Abstract: Based on the current special position that grassland under protective plantation is one of the most important grazing spaces of the ecotone between agriculture and animal husbandry in Songnen plain,an experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of grazing on grassland under protective plantation.The results showed that no-grazing grassland in the grassland under protective plantation was seriously degenerated,but light and moderate grazing could stimulate the growth of grass and the product and quality of grassland.The index of grassland quality(IGQ) of no-grazing grassland was the lowest(15.51),attributing to serious degradation,while that of light grazing grassland was the highest(86.41),and the IGQ was decreased with increasing grazing intensity.Therefore,in order to stimulate the grass growth of the grassland,fully utilize the leaves of poplar,and increase the available forage resources,light and moderate grazing intensity should be advocated,but no-grazing and extreme grazing should be avoided.

Key words: Ecotone between agriculture and animal husbandry, Grassland under protective plantation, Grazing intensity, Grassland quality