Impact of Grazing Excluding and Grazing on Soil Properties in Sandy Grassland in Horqin Sand Land, China

The restoration of degraded grassland which caused by over-grazing is directly related to land sustainable and economical development in North China. However, it is not well know that the impact of grazing excluding and continuous free grazing on soil properties in this region. In this paper, Soil physical and chemical properties under grazing excluded for 5 and 11 years and free grazing were examined in representative degraded sandy grassland. Results showed that continuous free grazing cause soil compaction, soil structure degradation, and loss of soil organic C and total N. Different period exclusion contribute to soil structure improvement, bulk density decreased, and soil fertility improvement through area protection. In addition, soil organic C and total N stocks showed a significant increasing trend from FG to 11GE. It indicated grazing excluding has important significance in soil restoration. So there is a need to develop sustainable grassland management and exclusion practices to combat the ongoing grassland degradation in the region.