DOI: 10.5061/dryad.j3tx95xvk
title: Grazing livestock species composition influences community assembly and determines scale-dependent plant diversity

description: Grazing by domestic herbivores such as cattle and sheep is a major driver
 of grassland biodiversity. However, it remains unclear how livestock
 composition influences community dynamics and consequently shapes plant
 diversity across scales. Here, we conducted a five-year livestock grazing
 experiment with continuous in situ vegetation monitoring by manipulating
 the grazing ratio of cattle and sheep in a meadow steppe of northern
 China. We found that all mixed grazing of cattle and sheep can
 continuously improve the α and β diversity of plants. Analysis of species
 dynamics within permanent quadrats showed that the number of newly
 colonizing species gradually increased as the proportion of grazing cattle
 increased, leading to higher plant α diversity under cattle dominated
 grazing (CCS). By contrast, β diversity was higher under sheep-dominated
 grazing (CSS). Grazing effects on α diversity were mainly driven by shifts
 in community dominance, whereas β diversity responded to both community
 dominance and soil nitrogen heterogeneity, the latter playing a stronger
 role. Cattle have more potential to produce competitive release and
 increase plant α diversity, while sheep are more conducive to creating
 soil resource heterogeneity and enhancing environmental filtration, thus
 leading to higher plant β diversity. Our study provides important
 mechanistic insights into how livestock species composition affects plant
 diversity at different scales. This presents a novel perspective on the
 need for precision control of grazing livestock composition to optimize
 grassland management for diversity conservation.
description: # Grazing livestock species composition influences community assembly and
 determines scale-dependent plant diversity Dataset DOI:
 [10.5061/dryad.j3tx95xvk](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.j3tx95xvk) ##
 Description of the data and file structure (column and explanation) ###
 File: data.xlsx **Description:** We have submitted the raw data. The data
 were obtained from four different livestock species composition
 treatments： CK (no grazing); CCS (cattle grazing intensity is twice that
 of sheep); CS (the grazing intensity of cattle and sheep is the same); CSS
 (sheep grazing intensity is twice that of cattle). Plant measurements
 include Richness, β diversity, community dominance, number of species
 colonization, number of species extinction, and community assembly
 process. Soil measurements include soil nitrogen, the quantity, and
 heterogeneity of soil-available nitrogen. #### Key Variables *
 Richness：number of species in quadrat * β diversity：The average pairwise
 dissimilarity between quadrats within each plot (using the abundance-based
 Bray–Curtis) * Dominance：Berger–Parker Dominance Index(%) * Relative
 changes in dominance(%) * Quantity of soil available N(mg/kg) *
 Heterogeneity of soil available N(%) * RC.bray:  The null modeling
 outcomes of the community assembly process #### Tabs **data_diversity**:
 The calculated values of plant diversity during the experimental process
 of this study (2020-2024). **data_compared**: The values of dominance,
 soil nutrients, and community assembly process were calculated at the
 beginning and end of the experiment in this study (2020, 2024).
 **data_relative change**: The relative changes in dominance, colonization,
 and extinction numbers between the beginning and end of this study (2020,
 2024). Here is a guide to each tab: **Tab: data_diversity** Column 
 Explanation Year: Year of data collection from 2021 to 2024 Block:
 Experimental block within which grazing treatments were embedded
 Treatment: Grazing treatments * CK: no grazing * CCS: cattle grazing
 intensity is twice that of sheep * CS: the grazing intensity of cattle and
 sheep is the same * CSS: sheep grazing intensity is twice that of cattle
 Richness: The number of plant species in each quadrat Beta diversity: The
 average pairwise dissimilarity between quadrats within each plot (using
 the abundance-based Bray–Curtis) 
 
 **Tab:  data_compared**  Column  Explanation Year: Years of experimental
 starting and ending data collection: 2020 is the first year of data
 collection, and 2024 is the last year of data collection Block:
 Experimental block within which grazing treatments were embedded
 Treatment: Grazing treatments (see data_diversity) Dominance: This index
 quantifies the relative cover of the most abundant species (%)( useing the
 Berger–Parker Dominance Index) Quantity of soil available N: The content
 of soil nitrogen availability within quadrats(mg/kg) Heterogeneity of soil
 available N: The coefficient of soil nitrogen availability variation (CV)
 across all five sampling quadrats within each plot(%) RC.bray:  The null
 modeling outcomes of the community assembly process 
 
 **Tab:  data_relative change** Column  Explanation Block: Experimental
 block within which grazing treatments were embedded Treatment: Grazing
 treatments (same as above) Number of colonization_2020-2022:  The number
 of newly appearing plant species in the quadrat from 2020 to 2022 Number
 of extinction_2020-2022: The number of disappearing plant species in the
 quadrat from 2020 to 2022 Net_2020-2022: The differences in numbers
 between newly appearing species and old disappearing species in the
 quadrat from 2020 to 2022 Number of colonization_2020-2024:  The number of
 newly appearing plant species in the quadrat from 2020 to 2024 Number of
 extinction_2020-2024: The number of disappearing plant species in the
 quadrat from 2020 to 2024 Net_2020-2024: The differences in numbers
 between newly appearing species and old disappearing species in the
 quadrat from 2020 to 2024 Change of dominance_2020-2024: Relative changes
 in dominance from 2020 to 2024(%) ## Code/Software All data were analyzed
 using the open-source software R version 3.6.2.