Soil function, properties and plant diversity-biomass patterns differ between grazed and non-grazed steppe...

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Environmental Science
• Grassland Management

Background:

• Grazing and enclosure are key grassland management techniques.
• These methods impact plant diversity, productivity, and ecosystem functions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare plant diversity and ecosystem function under grazing versus enclosure.
• To investigate the effects of these management strategies on grassland ecological networks.

Main Methods:

• Conducted medium-scale line transect surveys across three grassland sites.
• Analyzed plant diversity, aboveground biomass (AGB), belowground biomass (BGB), and soil properties.

Main Results:

• Enclosure enhanced AGB and plant height, altering functional group composition.
• Biodiversity responses to enclosure were site-specific, indicating landscape dependency.
• Grazing inverted soil nutrient-AGB relationships and shifted microbial control from dual nutrient-pH to pH-dominated.

Conclusions:

• Grazing and enclosure differentially reorganize grassland ecological networks.
• Enclosure promotes soil nutrient-plant feedbacks, while grazing drives pH-mediated microbial changes and biomass allocation shifts.
• Local environmental context is crucial for understanding grassland management outcomes.