Grazing-induced changes in the abundance and diversity of grasshoppers is mediated through changes in plant functional groups

One of the predominant land-uses in grasslands globally is livestock grazing, which can serve as an important management tool, but can also lead to habitat degradation. Grasshoppers are an integral component of grassland ecosystems and can be good indicators for grassland ecosystem functioning and services. Here, we took advantage of a long-term grazing experiment in Inner Mongolia, northern China to study the effects of different grazing intensities on the grasshopper community. We found that total grasshopper abundance increased with grazing intensity, but some species declined, and overall grasshopper diversity decreased with grazing intensity. We found that the predominant effects of grazing on grasshoppers were mediated indirectly via the effects of grazers on different functional groups of plants. In conclusion, light sheep grazing intensity can maintain the diversity of grasshoppers, while maintaining low abundance, providing a basis for developing effective grazing management strategies in desert steppe.