Effect of a grazing ban on restoring the degraded alpine meadows of Northern Tibet, China
W. N. Zhang A B , H. Ganjurjav A B , Y. Liang A B , Q. Z. Gao A B D , Y. F. Wan A B , Y. Li A B , Y. Z. Baima C and Z. M. Xirao C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development for Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.
B Key Laboratory for Agro-Environment and Climate Change, Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing 100081, China.
C Nagqu Grassland Station, Nagqu Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Bureau, Nagqu 852100, Tibet Autonomous Region, China.
D Corresponding author. Email: gaoqzh@ami.ac.cn
The Rangeland Journal 37(1) 89-95 https://doi.org/10.1071/RJ14092
Submitted: 4 July 2014 Accepted: 2 December 2014 Published: 5 February 2015
Abstract
Banning of grazing is a widely used means of restoring degraded rangeland in China. However, little is known about the time required to restore degraded alpine meadows through the use of a grazing ban. Height and cover of individual plant species and total cover, herbage mass and root mass of each plot of a grazing ban and communal free-grazing alpine meadows in Northern Tibet were examined. Soil samples were also collected and total organic carbon, microbial biomass carbon, total phosphorus and ammonium nitrogen contents were measured. The results showed that both the level of plant species diversity and herbage mass were higher in areas of a grazing ban than in communal free-grazing land without a grazing ban. No significant differences in root mass and soil nutrient contents were observed. There was a higher plant species diversity and herbage mass in the early years of a grazing ban but there was a subsequent decline. It is suggested that some grazing after a grazing ban may be necessary according to the dynamics of ecosystem responses with time.
Additional keywords: alpine meadow, biomass, grazing ban, species diversity, soil nutrients.
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