Warming suppresses grassland recovery in biomass but not in community composition after grazing exclusion in a Mongolian grassland

• DOI: 10.1007/s00442-024-05620-0
• Publication Date: 2024-09-19T19:35:34Z
• Authors: Toshihiko Kinugasa; Yu Yoshihara; Ryoga Aoki; Batdelger Gantsetseg; Takehiro Sasaki
• Keywords: Soil; Livestock; Climate Change; Temperature; Animals; Biomass; Mongolia; Herbivory; Grassland; Original Research

We conducted a 4-year temperature manipulation experiment in Mongolian grassland to examine the effect of daytime and nighttime warming on recovery after grazing exclusion. After constructing livestock exclusion fence grassland, we established daytime-and-nighttime treatments within fenced area by combination open-top chambers (OTC) electric heaters. measured numbers plants aboveground biomass species recording percentage vegetation cover every summer for three inside fence-non-warming, warming, warming-and outside fence. OTCs increased about 2.0 °C, heaters 0.9 °C during growing period. Grazing had little but reduced abundance poorly palatable modified plant community composition. Daytime decreased soil moisture lowered Nighttime further its effects composition were undetectable. concluded that grasslands degraded would be future climate through drying. Because composition, adverse might offset improving productivity mitigation drying watering. Soil due have detectable when persists long time.