Linear structures in the Karoo,South Africa,and their impacts on biota§

Linear structures include fences, roads, railways, canalised water ways and power lines, all man-made. Fencing as a way of managing livestock began in the late 1800s, and by the early twentieth century was almost fully implemented throughout the Karoo sensu lato. The advent of these fences, and now in many instances, ‘game proof’ (～2 m high) and electric fences have impacted native flora and fauna in various ways. Roads influence the quality and quantity of vegetation along corridors throughout the Karoo, with impacts on wildlife through increased mortality, but also provide foraging opportunities. Road-side structures, such as transmission poles, offer nest sites and perches in otherwise treeless landscapes, benefiting certain avifauna. Railway lines create similar corridors, carrying ungrazed vegetation along them. Their associated structures – culverts and (historically) steel frame bridges – provide nest sites for birds and some mammals. Transmission cables and pylons along power lines have mixed benefits to conservation, providing bird nest and perch sites, but can also cause bird mortalities. Unquestionably, these linear structures have had marked effects on the biota of the Karoo, through their effects on wildlife and livestock movement and mortality, plant demography and the spread of native and alien species.     

安西县桥子万亩草场围栏改良效果与效益

具体报导了以围栏为主要手段的配套技术体系,在改良安西县荒漠低地草甸退化草场所取得的显著效果及效益,对同类草场的改良与建设具有实际指导意义。     

Environmental quality of Lower Little Bow River and riparian zone along an unfenced reach with off-stream watering

The goal of beneficial management practices (BMPs) such as off-stream watering without fencing is to direct cattle away from rivers, improve the environmental quality of the riparian zone, and prevent or reduce river pollution. We conducted a four year (2005-2008) study on an unfenced 1.3 km reach of the Lower Little Bow (LLB) River in southern Alberta, Canada where three off-stream watering systems were installed 290 to ≥730 m from the river in August, 2005. Our hypothesis was that off-stream watering would reduce cattle activity at the river, improve riparian health, prevent river pollution by cattle, and improve the soil, vegetative, and rainfall simulation runoff variables at a cattle access site near the river. Off-stream watering did not significantly (p > 0.10) reduce the median number of cattle on the river bank, in the river, or drinking from the river one year later. However, there was a reduction of 20% (p = 0.15) for median number of cattle on the river bank and a 72% reduction (p = 0.20) for cattle in the river. The BMP moderately improved the riparian health score from 60% (2005) to 65% (2007). Our spatial analysis (upstream-downstream) of base-flow during the post-BMP period (2006-2008) suggested that off-stream watering prevented river pollution by cattle for the majority of water quality variables measured. Canopy cover at the cattle access site near the river was significantly (p ≤ 0.10) increased by 26-53% one and two years after the BMP. Two years after the BMP was implemented, total basal area, biomass, and mulch were significantly increased by 37-106%, while bare soil and NO₃-N in surface soil were decreased by 38-89%, respectively. In contrast, other vegetative and soil properties were not significantly improved. Concentrations of the majority of N and P fractions in rainfall simulation runoff were not significantly reduced, and may be related to the high precipitation in the pre-BMP year of 2005. We accept the hypothesis that off-stream watering improved riparian health, prevented river pollution by cattle, and improved certain vegetative (canopy cover, total basal area, mulch, bare soil) and soil properties (soil NO₃-N) near the river. However, we reject the hypothesis that off-stream watering improved other vegetation (live basal area) and soil properties (bulk density, NH₄-N, total N and C), or improved rainfall simulation runoff quality near the river. Although we cannot statistically prove that the positive benefits of off-stream watering on certain environmental variables was due to reduced cattle activity, the non-significant reductions in cattle activity suggested this may be a possibility.     

甘德县“天然草地植被恢复与建设项目“实施情况报告

甘德县天然草地植被恢复与建设试点项目施实一年来,经各方努力圆满完成了建设任务,经检查验收,认为项目实施情况良好,工程质量合格,基本达到了项目建设要求。     

黄土高原草地封育与放牧条件下土壤种子库特征

对半干旱区黄土高原草地在封育和放牧条件下土壤种子库种子密度、种子库组成、种子库物种多样性及均匀性进行了比较研究,并得出主要结论：1）封育提高土壤种子库的植物种类和密度,使优良禾草和多年生植物增加。2）种子库的垂直分布规律是随着土层的加深,种子在数量上递减的速度较快。3）坡向和坡位对土壤种子库有较大影响,种子库密度变化趋势是阴坡>阳坡;坡下部>坡中部>坡上部。4）从丰富度、Shannon Wiener多样性和均匀性3个方面比较分析封育和放牧样地土壤种子库多样性,得出封育样地Margalef丰富度指数和Shannon Wiener指数都高于放牧地,Pielou均匀性指数低于放牧地。     

放牧与围栏对荒漠草原土壤养分及酶活性的影响

以宁夏毛乌素沙地荒漠草原蒙古冰草（Agropyron mongolicum）、甘草（Glycyrrhiza uralensis）、赖草（Leymus secalinus）群落为研究对象,探讨放牧与围栏对不同植被群落土壤养分和酶活性的影响。结果表明,在放牧干扰下,甘草群落土壤有机碳（soil organic carbon,SOC）显著降低;3种植被群落土壤总磷（total phosphorus,TP）均显著升高;甘草与赖草群落土壤总氮（total nitrogen,TN）含量亦显著上升。从土壤酶活性变化来看,放牧条件下,赖草群落土壤碱性磷酸酶活性显著上升;蒙古冰草群落土壤脲酶活性显著下降,而甘草群落土壤脲酶活性显著上升;蒙古冰草与甘草群落土壤过氧化氢酶活性均显著下降。整体来看,不同植被群落土壤4种酶活性与土壤养分间均表现出一定的相关性。放牧与围栏对荒漠草原不同植被类型群落土壤养分的影响表现出差异性,应根据群落特性,有针对性地制定合理的放牧制度,以利于植被恢复及保持土壤肥力。     

典型草原群落不同围封时间下植被、土壤差异研究

以中科院内蒙古草原生态系统定位研究站的羊草(Leymus chinensis)样地和大针茅(Stipa grandis)样地为基础,在羊草样地处选择了围封26年、围封6年、围封2年和自由放牧的4个样点;在大针茅样地处选择了围封26年和自由放牧的2个样点。通过对各样点植物群落特征和土壤的理化性质差异分析,探讨草原植被、土壤指标对围封的响应差异。结果表明:不同围封时间的样点的主要差异体现在群落特征指标上,而各土壤指标中除土壤容重在羊草样地的4个样点表层土壤(0~10cm)体现出显著性差异外,土壤有机碳含量、全氮含量、全磷含量等指标在不同围封时间的各样点间变化均不显著。     

半干旱区人工封育草地植被生态位研究

为研究半干旱区人工封育草地植被生态位特征,将宁夏盐池县柳杨堡封育区采用3种处理方法,即核心区（E）、边缘区（E₁）、外围区（E₂）,运用样线样方结合法沿样线随机布设1 m×1 m样方,分别调查样方内植物的名称、种类、株数、高度、盖度、生物量等。运用Levins生态位宽度以及Pianka生态位重叠指数,对宁夏盐池县人工封育草地植物生态位宽度及生态位重叠进行研究。结果表明:人工封育区主要优势种为猪毛蒿、黑沙蒿和刺沙蓬,其重要值分别为34.18,21.06,18.95。核心区生态位宽度较大的物种是猪毛蒿和刺沙蓬,其生态位宽度值分别是0.76,0.71;边缘区生态位宽度较大的物种是黑沙蒿和刺沙蓬,其生态位宽度值分别是0.72,0.69;外围区生态位宽度较大的物种是刺沙蓬和黑沙蒿,其生态位宽度值分别为0.73,0.64。对生态位重叠指数的分析表明,核心区、边缘区及外围区最大生态位重叠均出现在生态位宽度较小物种之间。生态位宽度与生态位重叠之间并无明显的正相关关系。     

封育和放牧对典型草原地上植被的影响

封育和放牧是草地生态系统重要的干扰因子。以黄土高原典型草原封育5年草地和放牧地为研究对象,采用野外调查方法,地上植被物种组成、生物量、盖度、密度、地上茎分枝数和物种多样性等,以期揭示封育和放牧干扰对地上植被的影响。结果表明:封育和放牧对地上植被群落结构有显著影响。与放牧地相比,封育措施显著增加了典型草原的地上生物量和总盖度,但显著降低了地上植被密度和地上茎分枝数。封育措施显著提高草地禾草生物量,显著降低非禾草生物量。封育措施降低了禾草和非禾草地上茎分枝数,但非禾草地上茎分枝数下降不显著。封育显著降低了地上植被的物种丰富度、Margalef指数和Shannon-Wiener多样性指数,但对Simpson指数和Pielou指数影响不显著。     

天山北坡围栏封育条件下伊犁绢蒿幼苗分布格局及数量动态变化规律研究

采用空间分布型指标对围栏封育条件下的伊犁绢蒿幼苗种群进行了空间分布格局分析,结果表明,在5和9月2个时间点上,无论围栏内外,幼苗均呈聚集分布的空间格局,但不同时间点和围栏内外的幼苗分布聚集程度存在差异,这种差异是由于环境条件的空间异质性引起的;进一步采用TAYLOR幂法则、IWAOY对M的回归法进行分布格局的拟合检验,检验结果与各空间分布型指标的结果相符合,可以确定绢蒿幼苗种群为聚集分布且适宜取样面积为4 m²;采用DCCA(除趋势对应典范分析)和相关分析对围栏内外的幼苗数量和环境因子的关系进行分析,表明幼苗数量和环境因子之间存在密切相关,同时可以将幼苗数量的发生类型按生境条件分为4类;对4类生境条件下的不同时间的幼苗存活数量进行了统计,表明不同生境下幼苗的初始萌发数量存在巨大的差异且在夏季死亡率极高,呈现出“爆发性出苗”和“骤然性死亡”的特点;对幼苗发生规律的统计结果表明,4种生境条件下的幼苗发生高峰均出现在4月,之后急剧下降,7和8月几乎没有幼苗发生。幼苗死亡率极高且发生时间强烈集中,这主要是由于环境筛选和竞争共同作用的结果。