Effects of grassland degradation and precipitation on carbon storage distributions in a semi-arid temperate grassland of Inner Mongolia, China

•Carbon storages in soil and plants were studied in degraded grassland.•Carbon storage was significantly impacted by degradation and precipitation.•The impact was more remarkable on vegetation C than on soil C.

Environmental degradation influences carbon (C) cycling and storage in grassland ecosystems by altering vegetation productivity. However, the impacts of different degradation intensities on vegetation-soil C distributions in grasslands have not been well documented. We measured C storage in soil, roots, and plants under light, moderate, and severe degradation levels in a typical steppe region of Xilinhot, Inner Mongolia, China in 2011 and 2012. Grassland C storage was highest in soil, followed by roots, and then aboveground plant biomass. Grassland degradation and precipitation significantly influenced C storage distributions. During the dry year (2011), total C storage in vegetation and soil was highest under light degradation. Carbon storage in aboveground plant biomass and roots increased with degradation intensity. During the wet year (2012), C storage was highest in aboveground plant biomass and roots under light degradation. Root biomass tended to be concentrated in the soil surface during the wet year.