Toward a sustainable grazing management based on biodiversity and ecosystem multifunctionality in drylands

Overgrazing largely causes biodiversity loss and land degradation in drylands. Studying the relationship between multiple biodiversity (MBD) across trophic levels and ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF) is becoming a frontier in ecosystem science. Here, by synthesizing the impacts of grazing on MBD and EMF in drylands, we found that the response of MBD depends on the interactions of grazing intensity, livestock type and aridity. MBD responds to grazing intensity following a unimodal pattern in the relatively humid areas, but a negatively linear response in the dry areas. Moreover, the MBD mediates the response of EMF to grazing. Therefore, we suggest a sustainable grassland management considering grazing practices and local climate to maintain a high-level of EMF and MBD conservation in drylands.

Automated summary

Overgrazing in drylands largely causes loss of biodiversity and land degradation. The response of multiple biodiversity (MBD) to grazing intensity, livestock type, and aridity varies in different regions, and MBD mediates the response of ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF) to grazing. Sustainable grassland management should consider grazing practices and local climate in order to maintain high levels of EMF and MBD conservation in drylands.