Effects of seasonal grazing, drought, fire, and carbon enrichment on soil microarthropods in a desert grassland

► Short-term intensive grazing by cattle in winter or summer reduced grass cover. ► Exclusion of winter rainfall reduced perennial grass cover. ► Three successive years of exclusion of summer rainfall killed all perennial grasses. ► Same greatly reduced soil microarthropod abundance. ► Fire reduced perennial grass cover almost equally in grazed and ungrazed areas.