3.1 Dynamic changes of accumulated above-ground standing crop of shrubby and herbaceous plants
From 2004 to 2017, the dynamic changes of cumulative above-ground standing crop of shrubby and herbaceous plants (Fig. 3) showed that although grazing started at the same time in each treatment, the effects of different stocking rates on above-ground standing crop of plant communities were different. The cumulative above-ground standing crop of shrubby and herbaceous plants both showed a decrease with increasing stocking rate and the difference between the two increased with increasing stocking rate. This suggested that under grazing conditions, a desert steppe rich in shrubs was evolving into a desert steppe that is completely dominated by the herbaceous plant community and that this trend was enhanced under increased stocking rate.