Soil properties as indicators of desertification in an alpine meadow ecosystem of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, China

The objective of this study was to examine the variation of time and space and the effects of alpine meadow desertification, and the study area was selected at the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau of China. The sampling locations were categorized as the top, middle, bottom of the slope and flat in front of the slope, and the sites were classified as alpine meadow, light desertified land, moderate desertified land, serious desertified land, and very serious desertified land according to the level of alpine meadow desertification. This study examined spatial and temporal variability in soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), pH, and soil bulk density due to wind erosion and documents the relationship between soil properties and desertification of alpine meadows. Desertification caused decreases to soil organic carbon and total nitrogen and increases to pH and soil bulk density. Soil properties were greatly affected by the level of alpine meadow desertification with the changes being attributed to overgrazing. The middle portion of slopes was identified as being the most susceptible to desertification. Carbon and nitrogen stocks were found to decrease as desertification progressed, the SOC stocks were 274.70, 273.81, 285.26, 196.20, and 144.36 g m−2 in the alpine meadow, light desertified land, moderate desertified land, serious desertified land and very serious desertified land, respectively; and the TN stocks were 27.23, 27.11, 28.35, 20.97, and 17.09 g m−2 at the top 30 cm soil layer, respectively. To alleviate desertification of alpine meadow, conservative grazing practices should be implemented.