RESPONSE TO GRAZING PRESSURE ON THE SOIL PROPERTIES AND SHRUB COMMUNITIES IN THE SEMI-DESERT STEPPE, MONGOLIA

Soil physical properties (topsoil density, 0-30cm density, soil organic carbon and soil organic matter) was significant of grazing intensity in the semi-desert steppe of Mongolia. Soil physical properties are playing an important role for formation of arid ecosystem. Grazing of abundant livestock can alter for the spatial heterogeneity of vegetation and soil structure, especially of arid ecosystem. According to our results, soil organic carbon was remarkably different among all sites (F=13.8, P<0.0001). This study conducted to identifying grazing effects of both livestock and wild ungulates (as large herbivores) on both herbaceous shrub communities’ characteristics, including their physical performance (DF=4, F=46.73, P<0.0001) such as, height, canopy diameter, basal diameter and annual shoot in Ikh Nart Nature Reserve. Our findings revealed the soil physical characters such as topsoil density, bulk density, SOC and SOM were decreased with increased grazing intensity, as well as grazing of herbivores was negatively affected for height, canopy diameter and annual shoot of shrub communities. Therefore, our findings clearly indicated the negative effects of grazing to studied soil properties and shrub communities in semi-desert region of Mongolia. The results also showed that there is still need well managed pasture management that covered conservation of shrub communities alongside with other-species in semi-desert region.