Heavy Grazing Alters Soil Microbial Diversity, Fertility, and Biomass in Asian Grasslands: A Meta‐Analysis

ABSTRACT Grazing is one of the main causes of grassland degradation, yet its impact on soil microbial diversity, fertility, and biomass remains insufficiently quantified globally. Here, we conducted a meta‐analysis of 48 independent field studies from Asian grasslands to evaluate the effects of heavy grazing on soil microbial communities, soil fertility, and plant biomass. Our results revealed that heavy grazing consistently decreased bacterial richness significantly (Chao1 decreased by ~210 LRR, 95% CI: −320 to −100), while fungal Shannon diversity increased modestly (15 LRR, 95% CI: 5 to 25), indicating divergent microbial sensitivities to grazing pressure. Soil fertility indicators, including total nitrogen (−1.8 g kg −1 ) and soil organic carbon (−2.1 g kg −1 ) decreased significantly under heavy grazing. In contrast, aboveground biomass increased significantly (18 g m −2 ), reflecting compensatory growth. These findings highlight a trade‐off between aboveground productivity and belowground nutrient pools under heavy grazing. Thus, this study provides the first large‐scale synthesis of microbial, soil, and biomass responses to heavy grazing in Asian grasslands, emphasizing the need for improved understanding of how grazing intensity restructures grassland ecosystems above‐ and belowground.