It is important to understand the utilization of rangelands by pastoralists and, concomitantly, the potential effects of
rangeland utilization on biodiversity, if efforts are to be made to ensure that such resources are managed sustainably.
However, data on rangeland utilization and local biodiversity are often lacking, and it is not always clear how such
data (when available) should be used to inform management decisions. Use of such data can even be more problematic
when they were not gathered with the goal of evaluating sustainability or its relationship to biodiversity, or when they
may be corrupted because of political forces. Nevertheless, on a regional basis and particularly in developing areas,
broad-scale datasets that address rangeland issues may serve as the best starting point in any evaluation of such an
area's natural resources. We examine series of provincial- and county-level datasets from the alpine grasslands of
Qinghai Province, People's Republic of China, that describe rangeland utilization patterns and issues of sustainability
that bear on continued use of this pastoral ecosystem and conservation of its native biodiversity. We evaluate these
datasets and demonstrate their strengths and weaknesses toward the goal of assisting management decisions at the
local, county, and provincial level.