The study looked at how plateau pikas affect the restoration of degraded grasslands and plant communities. Researchers compared areas with pikas to areas without them from 2009 to 2011. They found that plant heights and coverage increased over time, reaching their peak in 2011. Grass biomass significantly increased in areas without pikas, while legumes and forbs decreased. The plant community shifted from being dominated by forbs to grasses in areas without pikas. Overall, the disturbance by plateau pikas delayed the restoration of the plant community.