Circular development modes of modern agriculture and animal husbandry in Tibet

The circular economy is a novel concept and method for the effective utilization of waste resources of agricultural and animal husbandry. Tibet has special natural attributes, such as a diversified elevation gradient, varied climate, great daily temperature range, and a large complexity and diversity of natural resources. It is of great importance to utilize natural resources to their full potential through the establishment of effective modes of agricultural and animal husbandry production, thereby allowing sustainable and efficient development in Tibet. This paper has summarized the circular economy development modes of agriculture and animal husbandry in Tibet, comprising the clean production of highland barley; the combination of forestry, agriculture, and animal husbandry; the comprehensive utilization of agricultural and animal husbandry wastes; the alpine grassland greenhouses; and the co-cultivation of fish and vegetables. The clean production of highland barley was based on the principle of "reduce, reuse, and recycle". The combination system of agriculture, forestry planting, and animal husbandry was characterized by high-efficiency ecological reproduction, scientific planting, and expansion of agricultural products. The comprehensive utilization system of agricultural and animal husbandry wastes was the optimized combination and rational utilization of different resources reclaimed from the wastes of crop planting and animal breeding. The alpine grassland greenhouses were a comprehensive system of grassland protection, grass production, and greenhouse grass cultivation, which balanced grassland resources and animal breeding requirements to meet the climate of Tibet. The co-cultivation of fish and vegetables used a courtyard-based system, with greenhouse production as a core element to promote the production and cultivation and horticultural crops through the symbiogenesis of fish and vegetables. The five circular modes were typical patterns of agricultural and animal husbandry development in different ecological areas in Tibet. Each mode had its' own development attributes and characteristics that may be used for reference, popularization, and application. Finally, based on the analysis results, four measures and suggestions for promoting the circular patterns of agricultural and animal husbandry development in Tibet were proposed.