Effects of Different Grazing on the Typical Steppe Vegetation Characteristics on the Mongolian Plateau

Abstract We studied plant community characteristics of typical steppe vegetation under different grazing systems on the Mongolian plateau of Inner Mongolia in China and the Republic of Mongolia. The different grazing types were defined as four season nomadic, four season rotational, two season rotational and settled grazing. Total cover (per cent), total weight (g/m2) and total plant richness were greater for the four season nomadic and four season rotational compared to the two season rotational and settled grazing. In general vegetation indicators exhibiting less grazing impact by grazing systems followed the following sequence: four season nomadic > four season rotational > two season rotational > settled grazing. There was little difference in estimated grazing capacity of the study areas but large differences in grassland degradation. Therefore, our findings suggest that under the same carrying capacity, four season nomadic and four season rotational grazing have less detrimental impacts on a typical Mongolian steppe vegetation characteristics compared to the settled grazing. We believe that vegetation restoration is also more rapid in the four season rotational systems because there is less trampling by livestock and in settled grazing there is little to no resumption of plant growth.