Spectral detection of grazing degradation in the Xilingol Steppe, Inner Mongolia

In order to detect the grazing degradation of steppe vegetation, spectral reflectance was measured using a portable spectral radiometer in the Xilingol steppe, Inner Mongolia. There is only one main drinking place for animals, which is supplied by a water tank at the center of Branch No.4 site-00. In addition to the measurement of surface reflectance, vegetation surveys were carried out involving floristic composition and plant growth parameters as a function of the distance from site-00 at every 1-km interval until the 5-km point. It becomes clear that the effects of grazing on vegetation and soil mitigated according to the distance from site-00. Negative plant indicators of grazing intensity such as Stipa grandis and Filifolium sibiricum increased in dominance with distance from site-00, whereas positive indicators of grazing intensity, such as Cleistogenens squarrosa and Agropyron cristatum, decreased in dominance. Changes in growth parameters along the environmental gradients were reflected on NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index), in which NDVI was positively correlated with the aboveground biomass (r=0.77, P<0.001), plant height (r=0.69, P<0.001) and coverage (r=0.89, P