Grazing in drylands affects how plant traits relate to aboveground plant biomass (AGB). A study in Inner Mongolia compared shrub- and grass-dominated areas under different grazing levels. Heavy grazing reduced vegetation cover and AGB, leading to differences between the two communities. In shrub areas, AGB was linked to leaf traits, while in grass areas, plant height played a bigger role. Heavy grazing changed leaf traits in grass areas, affecting AGB more than in shrub areas. Grazing indirectly impacts AGB through specific plant traits, showing how grazing intensity can alter plant communities in desert steppe ecosystems.