放牧对小嵩草草甸土壤酶活性及土壤环境因素的影响

观测了放牧对高寒小嵩草草甸土壤酶活性及土壤环境因素的影响,结果表明:①随着放牧压力的增大,植被盖度、地上生物量、土壤有机质、全氮、硝态氮、全磷、有效磷、土壤水分明显下降,而地下生物量、土壤容重、pH及根土比呈现增大趋势,不同放牧处理间植物群落特征及土壤理化特性显示出明显的差异(P0.05);②纤维素分解酶、多酚氧化酶、脲酶、蛋白酶、碱性磷酸酶和蔗糖酶活性均随放牧压力增大而下降,只有过氧化氢酶以轻牧最高,各处理间上述土壤酶活性差异程度不同;③随着土壤深度的增加,土壤水分含量、地下生物量、根土比、土壤有机质及氮、磷养分等明显下降,而土壤容重和pH逐渐增大,且不同层次之间存在显著的差异(P0.05);④除过氧化氢酶和多酚氧化酶外,其它土壤酶活性随土壤深度的加深显著减小。     

Soil quality assessment in semiarid rangeland in Iran

Abstract. We examined the use of soil quality (SQ) assessment to predict soil productivity and stability as a component of site potential for rangelands. Two minimum sets of data were compared for the SQ assessment within an area of relatively uniform climate. Data set 1 consisted of total soil N, topsoil depth, effective profile depth (EPD), and grade of structure, thus incorporating only soil chemical and physical properties. Data set 2 included exchangeable soil potassium, EPD, soil water retention capacity at wilting point, a soil slake test, and a nutrient cycling index. The interrelationships between soil properties and plant growth characteristics (i.e. total and herbage yield) were investigated and interpreted by statistical analysis and expert knowledge. By performing multiple regressions for each data set against the plant growth characteristics, we identified the contribution of each data set variable to the variability in plant characteristics and, thus, the predictive potential of each variable and data set. Within data set 1, EPD was important and in data set 2 the nutrient cycling index, which is a landscape function index derived from soil surface attributes, played the most important role in predicting potential. Principal component analysis was used to provide weighting factors for each indicator. We then transformed and combined observed indicator values for each data set using weighting factors and scoring functions into an additive soil quality index (SQI) varying in value from 0 to 1. The SQIs, with values greater than 0.8, provide optimum conditions for high yield.     

Least limiting water range: A potential indicator of changes in near-surface soil physical quality after the conversion of Brazilian Savanna into pasture

The Brazilian savanna, or “Cerrado”, is an ecosystem that originally covered more than 200 Mha in Brazil. It is estimated that about 49.5 Mha in the Cerrado are now covered with cultivated pastures, which are responsible for half of Brazilian beef production. However, soil and pasture degradation represent a threat to this productive system and to the Cerrado ecosystem itself. Thus, the objective of this research was to evaluate the least limiting water range (LLWR) as an index of near-surface soil physical quality after conversion of Brazilian savanna to continuous and short-duration grazing systems. Three sites were evaluated: native Cerrado (NC), continuous grazing (CG), and short-duration grazing (SG). Thirty soil cores (5 cm height, 5 cm diameter) were collected at each site, and used for soil bulk density, soil water retention curve, and soil penetration resistance curve determinations. The results were used for quantification of LLWR and critical bulk density (D_bc), in which LLWR equals zero. The near-surface soil physical quality, as evaluated by the LLWR, was most restrictive for potential root growth in SG. In CG, potential restriction was moderate; however, the entire soil bulk density range was below the D_bc. In NC, potential restriction was minimum. The soil structural degradation process was primarily related to the increase in stocking rates in the grazing systems. The LLWR proved to be a useful indicator of Cerrado soil physical quality, being sensitive to alterations in near-surface physical properties.     

海南坡鹿对采食部位的选择与饲草酸性洗涤纤维含量的相关性

在海南大田国家级自然保护区围栏内用食痕法(evidence of feeding on forage)观测海南坡鹿Cervus eldi hainanus(简称坡鹿)对18种草本和18种灌木类饲草的采食部分占整株草本植株或占整枝灌木主枝条的尺寸比,同时测定各饲草的酸性洗涤纤维(ADF)含量.结果显示,按旱季与雨季的(全年)平均值,坡鹿对草本类饲草的采食尺寸比为49.29%,对灌木类饲草为57.3%;草本类饲草的ADF含量为9.91%,灌木类饲草为9.19%;无论草本还是灌木类,坡鹿的采食尺寸比随饲草ADF含量的增加而显著降低.研究表明,在大田自然保护区围栏内,坡鹿对ADF含量在10%以上的饲草不喜食,饲草纤维物质含量是坡鹿在围栏内扩充采食部位以增加营养摄入量的限制性因子,在旱季种植并收割饲草投喂坡鹿时,应避免其纤维物质含量增高.     

气象条件与垂穗披碱草再生性关系的研究

利用河南县牧气观测资料 ,根据垂穗披碱草的生物学特性 ,探讨牧草的再生能力与积温、草原干湿指数、产草量的关系 ,可作为科学利用草场 ,合理轮牧的依据。     

Contribution of White Clover Varieties in High-Productivity Systems under Grazing and Cutting

Two medium leaf size varieties of white clover (Trifolium repens L.) were grown in mixture with a range of grass species and varieties in a field experiment conducted over 4 years. The clovers were grown singly or as a blend in swards with a tetraploid perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), a diploid Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum L.) or tetraploid hybrids between these two species (Lolium x boucheanum Kunth). These grasses were also grown in monoculture. Swards were managed in a regime involving two periods of sheep grazing, two periods of cattle grazing and a silage cut in the same year for 4 years. The objectives of this experiment were 3‐fold: (1) to examine the yield and persistency of white clover in highly productive systems with modern perennial, hybrid and Italian ryegrasses; (2) to compare the performance of white clover varieties grown singly in mixture with grasses with their performance together as a blend, and (3) to examine the persistency of new Italian ryegrass varieties, exemplified by AberComo. The clover content of the sward remained high throughout the experiment, with a mean of 31 % overall. Differences in clover yield between plots were largely attributable to the effects of companion grasses. Total yields were very similar in plots containing different clover varieties and in plots where these varieties had been grown singly or as a blend. Grass yields in mixture were greater than those in monoculture but showed similar relative rankings. The diploid Italian ryegrass variety AberComo showed an unexpectedly high yield in the 4th year of the experiment. The implications of these results for strategies for productive, sustainable agriculture using modern white clover and ryegrass varieties are discussed.     

Management options to decrease phosphorus and sediment losses from irrigated cropland grazed by cattle and sheep

In southern New Zealand, grazing of forage crops is common practice to satisfy feed requirements of animals in winter when pasture growth is limited. This practice has been shown to cause soil physical damage and increased loss of surface water contaminants sediment and phosphorus (P) to water bodies. Strategies to mitigate the loss of sediment and P were trialled on a Pallic soil type (Aeric Fragiaquept) in the North Otago Rolling Downlands of New Zealand. All sites were irrigated and measurements were made of losses in overland and sub‐surface flow from intensive cattle or sheep grazed, winter forage crops, and sheep grazed pasture. Two mitigations (restricted grazing of crop to three hours and the application of aluminium sulphate) were assessed for their potential to decrease contaminant loss from cropland. Volumes of surface runoff and loss of total P, filterable reactive P and sediment showed significant differences (P < 0.05) between the control treatments (i.e. no mitigation) with cattle crop (88 mm surface runoff) > sheep crop (67 mm) > sheep pasture (33 mm). The contribution of irrigation water to overland flow water, as a result of saturation‐excess conditions, varied between treatments with more loss under cattle crop (20% of total) compared with sheep crop (15%) and sheep pasture (11%). These differences are probably an effect of soil physical condition and highlight the importance of accurate irrigation scheduling to keep soil moisture below field capacity. Restricted winter grazing and alum application after grazing significantly (P < 0.05) decreased P losses in surface runoff under cattle (from 1.4 to 0.9 kg P/ha) and sheep (from 1.0 to 0.7 kg/P/ha) grazed crop plots by about 30%. In cattle grazed plots, restricted grazing also decreased suspended sediments (SS) by 60%. The use of restricted grazing is suggested as a means of decreasing P and SS loss from grazed winter forage crops. The use of alum shows some promise for decreasing P losses, but requires further work to determine its long‐term effectiveness and use in other soils and management regimes.     

高山草原绵羊放牧生态及消化代谢的研究：Ⅰ放牧绵羊嗜食性研究

利用植物显微技术镜检法和食道瘘管法对放牧绵羊采食的高山草原植物成分与嗜食性指数进行分析。结果表明，绵羊在黄草期采食植物成分比青草期多，其嗜食性指数在不同时期变幅较大，随着冬季来临，绵羊对草地植物的嗜食性不如青草期强烈，至某些植物嗜食性是相对稳定的。