The roles for branch shelters and sheep manure to accelerate the restoration of degraded grasslands in northern China

New strategies are desperately needed for restoring the millions of hectares degraded grasslands in arid and semiarid areas northern China. This study evaluated using different combinations manure amendments shrub branch shelters their impacts on soil moisture, nutrient availability, plant growth over two growing seasons a grassland Ningxia, A two-factor experiment was conducted, with three concentrations 1.2 g m −2 , 442 884 native Tan sheep as main plots. Cut caragana ( Caragana intermedia ) branches were used to create covering 0%, 20%, 40%, 60% ground area, these acted sub-main Soil water storage, temperature, decomposition, nutrients, monitored 2 years. Results indicated that storage significantly increased, temperature decreased, under 40% shelters. Decomposition rate also increased increasing availability associated higher sheltering effects, although carbon nitrogen primarily driven by decomposing manure. The combination high levels shelter application enhanced production, bulk biomass concentrated one species, Artemisia scoparia . In conclusion, our successfully demonstrated feasible inexpensive solution restoration grasslands, which takes advantage resources overgrazing encroachment areas.