Light grazing alleviates aeolian erosion–deposition effects on microbial communities in a semi-arid grassland

Soil erosion affects the stability of terrestrial ecosystems and ecosystem services by directly or indirectly impacting the cycling of soil materials and energy and reducing the fertility of grassland soils. However, research on microbial adaptation to grazing and soil erosion is limited, particularly in relation to grassland ecosystem restoration. Here, we assess microbial communities subjected to simulated soil erosion and grazing in a semi-arid grassland of Inner Mongolia, China. No significant change was observed in soil variables. However, the structure of the soil microbial community underwent significant changes as a result of soil erosion and soil erosion plus grazing, leading to a significant increase in the relative abundance of Cyanobacteria (116.80