<b>Ungulate herbivory affects grassland soil biota β-diversity and community assembly via modifying soil properties and plant root traits</b>

Ungulate herbivory, a widespread and complex disturbance, shapes grassland biodiversity and functions primarily through three mechanisms: defoliation, trampling and excreta return. However, the specific effects of these mechanisms on soil biodiversity and community assembly remain unclear.We aimed to examine the effects of defoliation, trampling, and excreta return on the β-diversity and community assembly of soil organisms (bacteria, fungi, and nematodes) under different scenarios (moderate and high ungulate densities), using a field experiment simulating ungulate herbivory. We also investigated how these three aspects of grazing influence soil biota β-diversity and community assembly by affecting plant aboveground properties, belowground root traits, and soil abiotic factors. The R code file includes 1) the code for the analysis of beta diversity, beta-deviation, plant community and soil physicochemical property data and 2) the code for drawing the figures in the manuscript.