Rumen parameters of yaks (Bos grunniens) and indigenous cattle (Bos taurus) grazing on the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau

Yaks and indigenous Qaidam cattle and cattle‐yak crosses (C × Y) graze on the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau (QTP) throughout the year, but yaks are raised at higher elevations than cattle. Yaks do not receive supplementary feed whereas cattle require supplementary feed during harsh winter. We hypothesized that yaks would cope with the severe conditions of the QTP better than cattle and utilize the pasture more efficiently. We also hypothesized that differences between species would be pronounced in winter, when conditions are particularly harsh. To test these hypotheses, seasonal rumen fluid parameters of yaks, C × Y and cattle (n = 3 for each) were examined. Rumen fluid was collected in summer and winter from each genotype 2, 5 and 12 hr after a day of grazing. Concentrations of total volatile fatty acid (VFA), acetate, propionate, isobutyrate and isovalerate were greater in yaks than in cattle in summer (p < 0.05), while propionate concentration was lower in yaks than in cattle in winter (p < 0.05). Concentrations of ammonia and urea were greater (p < 0.001) in yaks than in cattle (p < 0.001) in summer, whereas, concentrations of free amino acids (AA) were greater in cattle than in yaks in summer and winter (p < 0.001). Concentrations of total VFA, acetate, propionate and butyrate decreased linearly (p < 0.05), whereas concentrations of isobutyrate and isovalerate increased linearly for yak and C × Y with sampling time (p < 0.05) in summer. In summer, concentrations of isobutyrate and isovalerate were greater in yaks than in cattle (p < 0.05). In conclusion, rumen fermentation characteristics of yaks showed that they coped better than cattle or C × Y in the harsh climate as we hypothesized. However, in contrast to our hypothesis, this emerged only in summer, when pasture was plentiful and not in winter, when pasture was scarce.     

放牧对晋北农牧交错带赖草草地生态 系统碳交换的影响

生态系统净碳交换(NEE)是评估碳循环及收支的重要指标,由生态系统总初级生产力(GEP)及生态系统呼吸(ER)共同决定。以晋北农牧交错带赖草草地为研究对象,利用LI-840a静态箱法,通过观测为期2年(2015-2016)围封和放牧管理下NEE、ER和GEP的日动态和季动态,分析其与气温、土壤温度(0~10 cm)、土壤含水量(0~10 cm),以及地上和地下生物量的相关性,旨在说明放牧对农牧交错带赖草草地生态系统碳交换的影响。结果表明:放牧显著降低了赖草草地地上、地下生物量;NEE、ER和GEP的日变化及季节变化特征明显,均呈现单峰型变化,在5、6、9月较低,在7-8月较高;生态系统碳交换的日变化主要受气温影响,而季节变化主要受表层土壤温度影响;同时NEE、ER和GEP与地上、地下生物量也存在极显著相关性;相比围封,放牧明显降低了该草地生物量和生态系统碳交换速率,但未改变日、季变化趋势。说明放牧通过破坏草地植被光合组织,降低了草地生态系统碳交换能力,减弱了草地生态系统碳汇功能。     

基于DNDC模型的高寒草甸土壤有机碳含量动态研究

研究发现以气温升高为主导的气候变化严重影响高寒草甸土壤有机碳含量的动态变化,然而,关于气候变化和放牧对土壤有机碳的耦合效应知之甚少。本研究采用增温-放牧试验结合DNDC(denitrification-decomposition)模型,检测气候变化和放牧对青藏高原高寒草甸土壤有机碳含量的影响,并评估气候变化和放牧对土壤有机碳含量变化的贡献率。结果表明:气候变化对土壤有机碳产生负面影响;放牧强度通过增加践踏、落叶和粪便返还影响土壤有机碳含量。温度、降水结合放牧强度,解释了高寒草甸土壤有机碳含量变化的63.4%。气候变化是导致土壤有机碳波动的主要因素,该因素解释了土壤有机碳变化的61.9%。相比之下,放牧强度解释了其变化的1.6%。持续的气候变化和放牧会影响土壤有机碳的动态变化,进而影响草地生态系统的服务功能。草地生态系统管理应考虑到潜在的气候变化,以实现该系统的可持续发展。     

同仁县退牧还草工程建设效益浅析

同仁县退牧还草工程通过几年的实施取得了良好的生态效益和社会效益,但也存在诸多问题。文章在简述工程效益的基础上,为促进该地区退牧还草工程的推进,提出了一些适合当地的建议。     

新疆昭苏牧区放牧绵羊硒元素营养状况调查

为了解新疆昭苏牧区牧草中硒含量以及放牧绵羊硒的营养状况,分别于春、夏、秋、冬四季,选择3块地势平坦、具代表性样地,采用模拟采食法留茬3 cm采集羊只所食牧草,同时选取成年母羊和育成母羊各10只,测定羊毛、血清、肝脏、心肌、肾脏、脾脏和肌肉及牧草中硒含量。结果:四季牧草中硒含量分别为2.23、3.51、3.05和2.04μg/kg,各季节间差异不显著(P>0.05);成年母羊羊毛、血清、肝脏、心肌、肾脏、脾脏和肌肉中硒含量四季平均值分别为1.738μg/kg、0.039 mg/L、0.453 mg/kg、0.024 mg/kg、0.367 mg/kg、0.050 mg/kg和0.017 mg/kg;育成母羊分别为1.888μg/kg、0.034 mg/L、0.260 mg/kg、0.028 mg/kg、0.318 mg/kg、0.029 mg/kg和0.020 mg/kg。分析结果表明,昭苏牧区放牧成年母羊与放牧育成母羊处于缺硒状态,放牧过程中需要补饲硒。     

Rodent burrow network dynamics under human‐induced landscape transformation from desert to steppe in Kalmykian rangelands

Rodents play an important role in rangelands through the engineering of extensive burrow systems, which provides key habitats for many animal and plant species. We have analyzed the long‐term variation in the abundance and distribution of rodent burrows in grazing ecosystems of southern Russia (Kalmykia) under the landscape change from desert to steppe caused by the drastic reduction of livestock after the collapse of the USSR in the early 1990s. We conducted burrow surveys in the “desert” (1980) and “steppe” (2017) periods on 19 3‐km transects. We found considerable changes in burrow abundance and distribution, as well as evidence of desert habitat fragmentation and isolation caused by the expansion of tall‐grass communities. Burrows of the open‐dwelling diurnal ground squirrel (Spermophilus pygmaeus), the dominant and the keystone species during the “desert” period, almost completely disappeared from the rodent burrow network by 2017, indicating significant habitat loss. In contrast, the burrows of the folivorous social vole (Microtus socialis) which was rare in the 1980s, became abundant and ubiquitously distributed. The burrow density of the desert‐dwelling psammophilous midday gerbil (Meriones meridianus) decreased, while the distances between occupied patches increased, indicating desert habitat fragmentation and loss of population connectivity. Burrows of the folivorous tamarisk gerbils (M. tamariscinus) were recorded only sporadically in both 1980 and 2017. The observed changes in the rodent burrow network, the key component of grazing ecosystems, correlate with rodent species ecology and can have long‐term and important consequences for ecosystem functioning.     

混播人工草地不同方式放牧苏尼特羊生产效益趋势

以混播人工草地放牧苏尼特羊为样本,在相同载畜量条件下,连续3年测定连续放牧与划区轮牧两种不同管理模式下羊只的生产性能变化并分析成本与收益趋势。结果表明,试验羊体重、销售收入的最佳时间点为每年的9月初;销售收入随放牧年限增加而增加,但以当年9月出栏经济效益较佳。划区轮牧效益与收入均优于连续放牧,3年的纯收入分别高74.80元/只、39.38元/只和62.26元/只,销售收入分别高77.66元/只、32.56元/只和85.14元/只。商品羊成本主要由羔羊、人工、冬春季节补饲料三部分构成,占总成本95%。降雨量减少造成牧草产量下降,缩小了划区轮牧和连续放牧间的差异。     

呼伦贝尔典型草原的利用方式对地上啮齿动物群落多样性的影响

2012年7、9月及2013-2014年5、7、9月,采用标志重捕法研究了连续放牧、季节轮牧和禁牧对呼伦贝尔典型草原啮齿动物捕获率、捕获量比例、多样性指数(丰富度指数、均匀性指数、Shannon-Wiener指数)的影响。结果表明,1)啮齿动物捕获率表现为连续放牧季节轮牧禁牧,连续放牧区显著高于禁牧区(P0.05)。2)不同放牧方式使啮齿动物群落结构发生了一定的变化。连续放牧区主要以草原黄鼠(Citellus dauricus)为主,捕获量比例为38.60%;季节轮牧区以黑线仓鼠(Cricetulus barabensis)和草原黄鼠占的比例较大,捕获量比例分别为37.30%和31.50%;禁牧区以黑线仓鼠为主,捕获量比例为38.89%。3)连续放牧区啮齿动物丰富度指数、Shannon-Wiener多样性指数均为最高;季节轮牧中均匀性指数为最高;禁牧中丰富度指数、Shannon-Wiener指数、均匀性指数均为最低。连续放牧中的丰富度指数和Shannon-Wiener指数显著高于禁牧(P0.05)。不同放牧方式明显改变了啮齿动物群落组成及多样性。综上,本研究结果表明,季节轮牧方式更利于合理利用草地资源并且能够抑制鼠害发生。     

放牧季节及退化程度对高寒草甸土壤有机碳的影响

高寒草甸是青藏高原的主要植被类型,本研究以青海省高寒草甸为研究对象,探讨不同放牧季节及退化程度下高寒草甸土壤有机碳含量及密度的分异特征。结果表明,在0-30 cm土层内,土壤有机碳含量随土层深度逐渐减小。土壤有机碳含量暖季放牧与冷季放牧之间无显著差异(P0.05),且在不同土壤深度中一致。不同放牧季节下土壤理化性质及生物量各不相同。0-30 cm土层内,除0-5 cm未退化阶段土壤有机碳含量最高,其余各层土壤有机碳含量均在轻度退化阶段达到最大。土壤理化性质在不同退化阶段也变化各异,地下生物量随草地退化呈先增加后减小的趋势,而地上生物量随草地退化呈逐渐减小的趋势。冷季放牧高寒草甸土壤有机碳含量随草地退化呈逐渐减小的趋势,而暖季放牧土壤有机碳含量随草地退化呈先增加后减小的趋势。0-30 cm土层冷季放牧不同阶段土壤有机碳储量均低于暖季放牧,但未达到显著水平。可见,放牧强度的不同会对土壤有机碳的影响比放牧季节更大。     

Effect of time at pasture and herbage intake on profile of volatile organic compounds of dairy cow milk

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in milk were investigated as quantitative markers of herbage intake (HI) at pasture. Eight Holstein cows were fed indoors with concentrate and conserved forages (grass silage, corn silage and hay) (NG), then were divided into three treatments according to the duration of access to pasture: 4 h (G4), 8 h (G8), and 20 h (G20) per day. The HIs were 4.3, 8.6, and 13.0 kg dry matter/day for the G4, G8 and G20 treatments, respectively. Milk from cows was sampled and analyzed VOCs by the steam distillation‐extraction method and gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (GC‐MS). From the intensity of the GC peak area, the levels of 1‐phytene (3,7,11,15‐tetramethyl‐1‐hexadecene) and 2‐phytene (3,7,11,15‐tetramethyl‐2‐hexadecene) were lowest in NG treatment and markedly increased with grazing time at pasture. With simple regression analysis on the HI to each diterpenoid, a strong correlation was found between the intensity of 1‐phytene in the milk and the HI (r = 0.807, P < 0.001). 1‐phytene content in milk could be useful as a quantitative marker of the HI of grazing cows.