Response of species diversity and stability of typical steppe plant communities on the Mongolian Plateau to different grazing patterns

Grasslands represent a major biome on Earth and play a vital role in ecosystem functioning and dynamics. However, owing to the variations among grassland types, the impact of grazing on plant community diversity and stability remains unclear. This study is based on the typical steppe of the Mongolian Plateau. Field sampling and data analysis were combined to qualitatively and quantitatively investigate the structural characteristics, species diversity, and stability of plant communities under varying grazing intensities, i.e., four-season nomadic, two-season rotational, and sedentary grazing (FSNG, TSRG, and SG, respectively). The results indicated that FSNG pastures exhibited the largest number of plant species while FSNG and TSRG pastures exhibited relatively high importance values for the primary dominant species. Carex duriuscula, Chenopodium glaucum, and Cleistogenes squarrosa were prominent in SG pastures, with C. duriuscula having the largest importance value. The mean height, co..., , , # Response of species diversity and stability of typical steppe plant communities on the Mongolian Plateau to different grazing patterns [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.jsxksn0k3](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.jsxksn0k3) ## Description of the data and file structure Provenance for this README \* File name: README_file_NLIAdata_v1.0.txt \* Authors: Suriguga Gao \* Other contributors: Yu Hong , Wulan Tuya , Weiqing Zhang, Chang An, Si Qinchaoketu , Xu Sha , Bu He, and Wu Yinga \* Date created: 2024-08-06 \* Date modified: 2024-08-20 Dataset Version and Release History \* Current Version: \* Number: 1.0 \* Date: 2024-08-20 \* Persistent identifier: DOI: 10.5061/dryad.jsxksn0k3 \* Summary of changes: n/a \* Embargo Provenance: n/a \* Scope of embargo: n/a \* Embargo period: n/a Dataset Attribution and Usage \* Dataset Title: Data for: Response of species diversity and stability of typical steppe plant communities on the Mongolian Plateau to different grazing patterns \* P...