Effects of rotational and continuous grazing on community characteristic of aDesert Grassland in Inner Mongolia, China

摘要

Introduction: Grazing is a key disturbance that shapes the structure and function of grassland communities(McNaughton 1985). It has been found that system lead to seriously degradation of the natural grasslands in the Inner Mongolian region. Therefore, developing sustainable grazing management strategies for these grasslands is pivotal in order to maintain grassland ecosystem stability (Zhao et al. 2007).The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of rotational grazing and continuous grazing systems on plant community characteristics. We anticipate that the data could be used to provide a solid theoretical base for further studies on restoration of vegetation in degraded desert grassland.