strengthening and concerning the following conditions in the region: (1) interactive patterns of formation and fluctuation of ecosystem services and human well-being in grassland of Inner Mongolia; (2) research into clear inter-coordination and connection of human well-being and other functions of ecosystem services in the grassland; (3) build-up of relatively perfect evaluation index system of human well-being in grassland of Inner Mongolia and (4) sustainable and effective government policies in the region.