Influences of different grazing methods on soil nutrients in karst areas—A case study of the test base of the Guilin karst region, Guangxi, China

Influences of different grazing methods on the fertility of soils, content of trace elements and water nutrient conservation of soils in karst areas are studied on the basis of test data in the paper. The results show that: in the case of normal grazing, the nutrients and water nutrient conservation of soils in herbage districts can be improved rapidly and soil erosion can be reduced by using different grazing methods, but it is not advisable to graze in the primary stage of shrub planting; however, under the conditions of human disturbance and overgrazing, the ecological environment in karst areas may deteriorate in a short term and various indices of soil nutrients will fall even to the level lower than that of the beginning.