Effects of Grazing Exclusion on Soil Properties in Maqin Alpine Meadow, Tibetan Plateau, China

Grassland, as an important part of the terrestrial ecosystem, plays an essential role in water conservation and forage productivity in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau [1,2].However, many extensive ecological problems such as grassland degradation have been caused recently by human activity and global warming in Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau [3].There were many poisonous and ruderal weeds that were inedible for livestock in the warm season and little vegetation coverage in the cold season in the severely degraded grassland, leading to rodent infestation and soil degradation.Soil condition is the cornerstone of grassland health and soil degradation refers to the degradation of soil