Slope position regulates response of carbon and nitrogen stocks to cattle grazing on rough fescue grassland

Purpose

Grasslands play a crucial role in offsetting greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating climate change. A moderate change in grassland carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) stocks may substantially alter the global C and N cycle and thereby influence climate. But how grassland C and N stocks respond to grazing and slope position remains uncertain. This research investigates how C and N stocks respond to cattle grazing along a landscape slope.

Materials and methods

We studied a grassland that has been grazed by cattle at four cattle stocking rates (0, 1.2, 2.4, and 4.8 animal unit months (AUM) ha^?1) since 1949, representing control (CK), light (L), heavy (H), and very heavy (VH) grazing intensities, respectively. Samples were taken from the top and bottom slope positions within each paddock (only the top position in CK); C and N stocks in soil, roots, litter, and standing crop were estimated. Soil C and N stocks were estimated based on equivalent mass (1500 Mg ha^?1). Root C and N stocks were estimated to the depth of 15 cm.

Results and discussion

All parameters, except for litter N stock and standing crop C stock, significantly responded to the interaction of grazing intensity and slope position. In the bottom position, soil and standing crop C and N stocks as well as litter C stock were higher with the L treatment than with VH, while no significant differences were found among the three grazed treatments for root C and litter N stocks. In the top position, soil and root C and N stocks were higher with the VH treatment than with L, whereas litter C and N stocks and standing crop C stock were lower with VH than with L.

Conclusions

Our results provide evidence that slope position plays an important role in regulating the response of C and N stocks to grazing and may need to be considered when developing optimal grazing management strategies.

     

云贵高原岩溶地区生态气候类型区划

利用主成分分析和动态逐步聚类方法进行气候类型区划，较好地综合了多种气候，地理和生态因素，避免了只考虑了几个经验性气候要素作为区划指标的某些弊端，使区划结果更客观定量，更符合实际情况。     

Verte and Romaine lettuce varieties (Lactuca sativa) show differential responses to high NaCl concentrations

In this study, we report on the relationship between individual antioxidant carotenoids, phenolic fractions, and flavonoids and attenuating NaCl toxicity in two contrasting varieties of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L., var. Verte and Romaine), as a means of developing more precise targets for lettuce breeding. In seedling leaves, carotenoid levels increased under NaCl stress in Verte, but remained unchanged in Romaine. Chlorogenic acid (CGA), a soluble polyphenol abundantly present in leaves, was the only phenolic acid that accumulated significantly in both varieties and was predominant under salinity. Remarkably, CGA was more prominent in Verte than Romaine at moderate salinity levels (100 mM). Foliar flavonoid levels were also differentially increased in both seedling types grown under 100 mM NaCl, but dropped significantly in both varieties under 200 mM NaCl. Germination, which was overall more salt‐resistant in Romaine, was significantly increased under salt stress by application of low dosage (10^–6 to10^–5 M) of CGA to Verte, but not to Romaine. These results suggest that CGA is involved in modulating NaCl‐induced oxidative‐stress responses during seed germination in Verte.     

Nutrient Stress,Ecophysiological, and Metabolic Aspects of Olive Tree Cultivars

This research, aimed at evaluating stress on the olive tree, utilized cultivars ‘Meski’ and ‘Chetoui’ in regards to the removal of major elements such as nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), magnesium (Mg), and potassium (K). The experiment was conducted under greenhouse conditions in hydroponics culture. Measurements of leaf area showed a non-substantial and weak effect due to phosphorus, potassium, or magnesium deficiency compared to nitrogen. The growth analysis of dry matter showed an early depressive effect of nitrogen deficiency and a similar, but less important effect concerning phosphorus.

The induced nutritional stresses showed an important increase in stomata resistance, caused primarily by nitrogen or potassium deficiency, accompanied by a reduction of chlorophyll concentration, which resulted from the removal of phosphorus, magnesium, and mainly nitrogen supply. Remarkable starch synthesis and storage was also revealed following nitrogen deficiency, but it was very weak after the suppression of magnesium, which may provoke a weakening of growth and development of these plants.     

The effect of salinity on corn yield using the CERES-maize model

In most cases, when calculating soil water availability, only thewater content is considered. The effect of salinity on the wiltingpoint is neglected. The objective of this work is to use asimulation model (CERES-maize) in order to predict cornyields as a function of water salinity under severalenvironmental, agrotechnical, and plant characteristics. A modelis presented in which the wilting point is a function of the soilsalt content. At high salinity, the water content at wilting pointis higher than at low salinity, resulting in an insufficient amountof available water and, therefore, a reduced yield. The modelwas used to simulate several theoretical and experimentalsituations for forage corn and grain corn. Simulation resultsshowed that nitrogen fertilization increases the salinity thresholdvalue and the yield sensitivity (rate of yield reduction per unitof salinity). The also showed that forage corn is more sensitiveto salinity than grain corn. If the soil is not leached, a heaviersoil texture has a higher salinity threshold value. On the otherhand, if the soil is leached, the soil texture has no influence onthe salinity threshold value and the yield is less sensitive tosalinity in sandy soils. The determination coefficient (r²= 0.75) indicated that the results of the simulations were in goodagreement with the field data.     

Comparative Analysis of Metal Concentrations and Sediment Accumulation Rates in Two Virginian Reservoirs,USA: Lakes Moomaw and Pelham

Water, Air, &; Soil Pollution - Agricultural chemicals from nonpoint sources in groundwater are present in the major provinces of the High Plains aquifer in Nebraska. Nitrate and...     

覆盖作物翻压对华北平原春玉米产量和土壤养分的影响

冬季覆盖作物-春玉米种植模式是减缓华北平原冬小麦减少导致的耕地裸露及其环境影响的新型农业生产方式,但其翻压后对华北平原下一季春玉米生长季作物产量和土壤养分及微生物学性质的影响研究鲜见。本研究以华北平原冬闲田-玉米(WFM)为对照,设置毛叶苕子-玉米(VrM)、二月兰-玉米(OvM)以及冬油菜-玉米(BcM)3个覆盖作物处理,通过盆栽试验研究了冬季种植覆盖作物翻压对玉米生长季土壤理化性质、微生物量和玉米生长特性的影响。结果表明:(1)翻压覆盖作物显著提高了玉米产量以及作物养分吸收量。与WFM处理相比,OvM处理秸秆产量和籽粒产量提高幅度最大,分别为33.3%和35.5%(P0.05);BcM处理地上部氮、磷、钾和地下部磷素吸收量显著提高(P0.05),分别为30.7%、74.7%、57.6%和171.4%。(2)翻压覆盖作物能显著提高0～10和10～20 cm土层有机质、碱解氮、有效磷、速效钾、全氮和全钾含量(P0.05)。此外,翻压覆盖作物能显著降低玉米幼苗期土壤NH_4~+-N和NO_3~--N含量(P0.05),范围为0.50～3.52和21.40～33.13mg·kg~(-1)。(3)在玉米的不同生育期,覆盖作物翻压处理的SMBC、SMBN和SMBP均显著高于冬闲处理(P0.05)。综合翻压覆盖作物对华北平原玉米产量及土壤理化性质和微生物量含量的影响,华北平原冬油菜-玉米和二月兰-玉米轮作模式效果较好。