Wildlife Responses to Vegetation Height Management in Cool-season Grasslands

Herbaceous vegetation comprises the main habitat type in cool-seasons grasslands and can be managed by various methods. We compared changes in plant communities and bird and mammal use of grasslands that were not managed, managed by mechanical methods (mowing), or managed by chemical methods (plant growth regulator). This 1-year study was conducted from May through October 2003 in Erie County, Ohio. Twelve circular 1.5 ha plots were established: 4 were not managed, 4 were mowed to maintain vegetation height between 9–15 cm, and 4 were sprayed with a plant growth regulator and mowed when vegetation exceeded 15 cm. We monitored vegetation growth, measured plant community composition, and observed all plots for wildlife activity each week. Vegetation in unmanaged plots was taller and denser (P < 0.001) than vegetation in mowed and growth regulator plots. Plant community characteristics differed among study plots (P < 0.001); managed plots had higher grass cover and lower woody cover than unmanaged plots. We observed more (P < 0.001) total birds per 5-minute survey in unmanaged than mowed or growth regulator plots. We observed more (P < 0.001) white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in mowed plots than either control or growth regulator plots. We captured 13 small mammals in unmanaged plots and no small mammals in managed plots. Applying the plant growth regulator was not a cost-effective alternative to mowing for managing vegetation height in our study. Vegetation height management practices altered plant communities and animal use of grassland areas and thus might be useful for accomplishing species-specific habitat management objectives.     

An Introduction and Practical Guide to Use of the Soil-Vegetation Inventory Method (SVIM) Data

Long-term vegetation dynamics across public rangelands in the western United States are not well understood because of the lack of large-scale, readily available historic datasets. The Bureau of Land Management’s Soil-Vegetation Inventory Method (SVIM) program was implemented between 1977 and 1983 across 14 western states, but the data have not been easily accessible. We introduce the SVIM vegetation cover dataset in a georeferenced, digital format; summarize how the data were collected; and discuss potential limitations and biases. We demonstrate how SVIM data can be compared with contemporary monitoring datasets to quantify changes in vegetation associated with wildfire and the abundance of exotic invasive species. Specifically, we compare SVIM vegetation cover data with cover data collected by BLM’s Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring (AIM) program (2011–2016) in a focal area in the northern Great Basin. We address issues associated with analyzing and interpreting data from these distinct programs, including differences in survey methods and potential biases introduced by spatial and temporal variation in sampling. We compared SVIM and AIM survey methods at 44 plots and found that percent cover estimates had high correspondence for all measured functional groups. Comparisons between historic SVIM data and recent AIM data documented significant declines in the occupancy and cover of native shrubs and native perennial forbs, and a significant increase in exotic annual forbs. Wildfire was a driver of change for some functional groups, with greater change occurring in AIM plots that burned between the two time periods compared with those that did not. Our results are consistent with previous studies showing that many native shrub-dominated plant communities in the Great Basin have been replaced by exotic annuals. Our study demonstrates that SVIM data will be an important resource for researchers interested in quantifying vegetation change through time across public rangelands in the western United States.     

基于数码相机的草地植被盖度测量方法对比研究

草地植被盖度是表征生态系统植被生长状况及环境质量的重要参数。在草地植物群落野外调查中,可以利用数码相机拍摄草地样方照片,而后在室内利用图像处理软件进行自动或半自动的植被盖度测量。随着移动智能设备(如iPhone/iPAD或各类Android Phone/PAD)的快速发展和普及,野外实时获取草地样方照片,同步计算草地植被盖度,并与有关遥感反演参数产品作校验对比分析,将成为未来地学移动测量和研究的重要方向。本研究在总结梳理既有利用数码相机识别植被盖度方法的基础上,设计了低覆盖、中低覆盖、中等覆盖、中高覆盖、高覆盖5种不同植被盖度情景,以及从早上6:00 到下午6:00、每隔2 h一次、全天共7次不同光照环境下的照相方案。继而以Photoshop人工勾勒和测算方法为基准,选择RGB阈值法、RGB决策树法、HSV判别法3种自动测量方法开展对比研究。测量结果的对比分析表明,草地盖度变化对RGB阈值法和HSV判别法的盖度识别精度无明显规律性影响,RGB决策树的盖度识别精度随着草地盖度的增加而增加;光照强度越强,RGB阈值法和HSV判别法对同一草地样方估算的盖度值越小,RGB决策树法估算的盖度值随光照强度的变化没有固定的规律。总体上讲,RGB阈值法和HSV判别法的识别精度较高,RGB决策树法误判率较高,但后者可以识别出非绿色的植物茎、花朵。最后提出了在现有绿色植被像元识别方法的基础上,结合边缘检查算法等图形像素的统计学特征分析方法,能进一步提高草地植被盖度测量的准确率。     

Appropriate Sample Sizes for Monitoring Burned Pastures in Sagebrush Steppe: How Many Plots are Enough,and Can One Size Fit All?

Statistically defensible information on vegetation conditions is needed to guide rangeland management decisions following disturbances such as wildfire, often for heterogeneous pastures. Here we evaluate sampling effort needed to achieve a robust statistical threshold using > 2 000 plots sampled on the 2015 Soda Fire that burned across 75 pastures and 113 000 ha in Idaho and Oregon. We predicted that the number of plots required to generate a threshold of standard error/mean ≤ 0.2 (TSR, threshold sampling requirement) for plant cover within pasture units would vary between sampling methods (rapid ocular versus grid-point intercept) and among plot sizes (1, 6, or 531 m²), as well as relative to topography, elevation, pasture size, spatial complexity of soils, vegetation treatments (herbicide or seeding), and dominance by exotic annual or perennial grasses. Sampling was adequate for determining exotic annual and perennial grass cover in about half of the pastures. A tradeoff in number versus size of plots sampled was apparent, whereby TSR was attainable with less area searched using smaller plot sizes (1 compared with 531 m²) in spite of less variability between larger plots. TSR for both grass types decreased as their dominance increased (0.5–1.5 plots per % cover increment). TSR decreased for perennial grass but increased for exotic annual grass with higher elevations. TSR increased with standard deviation of elevation for perennial grass sampled with grid-point intercept. Sampling effort could be more reliably predicted from landscape variables for the grid-point compared with the ocular sampling method. These findings suggest that adjusting the number and size of sample plots within a pasture or burn area using easily determined landscape variables could increase monitoring efficiency and effectiveness.     

Precision,Repeatability, and Efficiency of Two Canopy-Cover Estimate Methods in Northern Great Plains Vegetation

Government agencies are subject to increasing public scrutiny of land management practices. Consequently, rigorous, yet efficient, monitoring protocols are needed to provide defensible quantitative data on the status and trends of rangeland vegetation. Rigor requires precise, repeatable measures, whereas efficiency requires the greatest possible information content for the amount of resources spent acquiring the information. We compared two methods—point frequency and visual estimate—of measuring canopy cover of individual plant species and groups of species (forbs vs. graminoids, native vs. nonnative) and plant species richness. These methods were compared in a variety of grassland vegetation types of the northern Great Plains for their precision, repeatability, and efficiency. Absolute precision of estimates was similar, but values generally differed between the two sampling methods. The point-frequency method yielded significantly higher values than the visual-estimate method for cover by individual species, graminoid cover, and total cover, and yielded significantly lower values for broadleaf (forb + shrub) cover and species richness. Differences in values derived by different sampling teams using the same method were similar between methods and within precision levels for many variables. Species richness and median species cover were the major exceptions; for these, the point-frequency method was far less repeatable. As performed in this study, the visual-estimate method required approximately twice the time as did the point-frequency method, but the former captured 55% more species. Overall, the visual-estimate method of measuring plant cover was more consistent among observers than anticipated, because of strong training, and captured considerably more species. However, its greater sampling time could reduce the number of samples and, therefore, reduce the statistical power of a sampling design if time is a limiting factor.     

Mowing Wyoming Big Sagebrush Communities With Degraded Herbaceous Understories: Has a Threshold Been Crossed?

Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis &lsqb;Beetle & A. Young] S.L. Welsh) plant communities with degraded native herbaceous understories occupy vast expanses of the western United States. Restoring the native herbaceous understory in these communities is needed to provide higher-quality wildlife habitat, decrease the risk of exotic plant invasion, and increase forage for livestock. Though mowing is commonly applied in sagebrush communities with the objective of increasing native herbaceous vegetation, vegetation response to this treatment in degraded Wyoming big sagebrush communities is largely unknown. We compared mowed and untreated control plots in five Wyoming big sagebrush plant communities with degraded herbaceous understories in eastern Oregon for 3 yr posttreatment. Native perennial herbaceous vegetation did not respond to mowing, but exotic annuals increased with mowing. Density of cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.), a problematic exotic annual grass, was 3.3-fold greater in the mowed than untreated control treatment in the third year posttreatment. Annual forb cover, largely consisting of exotic species, was 1.8-fold greater in the mowed treatment compared to the untreated control in the third year posttreatment. Large perennial grass cover was not influenced by mowing and remained below 2%. Mowing does not appear to promote native herbaceous vegetation in degraded Wyoming big sagebrush plant communities and may facilitate the conversion of shrublands to exotic annual grasslands. The results of this study suggest that mowing, as a stand-alone treatment, does not restore the herbaceous understory in degraded Wyoming big sagebrush plant communities. We recommend that mowing not be applied in Wyoming big sagebrush plant communities with degraded understories without additional treatments to limit exotic annuals and promote perennial herbaceous vegetation.     

Comparison of Point Intercept and Image Analysis for Monitoring Rangeland Transects

There is global recognition that sustainable land use requires monitoring that will detect change on a scale that protects the resource. That fundamental necessity is threatened where labor-intensive methods and high labor costs cause sampling deficiencies and increased Type-II error rates (false negatives). Ground-based imaging is a monitoring method that reduces monitoring labor costs. Nadir (vertical) images acquired with common digital cameras can be manually analyzed for cover using free software. We used an innovative field protocol to acquire standardized, freehand, nadir images (samples) of rangeland, then compared point intercept (PI) and image-analysis techniques. Between methods, precision (repeatability) across users was equivalent; cover measurements were often different, and the image-analysis technique took only a third as long to complete. Image analysis has several advantages over PI besides the reduced labor cost: Images are permanent resource records available for reanalysis if data are questioned, if software improves, or if management objectives change; and image analysis is less biased by moving vegetation, moving pointing devices, and bright vegetation color.     

Cover Estimations Using Object-Based Image Analysis Rule Sets Developed Across Multiple Scales in Pinyon-Juniper Woodlands

Numerous studies have been conducted that evaluate the utility of remote sensing for monitoring and assessing vegetation and ground cover to support land management decisions and complement ground measurements. However, few comparisons have been made that evaluate the utility of object-based image analysis (OBIA) to accurately classify a landscape where rule sets (models) have been developed at various scales. In this study, OBIA rule sets used to estimate land cover from high–spatial resolution imagery (0.06-m pixel) on Pinus L. (pinyon) and Juniperus L. (juniper) woodlands were developed using eCognition Developer at four scales with varying grains—1) individual plot, 2) individual sites, 3) regions (western juniper vs. Utah juniper sites), and 4) pinyon-juniper woodland network (all plots)—that were within the same study extent. Color-infrared imagery was acquired over five sites in Oregon, California, Nevada, and Utah with a Vexcel UltraCamX digital camera in June 2009. Ground cover measurements were also collected at study sites in 2009 on 80 0.1-ha plots. Correlations between OBIA and ground measurements were relatively high for individual plot and site rule sets (ranging from r = 0.52 to r = 0.98). Correlations for regional and network rule sets were lower (ranging from r = 0.24 to r = 0.63), which was expected due to radiance differences between the images as well as vegetation differences found at each site. All site and plot OBIA average cover percentage estimates for live trees, shrubs, perennial herbaceous vegetation, litter, and bare ground were within 5% of the ground measurements, and all region and network OBIA average cover percentage estimates were within 10%. The trade-off for decreased accuracy over a larger area (region and network rule sets) may be useful to prioritize management strategies but will unlikely capture subtle shifts in understory plant communities that site and plot rule sets often capture.     

Contrasting Effects of Long-Term Fire on Sagebrush Steppe Shrubs Mediated by Topography and Plant Community

The role of fire in restoration of sagebrush plant communities remains controversial mainly because of paucity of information from long-term studies. Here, we examine 15-year post-fire responses of big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata ssp wyomingensis) and broom snakeweed (Gutierrezia sarothrae), the two most abundant native shrubs at the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, a protected area in north-central Oregon, USA. Fire effects were studied along gradients of topography and community type through time post-burn. Community types were distinguished as brush, plots dominated by big sagebrush and woodland, plots with a significant presence of Western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis) trees. Fire reduced big sagebrush cover in brush plots up to 100% and in woodland plots up to 86%. Broom snakeweed cover declined by 92% and 73% in brush plots and woodland plots, respectively. Big sagebrush did not show signs of recovery 15 years after burning regardless of topography and community type while broom snakeweed populations were clearly rebounding and prospering beyond pre-burn levels. Our results showed that an area initially dominated by big sagebrush (cover of big sagebrush 10-20%, cover of broom snakeweed 2-4%) dramatically shifted to an area dominated by broom snakeweed (cover of big sagebrush < 1%, cover of broom snakeweed 5%) in brush-dominated plots. Our results indicated that brush-dominated plots at lower elevation and southern exposures are the least post-fire resilient. We also observed a declining population of big sagebrush on unburned areas, suggesting the lack of post-fire recovery on burned areas was perhaps a result of low seeding potential by extant populations. Although more years of observation are required, these data indicate that recovery time, the encroachment of opportunistic competing shrubs, and the initial condition of vegetation are essential considerations by land managers when prescribing fire in big sagebrush communities.     

Estimating Aboveground Net Primary Production in Grasslands: A Comparison of Nondestructive Methods

Aboveground net primary production (ANPP) is an important ecosystem property that is affected by environmental variability. ANPP in grasslands is typically measured by clipping peak live plant material. However, this method is time intensive (and therefore expensive), making it difficult to capture spatial and temporal variability. Additionally, it is impractical to use a destructive method to estimate ANPP in long-term, permanent plots. Thus, many double-sampling techniques have been developed to reduce costs and increase sample size. The objective of our study was to assess the accuracy and precision of nondestructive techniques to estimate ANPP as supplements to the traditional method of peak biomass harvest at two grassland sites. We harvested biomass and compared estimates from the same plots to 1) canopy interception using a point frame, 2) green cover estimates derived from a digital camera, and 3) reflectance measurements using a handheld radiometer. We calculated the optimum allocation of sampling effort to direct and indirect methods to minimize sampling cost yet achieve a desired precision. We found that the point frame technique explained the highest proportion of the variability in biomass at both sites (R² = 0.91, 0.90). However, our cost-optimization analysis revealed that the radiometer technique, although less accurate (R² = 0.38, 0.51), could achieve a desired precision for lower labor costs than the point frame. The radiometer and point frame methods will be a useful tool for grassland ecologists and rangeland managers who desire fast, nondestructive estimates of ANPP.     

Comparison of Medusahead-Invaded and Noninvaded Wyoming Big Sagebrush Steppe in Southeastern Oregon

Medusahead (Taeniatherum caput-medusae [L.] Nevski) is an exotic, annual grass invading sagebrush steppe rangelands in the western United States. Medusahead invasion has been demonstrated to reduce livestock forage, but otherwise information comparing vegetation characteristics of medusahead-invaded to noninvaded sagebrush steppe communities is limited. This lack of knowledge makes it difficult to determine the cost–benefit ratio of controlling and preventing medusahead invasion. To estimate the impact of medusahead invasion, vegetation characteristics were compared between invaded and noninvaded Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata subsp. wyomingensis [Beetle & A. Young] S. L. Welsh) steppe communities that had similar soils, topography, climate, and management. Noninvaded plant communities had greater cover and density of all native herbaceous functional groups compared to medusahead-invaded communities (P < 0.01). Large perennial grass cover was 15-fold greater in the noninvaded compared to invaded plant communities. Sagebrush cover and density were greater in the noninvaded compared to the medusahead-invaded communities (P < 0.01). Biomass production of all native herbaceous functional groups was higher in noninvaded compared to invaded plant communities (P < 0.02). Perennial and annual forb biomass production was 1.9- and 45-fold more, respectively, in the noninvaded than invaded communities. Species richness and diversity were greater in the noninvaded than invaded plant communities (P < 0.01). The results of this study suggest that medusahead invasion substantially alters vegetation characteristics of sagebrush steppe plant communities, and thereby diminishes wildlife habitat, forage production, and ecosystem functions. Because of the broad negative influence of medusahead invasion, greater efforts should be directed at preventing its continued expansion.     

Point Sampling to Stratify Biomass Variability in Sagebrush Steppe Vegetation

Cover and yield are two of the most commonly monitored plant attributes in rangeland vegetation surveys. These variables are usually highly correlated and many previous authors have suggested point-intercept estimates of plant cover could be used as a surrogate for more expensive and destructive methods of estimating plant biomass. When measurement variables are highly correlated, double sampling can be used to prestratify variability in the measurement that is more difficult or costly to obtain, thus improving sampling efficiency. The objective of this study was to examine the cost effectiveness of using point-intercept data to prestratify variability in subsequent clipped-biomass sampling on a sagebrush–bunchgrass rangeland site in southern Idaho. Point-intercept and biomass data were obtained for shrub, grass, and forb vegetation in 90 1-m² plots. These data were used to develop a synthetic population of 10 000 simulated plots for conducting sensitivity analysis on alternative double-sampling scenarios. Monte Carlo simulation techniques were used to determine the effect of sampling design on cost and variability of biomass estimates as a function of point-intercept sample size (i), number of point-intercept sample strata (s), and number of biomass samples per stratum (m). Minimization of variability in biomass estimates were always obtained from double-sampling scenarios in which a single median biomass estimate was obtained for a given stratum in the point-intercept data. Double-sampling strategies in which half of the point-intercept plots were also measured for biomass yielded a cost savings of 39% with a reduction in biomass-sample precision of 18% ± 4 SD. The relative loss of precision in biomass estimates (62% ± 12 SD) became equal to the relative cost savings of double sampling for scenarios in which the ratio of point-intercept/biomass samples exceeded a value of five.     

Ecological Scale of Bird Community Response to Piñon-Juniper Removal

Piñon (Pinus spp.) and juniper (Juniperus spp.) removal is a common management approach to restore sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) vegetation in areas experiencing woodland expansion. Because many management treatments are conducted to benefit sagebrush-obligate birds, we surveyed bird communities to assess treatment effectiveness in establishing sagebrush bird communities at study sites in Utah, Nevada, Idaho, and Oregon. Our analyses included data from 1 or 2 yr prior to prescribed fire or mechanical treatment and 3 to 5 yr posttreatment. We used detrended correspondence analysis to 1) identify primary patterns of bird communities surveyed from 2006 to 2011 at point transects, 2) estimate ecological scale of change needed to achieve treatment objectives from the relative dissimilarity of survey points to the ordination region delineating sagebrush bird communities, and 3) measure changes in pre- and posttreatment bird communities. Birds associated with sagebrush, woodlands, and ecotones were detected on our surveys; increased dissimilarity of survey points to the sagebrush bird community was characterized by a gradient of increased juniper and decreased sagebrush cover. Prescribed fires burned between 30% and 97% of our bird survey points. However, from 6% to 24% cover of piñon-juniper still remained posttreatment on the four treatment plots. We measured only slight changes in bird communities, which responded primarily to current vegetation rather than relative amount of change from pretreatment vegetation structure. Bird communities at survey points located at greater ecological scales from the sagebrush bird community changed least and will require more significant impact to achieve changes. Sagebrush bird communities were established at only two survey points, which were adjacent to a larger sagebrush landscape and following almost complete juniper removal by mechanical treatment. Our results indicate that management treatments that leave residual woodland cover and are not adjacent to extensive sagebrush stands are unlikely to establish sagebrush birds.     

A Process-Based Application of State-and-Transition Models: A Case Study of Western Juniper (Juniperus occidentalis) Encroachment

A threshold represents a point in space and time at which primary ecological processes degrade beyond the ability to self-repair. In ecosystems with juniper (Juniperus L. spp.) encroachment, ecological processes (i.e., infiltration) are impaired as intercanopy plant structure degrades during woodland expansion. The purpose of this research is to characterize influences of increasing juniper on vegetation structure and hydrologic processes in mountain big sagebrush–western juniper (Artemisia tridentata Nutt. subsp. vaseyana [Rydb.] Beetle–Juniperus occidentalis Hook.) communities and to identify and predict states and thresholds. Intercanopy plant cover and infiltration rates were sampled in relation to juniper canopy cover. Study plots, arranged in a randomized complete-block design, represented low shrub–high juniper, moderate shrub–moderate juniper, and high shrub–low juniper percentage of canopy cover levels at four primary aspects. In field plots, percentage of plant cover, bare ground, and steady-state infiltration rates were measured. In the laboratory, juniper canopy cover and topographic position were calculated for the same area using high-resolution aerial imagery and digital elevation data. Parametric and multivariate analyses differentiated vegetation states and associated abiotic processes. Hierarchical agglomerative cluster analysis identified significant changes in infiltration rate and plant structure from which threshold occurrence was predicted. Infiltration rates and percentage of bare ground were strongly correlated (r² = 0.94). Bare ground was highest in low shrub–high juniper cover plots compared to both moderate and high shrub–low juniper cover levels on south-, east-, and west-facing sites. Multivariate tests indicated a distinct shift in plant structure and infiltration rates from moderate to low shrub–high juniper cover, suggesting a transition across an abiotic threshold. On north-facing slopes, bare ground remained low, irrespective of juniper cover. Land managers can use this approach to anticipate and identify thresholds at various landscape positions.     

Lack of Native Vegetation Recovery Following Biological Control of Leafy Spurge

Leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula L.) is an aggressive exotic species that has been successfully suppressed in a variety of situations using classical biological control (flea beetles; Aphthona spp.). This 9-yr study investigated patterns of vegetation responses following significant reductions in leafy spurge cover and density by flea beetles in southeastern Montana. We hypothesized that the vegetation following leafy spurge suppression would be dominated by species and plant functional groups able to persist through heavy infestations. Flea beetles were first released in 1998, and by 2006 leafy spurge foliar cover was reduced 80% to 90% compared to 1998 values on both release and nonrelease plots. Although total cover of the resident vegetation, excluding leafy spurge, increased 72% to 88%, relative cover of the functional groups (native forbs, native sedges, native grasses, and non-native species) was similar among years and between release and nonrelease plots. Mean diversity and mean species richness values did not differ among years or between release and nonrelease plots (P < 0.05), but mean diversity on both release and nonrelease plots was significantly less than noninfested plots, although richness was similar (P < 0.05). Indicator species analysis revealed that non-native Poa spp. replaced leafy spurge as the dominant species on release and nonrelease plots. Conversely, noninfested plots contained a variety of native species with high indicator values. Although total abundance of the resident vegetation in 2006 was significantly greater than 1998, plant species composition and relative cover showed little change for the duration of the study. Failure of the native vegetation to recover to a community that approached nearby noninfested conditions may be attributed to a variety of interacting scenarios, some of which may be ameliorated by treating infestations as soon as possible to avoid long-term residual effects.     

拉萨河谷山地灌丛草地植物多样性监测方法的比较研究

生物多样性是西藏生态安全监测与评估的重要内容之一.在气候变暖和放牧干扰背景下沿海拔梯度探讨西藏拉萨河谷山地灌丛草地植物群落物种多样性的变化特征,对于该地区草地的保护与可持续利用具有重要意义.以拉萨市林周县白朗村沟域的山地灌丛草地为研究对象,采用常规样方法,重复样线法和Modified-Whittaker样地法3种方法进行系统调查,研究草地群落物种组成及其沿海拔梯度的变化特征.结果表明,1) 3种不同取样方法α多样性的物种丰富度均随海拔的升高呈先增加后降低的趋势,其中50 m样线法效果最好.2) 表征β多样性的Sorensen相似性指数和Bray-Curtis指数均随样地间海拔高差的增大而减小.3) 种-面积关系的截距c,斜率z随海拔的升高呈先增加后降低的趋势,与α,β多样性随海拔梯度的变化特征吻合一致.4) 依据种-面积关系研究结果,山地灌丛草地设置100 m²的样地可覆盖80%左右的植物物种.山地灌丛草地的α和β多样性指数沿海拔梯度均呈先增后减的变化特征,未来研究应注重植物多样性分布格局对山体气候梯度以及放牧干扰变化的响应和适应机制.     

祁连山高寒草原土壤水分与植被盖度的关系

为了揭示高寒草原土壤水分与植被盖度的关系,提高植被盖度与土壤水分快测的精度,本研究在祁连山北麓中段高寒草原—甘肃马鹿冬季牧场,设置放牧率分别为1.00、1.45、2.45、3.45、4.85、6.90 AUM·hm^-2的6个样地,通过逐月测定生长季植被盖度和土壤水分,结合Landsat5多光谱影像与SPOT2全色影像融合而成的SPOT-TM影像,分析土壤水分与植被盖度、归一化植被指数(NDVI)的关系,并在此基础上,确定植被盖度随土壤水分的变化阶段。除醉马草、银灰旋花、乳白黄耆外,其他种群盖度对表层土壤水分均响应敏感,在3%~7%至17%~26%的土壤水分范围内,种群盖度随土壤水分的增加呈反比例函数递增趋势,且增幅逐渐缩小;群落盖度对表层土壤水分的响应敏感,在1.1%~10.0%的土壤水分范围内,群落盖度随土壤水分的增加亦呈反比例函数递增趋势,并逐渐趋于饱和。研究结果对探讨干旱半干旱草原植被物种、种群、群落的抗旱性、水分利用效率具有一定意义,为草原植被和土壤水分管理提供科学依据。     

内蒙古短花针茅群落数量分类及环境解释

 群落分布格局与环境（环境因素、空间因素、生物因素）之间的关系一直以来便是生态学研究的热点。为了探讨环境对内蒙古短花针茅群落结构格局的影响,运用双向指示种分析法（ｔｗｏ ｗａｙｉｎｄｉｃａｔｏｒｓｐｅｃｉｅｓａｎａｌｙｓｉｓ,ＴＷＩＮＳＰＡＮ）对内蒙古自治区２０２个短花针茅群落进行数量分类,并结合环境因子、空间因子（各３个）运用除趋势典范对应分析排序方法（ｄｅｔｒｅｎｄｅｄｃａｎｏｎｉｃａｌｃｏｒｒｅｓｐｏｎｄｅｎｃｅａｎａｌｙｓｉｓ,ＤＣＣＡ）分析了环境因子、空间因子、环境因子与空间因子交互作用及其他因素对内蒙古短花针茅群落结构格局的影响。结果表明,１）ＴＷＩＮＳＰＡＮ 将内蒙古２０２个短花针茅群落在第４级水平上分为１６个群丛;２）ＤＣＣＡ 前２排序轴集中了大部分信息（７５．３％）,第１,２排序轴分别突出反映了群落结构格局在热量、水分梯度上的变化,结合ＴＷＩＮＳＰＡＮ 划分的群丛类型构建了内蒙古短花针茅草原生态系列图式;３）因子分离分析表明,环境因子对群落结构格局的解释能力为７０．７％,其中２６．５％为单纯环境因子引起,空间因子解释能力为５５．６％,其中１１．４％ 是独立于环境因子的,４４．２％ 是环境因子和空间因子交互作用导致的,未能解释的部分达１７．９％,结合其他研究有力地证明了“环境因素对植被的可解释程度是植被本身的复杂性决定的,植被越复杂,环境的可解释程度则越低”。     

Monitoring Geomorphic and Traditional Post-Mine Reclamation using Digital Imagery: Vegetative Heterogeneity and Sampling Efficiency

Geomorphic reclamation creates variable topography and surface architecture, including rolling hillslopes and drainages. In contrast, traditional methods of reclamation result in landscapes susceptible to erosion due to steep, linear gradients. Geomorphic approaches to surface mine reclamation are relatively new, and hypotheses suggest the use of geomorphic principles in reclamation will improve vegetation outcomes relative to traditional methods. Topographic variability created by geomorphic reclamation likely results in more environmental heterogeneity, which should correlate with greater plant diversity. We examined revegetation outcomes of traditional and geomorphic reclamation on two reclaimed surface mines in Wyoming using nadir image sampling. Functional group diversity and measures of cover were compared between reclamation methods and undisturbed rangeland. Geomorphic reclamation supported greater total richness and greater native functional group richness relative to traditional reclamation. Native species cover on geomorphic reclamation, particularly for native perennial grasses, was either similar to undisturbed rangeland or greater than undisturbed rangeland and traditional reclamation. Reclamation shrub cover differed significantly from undisturbed sites, but was greater in geomorphic treatments. Results of nadir image analysis are compared to line-point intercept data from the same locations and outcomes are discussed in light of different reclamation techniques and sampling methods. Significant differences in cover categories were observed between nadir image and line-point intercept methods, however both methods revealed similar patterns between study sites.     

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.