Responses of community characteristics,soil carbon and nitrogen to different grazing management in Tibet alpine wetlands
The study was conducted in Tibet wetlands which were under three types of grazing management (winter grazing,winter-spring grazing and free grazing).We observed vegetation and soil properties of the wet-lands,such as plant height,coverage,community characteristics,aboveground biomass and soil carbon and nitro-gen.Our study results showed no significant difference in total coverage of the vegetation among different graz-ing management.However,the plant height and plant height coverage of dominant species were significantly. Grazing management have a remarkable effects on community characteristics and diversity index.Grazing signif-icantly decreased plant height,coverage as well as the dominance index of the dominant species in alpine wet-lands.Aboveground biomass and belowground biomass decreased with grazing pressure.In addition,grazing also significantly decreased soil carbon and nitrogen in alpine wetlands.Our study suggested that winter grazing management is the optimal utilization model of the alpine wetlands in Tibet.
grazing managementalpine wetlandscommunity characteristicssoil carbon and nitrogen