Impacts of Grazing Disturbance on Soil Nitrogen Component Contents and Storages in a Leymus chinensis Meadow Steppe

Abstract

Long-term grazing leads to soil degradation in Inner Mongolia grassland. Based on the Hulunbeier meadow steppe, the variation characteristics of soil nitrogen content and storage in soil layers between 0–40 cm, under six different grazing intensities, and the response of vegetation and other physical and chemical properties of soil to grazing were studied. The main results were as follows: (1) Moderate grazing increased soil total nitrogen (TN), soluble total nitrogen (STN) and microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN) contents, while heavy grazing decreased MBN content. In the year with more rain, heavy grazing increased nitrate nitrogen (NO3−-N) content and storage, while less rain increased ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N) content. (2) The proportion of 0–40 cm nitrogen components showed an upward trend in the year with more rain, and the opposite in the years with less rainfall with the increase of grazing intensity. Soil soluble organic nitrogen (SON) and NO3−-N storages decreased and MBN storage increased in rainy years. (3) Soil nitrogen component contents and storages were correlated with plant growth status, soil moisture (SM) and soil bulk density (SBD), and were significantly negatively correlated with soil temperature (ST) and pH (p < 0.05). The content and storage of soil nitrogen were affected by grazing, soil, vegetation, meteorological and other environmental factors. Moderate grazing was more conducive to the improvement of soil nitrogen storage capacity and the healthy development of grassland.