A long-term high-resolution dataset of grasslands grazing intensity in China

Utilized the census livestock data and a satellite-based vegetation index, we developed the first Long-term High-resolution Grazing Intensity (LHGI) dataset of grassland in seven pastoral provinces in western China from 1980–2022. And now updated to 2024, with improved data coverage in parts of western Sichuan after 2000.The file format of the dataset is GeoTIFF with the spatial reference of WGS84 (EPSG: 4326). Each GeoTIFF file represents annual grazing intensity (unit: SU ha^-1).Furthermore, we disaggregated the LHGI into different livestock species based on the percentage of cattle, goats, sheep, and large livestock at the county level in head/ha.This dataset serves as a vital resource for estimating grassland carbon cycling and livestock system CH₄ emissions as well as contributes to grassland management.For any issues regarding data usage, please contact: [e-mail]