The study looked at how grasslands in Northwest Sichuan change as they become more desert-like. They found that as the grasslands got worse, the plants changed from liking wet to liking dry conditions. The height and coverage of the plants decreased, and the number of different plant species went down a lot. The soil also changed, with less water and more weight. The researchers suggest that it's important to fix the grasslands early on to stop them from getting worse.