Plant biomass and the carbon density of vegetation and soil in enclosed and grazed Artemisia ordosica shrubland of the Ordos Plateau were studied in the field and in the laboratory. The results revealed that the grazed plots supported plant communities with a higher the number of species yet lower vegetation coverage than did the enclosure plots. Grazing, moreover, reduced the overall above-and below-ground biomass of plant communities, as well as the proportion of above-and below-ground biomass consisting of A. ordosica. Nevertheless, during the growing season the grazed plots produced significantly more litter biomass than did the enclosure plots (P < 0.05). When protected by enclosures, however, the carbon density of the vegetation was higher, whereas that of the soil was lower, than that under grazing; although their seasonal averages did not differ significantly between the two plot treatments (P > 0.05). Ninety percent of carbon storage was in the soil in A. ordosica shrubland. The percentages of carbon density of soil accounting for the vegetation-soil system were 91% in enclosed plot and 93% in grazed plot, respectively. The carbon density of A. ordosica shrubland was 2.29 kg/m² in enclosed plot and 2.68 kg/m² in grazed plot. Grazing had little impact on carbon density of vegetation-soil in A. ordosica shrubland.