Influence of stocking rates on vegetation characteristics and plant nutrient contents in mountain grassland at Xinyuan County

Abstract: According to local typical grazing patterns and sheep units per hectare, the stocking rates in mountain grasslands at Xinyuan County was divided into extremely heavy (E, 0.51 sheep unit/ha), heavy (H, 0.43 sheep unit/ha), moderate (M, 0.32 sheep unit/ha), light (L, 0.26 sheep unit/ha) and no grazing area (U, 0 sheep unit/ha). The study evaluated effects of above five stocking rates on vegetation characteristics and plant nutrient contents in mountain grasslands with Bothriochloa ischcemum and other forbs. The results showed that the highest yield of forages (1,008 g/m2) was obtained in 1st of June. With increasing grazing intensity, biotope was deteriorated; species diversity was decreased and productivity was reduced. CP content of the forages was the highest (10.6%), but the NDF (50%) was the lowest with extremely heavy grazing treatment; ADF (30.8%) contents with moderate grazing was the lowest among in all of treatments.