3.1 Soil properties at the three steppe sites
Soil physical and chemical properties differed among the three sites
(Table 1). Soil bulk density was higher in wet typical steppe than other
steppes (P <0.05). Soil moisture and the SOC content
increased, while soil pH decreased, from desert steppe to dry typical
steppe, and wet typical steppe (P <0.05). The
bioavailable Si content in soil showed no significant difference among
the three sites.