Homogenization of the Soil Surface Following Fire in Semiarid Grasslands

Semiarid grasslands accumulate soil beneath plant “islands” that are raised above bare interspaces. This fine-scale variation in microtopographic relief is plant-induced and is increased with shrub establishment. Research found that fire-induced water repellency enhanced local-scale soil erosion that reduced variation in microtopographic relief, suggesting that fire may counteract vegetation-driven, fine-scale spatial soil heterogeneity. This article analyzes longer-term measurements (up to 9 yr) of soil microtopography to evaluate the hypothesis that fire in semiarid grasslands results in more homogenous soil microtopographic relief. Changes in soil microtopographic relief were measured prior to and following a total of five fires at three semiarid grasslands within central New Mexico, United States. The fires included three cool-season prescribed fires, a warm-season prescribed fire, and a warm-season wildfire. Four of the five fires resulted in significantly lower soil microtopographic variation that persisted for up to 4 yr. The duration and magnitude of the soil leveling effect was lowest in the grassland with clay-rich soils, indicating a possible soil texture interaction. Although two grasslands had net soil loss following fires, no net erosion occurred at the third grassland, indicating that redistribution of soils can occur without net erosion. These results show that management with prescribed fire reduces biotic-driven variation in soil microtopographic relief in semiarid grasslands that may help limit the transition to shrubland ecosystems in this region.     

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。     

Hydrologic Vulnerability of Sagebrush Steppe Following Pinyon and Juniper Encroachment

Woodland encroachment on United States rangelands has altered the structure and function of shrub steppe ecosystems. The potential community structure is one where trees dominate, shrub and herbaceous species decline, and rock cover and bare soil area increase and become more interconnected. Research from the Desert Southwest United States has demonstrated areas under tree canopies effectively store water and soil resources, whereas areas between canopies (intercanopy) generate significantly more runoff and erosion. We investigated these relationships and the impacts of tree encroachment on runoff and erosion processes at two woodland sites in the Intermountain West, USA. Rainfall simulation and concentrated flow methodologies were employed to measure infiltration, runoff, and erosion from intercanopy and canopy areas at small-plot (0.5 m²) and large-plot (13 m²) scales. Soil water repellency and vegetative and ground cover factors that influence runoff and erosion were quantified. Runoff and erosion from rainsplash, sheet flow, and concentrated flow processes were significantly greater from intercanopy than canopy areas across small- and large-plot scales, and site-specific erodibility differences were observed. Runoff and erosion were primarily dictated by the type and quantity of ground cover. Litter offered protection from rainsplash effects, provided rainfall storage, mitigated soil water repellency impacts on infiltration, and contributed to aggregate stability. Runoff and erosion increased exponentially (r² = 0.75 and 0.64) where bare soil and rock cover exceeded 50%. Sediment yield was strongly correlated (r² = 0.87) with runoff and increased linearly where runoff exceeded 20 mm·h^?1. Measured runoff and erosion rates suggest tree canopies represent areas of hydrologic stability, whereas intercanopy areas are vulnerable to runoff and erosion. Results indicate the overall hydrologic vulnerability of sagebrush steppe following woodland encroachment depends on the potential influence of tree dominance on bare intercanopy expanse and connectivity and the potential erodibility of intercanopy areas.     

Short-Term Effects of Tree Removal on Infiltration,Runoff, and Erosion in Woodland-Encroached Sagebrush Steppe

Land owners and managers across the western United States are increasingly searching for methods to evaluate and mitigate the effects of woodland encroachment on sagebrush steppe ecosystems. We used small-plot scale (0.5 m²) rainfall simulations and measures of vegetation, ground cover, and soils to investigate woodland response to tree removal (prescribed fire and mastication) at two late-succession woodlands. We also evaluated the effects of burning on soil water repellency and effectiveness of aggregate stability indices to detect changes in erosion potential. Plots were located in interspaces between tree and shrub canopies and on undercanopy tree and shrub microsites. Erosion from untreated interspaces in the two woodlands differed more than 6-fold, and erosion responses to prescribed burning differed by woodland site. High-intensity rainfall (102 mm · h^-1) on the less erodible woodland generated amplified runoff and erosion from tree microsites postfire, but erosion (45–75 g · m^-2) was minor relative to the 3–13-fold fire-induced increase in erosion on tree microsites at the highly erodible site (240–295 g · m^-2). Burning the highly erodible woodland also generated a 7-fold increase in erosion from shrub microsites (220–230 g · m^-2) and 280–350 g · m^-2 erosion from interspaces. High levels of runoff (40–45 mm) and soil erosion (230–275 g · m^-2) on unburned interspaces at the more erodible site were reduced 4–5-fold (10 mm and 50 g · m^-2) by masticated tree material. The results demonstrate that similarly degraded conditions at woodland-encroached sites may elicit differing hydrologic and erosion responses to treatment and that treatment decisions should consider inherent site-specific erodibility when evaluating tree-removal alternatives. Strong soil water repellency was detected from 0 cm to 3 cm soil depth underneath unburned tree canopies at both woodlands and its strength was not altered by burning. However, fire removal of litter exacerbated repellency effects on infiltration, runoff generation, and erosion. The aggregate stability index method detected differences in relative soil stability between areas underneath trees and in the intercanopy at both sites, but failed to provide any indication of between-site differences in erodibility or the effects of burning on soil erosion potential.     

Perspective article: Simulation models for semi‐arid rangelands of southern Africa

Abstract

In semi‐arid regions, the effects of grazing or sparing management on natural communities of long‐lived plants generally take decades to become evident. Event‐driven dynamic behaviour, unpredictable and low rainfall, and complicated interactions between species make it difficult to gather sufficient understanding of vegetation dynamics to be able to develop guidelines for sustainable management. Simulation models that consider the essential processes that determine vegetation dynamics offer scope for quantitatively exploring long‐term vegetation dynamics of arid and semi‐arid rangelands. In this paper we review three models that were aimed to provide an understanding of the vegetation dynamics and management of different typical vegetation types in South Africa, including the Karoo shrubland, the shrub‐grassland of the southern Kalahari, and pure semi‐arid grasslands.     

荒漠灌丛和土壤动物关系及对降水变化的响应研究进展

在荒漠生态系统中,以人工灌丛进行植被恢复与重建是土地荒漠化防治最有效、最经济、最持久、最稳定的措施之一。土壤动物是荒漠生态系统土壤生物的重要组分,在物质循环、养分流动和信息传递中扮演着重要角色。荒漠灌丛和土壤动物互相作用能够促进灌丛“肥岛”演变,有利于灌丛生态功能发展和退化生态系统有效恢复。降水变化条件下,基于“荒漠灌丛和土壤动物关系”这一核心问题,在总结荒漠灌丛分布特征、荒漠灌丛和土壤动物分布关系的基础上,分析了荒漠灌丛土壤动物分布对降水变化的响应规律及内在机制。在未来全球变化条件下,从荒漠灌丛土壤动物对地上的反馈效应、研究方法与先进技术应用及荒漠灌丛土壤动物多样性与生态系统服务功能方面,探索了荒漠生态系统中荒漠灌丛土壤动物研究中应重点关注的几个科学问题,为荒漠生态系统生物多样性保护、植被建设及响应气候变化管理提供了科学依据。     

Impacts of Fire and Invasive Species on Desert Soil Ecology

A review of literature shows that both fire and invasive species may cause changes in biological, chemical, and physical properties of desert soils. Although soil may recover from the impacts of fire during succession, these changes are permanent under persistent invasive species. The most severe effects of fire occur under high temperatures with high fuel buildup and soil moisture that conducts heat downward. Deserts typically have low fuel mass and low soil moisture, both conditions that would contribute to lower impacts of fire than in mesic soils. Soil is a good insulator, so soil microorganisms will survive a few centimeters deep even in hot surface fires. Immediately postfire there is often an increase in mineral nitrogen (N) and a decrease in soil carbon (C) and organic N, but these changes are often minimal in desert soils, except under fertile shrub islands that have higher fuel loads and fire temperature. Both hot and cold deserts have experienced slow recovery of native shrubs and increased growth of invasive grasses following fire. Invasive species may either increase or decrease soil N and C depending on fire temperature and site and species characteristics. Mineralization and fixation of N are often high enough after fire that subsequent productivity balances N losses. The elimination of islands of fertility coupled with postfire erosion may be a major impact after fire in grass-invaded shrub lands. In the long term, the interaction of fire and invasive species may result in more frequent fires that eliminate fertile islands and reduce the productivity of deserts. Managers may use fire as a tool to control desert invasives without the concern that N will be irrevocably lost, but this must be done judiciously to avoid eliminating shrubs and further increasing invasive species.     

Effect of Climoedaphic Heterogeneity on Woody Plant Dominance in the Argentine Caldenal Region

Woody plant encroachment is widespread throughout drylands of the world, but rates and patterns of encroachment at the regional scale can be mediated by soil and climate. Climoedaphic properties may therefore help to explain patterns of woody plant dominance. In the Caldenal region of central Argentina, which is experiencing widespread woody plant encroachment, we used stratified and targeted inventory of vegetation and soils alongside climate data to classify vegetation states and then identify factors indicating resistance to woody plant encroachment. We found that three climoedaphic contexts differed in the degree of woody plant dominance. Sandsheet landforms had the lowest likelihood of a shrub thicket state. Within loamy soils, sites with deep soil carbonates in warmer and wetter climates were less likely to feature a shrub thicket state than sites with shallow carbonates in cooler and drier climates. These contexts serve as a basis for recognizing different ecological sites to assist mapping and prioritization of management interventions in the Caldenal region. Simple inventory-based approaches can be helpful for designing land management recommendations in other ecosystems.     

Hydrologic and Erosion Responses of Sagebrush Steppe Following Juniper Encroachment,Wildfire, and Tree Cutting

Extensive woodland expansion in the Great Basin has generated concern regarding ecological impacts of tree encroachment on sagebrush rangelands and strategies for restoring sagebrush steppe. This study used rainfall (0.5 m² and 13 m² scales) and concentrated flow simulations and measures of vegetation, ground cover, and soils to investigate hydrologic and erosion impacts of western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis Hook.) encroachment into sagebrush steppe and to evaluate short-term effects of burning and tree cutting on runoff and erosion responses. The overall effects of tree encroachment were a reduction in understory vegetation and formation of highly erodible, bare intercanopy between trees. Runoff and erosion from high-intensity rainfall (102 mm · h^?1, 13 m² plots) were generally low from unburned areas underneath tree canopies (13 mm and 48 g · m^?2) and were higher from the unburned intercanopy (43 mm and 272 g · m^?2). Intercanopy erosion increased linearly with runoff and exponentially where bare ground exceeded 60%. Erosion from simulated concentrated flow was 15- to 25-fold greater from the unburned intercanopy than unburned tree canopy areas. Severe burning amplified erosion from tree canopy plots by a factor of 20 but had a favorable effect on concentrated flow erosion from the intercanopy. Two years postfire, erosion remained 20-fold greater on burned than unburned tree plots, but concentrated flow erosion from the intercanopy (76% of study area) was reduced by herbaceous recruitment. The results indicate burning may amplify runoff and erosion immediately postfire. However, we infer burning that sustains residual understory cover and stimulates vegetation productivity may provide long-term reduction of soil loss relative to woodland persistence. Simply placing cut-downed trees into the unburned intercanopy had minimal immediate impact on infiltration and soil loss. Results suggest cut-tree treatments should focus on establishing tree debris contact with the soil surface if treatments are expected to reduce short-term soil loss during the postcut understory recruitment period.     

Successional Transitions and Management of a Phosphorus-Limited Shrubland Ecosystem

The decline of traditional pastoral systems has highlighted the problem of managing shrub encroachment on successional shrublands in the Mediterranean region, especially in marginal habitats. A long-term study of the response of ecosystem dynamics to phosphate amelioration and shrub control was initiated in 1988 on an area of phosphorus deficient terra rossa, dominated by dwarf shrubs that had been burnt in the summer of that year. The treatments were imposed in a replicated factorial design once at the beginning of the study. The area was previously grazed yearlong by goats, but during the experiment beef cattle grazed the area during the summer of each year. Without herbicide control, shrub cover reached its preburn level within 5 years, but with shrub control after 17 years, it had not yet reached the preburn level. The average shrub cover over the whole experimental period was 41.9%–49.1% without herbicide and 13.5%–24.4% with (P < 0.0001, SE of the difference = 3.99). The effect of phosphate application on shrub cover was not significant, but cover of herbaceous vegetation increased (P < 0.0016, SE of difference = 5.03). A “state and transition” scheme was constructed that defines the interventions necessary to buffer any one of the states against the pressures of successional processes. Vegetation states were defined by the dominance of either herbaceous vegetation or one of two spiny shrub species, Prickly burnet (Sarcopoterium spinosum, Rosaceae) and Calicotome villosa (Fabaceae). The timing and scale of the interventions depend largely on landscape management objectives and on available economic and logistic resources. We conclude that appropriate management of grazing, periodic control of the shrub component, and occasional soil nutrient amelioration can lead to the development of attractive open woodland with a productive herbaceous understory that provides a wider range of ecological services than a landscape dominated by the undisturbed successional shrub thickets.     

Hydrologic Impacts of Mechanical Seeding Treatments on Sagebrush Rangelands

In and around the Great Basin, United States, restoration of shrub steppe vegetation is needed where rangelands are transitioning to annual grasslands. Mechanical seedbed preparation can aid native species recovery by reducing annual grass competition. This study was designed to investigate the nature and persistence of hydrologic and erosion impacts caused by different mechanical rangeland seeding treatments and to identify interactions between such impacts and related soil and vegetation properties. A cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.)–dominated site was burned and seeded with native grasses and shrubs in the fall of the year. An Amazon-drill and a disk-chain seeder were used to provide varying levels of surface soil disturbance. An undisturbed broadcast seeding was used as a control. Simulated rainfall was applied to 6 large (32.5-m²) plots per treatment over 3 growing seasons at a rate of 63.5 mm · h^-1. Rainfall was applied for 60 minutes under dry antecedent moisture conditions and for 30 minutes, 24 hours later under wet antecedent moisture conditions. The disk-chain created the largest reduction in infiltration and increase in sediment yield, which lasted for 3 growing seasons posttreatment. The Amazon-drill had a lesser impact, which was insignificant after the second growing season posttreatment. Surface soil properties showed little correlation with treatment-induced hydrologic and erosion impacts. Hydrologic recovery was strongly correlated with litter dynamics. The seeding treatments were unsuccessful at establishing seeded plant species, and the site once again became dominated by cheatgrass. A continuous upward trend in biomass production and surface litter cover was observed for all treatments between the beginning and end of the study because of cheatgrass invasion. Although the initial goal of using mechanical seeding treatments to enhance recovery of native grass species failed, cheatgrass production provided sufficient biomass to rapidly replenish surface litter cover necessary for rapid hydrologic stability of the site.     

草地灌丛化土壤碳氮地球化学循环

灌丛化(shrub encroachment)是全球陆地生态系统重要的生态现象之一,是影响草地碳库的重要过程。灌丛化由全球气候变化、降雨、火烧和生物活动等多因素共同作用形成,对区域环境、气候、土壤性质和碳循环影响显著。目前灌丛化对生态系统的影响仍存在分歧,表现在不同气候和降雨梯度下灌丛化后土壤有机碳/氮储量、养分循环和土壤温室气体排放等差异。本文总结和归纳了灌丛化形成与控制因素、灌丛化对团聚体稳定性、酶活性和土壤碳、氮循环的影响。灌丛化改变了土壤团聚体稳定性和酶活性,进而影响土壤呼吸以及土壤生源物质的存储、分解和循环,这将显著影响区域乃至全球气候变化。因此分析提出,今后应进一步加强对灌丛化形成过程长期的定位观察研究,以便了解灌丛化的可控因素,并加强对灌丛化后土壤有机碳库、土壤团聚体稳定性变化对碳氮循环进程和全球气候变化的影响研究。     

黄土高原丘陵区冰草和柳枝稷土壤细沟可蚀性季节动态

为了评价黄土高原丘陵区退耕还草水土保持效应,本研究以黄土丘陵区冰草(Agropyron cristatum)和柳枝稷(Panicum virgatum)为研究对象,在不同坡度(S=17.36%~42.26%)和流量(Q=1.0~2.5L·s~(-1))条件下,采用变坡试验水槽测定土壤的分离能力,利用线性回归方法,结合土壤侵蚀过程,运用WEPP模型推求土壤细沟可蚀性(Kr),分析了冰草和柳枝稷生育期内土壤Kr的季节变化规律。结果表明,黄土丘陵区冰草生育期内土壤Kr具有显著的季节变化(P0.05),总体呈下降趋势;柳枝稷生育期内土壤Kr无显著季节变化(P0.05)。冰草土壤Kr表现为下降的季节变化,变化范围为0.002 1~0.022 4s·m~(-1);柳枝稷土壤Kr表现为先升高后降低的季节变化,变化范围为0.003 2~0.021 9s·m~(-1)。土壤黏结力、水稳性团聚体和根重密度是影响冰草和柳枝稷生育期内土壤Kr季节变化的主要因素。土壤细沟可蚀性与土壤黏结力、水稳性团聚体及根重密度间呈显著负相关关系。此外,用土壤黏结力和根重密度能够较好地模拟黄土丘陵区冰草和柳枝稷生育期内土壤细沟可蚀性的季节变化。冰草和柳枝稷土壤细沟可蚀性季节变化主要由根系生长和土壤黏结力变化所致。土壤细沟可蚀性与土壤黏结力、水稳性团聚体和根重密度间呈显著负相关关系。用土壤黏结力和根重密度等参数能够较好地模拟冰草和柳枝稷土壤细沟可蚀性的季节变化规律。     

Characterizing Western Juniper Expansion via a Fusion of Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper and Lidar Data

Juniper encroachment into shrub steppe and grassland systems is one of the most prominent changes occurring in rangelands of western North America. Most studies on juniper change are conducted over small areas, although encroachment is occurring across large regions. Development of image-based methods to assess juniper encroachment over large areas would facilitate rapid monitoring and identification of priority areas for juniper management. In this study, we fused Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper and Light Detection and Ranging (lidar)–based juniper classifications to evaluate juniper expansion patterns in the Reynolds Creek Experimental Watershed of southwestern Idaho. Lidar applications for characterizing juniper encroachment attributes at finer scales were also explored. The fusion-based juniper classification model performed well (83% overall accuracy). A comparison of the resulting juniper presence/absence map to a 1965 vegetation cover map indicated 85% juniper expansion, which was consistent with tree-ring data. Comparisons of current and previous canopy-cover estimates also indicated an increase in juniper density within the historically mapped juniper distribution. Percent canopy cover of juniper varied significantly with land-cover types highlighting areas where intensive juniper management might be prioritized.     

Fire,Plant Invasions,and Erosion Events on Western Rangelands

Millions of hectares of rangeland in the western United States have been invaded by annual and woody plants that have increased the role of wildland fire. Altered fire regimes pose significant implications for runoff and erosion. In this paper we synthesize what is known about fire impacts on rangeland hydrology and erosion, and how that knowledge advances understanding of hydrologic risks associated with landscape scale plant community transitions and altered fire regimes. The increased role of wildland fire on western rangeland exposes landscapes to amplified runoff and erosion over short- and long-term windows of time and increases the risk of damage to soil and water resources, property, and human lives during extreme events. Amplified runoff and erosion postfire are a function of storm characteristics and fire-induced changes in site conditions (i.e., ground cover, soil water repellency, aggregate stability, and surface roughness) that define site susceptibility. We suggest that overall postfire hydrologic vulnerability be considered in a probabilistic framework that predicts hydrologic response for a range of potential storms and site susceptibilities and that identifies the hydrologic response magnitudes at which damage to values-at-risk are likely to occur. We identify key knowledge gaps that limit advancement of predictive technologies to address the increased role of wildland fire across rangeland landscapes. Our review of literature suggests quantifying interactions of varying rainfall intensity and key measures of site susceptibility, temporal variability in strength/influence of soil water repellency, and spatial scaling of postfire runoff and erosion remain paramount areas for future research to address hydrologic effects associated with the increased role of wildland fire on western rangelands.     

干旱、半干旱地区天然草原灌木及其肥岛效应研究进展

灌丛可以改变局部的生态小环境,使其周围植物生物量、植物组成、植物化学成分、土壤中大量营养元素和微量营养元素产生变异,将养分集中于灌木灌丛下,改变其周围的局部小环境,影响灌丛下的植被和土壤养分,称作灌丛肥岛效应。灌丛因截留水分、养分及遮阴等作用使其周围局部土壤和植被环境发生变化,导致其树冠下养分和水分聚集,土壤养分相对周围空地更肥沃。探讨干旱和半干旱地区天然草原的灌丛化过程及其生态学效应,了解其对荒漠草地恢复过程的作用,减缓土壤侵蚀和草地生产力下降,对植被的演替和恢复重建等都有重要的生态学意义,并为防治干旱半干旱荒漠生态地区土地退化提供理论依据。     

Sheep and Goat Grazing Effects on Three Atlantic Heathland Types

Heathlands in the northwest of Spain have been traditionally used by domestic herbivores as a food resource. However, their abandonment in the past decades has promoted a high incidence of wildfires, threatening biodiversity. Sheep and goats exhibit different grazing behavior, affecting rangelands dynamics in a different way, but the botanical and structural composition may also affect such dynamics. The aim of this article was to compare the grazing effects of sheep and goats on three different heathland types: previously burned grass- or gorse (Ulex gallii Planchon)-dominated and unburned heather (Erica spp.)-dominated shrublands. Two grazing treatments (sheep or goats) were applied in each vegetation type in a factorial design with two replicates (12 experimental plots). A small fenced area was excluded from grazing in each plot (control treatment). The experiment was carried out from 2003 to 2006, and the grazing season extended from May to October–November. Plant cover, canopy height, and phytomass amount and composition were assessed in each plot. Results showed that goats controlled shrub encroachment, phytomass accumulation, and canopy height more than sheep in either burned grass– and gorse– and unburned heather–dominated shrublands. It was accompanied by a higher increase of herbaceous species under goat grazing. Nevertheless, plant dynamics showed different trends between the three vegetation types studied. Grazing effects were more important in previously burned grass-dominated heathlands than in unburned heather-dominated shrublands. At the end of the experiment (May 2006), shrub cover, height, and woody phytomass were significantly higher in the ungrazed enclosures than in the grazed plots. Small ruminant grazing, especially with goats, is proposed as an efficient tool to reduce shrub encroachment and woody phytomass accumulation in heathlands, thus reducing fire hazard, although these grazing effects depend on heathland composition.     

Long-term impacts of livestock grazing and browsing in the Succulent Karoo: a 20-year study of vegetation change under different grazing regimes in Namaqualand§

This study used a fence-line contrast approach to investigate the long-term impact of high grazing pressure on the vegetation at a site in Namaqualand, South Africa. Forty pairs of permanently marked plots were surveyed in 1996, 2006 and 2016. The main objective was to investigate changes in the vegetation structure and species composition between the near-continuously grazed communal rangelands and the relatively lightly grazed commercial rangelands over the 20-year period. The results showed a decline in total vegetation cover in both commercial and communal rangelands in 2016 relative to the two earlier sampling periods. This can be attributed to the low rainfall in 2016 and was due largely to a reduction in annual plant cover, especially on the communal rangeland. Perennial shrub species provide a fodder bank that can be utilised by livestock in times of drought and can buffer short-term deficits in forage supply. However, the annuals that dominate the vegetation of the communal rangeland do not form such fodder banks and consequently do not have the same multi-year buffering capacity as perennial shrubs. This provides the mechanism whereby long-term continuous grazing decreases resilience to rainfall fluctuations and increases livestock variability, thereby promoting non-equilibrium-type dynamics in the system.     

Factors Affecting Nest Success and Predator Assemblage of Breeding Birds in Semiarid Grasslands

Woody encroachment has influenced wildlife distributions and, thus, predator-prey dynamics, for many taxa in North American grasslands. In 2015 and 2016, we examined how vegetative characteristics influenced avian nest predator assemblages and nest predation rates in semiarid grasslands of south Texas, where encroachment of woody plant species is common. We monitored 253 nests of 17 bird species and deployed infrared cameras at 107 nest sites within four vegetation types at our study sites. We also used data from a concurrent, multispecies monitoring project within our study area to assess predator activity within these same vegetation types. We divided bird species into four nest types based on nest shape and size (i.e., small, medium, and large cup-shaped nests and exposed nests with little structure). We then used logistic regression to examine relationships between shrub cover, concealment, and distance to edge and the probability of nest success and predation by snakes. We observed a significant decrease in nest success of our medium-sized, cup-shaped nest type when shrub cover increased at the nest site, indicating small increases in shrub cover (≈ 10%) could have substantial impacts on birds using this nest type. Snakes were our primary predator at camera-monitored nests (59%), and snake activity increased by 6.7% with every 10% increase in shrub cover at the nest site. Mesomammalian and large mammalian predators were most active in vegetation types predominated by herbaceous cover, small mammals were most active in vegetation types predominated by woody cover, and snake activity was highly variable. Predator activity did not reflect predator identity at camera-monitored nests, suggesting that potential nest predator activity may not accurately reflect the risk of nest predation. Results of our study will help inform management of bird species using semiarid grasslands affected by woody encroachment and offer recommendations for improved nest success.     

Cattle Grazing Fails to Control Shrub Encroachment in Mediterranean Landscapes

The Common Agricultural Policy supports the use of free-ranging cattle herds to control woody encroachment and fire hazards in Europe. There is, however, little empirical evidence about the effectiveness of extensive grazing to preserve open landscapes in the Mediterranean Basin. In this work, we evaluated the effects of extensive beef cattle grazing on the vegetation structure in a Mediterranean ecosystem using a twofold framework: 1) analyzing temporal changes in the forest, shrub, and grassland cover in areas under different grazing pressures for 16 yr (1993 ? 2009) and 2) studying diet selection to assess the impact of cattle on the local Mediterranean vegetation. Our landscape structure analyses revealed a remarkable change in land cover over the study period. However, woody community dynamics seemed to be more related to natural vegetation succession than to cattle effects. Extensive grazing seemed to preserve grasslands but only at high stocking rates. On the other hand, the diet analyses supported the lack of a role for cattle in encroachment control. Beef cattle diets were based on herbaceous plants (59%) with lower contribution of woody ones (41%). Cattle only showed a significant preference (P < 0.05) for few woody species (Erica multiflora, Olea europaea, Quercus ilex, and Rosmarinus officinalis), mostly at high-density stocking rates. Hence, our results support the idea that extensive cattle grazing alone exerts a negligible effect on shrub encroachment and thus on the risk of fire in the studied Mediterranean area. We urge a redesign of current research to truly integrate extensive cattle grazing as High Nature Value farming in European policies to successfully meet its putative goals, such as shrub encroachment control and wildfire risk prevention.