Community Beta Diversity as a Catalyst: Mediating Livestock Grazing Effects on Ecosystem Multifunctionality in the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau

Abstract

The Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau, often referred to as the “Third Pole,” is predominantly used for livestock grazing, a key land use in the region. Understanding the relationship between species diversity—specifically α‐ and β‐diversity—and ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF) is essential for agroecosystem management. This study investigates the effects of varying grazing intensities (no, low, medium, and heavy) and durations on EMF, and explores the association between EMF and species diversity in alpine meadows of the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau. EMF was evaluated using multiple metrics: community density, coverage, aboveground net primary productivity, plant height, soil total nitrogen, total phosphorus, soil organic matter, pH, soil nitrite nitrogen, soil nitrate, soil ammonia, microbial biomass nitrogen, and microbial biomass carbon. Our results indicate that no‐, low‐, and medium‐grazing intensities do not significantly impact plant community density, coverage, β‐diversity, or EMF. However, heavy‐grazing significantly reduces these parameters. We found a positive correlation between EMF and both plant richness (the number of species representing α‐diversity) and β‐diversity (the average dissimilarity between a plant community and others). Structural equation modeling revealed that grazing intensity directly and significantly affects total EMF and aboveground EMF. Notably, β‐diversity, rather than α‐diversity, exhibited a strong positive influence on total, aboveground, and belowground EMF. Our findings highlight the crucial role of plant β‐diversity in shaping EMF, providing a valuable basis for developing effective agroecosystem management strategies.