Effects of grazing intensity on soil organic carbon of rangelands in Xilin Gol League, Inner Mongolia, China

Changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) in rangelands has been extensively investigated. Grazing in outlying rangeland areas has caused severe impacts on ecosystem functions. To reveal the effects of grazing on SOC, we evaluated the grassland in Xilin Gol League, Inner Mongolia, China. Grazing intensity was determined by using two image sets of vegetation index with normalized differences in grazing periods (July 12th and 28th). The range of variation in vegetation index was then used to measure the grazing intensity. The SOC storage and density were obtained by conducting experiments on field soil samples. Results showed that 1) the grazing intensity in Xilin Gol League declined gradually from west to east; by contrast, the spatial distribution of SOC density increased gradually. 2) As grazing intensity increased, the carbon storage of rangeland decreased evidently. Minimum carbon storage was observed in grasslands classified under extreme overgrazing; by comparison, maximum values were found in areas classified under light overgrazing to moderate grazing. 3) The estimated soil carbon storage was 8.48 x 10(11) kg, and the average carbon density was 4.08 kg/m(2). Our research demonstrated that grazing intensity likely affects soil carbon. Moderate grazing is an optimum strategy to maintain carbon storage and ensure sustainable grassland utilization.