Effect of shrubs on soil saturated hydraulic conductivity depends on the grazing regime in a semi-arid shrub-encroached grassland

Encroachment of woody plants has a positive effect on hydrological functions (e.g., infiltration), but few studies have examined the effects of shrub patches on infiltration under different grazing scenarios. We examined differences in characteristics of plants and soils and saturated hydraulic conductivity between shrubs and their associated interspaces in two grazing regimes at three sites in a semi-arid grassland encroached by Caragana...