Effect of nitrogen fertilization on the vegetation structure and biomass of degraded meadow and soil fertility

Nitrogen fertilizer was applied to the fenced meadow and it was aimed to find out the best way to management of degraded meadow. The results showed that N fertilizer application improved grassland plant population structure significantly, increased the biomass of forage grasses, and improved the soil nutrients content obviously. With the increase of application rate, the difference of vegetation structure and biomass between the treatment and the control was significant and the soil fertility in 0 to 20 cm layer was increased significantly. The height and biomass of vegetation, and the soil fertility were improved with the increase of application rate in treatment group, however, the effect of N fertilizer was not significant while the application rate was more than 225 kg/hm2 and the proper application rate was 225 kg/hm2.