Impact of restoration measures on plant and soil characteristics in the degraded alpine grasslands of the Qinghai Tibetan Plateau: A meta-analysis

Abstract

This study comprehensively analyzed 3666 sets of experimental data through meta-analysis based on 161 published studies to quantitatively assess the effect of different restoration measures on vegetation and soil properties of alpine degraded grassland on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. The results showed that natural restoration was relevant for conserving non-degraded grasslands and restoring lightly degraded grasslands, and interventional restoration measures were applicable for restoring moderately degraded grasslands and above. In the restoration of slightly degraded alpine grasslands, medium-term fencing was appropriate. On moderately degraded alpine grasslands, interventional restoration measures were helpful, whereas natural restoration yielded poor results. Fertilization and reseeding measures are recommended for restoring moderately degraded alpine grasslands, with fertilization mainly in the short term and reseeding specifically in the short and medium term. Artificial grassland establishment was the most suitable measure for restoring heavily degraded alpine grasslands, but the restoration period was prolonged. A comprehensive meta-analysis of the effects of different restoration measures on alpine grasslands is of great significance for rationally restoring degraded grasslands and protecting the ecological environment on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.