The effect of grazing management on plant species richness on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

In Maqu County, Gansu Province, China, there are two types of grazing management. Under multi-household (MH) management, grassland is jointly managed by two or more households without fences between pastures. Under single-household (SH) management, fenced-off parcels of grassland are used. SH management was imposed in the belief that it would alleviate grassland degradation. Comparable land parcels with similar stocking rates subject to MH and SH management were identified and surveyed to determine the species present and species density (m−2). MH land had greater number values than SH but the differences were not significant. A further analysis indicated that the number of households using MH land influenced species richness. There was also evidence to suggest that the quality of the forage available deteriorated under SH management. It was concluded that MH grazing resulted in greater species richness than SH and is perhaps an important contributor to biodiversity conservation and grassland management for the region.