Effects of Grazing on Population Growth Characteristics of Caragana stenophylla Along a Climatic Aridity Gradient

Shrubs are important plant species in grassland ecosystems worldwide, and their density and cover have been gradually increasing globally. However, the interaction effect of grazing and aridity on population recruitment and population growth of shrub species in grasslands has not been examined explicitly. We examined sapling establishment, sexual recruitment, population mortality, and population growth of Caragana stenophylla along a climatic aridity gradient and a grazing intensity gradient in the Inner Mongolia Steppe, using manipulative field experiments. Sapling establishment, sapling height, and sexual recruitment of C. stenophylla decreased as climatic aridity and grazing intensity increased. The negative effects of grazing on sapling establishment and sexual recruitment gradually increased as climatic aridity increased. The effect of climatic aridity and grazing on population mortality was influenced by sexual recruitment. In the combined treatments of climatic aridity and grazing, population mortality was relatively high when sexual recruitment was relatively high, while population mortality increased as climatic aridity and grazing increased when sexual recruitment was relatively low. C. stenophylla population increased under relatively low drought stress and mild grazing but declined under strong drought stress and/or severe grazing. Our results suggested that to maintain viable Caragana populations, appropriate grazing policies must be made according to climate aridity gradient.     

Fertilization of southern tall grassveld of natal: Effects on botanical composition and utilization under grazing

Abstract

The long‐term effects of nitrogen, phosphate and lime on change in botanical composition and utilization under grazing of Southern Tall Grassveld of Natal are presented. Nitrogen, phosphate, lime and type of nitrogen affected botanical composition significantly. Generally, fertilization had the same effect on species composition score as heavy grazing. No change was observed in utilization by the grazing animal as nitrogen was increased, although a nitrogen X phosphate interaction was evident. Utilization by the grazing animal was not related to species composition score (SCS). Consequently, SCS alone cannot be used to predict grazing capacity.     

Absence of a weight gain response to Vitamin B12 supplementation in weaned dairy heifers grazing pastures of marginal cobalt content

Aim. To obtain information on serum and liver vitamin B₁₂ and urinary methylmalonic acid concentrations as diagnostic tests to predict a weight gain response to supplementation with vitamin B₁₂ in young dairy cattle when grazing pasture of low cobalt content.

Methodology. Forty dairy cattle (12 Friesian, 14 Friesian × Jersey and 14 Jersey) were allocated to two equal sized groups, treated and untreated, based on liveweight. At monthly intervals for 14 months, all animals were weighed, their serum and urine sampled, their liver biopsied and the pasture sampled from the paddocks they were grazing and going to graze. Serum and liver were assayed for Vitamin B₁₂ concentrations. For the first 5 months of the trial, urine was assayed for methylmalonic acid concentrations. Both washed and unwashed pasture samples were assayed for cobalt concentrations.

Results. No weight gain response occurred to Vitamin B₁₂ supplementation in young growing cattle grazing pasture with a cobalt concentration of 0.04-0.06 mg/kg DM. For 5 months of the trial, liver Vitamin B₁₂ concentrations from untreated calves were in the range 75-220 nmol/kg and serum vitamin B₁₂ concentrations were as low as 72 pmol/1. There was no associated growth response to supplementation.

Conclusion. Further trials involving young cattle grazing pastures with cobalt concentrations less than 0.04 mg/kg DM are required to reliably determine liver and serum Vitamin B₁₂ concentrations at which growth responses to Vitamin B₁₂ or cobalt supplementation are likely under New Zealand pastoral grazing conditions.     

The influence of urine and dung deposition on patch grazing patterns of cattle and sheep in the Southern Tall Grassveld

Abstract

The effect of urine and dung deposition on the patch grazing patterns of cattle and sheep in the Southern Tall Grassveld was investigated using an experiment with four treatments, viz. artificial urine, fresh cattle dung, fresh sheep dung, and a control. Cattle and sheep preferentially grazed the sward surrounding and within urine deposits for six months after deposition. Cattle rejected herbage from both cattle and sheep dung patches for six months after deposition. Sheep initially rejected the herbage from cattle dung patches, but their grazing patterns were no longer affected at six months after deposition. Sheep grazing tended not to be influenced by sheep dung. Urine deposition may consequently be an important factor in patch initiation and patch development.     

Influence of stocking rate and grazing system on plant basal cover and botanical composition of veld in the northern cape 1

Abstract

Changes in basal cover and botanical composition were recorded at four stocking rates, both under continuous and rotational grazing in the Northern Cape. The experiment was conducted with cattle. Results suggested that heavier stocking rates could be applied under rotational grazing than under continuous grazing without veld deterioration occuring. After four seasons, botanical composition deteriorated only under continuous grazing. Plant basal cover decreased significantly at the heavy stocking rates, both under rotational and continuous grazing. This result illustrates the danger of grazing strategies based on an injudicious increase in stock numbers.

Basal cover was found to be a better indicator of trends in veld condition than botanical composition, despite annual fluctuations resulting from rainfall variability. Changes in the botanical composition apparently occur only where veld deterioration is more advanced.     

Influence of grazing management on the production of an irrigated grass/legume pasture in the Rûens area of the Southern cape

Abstract

The production of an irrigated grass/legume pasture was determined using Merino ewes on rotational and continuous grazing systems. The clover content of the pasture declined, while the grass content increased under both systems. The lucerne content of the rotationally‐grazed pastures did not change, but lucerne failed to persist under continuous grazing. Rotational grazing resulted in a lower clover content and, consequently, in a lower production per individual animal at low stocking rates during two seasons, but in a higher pasture production and grazing capacity, than under continuous grazing. At high stocking rates the individual animal production was, however, highest under rotational grazing, resulting in a higher animal production per ha than under continuous grazing.     

Effects of eight grazing systems on carcass mass gains of steers grazing irrigated Cynodon aethiopicus pastures

Abstract

Eight grazing systems were compared on irrigated Cynodon aethiopicus pastures which received 650 kg N, 36 kg P and 200 kg dolomitic limestone/ha, annually. There were either one, two, three, six or 18 paddocks in the systems, the single paddock system being continuously grazed. The others were rotational systems with various periods of grazing and of resting.

Using the comparative slaughter technique carcass mass gains of crossbred Hereford/Afrikaner steers were calculated. Three‐year mean carcass mass gains over stocking rates from 12 to 18 steers/ha ranged from 872 to 997 kg/ha. None of the rotational systems were better than continuous grazing.

Estimates of amounts of herbage available for grazing in each system showed that there was least in the continuous grazed and most in the multi‐paddock systems where there were long periods of rest between successive grazing.     

Effects of concentrate or ryegrass-based diets (Lolium multiflorum) on the meat quality of lambs grazing on semi-natural pastures

Abstract

With the objective of studying the effects of production systems on meat quality, 75 Norwegian White Sheep lambs were subjected to one of the following treatments: continuous grazing on a semi-natural lowland pasture until slaughtering (Control); continuous grazing followed by either stall-feeding on concentrate and grass silage or grazing ryegrass pasture for 44 or 24 days before slaughtering (Conc44, Conc24, Rye44, Rye24). Loin samples of M. longissimus dorsi including the subcutaneous fat were analysed for sensory attributes and fatty acid composition. Compared with the control group, a lower intensity of acid taste (P<0.05) and a lower content of C18:3n-6 fatty acids (P<0.001) were observed in the Conc44 group. The n-6/n-3 ratio was higher (P<0.001) in meat tested from the concentrate treatments compared to the ryegrass treatments. These findings indicate that the fattening of lambs on improved pastures or a concentrate-based diet prior to slaughter may alter meat characteristics.     

Leaf Traits as Functional Descriptors of the Intensity of Continuous Grazing in Native Grasslands in the South of Brazil

Plant functional types (PFT) have been used to describe the response of native vegetation to environmental factors (i.e., fertility) and to livestock disturbance, but rarely under conditions of continuous grazing. In this work we investigate whether the long-term response of grassland communities submitted to a gradient of continuous grazing pressure can be described with such an approach. After 15 yr of differentiation of the grazing pressure applied to native grasslands we measured leaf dry-matter content (LDMC) and specific leaf area (SLA) of Poaceae populations of the communities. A grazing pressure gradient was created by levels of daily forage allowance: 4, 8, 12, and 16 kg of dry matter per day per 100 kg of animal live weight, monitored monthly. PFTs were defined by numerical analysis, where an algorithm finds the optimal trait subset based on the agreement between matrices of species × traits, paddocks × grass biomass, and environmental variables (levels of forage allowance and soil characteristics). The results show that it is possible to describe a gradient of grazing pressure by means of LDMC and/or SLA measured only on the Poacea contributing at least 80% of the total Poaceae biomass. Four PFTs were differentiated by these leaf traits. PFTs having low LDMC and high SLA are characteristic of high intensity of use and are made up largely of stoloniferous C₄ species typical of rapid resource capture strategies. Conversely, PFTs characterized by high LDMC and low SLA include species that are representative of low grazing pressure. Variations in the aggregate value of traits are due to changes in the species proportions and not to leaf-size adaptation as hypothesized. We conclude than in the absence of a gradient of fertility, plants with strategies of resource capture tend to be more represented under high grazing pressures. This situation results in a loss of functional diversity, but in particular a reduction in forage availability, which is incompatible with high animal production.     

Vegetation gradients around cattleposts in the eastern mountains of Lesotho

The grasslands of the mountains in eastern Lesotho support large numbers of sheep, angora goats and other livestock during the summer, during which they are corralled nightly by herders at cattleposts. Few studies, however, have quantified the impact of grazing on the composition and structure of the mountain grasslands. Gradients of grazing and trampling intensity related to distance from 23 cattleposts in the subalpine and alpine belts (2 650–3 175 m above sea level) were examined to describe the long-term effects of livestock on unpalatable dwarf shrubs, bare area and plant species composition. The potential for shrub invasion and bare areas (low herbaceous cover) to develop was highest near cattleposts. Species composition also changed significantly along the grazing gradient, accompanied by a shift in dominants from grazing-sensitive to grazing-resistant grasses and shrubs. Species either decreased or increased monotonically along the grazing gradient or had an intermediate, unimodal response. The relative positions of species’ centroids along the grazing gradient were used to quantify their grazing sensitivity on a scale from 10 (most sensitive) to 0 (most resistant), which confirmed and contradicted previous classifications of their grazing responses. Basic ecological research on this important mountain grazing and catchment system is recommended.     

Notes on viability of hydatid cysts and eggs

dAim: To evaluate the effectiveness of a liquid formulation of monensin in reducing bloat score in milking cows grazing pasture.

dMethods: AFriesian x Jersey crossbred herd which had been genetically selected for high bloat susceptibility since 1973 was used in this study. Two trials were conducted, each involving two groups of 15 cows, randomly allocated toTreated or Control groups.Trial 1 involved twice-daily administration of a novel liquid formulation of monensin given toTreated cows at morning and afternoon milkings. Trial 2 involved once-daily administration of the same product toTreated cows at the morning milking only. Control cows received no preven tative treatment. The total daily dose of monensin in each trial was 300 mgper cow, given in a total volume of 100 ml of liquid. Animals were scored for bloat twice-daily whilst grazing on white-clover/ryegrass or red-clover pastures. The scoring system used a scale of 0, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, or 3, representing scores of increasing bloat severity as assessed by palpation of abdominal pressure on the left and right sides of the cow.

dResults: In Trial 1, severe bloat was recorded at 9 out of 23 scoring sessions.Twelve Control cows required therapeutic treatment for bloat on at least one day, compared to 3 cows in theTreated group (p=0.003). In Trial 2, severe bloat in 3 of 9 scoring sessions led to 8/15 Control animals requiring therapeutic treatment compared to 1/14 cows in theTreated group (p=0.02).

dConclusions: Oral drenching with the liquid formulation of monensin tested was effective in reducing bloat score in milking cows grazed on pasture.     

Response of lambs to continuous and rotational grazing at four grazing intensities on Midmar Italian ryegrass

Abstract

Irrigated Midmar Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) was grazed either continuously or rotationally at four grazing intensities by three successive sets of weaned lambs for the winter, spring and summer periods, respectively. The “put‐and‐take” system was applied. In the case of continuous grazing, amounts of available dry matter (DM) per hectare were varied, whereas with rotational grazing different grazing intensities were established by allocating different amounts of DM per unit livemass. Amounts of DM on offer were determined in both systems to provide a basis for comparison.

There were no differences in average daily gain (ADG) at equivalent levels of available DM between grazing procedures in winter. In both spring and summer, however, ADG at given levels of available DM was greater (P ≤0,01) with continuous than with rotational grazing. Stocking rate at equivalent levels of available DM was higher (P ≤0,01) for rotational as compared with continuous grazing in winter and summer, but in summer, grazing procedure had no effect on stocking rate. There was an interaction between stocking rate and grazing method in winter (P ≤0,01). At high stocking rates, ADG were higher (P ≤0,01) under rotational than under continuous grazing. In spring and summer the ADG for continuous grazing was higher (P ≤0,01) than that for rotational grazing at equivalent stocking rates. The estimated stocking rates for maximum gains/ha ranged in the different seasons from 45 to 123 lambs/ha.     

Effect of contamination of pasture with military explosives on grazing behaviour in sheep

Abstract

Ungulates grazing in military training areas may be exposed to non-combusted fragments of various explosives, among which 2-methyl-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene (TNT) and 1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocane (HMX) are two of the most common. This study investigated if sheep react to their pastures being contaminated with TNT or HMX. The experiment was conducted in fenced-in study areas on grass-dominated pasture. The eight sheep studied did not differentiate between clean pasture and contaminated pasture when choosing freely between plots containing TNT, HMX or no contamination. The results indicate that sheep grazing military training areas are unlikely to have behavioural responses reducing time spent grazing sites where TNT or HMX are present as fragments in the field layer.     

Effects of Rangeland Management on the Nesting Ecology of Sharp-Tailed Grouse

Many grassland species coevolved with large herbivores and require habitats along the entire structural gradient created by grazing. Widespread declines of grassland birds, however, have prompted concerns about rangeland management. Conceptually, rest-rotation grazing functions as a conservation strategy to mimic historic disturbance regimes and create pasture-level heterogeneity in the absence of fire, but its utility for improving wildlife habitat has not been directly tested, particularly in the mesic mixed-grass prairie. We evaluated rest-rotation grazing as a conservation management technique compared with more traditional grazing systems, including summer rotation and season-long grazing, and assessed effects of different grazing systems and stocking rates on nest site selection and nest survival of sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus), an indicator species for grassland ecosystems. Both nest site selection and nest survival were directly related to vertical nesting cover, which was only weakly related to grazing management variables, including grazing system and stocking rate, at moderate stocking rates (≤ 2 animal unit month [AUM] ha^− 1). Cattle presence during the nesting period had a positive effect on daily nest survival, potentially through an effect by either the cows or rancher presence on predator behavior. Overall, our results suggest that rest-rotation grazing did not contribute to pasture-level vegetation heterogeneity and that both the selective foraging of cattle and inherent topographic and edaphic variability in our study area may be stronger drivers of heterogeneity at the small spatial scale required by female grouse.     

不同利用方式天然草原地上植被特征变化研究

以不同类型天然草原为研究对象,研究禁牧封育、冷季放牧和常年放牧三种利用方式对地上生物量和物种丰富度的影响。结果表明：常年放牧显著降低了高寒草甸和温性草原地上生物量（P＜0.05）,且禁牧和冷季放牧之间差异不显著（P＜0.05）,冷季放牧显著降低了温性荒漠草原地上生物量（P＜0.05）;禁牧高寒草甸和温性草原物种丰富度显著低于常年放牧（P＜0.05）,禁牧和冷季放牧对温性荒漠草原物种丰富度无显著影响（P＜0.05）。     

Forage production of some grass species in the false Thornveld of the Eastern Cape

Abstract

The most commonly occurring grass species in the False Thornveld (Acocks, 1953; veld type no. 21) were clipped before and after grazing on veld in good and poor condition at different times of the year. Herbage yield per species was expressed per unit basal tuft area, and the difference in yield before and after grazing was considered to reflect the production of available forage. Themeda triandra produced more forage than any other species at all times of the year. Sporobolus fimbriatus generally produced the second highest amount of available forage. Cymbopogon plurinodis, despite having the second highest herbage yield before grazing, was not grazed to a significant extent. On the basis of the results, Themeda triandra and Sporobolus fimbriatus were identified as key grass species in the False Thornveld of the Eastern Cape.     

Grazing Intensity on Vegetation Dynamics of a Typical Steppe in Northeast Inner Mongolia

Vegetation features radiating from residential areas in response to livestock grazing were quantified for an arid steppe rangeland in the Keshiketeng Banner, Chifeng Prefecture, in northeastern Inner Mongolia in 2004 and 2006. The aim of this study was to estimate grazing impacts on the vegetation dynamics of these historical grazed ecosystems. Grazing intensities were classified as reference area (RA), light (LG), moderate (MG), and heavy (HG) according to the vegetation utilization across the study area. Rangelands were studied along a grazing gradient, where characteristics of plant communities, heights of dominant species, aboveground vertical structures, and belowground biomass were investigated. Along this grazing gradient, vegetation changed from the original dominant plant species Leymus chinensis (Trin.) Tzvel. to a semi-subshrub species Artemisia frigida Willd. when moving from the reference area (RA) to the region around the settlement. Canopy coverage, aboveground productivity, and the number of perennial species declined as one moved toward the residential area. Heights of five dominant species, except for Stipa grandis P. Smirn., declined with increased grazing intensity. Aboveground vertical structure in the RA treatment showed more resilience than the other treatments. There was no difference in root biomass in the top 1 m of soil (P > 0.05) between the RA treatment and the area immediately around settlement (HG treatment). Generally, we found that the intensity of grazing disturbance did not exceed the tolerance of the rangeland ecosystem within LG treatment. However, vegetative conditions in HG treatment became worse with increased grazing pressure. Rangelands in this arid steppe are under tremendous threat due to excessive forage utilization, which cannot be considered a sustainable practice.     

Influence of stocking rate and grazing systems on available grazing in the northern cape 1

Abstract

The influence of rotational and continuous grazing systems, each applied with four stocking rates, on the above‐ground phytomass of veld was determined over four years.

Grazing systems showed a significant influence on available herbage during one year only. Increased stocking rates brought a progressive decline in above‐ground phytomass. During the fourth season (1980/81) the average grazing pressures at stocking rates of 10 ha, 7 ha, 5,5 ha and 4 ha/Large stock unit were 5 984 kg, 3 417 kg, 2 390 kg and 1 238 kg and 1 238 kg phytomass/Large stock unit, respectively. At the end of the fourth season (July, 1981) there was reserve grazing available on the various stocking rates for approximately 579 days, 337 days, 202 days and 76 days, respectively. The risk of high stocking rates in the marginal rainfall regions, is emphasised.     

Effect of grazing frequency and intensity on Lolium perenne L. pastures under subtropical conditions: Herbage quality

Abstract

The cellulase dry matter disappearance (CDMD) and herbage nitrogen (N) of Lolium perenne (perennial ryegrass) were evaluated for pastures grown under subtropical conditions for two years, under five combinations of grazing frequency and intensity, each applied in a rotational grazing system. These quality factors were also evaluated for a simulated continuous grazing (CG) system. Low frequency, low intensity grazing produced lower CDMD and herbage N levels than higher grazing frequencies and intensities. These differences were, however, generally small. Overall, levels of herbage digestibility (estimated by CDMD) and N fell within similar ranges to those observed for perennial ryegrass in temperate environments. Seasonal trends in quality were characterized by high levels during late autumn to early summer (May to October) and low levels during mid‐summer to early autumn (January to April). These data would tend to support high frequency grazing as part of the management programme for perennial ryegrass. It is cautioned, however, that for subtropical conditions in South Africa, adopting frequent grazing may reduce persistence of perennial ryegrass.     

Environmental Impact on Soil Nematodes Following the Use of the Ivermectin Sustained-release Bolus or the Nematophagous Fungus Duddingtonia flagrans to Control Nematode Parasites of Cattle in Sweden

Management of nematode parasites of grazing livestock is essential, but there is concern about the potential environmental risk from agents used in their control. In this experiment, parasites in young cattle were controlled, using ivermectin boluses or the predacious fungus Duddingtonia flagrans , over 3 years. Treatment differences were sought among the soil nematodes recovered from soil samples collected from the paddocks on which treated animals grazed, and compared with similar samples taken from an untreated control paddock. Analysis of the soil nematode fauna on 21 occasions failed to demonstrate any impact of parasite management on soil nematodes. In 0-22 mm soil total nematode abundance averaged 524 000 m -2 , with 18 nominal taxa and H' diversity 2.41. There were both underlying paddock and year-to-year, climate-related, differences. The results of this trial not only confirm the lack of any adverse environmental impact of D. flagrans , a promising biological control agent, on soil nematodes, but also fail to show any impact arising from the use of ivermectin boluses.