title: Improved grazing management may increase soil carbon sequestration in temperate steppe.
abstract: Different grazing strategies impact grassland plant production and may also regulate the soil carbon formation. For a site in semiarid temperate steppe, we studied the effect of combinations of rest, high and moderate grazing pressure over three stages of the growing season, on the process involved in soil carbon sequestration. Results show that constant moderate grazing (MMM) exhibited the highest root production and turnover accumulating the most soil carbon. While deferred grazing (RHM and RMH) sequestered less soil carbon compared to MMM, they showed higher standing root mass, maintained a more desirable pasture composition, and had better ability to retain soil N. Constant high grazing pressure (HHH) caused diminished above- and belowground plant production, more soil N losses and an unfavorable microbial environment and had reduced carbon input. Reducing grazing pressure in the last grazing stage (HHM) still had a negative impact on soil carbon. Regression analyses show that adjusting stocking rate to ~5SE/ha with ~40% vegetation utilization rate can get the most carbon accrual. Overall, the soil carbon sequestration in the temperate grassland is affected by the grazing regime that is applied, and grazing can be altered to improve soil carbon sequestration in the temperate steppe.
authors.affiliation: Department of Grassland Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, West Road 2 Yuan Ming Yuan, Beijing 100193, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Wenqing
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Grassland Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, West Road 2 Yuan Ming Yuan, Beijing 100193, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Ding
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Grassland Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, West Road 2 Yuan Ming Yuan, Beijing 100193, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Grassland Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, West Road 2 Yuan Ming Yuan, Beijing 100193, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yingjun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Orange Agricultural Institute, Orange, NSW 2800, Australia.
authors.forename: Warwick B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Badgery
authors.affiliation: Department of Grassland Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, West Road 2 Yuan Ming Yuan, Beijing 100193, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xiaoya
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Grassland Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, West Road 2 Yuan Ming Yuan, Beijing 100193, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shen
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture / Q000379:methods; D000818:Animals; D017554:Carbon Compounds, Inorganic / Q000737:chemistry*; D002681:China; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D060434:Herbivory; D017672:Nitrogen Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D034561:Sheep, Domestic / Q000502:physiology; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry*; D012988:Soil Microbiology
chemical_list: D017554:Carbon Compounds, Inorganic; D017672:Nitrogen Compounds; D012987:Soil