Increased availability of preferred food and decreased foraging costs from degraded grasslands lead to rodent pests in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The increased population density of rodent species during ongoing grassland degradation further deteriorates its conditions. Understanding the effects on feeding habits is great value for optimizing management strategies. In this study, lightly degraded (LD), moderately (MD), severely (SD), and reseeded (RG) were selected their plant resources soil physical properties investigated. addition, study used ITS2 barcode combined with Illumina MiSeq sequencing method to analyze food composition proportion plateau zokors in different results showed that, degradation, biomass decreased, but relative forbs (LD: 32.05 ± 3.89%; MD: 28.97 2.78%; SD: 49.16 4.67% RG: 10.93 1.53%). Forbs main zokor, accounting more than 90% diet, animal had a clear preference Potentilla species; compaction decreasing trend 10–25 cm layer, suggesting decreased foraging cost. Nutritional analysis that stomach content crude protein MD was significantly higher animals other types. Structural equation modeling significant ( P < 0.05) extremely 0.001) impacts zokors, direct impact contribution rates 0.20 0.63. As severity increased, although aboveground underground plants preferred by zokor corresponding changes environment resulted energy expenditure, thereby increasing suitability zokor. Compared grassland, diversity evenness niche width enlarged, weeds RG, which difficulty obtaining food. Reseeding therefore an effective way control zokors.