2.1 Characteristics of plant functional groups in mini-patches
The aboveground primary production of alpine meadows depended more on their steady stage than on their geographical location or on climate factors. The aboveground primary production was significantly higher under zero grazing and light grazing intensity than under a heavy grazing intensity. The aboveground biomass also differed by grazing intensity. The aboveground biomass of Gramineae, Cyperaceae, and Leguminosae functional groups significantly decreased as grazing intensity increased, while the aboveground biomass of forbs, which were dominant or subdominant in most steady stages, remained relatively stable across grazing intensities. Nonetheless, the total productivity of alpine meadows remained stable across a large range of grazing intensities and a large spatial scale (Fig. 1).