Sustainability 2020, 12, x FOR PEER REVIEW 1 of 8 Table S1. List of studies included in this meta-analysis. Citation Location Elevation (m) MAT (°C) MAP (mm) Year of Grazing Exclusion Grassland Type Cao, 2010 Tianzhu, Gansu 2960 −0.1 416 9 Alpine meadow Cao, 2010 Sunan, Gansu 2873 −0.3 350 8 Alpine meadow Cao, 2010 Subei, Gansu 2715 6.3 183 6 Alpine desert steppe Chen, 2010 Maqu, Gansu 3570 1.2 620 8 Alpine meadow Du et al., 2020 Hongyuan, Sichuan 3500 1.1 752 4 Alpine meadow Du et al., 2020 Hongyuan, Sichuan 3500 1.1 752 8 Alpine meadow Gao et al., 2011 Hongyuan, Sichuan 3500 1.1 752 5 Alpine meadow Gao et al., 2011 Hongyuan, Sichuan 3500 1.1 752 10 Alpine meadow Li et al., 2012 Gangca, Qinghai 3287 −0.5 370 6 Alpine steppe Li et al., 2015 Tianjun, Qinghai 3785 −1.5 360 2 Alpine meadow Li et al., 2015 Gonghe, Qinghai 3231 4.1 312 2 Alpine meadow Li et al., 2016 Maqin, Qinghai 3700 −0.2 494 8 Alpine meadow Li et al., 2017 Tianzhu, Gansu 2960 −0.1 416 4 Alpine meadow Li et al., 2018 Tianzhu, Gansu 2960 −0.1 416 3 Alpine meadow Li et al., 2018 Tianzhu, Gansu 2960 −0.1 416 6 Alpine meadow Li et al., 2018 Tianzhu, Gansu 2960 −0.1 416 9 Alpine meadow Li, 2013 Gonghe, Qinghai 2918 3.5 335 － Alpine steppe Li, 2016 Tianzhu, Gansu 2960 0.8 425 4 Alpine meadow Liu, 2005 Songpan, Sichuan 3400 2.8 718 － Alpine meadow Lu et al., 2015 North Tibet － － － 7 Alpine meadow Sustainability 2020, 12, x FOR PEER REVIEW 2 of 8 Lu et al., 2015 North Tibet － － － 7 Alpine steppe Lu et al., 2015 North Tibet － － － 7 Alpine desert steppe Luan et al., 2014 Zoige, Sichuan 3433 0.9 657 5 Alpine meadow Ma et al., 2016 Hongyuan, Sichuan 3485 1.4 749 5 Alpine meadow Qi, 2005 Gangca, Qinghai 3310 −0.6 371 3 Alpine steppe Qiao et al., 2012 Menyuan, Qinghai 3400 −1.7 580 8 Alpine meadow Qiu et al., 2017 Qilian Mountain 3600 −1.0 425 2 Alpine meadow Shang et al., 2017 Subei, Gansu 2715 6.3 153 6 Alpine desert steppe Shi et al., 2010 Songpan, Sichuan 3400 2.8 718 7 Alpine meadow Shi et al., 2013 Tianzhu, Gansu 3600 −0.1 416 8 Alpine meadow Su, 2015 Gongbo'gyamda, Tibet 4450 3.8 550 3 Alpine meadow Sun et al., 2014 Xainza, Tibet 4675 0 300 2 Alpine steppe Sun, 2012 Nagqu, Tibet 3579 1.2 620 6 Alpine meadow Sun, 2012 Nagqu, Tibet 3579 1.2 620 7 Alpine meadow Sun, 2012 Nagqu, Tibet 3579 1.2 620 8 Alpine meadow Tenzin et al., 2018 Nyainrong, Tibet 4616 −0.6 380 5 Alpine meadow Tenzin et al., 2018 Nyainrong, Tibet 4636 −0.6 380 7 Alpine meadow Tenzin et al., 2018 Nyainrong, Tibet 4607 −0.6 380 11 Alpine meadow Wang et al., 2005 Darlag, Qinghai 4090 −1.2 537 5 Alpine meadow Wang et al., 2006 Darlag, Qinghai 4000 −1.3 577 6 Alpine meadow Wang et al., 2010 Maqu, Gansu 3500 1.2 620 9 Alpine meadow Wang, 2009 Gangca, Qinghai 3280 −0.6 423 7 Alpine steppe Wei et al., 2012 Namco, Tibet 4730 −0.6 290 4 Alpine steppe Sustainability 2020, 12, x FOR PEER REVIEW 3 of 8 Wu et al., 2010 Maqu, Gansu 3500 1.2 620 9 Alpine meadow Changtang Nature Wu et al., 2013 4684 −1.2 494 4 Alpine meadow Reserve, Tibet Changtang Nature Wu et al., 2013 4715 −1.9 484 4 Alpine meadow Reserve, Tibet Changtang Nature Wu et al., 2013 4623 −1.1 508 4 Alpine meadow Reserve, Tibet Changtang Nature Wu et al., 2013 4582 −1.1 448 4 Alpine steppe Reserve, Tibet Changtang Nature Wu et al., 2013 4640 −0.7 402 4 Alpine steppe Reserve, Tibet Changtang Nature Wu et al., 2013 4600 0.2 212 4 Alpine steppe Reserve, Tibet Changtang Nature Wu et al., 2013 4448 0.1 171 4 Alpine desert steppe Reserve, Tibet Changtang Nature Wu et al., 2013 4477 0.9 148 4 Alpine desert steppe Reserve, Tibet Changtang Nature Wu et al., 2013 4607 1.3 120 4 Alpine desert steppe Reserve, Tibet Yang et al., 2016a Maqin, Qinghai 3763 -0.5 514 10 Alpine meadow Yang et al., 2016b Yushu, Qinghai 3910 － 537 9 Alpine meadow Yang et al., 2016c Hongyuan, Sichuan 3480 0.9 690 5 Alpine meadow Yang et al., 2018 Hongyuan, Sichuan 3480 0.9 690 5 Alpine meadow Yi et al., 2014 Gongbo'gyamda, Tibet 4450 3.8 646 2 Alpine meadow Yu et al., 2015 Tianzhu, Gansu 2960 -0.1 416 7 Alpine meadow Sustainability 2020, 12, x FOR PEER REVIEW 4 of 8 Yu et al., 2019 Gade, Qinghai 4017 −0.01 509 8 Alpine meadow Yu et al., 2019 Gade, Qinghai 4168 −0.91 497 5 Alpine meadow Yu et al., 2019 Gade, Qinghai 4106 −0.9 529 6 Alpine meadow Yu et al., 2019 Gonghe, Qinghai 2864 5.9 339 11 Alpine steppe Yu et al., 2019 Guinan, Qinghai 3352 2.5 388 2 Alpine steppe Yu et al., 2019 Henan, Qinghai 3543 0.9 613 7 Alpine steppe Yu et al., 2019 Henan, Qinghai 3543 0.9 613 6 Alpine steppe Yu et al., 2019 Jigzhi, Qinghai 3725 1.3 665 6 Alpine meadow Yu et al., 2019 Maqin, Qinghai 3969 −0.9 549 4 Alpine meadow Yu et al., 2019 Menyuan, Qinghai 3169 0.9 776 8 Alpine meadow Yu et al., 2019 Nangchen, Qinghai 4489 4.4 581 4 Alpine meadow Yu et al., 2019 Qumarleb, Qinghai 4259 −1.1 435 7 Alpine steppe Yu et al., 2019 Qumarleb, Qinghai 4280 −1.0 375 7 Alpine steppe Yu et al., 2019 Yushu, Qinghai 4249 0 541 8 Alpine meadow Yu et al., 2019 Yushu, Qinghai 4188 −0.1 499 5 Alpine steppe Yu et al., 2019 Zhidoi, Qinghai 4173 0.1 474 3 Alpine steppe Zhang, 2015 Maqu, Gansu 3585 1.2 564 1 Alpine meadow Zhang, 2017 Hezuo, Gansu 2950 2.4 550 － Alpine meadow Note: MAT—mean annual temperature; MAP—mean annual precipitation. Table S2. Person correlation coefficients (r) between the annual soil organic carbon (SOC) stock change, the annual soil total nitrogen (STN) change, mean annual temperature (MAT), mean annual precipitation (MAP), and the duration of grazing exclusion. Annual SOC stock change (% year−1) Annual STN stock change (% year−1) r n r n Sustainability 2020, 12, x FOR PEER REVIEW 5 of 8 MAT (℃) 0.129 94 0.156 98 MAP (mm) 0.155 95 0.128 98 Duration (year) −0.019 98 −0.119 101 Sustainability 2020, 12, x FOR PEER REVIEW 6 of 8 References included in this meta-analysis 1. Cao, J.J., 2010. Effects of Grassland Management Changes on Soil Organic Carbon and Nitrogen Pools in the Qilian Mountains, China. Gansu Agricultural University. (in Chinese with English abstract) 2. Chen, D.D., 2010. Research about the soil nutrients, microbial biomass C and N, and N mineralization potential of an alpine meadow on the northeastern Tibetan Plateau. Lanzhou University. (in Chinese with English abstract) 3. Du, C., Jing, J., Shen, Y., Liu, H., Gao, Y., 2020. Short-term grazing exclusion improved topsoil conditions and plant characteristics in degraded alpine grasslands. Ecological Indicators 108, 105680. 4. Gao, Y., Zeng, X., Schumann, M., Chen, H., 2011. Effectiveness of exclosures on restoration of degraded alpine meadow in the eastern Tibetan Plateau. Arid Land Research and Management 25, 164–175. 5. Li, H., Zhang, F., Mao, S., Zhu, J., Yang, Y., He, H., Li, Y., 2016. Effects of Grazing Exclusion on Soil Properties in Maqin Alpine Meadow, Tibetan Plateau, China. Polish Journal of Environmental Studies 25, 1583–1587. 6. Li, W., 2016. Effects of grazing management regime on vegetation characters, soil dynamics, carbon and nitrogen storage in alpine meadow of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Gansu Agricultural University. (in Chinese with English abstract) 7. Li, W., Cao, W., Wang, J., Li, X., Xu, C., Shi, S., 2017. Effects of grazing regime on vegetation structure, productivity, soil quality, carbon and nitrogen storage ofalpine meadow on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Ecological Engineering 98, 123–133. 8. Li, W., Liu, Y., Wang, J., Shi, S., Cao, W., 2018. Six years of grazing exclusion is the optimum duration in the alpine meadow-steppe of the north-eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Scientific Reports 8, 17269. 9. Li, Y., Yan, Z.Y., Guo, D., Wang, H.X., Su, S.L., Li, X.D., Fu, H., 2015. Effects of fencing and grazing on vegetation and soil physical and chemical properties in an alpine meadow in the Qinghai Lake Basin. Acta Pratacultuae Sinica 24, 33–39. (in Chinese with English abstract) 10. Li, Y.J., 2013. Response of alpine grassland to land use pattern changes on Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Gansu Agricultural University. (in Chinese with English abstract) 11. Li, Y.K., Zhang, F.W., Lin, L., Wang, X., Cao, G.M., Guo, X.W., Han, D.R., Chen,G.C., 2012. Spatiotemporal variation in soil nutrient of Stipa purpurea steppe fenced in the Qinghai lake region. Chinese Journal of Applied Environmental Biology 18, 23–29. (in Chinese with English abstract) 12. Liu, B., 2005. Characteristics of soil element distributions of High-altitude meadow ecosystems under different Managements and degradation stages. Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. (in Chinese with English abstract) 13. Lu, X., Yan, Y., Sun, J., Zhang, X., Chen, Y., Wang, X., Cheng, G., 2015.