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The recent increase in the number of tourists has raised serious concerns about grassland degradation by tourism activities in Inner Mongolia. Thus, we evaluated the effects of tourism activities on the vegetation and soil in Hulunbuir grassland. We identified all the plant species, measured the number and height of plants and plant coverage rate, calculated species diversity, and estimated above-ground biomass in the used plot and the non-use plot. We also examined soil hardness, and soil physical and chemical properties in both plots. The obtained results were as follows: a) the height of the dominant plants, plant coverage rate, species diversity, and above-ground biomass in the used plot were significantly lower than those in the non-use plot, b) Carex duriuscula C.A.Mey., indicator plant for soil degradation, was dominant in the used plot, c) OC, TN, LFC, LFN and CEC in the topsoil were lower in the used plot than the non-use plot possibly because of the decrease in plant residue input, and d) soil hardness was significantly higher in the used plot than in the non-use plot and spatial dependence of soil hardness was only found in the used plot (range was 111m). On the basis of the results, we concluded that the tourism activities can be another major cause of the grassland degradation in Inner Mongolia and that when tourism facilities are moved to avoid further land degradation by tourism activities, they should be moved more than 111m away from the original location.
