Effects of long-term fencing on soil microbial community structure and function in the desert steppe, China

One of the goals of grazing management in the desert steppe is to improve its ecosystem. However, relatively little is known about soil microbe communities in the desert steppe ecosystem under grazing management. In this study, we investigated the diversity and aboveground biomass of Caragana korshinskii Kom. shrub communities in long-term fencing and grazing areas, combined with an analysis of soil physical-chemical properties and genomics, with the aim of understanding how fence management affects plant-soil-microbial inter-relationships in the desert steppe, China. The results showed that fence management (exclosure) increased plant diversity and aboveground biomass in C. korshinskii shrub area and effectively enhanced soil organic carbon (233.94