Management Effects on the Vegetation of Rangeland in the Middle of Southern Slope of Tianshan Mountains

Rangeland degradation is a widespread problem and its restoration remains a major challenge. In recent years, many scientists have discussed the primary causes of over-grazing and approaches to restoration of China’s grasslands (e.g. Harris 2010; Wang and Han 2005; Lu et al. 2005). The major evidence of grassland degradation is lower plant productivity, reduced biodiversity and increase in poisonous weeds (Zhao et al. 2010), increased frequency of rodent and grasshopper infestations, and large scale dust storms (Lu et al. 2005). Restoration of these impacted ecosystems is an important and challenging task, especially in Xinjiang Province, China, where the natural grassland is rapidly degrading year by year (Yuan et al. 2011). Many strategies have been used to restore condition to these degrading grasslands, but since not all have proved successful, efforts are continuing to find methods that promote vigorous growth low soil disturbance and minimal vegetation destruction. In this study we investigated the response of grassland species and soils to strategic rest and shallow cultivation relative to current overgrazed grassland in the Tianshan Mountains of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China