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Effects of grazing exclusion on soil properties, fungal community structure and diversity in different grassland types.
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  • Shijie Zhou,
  • Yiqiang Dong,
  • Helong Yang,
  • Suwen Yang,
  • Asitaiken Julihaiti ,
  • Zeyu Liu,
  • Tingting Nie,
  • Anjing Jiang,
  • Yue Wu,
  • Shazhou An
Shijie Zhou
Xinjiang Agricultural University
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Yiqiang Dong
Xinjiang Agricultural University

Corresponding Author:xjdyq1210@163.com

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Helong Yang
Xinjiang Agricultural University
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Suwen Yang
Xinjiang Agricultural University
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Asitaiken Julihaiti
Xinjiang Agricultural University
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Zeyu Liu
Xinjiang Agricultural University
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Tingting Nie
Xinjiang Agricultural University
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Anjing Jiang
Xinjiang Agricultural University
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Yue Wu
Xinjiang Agricultural University
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Shazhou An
Xinjiang Agricultural University
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Abstract

Soil fungi are involved in the decomposition of organic matter, and they alter soil structure and physicochemical properties and drive the material cycle and energy flow in terrestrial ecosystems. Grazing exclusion is one of the most common measures used to restore degraded grasslands worldwide. However, changes in soil fungal community characteristics during grazing exclusion in different types of grasslands are unknown. Here, we investigated the effects of a 9-year grazing exclusion on soil properties, fungal community composition and diversity in three grassland types (temperate desert, temperate steppe and mountain meadow). The results showed that in the 0-5 cm soil layer, grazing exclusion significantly affected the physicochemical parameters of all three studied grassland types. In the 5-10 cm soil layer, grazing exclusion significantly increased total phosphorus (TP) in temperate deserts by 34.1%, while significantly decreasing bulk density (BD) by 9.8% and the nitrogen: phosphorus ratio (N:P) by 47.1%. The soil fungal community composition differed among the grassland types, For example, significant differences were found among the three grassland types for the Glomeromycota and Mucoromycota, Grazing exclusion, grassland type, and the interaction between the two did not significantly affect soil fungal α-diversity or community composition(P > 0.05), but significantly altered fungal β-diversity (P < 0.05). Overall, our results highlight the importance of soil nutrient content, especially soil Kjeldahl nitrogen, total phosphorus and organic carbon on fungal diversity, and the results provide key insights into how soil fungi respond to grazing exclusion in different grassland types.
13 Sep 2023Submitted to Ecology and Evolution
21 Sep 2023Submission Checks Completed
21 Sep 2023Assigned to Editor
22 Sep 2023Reviewer(s) Assigned
05 Oct 2023Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
23 Oct 2023Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
30 Jan 2024Reviewer(s) Assigned
05 Feb 2024Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending