Grazing exclusion in alpine grasslands of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau increases plant productivity and species richness. It boosts plant coverage, aboveground and belowground biomass, and total biomass. However, it decreases plant diversity indices like Shannon-Wiener diversity and Pielou evenness. The longer the grazing exclusion, the less effective it is at improving plant coverage, biomass, and species richness. Alpine meadows benefit more from grazing exclusion than alpine steppe and desert steppe. Overall, grazing exclusion helps restore plant productivity and diversity in alpine grasslands, especially in meadows.