New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research abstracts
Grassland recovery by protection from grazing in a semi-arid sandy
region of northern China
Ji Yi Zhang1,2
Ying Wang1
Xia Zhao1
Gang Xie1
Ting Zhang1
1School of Petro-chemical and Environmental Engineering
Lanzhou University of Science and Technology
85 Langongping, Qilihe District
Lanzhou 730050, PR China
zhangjiyi@lut.cn, jiyizhang@yahoo.com.cn
2Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering
Research Institute
Chinese Academy of Sciences
260 Donggang West Road
Lanzhou 730000, PR China
Abstract Vegetation destruction resulting from
overgrazing and conversion of rangelands to agricultural use is one of
the biggest causes of land desertification and biodiversity loss. The
community cover, biomass, species composition, species richness, and
species diversity of each of six sites protected from grazing for times
ranging from 3 to 45 years were investigated in a semi-arid sandy
region called Horqin Sandy Land, northern China. Community cover was
maximal in the site with 45 years’ protection from grazing, and biomass
was maximal in the site with 18 years’ protection due to the vigorous
growth of Artemisia halodendron. Species richness and diversity
tended to increase as protected time increased. The results showed that
up to 45 years’ protection from grazing produced positive and
encouraging changes in the site. As the number of years of protection
increased, the development of community structure and restoration of
community function increased. The study provided an example of
grassland recovery under natural conditions in this semi-arid sandy
region, and suggested that protection from grazing may be an effective,
financially economical and natural way to restore vegetation. It is
suggested that this could be of great significance for land use and
management practices.
Keywords biodiversity; overgrazing; sand dunes;
soil erosion; succession
A03034; Received 9 June 2003; accepted 3 February 2005; Online
publication date 30 May 2005
New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research, 2005, Vol. 48:
277–284
0028–8233/05/4802–0277 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2005
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