Herbivore assemblages affect soil microbial communities by altering root biomass and available nutrients in an alpine meadow.

ABSTRACT: Three different herbivore grazing assemblages, namely, yak grazing (YG), Tibetan sheep grazing (SG) and yak and Tibetan sheep co-grazing (MG), are practiced in alpine meadows on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP), but the effects of the different herbivore assemblages on soil microbes are relatively unknown. The microbial community plays an important role in the functional stability of alpine grassland ecosystems. Therefore, it is important to understand how the microbial community structure of grassland ecosystems changes under different herbivore grazing assemblages to ensure their sustainable development. To fill this gap, a field study was carried out to investigate the effects of YG, SG, and MG on plant communities, soil physico-chemical properties and microbial communities under moder

SUBMITTER: Liu Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10017739 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature