Vegetation and soil property response of short-time fencing in temperate desert of the Hexi Corridor, northwestern China

• Vegetation and soil property response of short-time fencing in temperate desert were studied.
• 5 years of fencing had a positive effect on vegetation restoration.
• 9 years of fencing significantly increased soil nutrients.
• The values of soil C and N storage after 9 years of fencing were 5.55 Mg ha− 1 and 0.69 Mg ha− 1 in the temperate desert.

Overgrazing has caused serious soil degradation, vegetation destruction, and wind erosion in temperate desert areas of northwestern China. To address this, the Livestock Enclosure Scheme was implemented in 2004 to allow for self-recovery of the overgrazed desert. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of livestock enclosure on the restoration process by examining changes in the ecological environment of a temperate desert recovering from overgrazing. Vegetation parameters and soil properties under grazing site, 5-year fenced site, and 9-year fenced site were examined in the degraded desert in the Hexi Corridor of China. The results showed that vegetation coverage, height, plant density, richness, diversity, and litter biomass all improved after 5 years of fencing, demonstrating that short-time fencing had a positive effect on vegetation restoration in the temperate desert. Furthermore, 9 years of fencing significantly increased soil organic C (SOC), total N (TN), and total P (TP) in the 0–20 cm soil profile, while available N (AN) and available P (AP) showed the reverse trend. The values of soil C and N storage after 9 years of fencing were almost 5.55 Mg ha− 1 and 0.69 Mg ha− 1, respectively. Enhanced vegetation caused reductions in soil water near the soil surface (0–30 cm) where vegetation uptake mainly occurred. These findings could offer insight into the development of effective strategies for protecting and enhancing the resilience of a livestock-disturbed temperate desert.