A multi-dimensional comprehensive evaluation of the nutritional value for four woody plants in desert steppe

This study evaluated the nutritional value of four dominant woody species (Artemisia frigida, Bassia prostrata, Krascheninnikovia ceratoides, and Caragana microphylla) in the desert steppe of Siziwang Banner, Inner Mongolia. Sample plots (1 m × 1 m) were randomly established, with three subsamples collected per plot as technical replicates in mid-to-late August, with leaves and stems manually separated for measurement of crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), crude ash (CA), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and acid detergent fiber (ADF). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted across three dimensions (stem vs. leaf, same part across species, and whole plant), followed by CRITIC-GRA-TOPSIS comprehensive ranking and discrimination testing for robustness validation. The results revealed significant nutritional differences between stems and leaves, with leaves consistently exhibiting higher CP and lower fiber than stems-confirming that whole-plant analysis masks substantial component-level variation. Krascheninnikovia ceratoides leaves achieved the highest CP (30.05%), approaching high-quality leguminous forages, while stem CP values across all species fell below maintenance requirements for grazing ruminants. Based on comprehensive rankings, Krascheninnikovia ceratoides ranked first in leaf and whole-plant dimensions, followed by Bassia prostrata; Bassia prostrata ranked first in stem quality. Artemisia frigida, showed the lowest whole-plant nutritional value. These findings support prioritizing Krascheninnikovia ceratoides and Bassia prostrata for conservation and reseeding in degraded pastures, while Artemisia frigida, is best retained as an ecological barrier species rather than a primary forage source.