Traditional Mobile Pastoralism in a Contemporary Semiarid Rangeland in Namaqualand,South Africa

Pastoral systems are regarded as complex social-ecological systems with components that interact and change over a range of spatial and temporal scales. As such, herd mobility has traditionally been used to respond to the dynamic nature of these systems. However, mobile pastoral systems around the world are becoming more constrained and increasingly fragmented with important implications for herd mobility. This study assessed the spatial distribution of 256 herds and their mobility patterns over a decade in the 10 villages that comprise the spatially constrained Leliefontein pastoral area in South Africa. We developed a hierarchical model of rangeland use, which showed that several stratified and connected socioeconomic, climatic, and environmental factors determined the spatial and temporal use of grazing areas in this 192 000-ha semiarid environment. At the highest level of use, access to the Leliefontein pastoral area is formally regulated. At the next level, the place of residence of herd owners largely defined which village commons was used by their livestock. At the third level of rangeland use, the wealth status of owners determined where in relation to human settlements their herds were located. At the lowest level in the hierarchy, the locations of water and croplands delineated seasonal grazing areas and the movement of stockposts. These stratified factors, together with the overall variability in grazing resource availability and the different decision making processes involved, resulted in high flexibility and diversity of herd mobility patterns at the lowest level of rangeland use. This, in turn, ensured heterogeneity in resource use over a range of spatial and temporal scales. It was concluded that policies should embrace the complexity of the pastoral system and enable the adaptive management of herds. This could reduce the level of vulnerability experienced by pastoralists to climate variability and wider societal change.     

家畜放牧对草地啮齿动物影响的研究进展

本文综述了截止2015年国内外文献,分析了家畜放牧对啮齿动物的影响。放牧家畜的践踏和排泄物等引起土壤理化性质改变影响了啮齿类空间利用等,家畜采食影响了啮齿类食物资源及其丰度,采食还引起植物营养成分改变及次生防御化合物的产生,而植被高度变化导致了啮齿动物捕食风险的增加和生活史策略的改变。这些方面的影响与综合作用改变了啮齿动物的微栖息环境、分布、食性,以及领域、采食和挖掘等行为,繁殖和生活史特征;影响了啮齿动物的种群结构、种群数量消长及其调节过程;改变了啮齿动物的群落结构和种间相互作用,引起其群落演替。在综述上述各方面研究进展的基础上,提出放牧对啮齿动物影响的作用途径及其方式,放牧条件下草-畜-鼠耦合机制,不同放牧制度对啮齿动物的影响以及整合现代学科发展的相关探索是未来研究的重点。     

Multi-scale approach to understanding climate effects on offspring size at birth and date of birth in a reptile

Climate change is already impacting species around the world. Although most focus has been on the effect of temperature, changes in climatic variables other than temperature are also expected to drive biological change. Current models suggest that ectotherms, such as reptiles, will be strongly affected by climate change; however, data from natural populations are rare. Here, we use extensive data from 2 populations of a viviparous lizard (Niveoscincus ocellatus Gray, 1845) at the climatic extreme of the species distribution. We examine the effects of climate at a local, a regional and a global scale (thus, integrating a suite of variables at different spatial and temporal scales) on 2 key life history traits: offspring date of birth and size at birth. Overall, our results show that across 9 years of study, local temperature had strong effects on the offspring date of birth but not on the size at birth. Therefore, a rapid increase in local temperature throughout the species range (as predicted under global warming scenarios) is likely to affect phenological processes with potential concomitant effects on offspring fitness and survival.     

The integration of climate change,spatial dynamics,and habitat fragmentation: A conceptual overview

A growing number of studies have looked at how climate change alters the effects of habitat fragmentation and degradation on both single and multiple species; some raise concern that biodiversity loss and its effects will be exacerbated. The published literature on spatial dynamics (such as dispersal and metapopulation dynamics), habitat fragmentation and climate change requires synthesis and a conceptual framework to simplify thinking. We propose a framework that integrates how climate change affects spatial population dynamics and the effects of habitat fragmentation in terms of: (i) habitat quality, quantity and distribution; (ii) habitat connectivity; and (iii) the dynamics of habitat itself. We use the framework to categorize existing autecological studies and investigate how each is affected by anthropogenic climate change. It is clear that a changing climate produces changes in the geographic distribution of climatic conditions, and the amount and quality of habitat. The most thorough published studies show how such changes impact metapopulation persistence, source–sink dynamics, changes in species' geographic range and community composition. Climate‐related changes in movement behavior and quantity, quality and distribution of habitat have also produced empirical changes in habitat connectivity for some species. An underexplored area is how habitat dynamics that are driven by climatic processes will affect species that live in dynamic habitats. We end our discussion by suggesting ways to improve current attempts to integrate climate change, spatial population dynamics and habitat fragmentation effects, and suggest distinct areas of study that might provide opportunities for more fully integrative work     

Large-Scale Spatial Patterns of Grassland Community Properties in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region,China

Mapping large-scale spatial patterns of grassland community properties in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China and learning how they are affected by environmental factors are vital to understand grassland changes in response to climate change and human activity. We collected data on six grassland community properties across 198 sample plots in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region: height, coverage, aboveground biomass (AGB), belowground biomass (BGB), soil bulk density (SBD), and species number (SN). We then analyzed the relationship between these and a range of environmental factors, including elevation, mean annual temperature (MAT), mean annual precipitation (MAP), ≥ 10 C annual accumulated temperature, humidity index, and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), using correlation and regression analysis. On the basis of the regression equation, we undertook a multifactor model using ArcGIS, in which different weights were assigned to each factor according to the degree of fitness between the estimated results and measured data. We then mapped the spatial distribution of grassland community properties in Inner Mongolia. We found a significant correlation between all of the grassland community properties and environmental factors measured (P < 0.01). In terms of spatial patterns, SN, height, coverage, AGB, and BGB were positively correlated with the transition from desert grassland to meadow grassland. The community properties model provided good results, with average accuracies of 53.05–90.21% and R² values of 0.40–0.68 (P < 0.01) across the six grassland community properties. The multifactor comprehensive model provides significant correlation between the predicted results and measured data. Therefore, this could be used as a basis for future studies on Inner Mongolia grasslands and to understand temporal and spatial changes of grassland in response to human activity and climate change.     

Cumulative discounted expressions of dairy and beef traits in cattle production systems

Gene-flow methodology was used to calculate the cumulative discounted expressions (CDE) for annual/lactation, replacement heifer, cull cow, birth, yearling, and slaughter traits in alternative cattle production systems. Generic equations were presented and parameters representing dairy-beef production systems in Ireland and Brazil were inputted. Cumulative discounted expressions using input parameters from a hypothetical purebred dairy production system with poor cow longevity were also calculated. Cumulative discounted expressions were calculated assuming either an initial purebred or crossbred mating within each production system. Absolute and relative differences in CDE existed among trait categories across the three alternative production systems investigated. For example, the CDE of beef-related traits accruing from an initial purebred mating ranged from 0.42 to 0.75 CDE of an annual/lactation trait across the three contrasting systems investigated which differed in various input parameters. Such variation may alter the relative emphasis of traits on overall profitability thereby contributing to genotype by environment interactions. The results of this study highlight the necessity to consider auxiliary traits in sire selection over and above those representing the principal intended use of the sire. This was particularly so for integrated dairy-beef cattle production systems.     

Does Scale Matter? Variation in Area Use Across Spatiotemporal Scales of Two Sheep Breeds in Two Contrasting Alpine Environments

Animal-by-environment interaction creates space use patterns, which characterize an animal’s utilization distribution (UD) area. We fitted 51 ewes of the two Norwegian breeds Norwegian White Sheep (NWS) and Spælsau (SP) with Global Positioning System collars in two contrasting environments (Spekedalen; poor pasture and Bratthøa; rich pasture) during the 2013 and 2014 summer grazing seasons. We explored effects of spatiotemporal scales on UD sizes of the sheep in these environments. We defined the temporal scales as 5-, 10-, 15-, 20-, 30-, and 60-d intervals and spatial scales as 95% and 50% UD using the dynamic Brownian Bridge Movement Model. Our results showed that, in general, sheep had larger UDs in the poor area compared with the rich area and the SP had larger UDs compared with the NWS. We found 95% UD differences between the two environments at all temporal scales, except 60 d, whereas differences were found between breeds at all but the finest temporal scale. The 50% UD differed between breeds and environments on all temporal scales except between-study areas at the 5-d scale. The lack of environment by breed interactions suggest that the two breeds respond equally to range quality at all spatiotemporal scales. We conclude that scale has to be considered when comparing UD differences across spatial and temporal scales in contrasting environments and between sheep genotypes. Our findings are thus important for management of grazing resources in multipurpose land use planning.     

Trait allometries generate super‐honesty in Anolis dewlaps and may underlie sexual dimorphism

Whether or not sexually selected traits consistently exhibit positive allometry (i.e. are disproportionately large in larger individuals) is an ongoing debate. Multiple models and exceptions to this rule suggest that the underlying drivers of sexual trait allometry are nuanced. Here, we compare allometries of sexual and non‐sexual traits of a species (Anolis aquaticus) within a well‐studied lizard genus to test the competing hypotheses that sexual traits are, or are not, defined by positive allometry. We further consider the relationships of trait functions, which are relatively well understood in the genus Anolis, and allometry to identify potential drivers of allometric patterns. In particular, we explore how trait allometries interact to influence total organism function and generate sexual dimorphism. We quantified size (of targeted traits) and color of a sexual signal (the dewlap) in Anolis aquaticus in the field. The dewlap conveyed information relevant to intra‐sexual combat and exhibited positive allometry. Overall, our results suggest that using single‐trait allometries as indicators of past selection provides only an incomplete understanding of trait evolution. Although the function of positive allometry in some individual sexual signals (e.g. those conveying “super‐honest” information) may be straightforward, we illustrate how scaling relationships interact synergistically to influence the function of phenotypes and propose avenues for future research.     

气候变化下子午沙鼠在中国的潜在分布分析

为探究气候变化下子午沙鼠在中国的潜在分布和时空变化,本研究利用子午沙鼠分布数据以及气候、地形等环境数据,基于最大熵模型(The maximum entropy,MaxEnt)和地理信息系统(Geographic information System,GIS)技术,分析大空间尺度上限制子午沙鼠地理分布的主导环境因子。结果表明：当前气候下子午沙鼠高适生区主要分布在甘肃河西走廊、内蒙古西南部、宁夏北部,以及新疆塔里木盆地和天山山脉之间、伊犁州和塔城等地区,中适生区主要分布在甘肃酒泉的北部,内蒙古西北部,青海中部以及新疆的大部分地区;温度是限制子午沙鼠分布的主导气候因子,其次是海拔,降水量也有一定影响。随着全球气候变暖,子午沙鼠生境适宜度提高,在中国的潜在分布范围将扩大。本研究对子午沙鼠危害监测预警和精准防控具有重要的指导意义。     

Effects of temperature change on mussel, Mytilus

An increasing body of research has demonstrated the often idiosyncratic responses of organisms to climate-related factors, such as increases in air, sea and land surface temperatures, especially when coupled with non-climatic stressors. This argues that sweeping generalizations about the likely impacts of climate change on organisms and ecosystems are likely less valuable than process-based explorations that focus on key species and ecosystems. Mussels in the genus Mytilus have been studied for centuries, and much is known of their physiology and ecology. Like other intertidal organisms, these animals may serve as early indicators of climate change impacts. As structuring species, their survival has cascading impacts on many other species, making them ecologically important, in addition to their economic value as a food source. Here, we briefly review the categories of information available on the effects of temperature change on mussels within this genus. Although a considerable body of information exists about the genus in general, knowledge gaps still exist, specifically in our ability to predict how specific populations are likely to respond to the effects of multiple stressors, both climate and non-climate related, and how these changes are likely to result in ecosystem-level responses. Whereas this genus provides an excellent model for exploring the effects of climate change on natural and human-managed ecosystems, much work remains if we are to make predictions of likely impacts of environmental change on scales that are relevant to climate adaptation.     

Are the number and size of scales in Liolaemus lizards driven by climate?

Ectothermic vertebrates are sensitive to thermal fluctuations in the environments where they occur. To buffer these fluctuations, ectotherms use different strategies, including the integument, which is a barrier that minimizes temperature exchange between the inner body and the surrounding air. In lizards, this barrier is constituted by keratinized scales of variable size, shape and texture, and its main function is protection, water loss avoidance and thermoregulation. The size of scales in lizards has been proposed to vary in relation to climatic gradients; however, it has also been observed that in some groups of Iguanian lizards it could be related to phylogeny. Thus, here, we studied the area and number of scales (dorsal and ventral) of 60 species of Liolaemus lizards distributed in a broad latitudinal and altitudinal gradient to determine the nature of the variation of the scales with climate, and found that the number and size of scales are related to climatic variables, such as temperature and geographical variables as altitude. The evolutionary process that best explained how these morphological variables evolved was the Ornstein‐Uhlenbeck model. The number of scales seemed to be related to common ancestry, whereas dorsal and ventral scale areas seemed to vary as a consequence of ecological traits. In fact, the ventral area is less exposed to climate conditions such as ultraviolet radiation or wind and is, thus, under less pressure to change in response to alterations in external conditions. It is possible that scale ornamentation, such as keels and granulosity, may bring some more information in this regard.     

干旱半干旱区草原灌丛化研究进展

干旱半干旱区草原生态系统中原生灌木/木本植物的植株密度、盖度和生物量增加的现象称为草原灌丛化,是全球干旱半干旱区草原面临的重要生态问题,灌丛化研究正成为陆地生态系统全球变化研究的重要领域。引起灌丛化的因素包括过度放牧、草原火、气候变化、大气CO₂浓度升高及生物和非生物环境因子的变化等,灌丛化是多种因素共同作用的结果。灌丛化过程表现为地表景观由草本植物占优势转向灌木植物占优势的植被转变过程,此过程改变了原有植物群落的物种组成和结构,增强了地表景观异质性,打破了原生态系统的光照、热量、水分、养分等的分配格局,灌丛斑块成为了灌丛化草地中水分、养分等相对富集的“肥岛”。目前灌丛化研究主要集中在具有强烈地域性和限制性的定点研究和因子控制实验等方面,未来应更多关注气候变化与灌丛化的相互联系和影响、草地生态系统对灌丛化过程的反馈以及与灌丛化的监测、缓解措施等方面的研究,模型模拟将是今后研究灌丛化发生、发展及灌丛化生态系统演替的重要方法和途径。     

基于CSCS的黑河上游潜在植被NPP及其水热关系研究

潜在植被NPP空间分布格局是植被长期适应自然的结果,是NPP与外界环境关系的反映,通过这种关系有助于理解地表碳循环发生的环境背景。本研究利用综合顺序分类法(CSCS)对黑河上游潜在植被进行模拟,通过植被反演计算潜在植被NPP总量以及累积量,探讨了潜在植被NPP与水热因子之间的相关性。结果表明,黑河上游潜在植被类型共有8个类,且具有明显的垂直地带性分布特征。潜在植被NPP积累量分布特征为河流流经的地区高于其他地区,在山区中,随着海拔的上升,NPP积累量呈先上升后下降的趋势,潜在植被的NPP积累量由黑河上游水热分布条件决定的。NPP积累量与≥0℃年积温在寒冷和寒温级内呈正相关,在微温级内呈负相关;与湿润度在干旱、微干、微润和湿润4个等级内呈正相关,在潮湿级内呈负相关。这种分布格局反映了潜在植被对生境和气候变化的多元适应性结构。     

Challenges in estimating ancestral state reconstructions: the evolution of migration in Sylvia warblers as a study case

Our current understanding of how species have evolved is mainly based on comparative phylogenetic methods, which use phylogenies to infer the evolution of traits. The development of ancestral state reconstruction (ASR) methods has provided the tools to reconstruct trait evolution, which are widely used in fields like evolutionary biology, macroecology and paleontology. As there are different elements involved in those analyses, with different levels of uncertainty (i.e. relating to branch length estimation, trait coding, statistical framework, taxon sampling or software), the various combinations of these elements likely have a strong impact on the reconstruction of the evolution of traits, potentially leading to opposite conclusions. To assess the impact of these different elements in ASR, we performed a set of analyses, including all possible combinations of such elements and using the evolution of migratory behavior in Sylvia warblers as a case study, which was coded as a continuous or as a discrete character. Our results show that taxon sampling, character coding, tree shape, statistical framework and software all significantly affect ASR, both individually and in combination. Not all reconstructed tree nodes show discrepancies, but in the critical ones most pairwise comparisons between analyses lead to conflicting and unexpectedly antagonistic results (zero migration vs fully migratory), thus challenging interpretations of trait evolution. We propose some possible solutions to partly inform decisions, involving the method selection and the incorporation of biological or fossil evidence regarding how traits evolve, but our results demand serious rethinking about how the research community currently uses ASR.     

高山植物种子萌发、幼苗存活和定居对气候变化的响应

高山植物的自然更新,是高寒山区植物群落多样性的维持以及群落生产力高低的重要前提条件。弄清其在未来气候变化下的响应特征,可为准确评估高山生态系统响应气候变化的演变方向和格局提供数据支撑,并为探索内在的演变机制提供理论依据。本文从高山植物种子萌发、幼苗存活与定居的3个关键更新环节展开,综述了生物因素(植物自身因素、植物间相互作用、动物干扰、昆虫授粉等)和非生物因素(温度、水分、土壤性质等)对这3个关键环节影响的研究结果。在种子萌发阶段,极端干旱和高山积雪提前融化改变植物–传粉昆虫相互关系和营养结构网络。升温和降水增加促进植物种子萌发,升温能打破种子休眠改变种子生理状况,而增加土壤水分能为种子萌发提供充足的水分供应。而温度过高和水分过多却对种子萌发产生阻碍作用,归因于温度高于萌发阈值造成高温胁迫,土壤水分过多产生病原体。幼苗存活和定居阶段,植食动物干扰和植物种间竞争对幼苗的存活和定居有利有弊,适当的动物干扰增加幼苗生长空间,资源贫乏山地的植物种间竞争促使幼苗相互协调共生,促进存活和定居。动物对幼苗的高强度取食和干扰及资源富足的区域植物种间竞争造成植物资源获取受阻,都抑制幼苗存活和定居。迄今为止,有关升温对高山植物幼苗存活的影响还存在争议(促进或者没有影响),但升温和增加降水可以促进幼苗生长的结论比较一致,这可能是更温暖湿润的土壤可以为幼苗的生长提供良好的环境条件,有利于养分吸收利用。本文阐明了高山植物早期更新3个阶段的生物与非生物因素对其的影响,也指出了忽略生物和非生物因子的多重效应等方面的研究不足,同时提出了需要继续深入探索的科学问题,以期为气候变化对高山生态系统的影响研究提供文献借鉴。     

New Approaches and Tools for Grazing Management

Novel concepts and tools to promote progress in grazing science and management need to incorporate heterogeneity and nonlinear scaling of spatially and temporally distributed ecological interactions such as diet selection, defoliation, and plant growth. Traditional grazing management factors are number of animals, species and category of animals, spatial distribution of forage demand, and temporal distribution of forage demand. These traditional methods have been based on a paradigm that is static, assumes equilibrium conditions, and does not consider scaling issues, neither in time nor in space. Three related issues that can contribute to the progress in the understanding and management of grazing systems are spatial heterogeneity, event-driven dynamics, and scaling effects. Spatial heterogeneity of species and defoliation determine pasture stability by modulating competition and response to heterogeneous defoliation. When pasture species are well mixed, livestock are less able to select their preferred diet. When species are separated into larger and more easily identifiable patches, the selected diet approaches the preferred one. Simultaneously, patchiness in pasture components and redistribution of nutrients by grazing can lend global compositional stability to grass–clover pastures. Grazing at high animal density can be studied using the paradigm of event-driven dynamics. Several mechanisms suggest that grazing systems should have allometric spatial and temporal scaling in addition to the well-recognized allometric scaling of food requirements with body mass. Grazing system performance should scale allometrically with pasture size because both resource distribution and animal movements frequently have fractal properties. As pasture size increases, fewer hierarchical levels of grazing behavior are constrained, and the new spatial patterns introduce nonlinearity in the response to pasture size. Operant conditioning of foraging behavior, conditioned aversions, plant spatial pattern, pasture size and shape, timing and duration of grazing periods, and number of animals are discussed as precision tools to manage grazing systems.     

2001−2016年祁连山地区植被覆盖度对干旱的响应

祁连山地区位于西北干旱半干旱地区,气候干燥,降水量少,区域内部生态环境脆弱。全球气候变暖及经济发展,对区域生态环境造成了重大影响。本研究通过研究植被覆盖度(fractional vegetation cover,FVC)时空分布特征和变化趋势以及对干旱的响应,为生态环境改善和减轻干旱影响提供依据。本研究基于MOD13Q1遥感数据以及气象数据,采用像元二分模型、Thornthwaite方法、趋势分析法、Hurst指数和相关分析法,计算得到2001?2016年祁连山地区FVC和表示干旱的标准化降水蒸散发指数(standardized precipitation evaportranspiration index,SPEI),分析FVC和SPEI时空分布特征和动态变化趋势,以及二者之间的相关关系。研究表明:1)2001?2016年祁连山地区FVC整体呈增长趋势,2001年FVC最低,2011年FVC最大,季节变化明显,夏季FVC最高;空间上,祁连山地区FVC整体呈东南高西北低的分布特征,年均值为0.4522,区域差异明显,绝大部分区域FVC呈增加趋势;2)近16年,祁连山地区FVC改善的区域占77.13%,退化的区域占22.87%;FVC未来变化趋势负向特征强于正向特征,持续改善的面积为28.10%,由改善到退化的面积最大为49.23%,需要加大力度对这些区域进行关注和保护;3)祁连山地区绝大多数地区处于湿润状态,中段和东段部分地区处于轻度干旱;不同时间尺度上,年际SPEI均呈现干旱化加强趋势,总体上2001?2016年祁连山地区干旱化程度呈降低趋势,气候向好的方向发展;4)年尺度上祁连山地区SPEI与FVC呈正相关关系,季节尺度上夏季FVC对SPEI干旱程度响应最明显,春季和秋季次之,说明FVC与SPEI间相关显著性越高,响应也就越明显。     

Biotic and abiotic stresses on honeybee health

Honeybees are the most critical pollinators providing key ecosystem services that underpin crop production and sustainable agriculture. Amidst a backdrop of rapid global change, this eusocial insect encounters a succession of stressors during nesting, foraging, and pollination. Ectoparasitic mites, together with vectored viruses, have been recognized as central biotic threats to honeybee health, while the spread of invasive giant hornets and small hive beetles also increasingly threatens colonies worldwide. Cocktails of agrochemicals, including acaricides used for mite treatment, and other pollutants of the environment have been widely documented to affect bee health in various ways. Additionally, expanding urbanization, climate change, and agricultural intensification often result in the destruction or fragmentation of flower-rich bee habitats. The anthropogenic pressures exerted by beekeeping management practices affect the natural selection and evolution of honeybees, and colony translocations facilitate alien species invasion and disease transmission. In this review, the multiple biotic and abiotic threats and their interactions that potentially undermine bee colony health are discussed, while taking into consideration the sensitivity, large foraging area, dense network among related nestmates, and social behaviors of honeybees.     

地下生态系统中氮素的循环及影响因素

氮素是陆地生态系统初级生产力的主要限制因子之一。地下生态系统中绝大部分氮素以不溶的聚合物形式存在,不能直接被植物吸收,因此其转化为可吸收的离子氮的生态过程受到人们越来越多的关注。本文主要综述了土壤生物与非生物两个自然因素在地下生态系统氮素循环过程中发挥的重要作用。土壤生物通过自身代谢和分泌各种酶类来加速各种形态氮素相互转化;植物根系可以通过影响土壤物理结构和分泌大量有机物质,实现与地下生态系统氮素循环之间的"相互交流";而由于生物生存与环境因子有直接联系,二者之间的相互作用也对土壤氮素循环起着特殊作用。目前,由于土壤生物种类繁多、营养流通途径复杂、分子生物学实验技术较昂贵以及在全球气候变化背景下对许多自然规律的响应变化认识有限,因此,尚不能完全在分子水平形成一张氮素在地下生态系统的流通网络图,这应该成为今后相关研究工作的方向和重点。     

草地生态系统土壤呼吸及其影响因素研究进展

土壤呼吸在全球碳收支中占有重要的地位,笔者对草地生态系统土壤呼吸在陆地生态系统碳平衡中的作用、土壤呼吸的分类及其影响因素等方面进行了综述。结果表明,草地生态系统土壤呼吸在不同时间空间各组分所占比例不同,生物、非生物及人为活动等因素对草地土壤呼吸影响各异,主要从土壤温度、气候变暖、土壤湿度、降水、干旱化、土壤C/N等非生物因素,叶面积指数、植物光合作用、植被凋落物等生物因素以及人类干扰活动等方面具体阐述这些因素变化对土壤呼吸产生的影响,并对草地土壤呼吸的Q₁₀值及各影响因素间的交互作用进行归纳总结。提出草地生态系统土壤呼吸研究存在的问题和今后重点发展方向,并对未来草地生态系统土壤呼吸的研究工作做了进一步的展望。