Soil microbial properties of subalpine steppe soils at different grazing intensities in the Chinese Altai Mountains

• Published in: Scientific reports 2021-01, Vol.11 (1), p.1653-1653, Article 1653
• Main Authors: Goenster-Jordan, Sven, Ingold, Mariko, Jannoura, Ramia, Buerkert, Andreas, Joergensen, Rainer Georg
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 631/326; 704/158/2453; 704/158/2456; 704/158/2458; 704/172; Biodegradation; Biomass; Biota; Carbon dioxide; Ecosystem services; Ergosterol; Grasslands; Grazing; Grazing intensity; Herbivores; Humanities and Social Sciences; Mountains; multidisciplinary; Organic carbon; Organic soils; Pasture; Plant biomass; Planting density; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Sheep; Soil degradation; Soil microorganisms; Soil properties; Steppes; Stocking; Summer; Topsoil
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-81120-y

Long-term provision of ecosystem services by grasslands is threatened by increasing stocking densities. The functions of grassland ecosystems depend on a mutual relationship between aboveground and belowground biota. While the effects of increasing stocking density on plant biomass are well studied, little is known about its impact on soil microbial properties. To fill this knowledge gap a grazing experiment was conducted on a summer pasture in the Chinese Altai Mountains during the summers of 2014 and 2015 using a randomized block design with stocking densities of 0, 8, 16, and 24 sheep ha −1 replicated four times. After two summer grazing periods (each 56 days), topsoil samples (1–7 cm) were taken in September 2015 and analyzed for major physical, chemical, and microbial soil properties. Except for the metabolic quotient ( q CO 2 ; p