Author:
Zhang Qian,Lu Yan,Zhang Caijun,Yao Baohui,Su Junhu
Abstract
AbstractMounds formed by plateau zokors (Eospalax baileyi) in alpine meadows are easily disturbed by livestock. We aimed to reveal the effect of moderate livestock grazing (from October 15 to March 15 of the following year) on plant and soil characteristics of zokor mounds. This study explored the effect of zokor mounds of different ages (2015–2018) on soil nutrient content, soil enzymatic activity, plant diversity, and aboveground biomass (AGB) at grazing and non-grazing sites. Compared with the non-grazing sites, soil organic carbon (SOC), total soil phosphorus, and ratio of SOC to total nitrogen were 16.6%–98.7% higher and soil urease activity was 8.4% and 9.6% higher in 1- and 3-year-old mounds, respectively, at the grazing sites. Grazing significantly increased the plant Pielou index, richness, and Shannon–Wiener diversity index of 4-year-old mounds by 20.7%–52.4%. Partial least squares path modeling showed that plant species diversity was the main factor affecting the plant AGB of mounds at the grazing sites, whereas soil enzyme activity was the primary factor at the non-grazing sites. We propose that moderate grazing increases soil nutrient content and the plant diversity in zokor mounds in alpine meadows, which should be considered in future grassland restoration.
Funder
the National Natural Science Foundation of China
Science and Technology Support Project of Forestry and Grassland Bureau of Gansu Province
the Program for Longyuan Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Talent (Team) of Gansu Province of China
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC