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Light Grazing Significantly Reduces Soil Water Storage in Alpine Grasslands on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

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  • Xiaowei Guo

    (Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China
    Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Restoration Ecology for Cold Regions, Xining 810008, China)

  • Licong Dai

    (Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China
    College of Resource and Environment, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100000, China)

  • Qian Li

    (Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China
    Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Restoration Ecology for Cold Regions, Xining 810008, China)

  • Dawen Qian

    (Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China
    Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Restoration Ecology for Cold Regions, Xining 810008, China)

  • Guangmin Cao

    (Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China
    Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Restoration Ecology for Cold Regions, Xining 810008, China)

  • Huakun Zhou

    (Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China
    Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Restoration Ecology for Cold Regions, Xining 810008, China)

  • Yangong Du

    (Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China
    Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Restoration Ecology for Cold Regions, Xining 810008, China)

Abstract

The degradation of alpine grasslands directly affects their ability to conserve water, but changes in soil water storage in grassland under different degrees of degradation are poorly understood. Here, we selected four grassland plots along a degradation gradient: no-degradation grassland (NG), lightly degraded grassland (LG), moderately degraded grassland (MG) and severely degraded grassland (SG). We then applied an automatic soil moisture monitoring system to study changes in soil water storage processes. Results revealed significant ( p < 0.05) differences in soil water storage among NG, LG, MG and SG. Specifically, LG lost 35.9 mm of soil water storage compared with NG, while soil water storage in LG, MG and SG decreased by 24.5%, 32.1% and 36.7%, respectively. The shallow groundwater table, air temperature and grass litter were the key controlling factors of soil water storage in the grassland. Grazing and future global warming will significantly reduce soil water storage in alpine grasslands.

Suggested Citation

  • Xiaowei Guo & Licong Dai & Qian Li & Dawen Qian & Guangmin Cao & Huakun Zhou & Yangong Du, 2020. "Light Grazing Significantly Reduces Soil Water Storage in Alpine Grasslands on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-12, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:6:p:2523-:d:336095
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