The researchers studied different types of grasslands in Ningxia, China, to see how much carbon they store. They found that the soil in these grasslands holds most of the carbon, with vegetation also playing a role. Meadow steppe had the highest carbon storage, followed by warm steppe, steppe desert, and desert steppe. Root biomass was important in meadow and warm steppe, while aboveground biomass was key in steppe desert and desert steppe. Overall, the grasslands in Ningxia store a significant amount of carbon, with soil being the main contributor.