Abstract
Enclosing plays a crucial role in vegetation and soil quality in grassland. The biomass of green plants, litter, and vertical distributions of soil physical properties and nutrient stocks were evaluated at plot enclosed long term for 38 years inside a fence and a long-term grazing plot outside a fence in a semi-arid grassland of Inner Mongolia. The results showed that dry matter of green plants and litter during the 38-year enclosing treatment was higher than in the grazing treatment (p < 0.01). The soil silt (2–50 μm) in the 38-year enclosing treatment was 5.9% higher than in the grazing treatment (p < 0.01) in 0–10 cm soil, and the fine sand (100–250 μm) was 6.0% lower (p < 0.05). The 38-year enclosing treatment slightly decreased the bulk density and significantly decreased the electrical conductivity in each soil layer (0–100 cm). The 38-year enclosing treatment significantly increased the stocks of soil organic carbon (SOC), available phosphorus (AP), and available potassium (AK) on the surface soil, and obviously decreased the stocks of total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sulfur (S), and available nitrogen (AN) in each soil layer (0–100 cm). In conclusion, long-term enclosing improved grassland production, but decreased most nutrient stocks in soil.
Highlights
Grazing is one of the most important ways for human beings to use grassland, and it plays crucial role in material cycles of ecosystems [1]
(2008), we found that the dry matter of green plants in the 38-year grazing plot was higher than that of 26-year grazing plot, which might be attributed to the interannual changes in temperature and precipitation, and the difference in sampling time [24]
This study showed that the grazing treatment decreased (p < 0.01) the amount of silt (2–50 μm) and increased (p < 0.05) the amount of fine sand (100–250 μm) of surface soil (0–10 cm) compared to long-term enclosing, which suggested that surface soil became coarser with long-term grazing in semi-arid grasslands of Inner Mongolia
Summary
Grazing is one of the most important ways for human beings to use grassland, and it plays crucial role in material cycles of ecosystems [1]. A large amount of vegetation in long-term grazing exclusion grassland needs more nutrients, and the nutrients might transfer from soil to plants. The aims of present study were to: (1) analyze the enclosing This information will provide the basic guidelines for grassland management differences in green plant biomass and litter biomass of long-term grazing and enclosing; and sustainable development grassland in soil. We hypothesized that: (1) long-term enclosing would increase the dryDesign matter of green plants and litter, and improve soil physical properties; (2). Study Site and Experimental the nutrient stocks in soil would be different between long-term grazing and long-term. This information willMongolia provide the basic guidelinesEcosystem for grassland Research managementStaThe study was enclosing.
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