Medium-Term Effect of Livestock Grazing Intensities on the Vegetation Dynamics in Alpine Meadow Ecosystems

Bo Chen, Xujun Ma, Xiaolei Zhou (), Xiaowei Zhang, Xuhu Wang, Zizhen Li, Xinyi Yang, Songsong Lu and Weibo Du
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Bo Chen: College of Forestry, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China
Xujun Ma: Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Urat Desert-Grassland Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
Xiaolei Zhou: College of Forestry, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China
Xiaowei Zhang: College of Forestry, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China
Xuhu Wang: College of Forestry, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China
Zizhen Li: College of Forestry, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China
Xinyi Yang: College of Forestry, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China
Songsong Lu: College of Forestry, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China
Weibo Du: College of Forestry, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 3, 1-17

Abstract: The dynamics and plant composition of toxic weeds in alpine meadows are strongly influenced by management practices such as livestock grazing. Here, the effect of grazing management on vegetation and soil characteristics within an alpine meadow ecosystem was assessed over a 5-year period. The experimental grazing treatments comprised no grazing (control), light grazing (5 sheep/ha), moderate grazing (10 sheep/ha), and heavy grazing (15 sheep/ha). The characteristics of both edible grass and toxic weeds, along with the soil’s physicochemical and biological properties, were evaluated. Under heavy grazing, the biomass of toxic weeds increased by 15.0%, while the biomass of edible species decreased by 57.0% compared to the control. The findings indicated that after 5 years, the plant composition changed significantly, with edible species such as Taraxacum mongolicum and Tibetia himalaica decreasing and disappearing under moderate and heavy grazing treatments. Conversely, toxic weeds like Stellera chamaejasme and Euphorbia micractina emerged under moderate or heavy grazing. Additionally, the richness of toxic weeds increased from 6.3 under the control to 14.2 under heavy grazing. Regarding soil properties, the levels of soil glucosidase, amylase, and cellulose decreased by 39.0%, 53.0%, and 40.0%, respectively. The amount of available potassium initially decreased and then increased under heavy grazing. The results demonstrated that the quality of the vegetation cover and a soil’s properties directly depend on land management. Overall, light to moderate grazing kept the soil in a better chemical and biological state and kept the biomass of palatable plants at a desirable level, which also controlled the abundance and biomass of toxic weeds. Enhancing soil nutrient conditions, such as by adding nitrate fertilizers, can be effective in restoring grasslands that have been severely degraded by grazing.

Keywords: biomass; grass; edible plant; land management; toxic weeds (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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