放牧强度对短花针茅草原冷蒿繁殖特性的影响

研究不同放牧强度下短花针茅(Stipa breviflora Griseb.)草原植物——冷蒿(Artemisia frigida Willd.)的种子繁殖和营养繁殖特性,探讨不同放牧强度下冷蒿繁殖方式的变化。结果表明:冷蒿在轻牧区和封育区单位面积种子产量较高,重牧条件下不能产生种子。冷蒿营养繁殖的各构件在轻牧区表现最好,轻度放牧能促进冷蒿的营养繁殖更新。放牧增加了冷蒿地下部分的投资而减少了地上部分的,这是其适应环境的对策。随着放牧强度的增加,冷蒿的生殖格局由种子繁殖和营养繁殖并存向单一的营养繁殖转变。     

不同放牧强度对荒漠草原优势植物功能性状的影响

放牧是草原生态系统的主要利用方式之一,植物功能性状反映了植物对环境变化的响应。为了探究不同放牧强度对植物功能性状产生的影响,基于内蒙古的荒漠草原研究长期放牧实验平台,选取无芒隐子草(Cleistogenes songorica)、冷蒿(Artemisia frigida)两个优势物种,分析这些植物的7个主要功能性状。研究结果表明：冷蒿的生殖枝自然高度、营养枝自然高度、冠幅、基茎和生殖枝数量随放牧强度的增大而显著降低。轻度放牧增加了无芒隐子草的基茎和生殖枝数量,但是中度和重度放牧对无芒隐子草的其他功能性状均产生负效应。无芒隐子草的功能性状在7月和8月两个不同月份中有显著差异,而冷蒿在不同月份中没有显著差异。由此可知,荒漠草原中不同优势植物对于不同的放牧强度和时间的响应不同,这些研究结果为探究荒漠草地植物对于长期放牧干扰而采取的响应策略具有十分重要意义。     

放牧对星毛委陵菜(Potentilla acaulis) 种群生殖对策的影响

在种群水平上系统研究了不同放牧强度对内蒙古冷蒿小禾草退化草原星毛委陵菜（Potentilla acaulis)种群克隆生长，有性生殖的影响，结果表明：星毛委陵菜匍匐茎长度在轻牧处理最大，而重牧条件下显著缩短；分株密度随放牧强度增加而增加。种群营养枝密度在不放牧与放牧处理之间差异显著，尤其是不放牧与重牧之间，而相邻放牧强度之间差异不显著。星毛萎陵菜生殖植密度在放牧处理间差异不显著，但不放牧与重牧差异显著，与轻放，中牧差异不显著。种群生殖分化率不放牧显著高于中牧和重牧，但与轻牧间差异不显著。随放牧强度的增加，生殖植上花序数目增加，但差异不显著。     

在放牧干扰下冷蒿种群脯氨酸含量的变化

对放牧干扰下土壤含水量、冷蒿体内含水量、脯氨酸含量变化进行的研究结果表明随着放牧强度的增加土壤含水量降低,冷蒿叶片、根中含水量呈下降趋势。在生长初期,随着放牧强度的增加冷蒿叶片内脯氨酸含量迅速积累;生长盛期脯氨酸含量虽随牧压有所增加,但增加的幅度较小;生长末期脯氨酸含量较高,而且随着牧压的增加略有下降。地下部分,脯氨酸含量在牧压梯度间变化较小。相关分析表明,在生长初期和盛期,冷蒿叶片、根的含水量与土壤含水量呈正相关,生长末期不相关。冷蒿脯氨酸含量与植物的含水量呈负相关,在生长初期和末期呈显著负相关,而生长盛期相关不显著;与此不同,在生长初期冷蒿体内脯氨酸含量与土壤含水量呈负相关,在生长末期二者负相关性不显著,这说明随着放牧干扰强度的增加土壤含水量降低,导致冷蒿体内水分胁迫增加,致使脯氨酸开始逐渐积累。而生长末期的降温和群落中植物种间竞争减少,使脯氨酸的积累速度也相应放慢。在放牧干扰下,脯氨酸大量积累,对冷蒿的生存和生长起到了重要的作用,是冷蒿种群耐啃食、耐践踏、逐渐取代禾本科植物而成为退化草原的优势植物的生理基础之一。     

荒漠草原地区冷蒿构件及其动态规律对载畜率的响应

采用随机区组试验方法,研究了内蒙占高原荒漠草原地区不同载畜率对冷蒿构件数量特征的影响,结果表明:冷蒿生长时期和载畜率是影响冷蒿构件数量的关键因素,相同载畜率水平下,冷蒿的营养枝密度、不定根密度和匍匐茎长度为生长末期>生长盛期>生长初期,生殖枝8月最多,冷蒿生长盛期和末期,轻牧区的营养枝密度、不定根密度和匍匐茎长度显著增加(P<0.05);同一生长季节生殖枝随载畜率的增大显著下降(P<0.05),极度干旱的2005年没有形成生殖枝,说明干旱也是限制冷蒿生殖生长的关键性因子.荒漠草原地区冷蒿的繁殖格局以营养繁殖为主,占到80%以上,随载畜率的增加.冷蒿的营养枝分化率逐渐增加.     

在放牧干扰下冷蒿种群脯氨酸含量的变化

对放牧干扰下土壤含水量、冷蒿体内含水量、脯氨酸含量变化进行的研究结果表明：随着放牧强度的增加土壤含水量降低．冷蒿叶片、根中含水量呈下降趋势。在生长初期．随着放牧强度的增加冷蒿叶片内脯氨酸含量迅速积累；生长盛期脯氨酸含量虽随牧压有所增加．但增加的幅度较小；生长末期脯氨酸含量较高．而且随着牧压的增加略有下降。地下部分．脯氨酸含量在牧雎梯度问变化较小。相关分析表明．在生长初期和盛期．冷蒿叶片、根的含水量与土壤含水量呈正相关．生长末期不相关。冷蒿脯氨酸含量与植物的含水量呈负相关．在生长初期和末期呈显著负相关．而生长盛期相关不显著；与此不同．在生长初期冷蒿体内脯氨酸含量与土壤含水量呈负相关．在生长末期二者负相关性不显著．这说明随着放牧干扰强度的增加上壤含水量降低．导致冷蒿体内水分胁迫增加．致使脯氨酸开始逐渐积累。而生长末期的降温和群落中植物种问竞争减少．使脯氨酸的积累速度也相应放慢。在放牧干扰下．脯氨酸大量积累．对冷蒿的生存和生长起到了重要的作用．是冷蒿种群耐啃食、耐践踏、逐渐取代禾本科植物而成为退化草原的优势植物的生理基础之一。     

荒漠草原地区冷蒿构件及其动态规律对载畜率的响应

采用随机区组试验方法，研究了内蒙古高原荒漠草原地区不同载畜率对冷蒿构件数量特征的影响，结果表明：冷蒿生长时期和载畜率是影响冷蒿构件数量的关键因素，相同载畜率水平下，冷蒿的营养枝密度、不定根密度和匍匐茎长度为生长末期〉生长盛期〉生长初期，生殖枝8月最多，冷蒿生长盛期和末期，轻牧区的营养枝密度、不定根密度和匍匐茎长度显著增加（P〈0．05）；同一生长季节生殖枝随载畜率的增大显著下降（P〈0．05），极度干旱的2005年没有形成生殖枝，说明干旱也是限制冷蒿生殖生长的关键性因子。荒漠草原地区冷蒿的繁殖格局以营养繁殖为主，占到80％以上，随载畜率的增加，冷蒿的营养枝分化率逐渐增加。     

内蒙古冷蒿草原适宜放牧率及可持续发展的研究

从不同管理角度进行了内蒙古草地畜牧业生产适宜经营模式和适宜放牧率的探讨,并进行了风险－利润权衡分析。在此基础上,提出了草地畜牧业生产可持续发展所应遵循的基本原则;认为内蒙古典型草原暖季放牧率不宜超过２．０￣２．７羊／ｈｍ＾２,适宜始牧时间为５月底或６月初,当年羔应短期育肥出栏。这样,羊草和大针茅草原就不会退化到冷蒿草原,冷蒿草原能得到利用式改良的效果。     

放牧对荒漠草原植物群落资源分配的影响

本试验于2004年在内蒙古畜牧科学院四子王旗实验基地,对不同放牧强度下短花针茅荒漠草原(Stipa breuiflora desert steppe)主要植物的资源分配进行了研究.结果表明:随着放牧强度的增加,植物各部分的资源分配比例在减少;冷蒿根部的投资增加,地上投资降低,生殖分配部分在轻牧区最高,适当放牧可增加冷蒿种子繁殖的机会.短花针茅和无芒隐子草在重牧区根茎叶上的投资同时减少,这是植物改变自己资源分配趋向,适应生境的一种方式.     

水分对克氏针茅和冷蒿生殖生长的影响

研究克氏针茅(Stipa krylovii)和冷蒿(Artemisia frigida)的生殖枝数量、重量以及水分对繁殖分配与种群密度、地上生物量之间的关系。结果表明:增加水分有利于克氏针茅的生殖生长,而不利于冷蒿;增加水分时,克氏针茅繁殖分配比例随着密度和生物量的增加而呈增加趋势,但冷蒿则呈降低趋势,但随着生物量的增加二者变化不大;水分、密度和生物量的变化对克氏针茅和冷蒿繁殖分配比例均产生影响,表明两者的繁殖分配是与表型可塑性的变化密切相关,而不受遗传控制。     

Cattle Grazing and Vegetation Succession on Burned Sagebrush Steppe

There is limited information about the effects of cattle grazing to longer-term plant community composition and herbage production following fire in sagebrush steppe. This study evaluated vegetation response to cattle grazing over 7 yr (2007–2013) on burned Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis [Beetle & Young] Welsh) steppe in eastern Oregon. Treatments, replicated four times and applied in a randomized complete block design, included no grazing on burned (nonuse) and unburned (control) sagebrush steppe; and cattle grazing at low (low), moderate (moderate), and high (high) stocking on burned sagebrush steppe. Vegetation dynamics were evaluated by quantifying herbaceous (canopy and basal cover, density, production, reproductive shoot weight) and shrub (canopy cover, density) response variables. Aside from basal cover, herbaceous canopy cover, production, and reproduction were not different among low, moderate, and nonuse treatments. Perennial bunchgrass basal cover was about 25% lower in the low and moderate treatments than the nonuse. Production, reproductive stem weight, and perennial grass basal cover were greater in the low, moderate, and nonuse treatments than the control. The high treatment had lower perennial bunchgrass cover (canopy and basal) and production than other grazed and nonuse treatments. Bunchgrass density remained unchanged in the high treatment, not differing from other treatments, and reproductive effort was comparable to the other treatments, indicating these areas are potentially recoverable by reducing stocking. Cover and production of Bromus tectorum L. (cheatgrass) did not differ among the grazed and nonuse treatments, though all were greater than the control. Cover and density of A.t. spp. wyomingensis did not differ among the burned grazed and nonuse treatments and were less than the control. We concluded that light to moderate stocking rates are compatible to sustainable grazing of burned sagebrush steppe rangelands.     

Response of Planted Sagebrush Seedlings to Cattle Grazing Applied to Decrease Fire Probability

Restoration of non-sprouting shrubs after wildfire is increasingly becoming a management priority. In the western U.S., Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt. ssp. wyomingensis Beetle & Young) restoration is a high priority, but sagebrush establishment from seed is sporadic. In contrast, planting seedlings often successfully restores sagebrush, but is expensive and time consuming. After planting, hence, there is a need to protect the investment from disturbances such as fire that will erase gains in sagebrush recovery. Grazing is likely the only tool that can be applied feasibly across the landscape to decrease wildfire probability, but there are concerns that grazing and associated activities (e.g. trampling) may negatively impact sagebrush seedlings. We investigated effects of grazing by cattle, applied as a fine fuel management strategy, on planted sagebrush seedlings at five blocks for five years. Grazing substantial reduced exotic annual grasses, large perennial bunchgrasses, and total herbaceous cover, thus achieving fuel management goals. Sagebrush cover and reproductive efforts were almost 2-fold greater in grazed compared to non-grazed areas in the final year of the study. This suggests that grazing favored sagebrush, a generally unpalatable shrub, recovery, likely by reducing competition from highly palatable herbaceous vegetation. Density of sagebrush, however, was similar between grazed and non-grazed areas. This research demonstrates that grazing can be strategically applied to reduce the probability of wildfire in areas with planted sagebrush seedlings; thereby, protecting the investment in sagebrush recovery. With more refinement, it also appears that grazing can be utilized to accelerate the recovery of sagebrush and potentially other woody vegetation habitat by modifying the competitive relationship between herbaceous and woody vegetation.     

Eighty Years of Grazing by Cattle Modifies Sagebrush and Bunchgrass Structure

Grazing by cattle is ubiquitous across the sagebrush steppe; however, little is known about its effects on sagebrush and native bunchgrass structure. Understanding the effects of long-term grazing on sagebrush and bunchgrass structure is important because sagebrush is a keystone species and bunchgrasses are the dominant herbaceous functional group in these communities. To investigate the effects of long-term grazing on sagebrush and bunchgrass structure, we compared nine grazing exclosures with nine adjacent rangelands that were grazed by cattle in southeast Oregon. Grazing was moderate utilization (30 ? 45%) with altering season of use and infrequent rest. Long-term grazing by cattle altered some structural aspects of bunchgrasses and sagebrush. Ungrazed bunchgrasses had larger dead centers in their crowns, as well as greater dead fuel depths below and above the crown level compared with grazed bunchgrasses. This accumulation of dry fuel near the meristematic tissue may increase the probability of fire-induced mortality during a wildfire. Bunchgrasses in the ungrazed treatment had more reproductive stems than those in the long-term grazed treatment. This suggests that seed production of bunchgrasses may be greater in ungrazed areas. Sagebrush height and longest canopy diameter were 15% and 20% greater in the ungrazed compared with the grazed treatment, respectively. However, the bottom of the sagebrush canopy was closer to the ground in the grazed compared with the ungrazed treatment, which may provide better hiding cover for ground-nesting avian species. Sagebrush basal stem diameter, number of stems, amount of dead material in the canopy, canopy gap size, and number of canopy gaps did not differ between ungrazed and grazed treatments. Moderate grazing does not appear to alter the competitive relationship between a generally unpalatable shrub and palatable bunchgrasses. Long-term, moderate grazing appears to have minimal effects to the structure of bunchgrasses and sagebrush, other than reducing the risk of bunchgrass mortality during a fire event.     

Postfire Succession in Big Sagebrush Steppe With Livestock Grazing

Prescribed fire in rangeland ecosystems is applied for a variety of management objectives, including enhancing productivity of forage species for domestic livestock. In the big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt.) steppe of the western United States, fire has been a natural and prescribed disturbance, temporarily shifting vegetation from shrub–grass codominance to grass dominance. There is limited information on the impacts of grazing to community dynamics following fire in big sagebrush steppe. This study evaluated cattle grazing impacts over four growing seasons after prescribed fire on Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata subsp. Wyomingensis [Beetle & Young] Welsh) steppe in eastern Oregon. Treatments included no grazing on burned and unburned sagebrush steppe, two summer-grazing applications after fire, and two spring-grazing applications after fire. Treatment plots were burned in fall 2002. Grazing trials were applied from 2003 to 2005. Vegetation dynamics in the treatments were evaluated by quantifying herbaceous canopy cover, density, annual yield, and perennial grass seed yield. Seed production was greater in the ungrazed burn treatments than in all burn–grazed treatments; however, these differences did not affect community recovery after fire. Other herbaceous response variables (cover, density, composition, and annual yield), bare ground, and soil surface litter did not differ among grazed and ungrazed burn treatments. All burn treatments (grazed and ungrazed) had greater herbaceous cover, herbaceous standing crop, herbaceous annual yield, and grass seed production than the unburned treatment by the second or third year after fire. The results demonstrated that properly applied livestock grazing after low-severity, prescribed fire will not hinder the recovery of herbaceous plant communities in Wyoming big sagebrush steppe.     

Effects of Long-Term Livestock Grazing on Fuel Characteristics in Rangelands: An Example From the Sagebrush Steppe

Livestock grazing potentially has substantial influence on fuel characteristics in rangelands around the globe. However, information quantifying the impacts of grazing on rangeland fuel characteristics is limited, and the effects of grazing on fuels are important because fuel characteristics are one of the primary factors determining risk, severity, continuity, and size of wildfires. We investigated the effects of long-term (70+ yr) livestock grazing exclusion (nongrazed) and moderate levels of livestock grazing (grazed) on fuel accumulations, continuity, gaps, and heights in shrub-grassland rangelands. Livestock used the grazed treatment through 2008 and sampling occurred in mid- to late summer in 2009. Nongrazed rangelands had over twofold more herbaceous standing crop than grazed rangelands (P < 0.01). Fuel accumulations on perennial bunchgrasses were approximately threefold greater in nongrazed than grazed treatments. Continuity of fuels in nongrazed compared to grazed treatments was also greater (P < 0.05). The heights of perennial grass current year’s and previous years’ growth were 1.3-fold and 2.2-fold taller in nongrazed compared to grazed treatments (P < 0.01). The results of this study suggest that moderate livestock grazing decreases the risk of wildfires in sagebrush steppe plant communities and potentially other semi-arid and arid rangelands. These results also suggest wildfires in moderately grazed sagebrush rangelands have decreased severity, continuity, and size of the burn compared to long-term nongrazed sagebrush rangelands. Because of the impacts fuels have on fire characteristics, moderate levels of grazing probably increase the efficiency of fire suppression activities. Because of the large difference between fuel characteristics in grazed and nongrazed sagebrush rangelands, we suggest that additional management impacts on fuels and subsequently fires need to be investigated in nonforested rangelands to protect native plant communities and prioritize management needs.     

不同放牧压力下伊犁绢蒿构件生物量分配的变化

以新疆荒漠草地典型植物种伊犁绢蒿(Seriphidium transiliense)为研究对象,通过在生长季内多次采样方法(每30 d采样1次),比较不同放牧梯度下各构件生物量分配,各构件生物量和总生物量的相关性,以揭示伊犁绢蒿构件生物量分配对放牧压力的响应机制.结果表明:营养生长期根生物量分配比变化趋势为重牧 >中牧 >轻牧 >对照,茎生物量分配比、叶生物量分配比变化趋势与之相反;而在生殖生长期则将更多地上生物量分配到生殖构件.Pearson相关系数表明:根生物量、茎生物量与总生物量极显著相关;叶生物量、生殖构件生物量与总生物量相关系数较低,在营养生长期和重度放牧下,生殖构件与总生物量成负相关.     

不同放牧制度对土壤种子库的影响——以青藏高原东缘高寒草甸为例

以青藏高原玛曲地区高寒草甸为研究对象,通过对暖季牧场与冷季牧场不同放牧强度的比较分析,探讨了可萌发土壤种子库的密度、垂直分布规律及其与地上植被的关系。结果表明,1)暖季牧场土壤种子库中,轻度放牧有12种,种子密度为2 307.66粒·m~(-2),重度放牧有6种,种子密度为1 065.08粒·m~(-2),禁牧有5种,种子密度为828.38粒·m~(-2),轻度放牧的物种丰富度及密度都显著大于重度放牧草地(P0.05);冷季牧场轻度放牧有12种,种子密度为3 786.88粒·m~(-2),重度有8种,种子密度为5 621.15粒·m~(-2),禁牧有5种,种子密度为532.53粒·m~(-2),轻度放牧种子密度小于重度放牧。2)无论是暖季牧场还是冷季牧场轻度放牧土壤种子库的多样性指数、均匀度指数、优势度指数和丰富度指数均大于重度放牧,土壤种子库与地上植被的相似性在不同的放牧强度下都小于0.3,其中不放牧时的相似性最小,轻度放牧时的相似性最高。而暖季牧场和冷季牧场的轻度放牧和重度放牧两种放牧强度之间的相似性系数都最大,分别为0.63和0.67。3)土壤种子库在不同处理间随着土层的加深数量都呈现迅速减少的趋势,大部分集中在0-5cm。     

Vegetation Characteristics of Mountain and Wyoming Big Sagebrush Plant Communities in the Northern Great Basin

Dominant plant species are often used as indicators of site potential in forest and rangelands. However, subspecies of dominant vegetation often indicate different site characteristics and, therefore, may be more useful indicators of plant community potential and provide more precise information for management. Big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt.) occurs across large expanses of the western United States. Common subspecies of big sagebrush have considerable variation in the types of sites they occupy, but information that quantifies differences in their vegetation characteristics is lacking. Consequently, wildlife and land management guidelines frequently do not differentiate between subspecies of big sagebrush. To quantify vegetation characteristics between two common subspecies of big sagebrush, we sampled 106 intact big sagebrush plant communities. Half of the sampled plant communities were Wyoming big sagebrush (A. tridentata subsp. wyomingensis [Beetle & A. Young] S. L. Welsh) plant communities, and the other half were mountain big sagebrush (A. tridentata subsp. vaseyana [Rydb.] Beetle) plant communities. In general, mountain big sagebrush plant communities were more diverse and had greater vegetation cover, density, and biomass production than Wyoming big sagebrush plant communities. Sagebrush cover was, on average, 2.4-fold higher in mountain big sagebrush plant communities. Perennial forb density and cover were 3.8- and 5.6-fold greater in mountain compared to Wyoming big sagebrush plant communities. Total herbaceous biomass production was approximately twofold greater in mountain than Wyoming big sagebrush plant communities. The results of this study suggest that management guidelines for grazing, wildlife habitat, and other uses should recognize widespread subspecies as indicators of differences in site potentials.