Effects of enclosure on composition of plant community and species diversity of desert steppe

This study substituting a space series method for a time course method, was conducted in a degraded desert steppe in Yanchi. The changes of plant community composition and species diversity of desert steppe among different years of enclosure and the unenclosed grassland were investigated. The results showed that the community composition and species diversity had varied after enclosure, meanwhile, Ephemerereum and semishrubs gradually replaced by perennial herbs. With increased periods of enclosure, species diversity indicator reached a minimum at the 5th year then gradually increased.