Effect of ecological restoration project in northwestern Sichuan on the vegetation community of grassland under desertification

In the ecological restoration area in northwestern Sichuan, the survey on vegetation community of grassland under desertification which was restored for 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 10 and 12 years was conducted. The results showed that the ecological restoration project increased the number of plant species, biodiversity index, total coverage and aboveground biomass. The community density and height showed a fluctuation without regular pattern. The features of vegetation community under restoration depended on the dominant, subdominant and companion species. The ecological restoration project accelerated the vegetation restoration. To achieve the satisfactory restoration, the grassland should be under enclosure without any grazing activities and the reasonable reseeding, irrigation and fertilization should be applied for promoting the restoration in this area.