Abstract: As one of the most extensively distributed ecosystems worldwide, grasslands provide indispensable ecosystem services for human wellbeing. However, intensifying irrational anthropogenic disturbances such as overgrazing has posed severe threats to functional stability of grasslands. To date, the systematic understanding of the regulatory mechanisms governing grassland functional stability under grazing management remains scarce. Based on the multidimensional framework of ecosystem functional stability and the diversity-stability theory, we systematically reviewed literature and analyzed the impacts of grazing regimes (e.g., rotational, seasonal grazing), intensities (e.g., moderate, heavy grazing), and durations (e.g., short-term, long-term) on multidimensional stability, as well as the underlying mechanisms. The results showed that, except for continuous heavy grazing that negatively affected the functional stability of desert steppe, moderate grazing in most cases can maintain or even enhance the functional stability of grasslands. Moderate grazing primarily regulated the temporal stability of plant productivity by altering species diversity and species compensation, with its effects further mediated by environmental factors such as soil nutrient availability. In addition, we identified knowledge gaps in quantitative assessments and mechanistic understanding of resistance, recovery, and resilience of grasslands under grazing. This review would provide a theoretical basis for elucidating the maintenance mechanisms of grassland ecosystem stability under grazing and for optimizing grassland management, thereby facilitating the coordinated development of sustainable utilization of grassland resources and ecological conservation.

Key words: biodiversity, resistance, recovery, temporal stability