The existing policy, introduced in 2000, calls for the eradication of small burrowing mammals. These include the mountain-dwelling herbivores, the plateau pika, and another small rodent, the zokor. Both are keystone species and are known as ecosystem engineers due to their modification of and impact on the environment.

The report's authors say that the current extermination programs are not based on studies that considered the full effects of culling these rodents.

"The government agency's policy of conducting large-scale animal culling campaigns each year is not a good approach," says Professor Johannes Knops from the Health and Environmental Sciences department at Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) and corresponding author.

Professor Knops and the first author, Dr. Wenjin Li from the College of Ecology at Lanzhou University, propose replacing the eradication policy with a nature-based control strategy.

"Our research shows that using natural predators and other ecological factors to regulate burrowing mammal populations can be a more sustainable and effective approach to grassland management."

The study has important implications for grassland management practices worldwide. Small burrowing mammals are common in grasslands, and their eradication can negatively impact ecosystem health and productivity.