Human use of the sand dune ecosystem in the semiarid zone of the Rajasthan Desert,India

Sand dunes form one of the most fragile terrestrial ecosystems. in Rajasthan they have a diverse vegetation and are often utilized by considerable human and livestock populations. a thorough knowledge of the resource utilization by the human and animal populations is essential if the future potential of the ecosystem and its physical stability under changing environmental conditions are to be accurately assessed. This study examines the socio-economic aspect of land degradation at four sites in Churu and Jhunjhunu districts, northwest Rajasthan. an attempt is made to assess the socioeconomic factors leading to land degradation. Data on human use of the Rajasthan (Thar) Desert semiarid ecosystem were collected through individual interviews, group discussions and field measurements. the present exploitation of soil and vegetation resources, possible future biomass deficiency, its impact on sustainable development and role in land degradation are examined. The average number of people in each household in the study area, and the number of livestock each household maintains are too high to allow a satisfactory income to be sustained. the annual income of 50-90 per cent of households was less than 10 000 rupees ($US 1 = 17 rupees in 1987). Sale and consumption of milk, wool, surplus animals and wood provide livelihood, supplemented with income from wage labour. Rain-fed marginal land cultivation produces poor yields and the per capita production is too low to justify the huge soil erosion losses occurring. the number of goats, sheep and cattle owned by the inhabitants has increased tremendously in recent years. Stocking rates vary from 1.63 to 12.08 animals per hectare. the grazing pressure during the dry season, when forage availability decreases, reaches 34.9 animals per hectare. as a result of overgrazing, The land productivity has decreased considerably. the annual fodder deficit values in the study area are enormous. Demand for fuelwood at all the study sites is increasing, yet available forests have already largely been cut down. the distance travelled to collect fuelwood has been increasing, whereas the amount and quality of fuelwood is decreasing. Use of cattle dung to supplement fuelwood during the summer dry season and in drought periods has been decreasing due to low fodder availability and high livestock mortality. Human numbers are increasing, and livestock numbers are also multiplying (except in drought periods) and consequently the available resources are decreasing. Soil erosion and desertification will continue to increase during the next decade unless effective counter measures are undertaken.     

放牧对羊草草原土壤氮素循环的影响

研究了放牧对内蒙古羊草草原土壤中N素分解细菌以及固N作用、氨化作用和硝化作用的影响,结果表明,轻度放牧使土壤中4类N素转化细菌的数量显著增加,也显著加强了土壤中的固N作用、氨化作用和硝化作用。促进了土壤中的N素循环;随放牧强度的增加,重度放牧则导致草原土壤中4类N素转化细菌数量均显著降低。显著抑制土壤中的固N作用和氨化作用,会阻碍土壤中的N循环的进程。放牧强度对N素转化细菌以及N循环中的固N作用、氨化作用和硝化作用的季节性变化规律无明显影响。     

放牧强度对江河源区垂穗披碱草(Elymus natans)/星星草(Puccinellia tenuflora)混播草地群落和高原鼠兔(Ochotona curzoniae)的影响

在江河源区披碱草（Elymus natans）／星星草（Puccinellia tenuflora）混播人工草地上进行了两个放牧季（2003年6月29日～9月20日和2004年6月29日～9月20日）的牦牛放牧试验,研究了放牧强度对混播草地群落特征和高原鼠兔（Ochotona curzoniae）种群密度的影响。结果表明：在两个放牧季内,随着放牧强度的提高,草地群落的盖度、地上现存量和优势种植物（披碱草和星星草）的株高降低,且放牧强度与其呈极显著负相关关系;对照处理组群落的物种多样性指数、丰富度指数和均匀度指数最低,中度放牧组最高,该结果支持“中度干扰理论”。随着放牧强度的提高,高原鼠兔的种群密度增加,且放牧强度与其呈极显著的正相关关系;不同放牧强度下群落的物种多样性指数、丰富度指数和均匀度指数与高原鼠兔的种群密度之间存在着一定的相关关系。     

肉牛2号对放牧条件下西杂牛的增重效果

本文研究了放牧条件下使用肉牛生长促进剂的效果，通过为期６０天的试验，喂添加剂组和不喂添加剂组的增重分别为２５ｋｇ、１７．８ｋｇ，试验组平均比对照组提高７．２ｋｇ（Ｐ〈０．０１）。试验还表明：在低日粮水平下，添加该加剂具有显著的增重效果，试验组头均收益较对照组高３６元，投入产出比为１：３，经济效益十分显著，具有推广应用价值。     

土壤有效养分和微生物特征对短期不同放牧强度的响应

为了探究放牧持续时间和强度对草地的可利用养分和微生物特征的影响。本研究于2016年8月在山西省右玉县境内的农牧交错带草地设置了不放牧(0羊单位·hm^-2·生长季^-1)、轻度(2.35羊单位·hm^-2·生长季^-1)、中度(4.80羊单位·hm^-2·生长季^-1)和重度(7.85羊单位·hm^-2·生长季^-1)4个放牧强度的试验。在连续4个生长季放牧处理后，于2020年的5—9月测定表层0~10 cm的土壤可溶性有机碳(Dissolved organic carbon,DOC)、可溶性氮(Dissolved nitrogen,DN)、微生物生物量碳(Microbial biomass carbon,MBC)、微生物生物量氮(Microbial biomass nitrogen,MBN)及细菌和真菌的丰度。结果表明：4年不同强度的放牧处理对土壤可利用养分和微生物特征都没有产生显著影响，但是土壤有效养分与土壤微生物特征受生长季降水和温度的影响显著(P<0.05)，具有明显的季节动态，说明短期不同的放牧强度尚未对农牧交错带天然草地养分循环产生显著影响，需要继续进行长期试验监测来观察放牧对草地生态系统结构与功能的影响。     

放牧强度对半干旱草地优势植物赖草功能性状的影响

放牧是草原生态系统中草地利用的主要方式，研究草地植物功能性状对长期放牧干扰的响应策略具有重要意义。本文以晋北农牧交错带半干旱草地为例，研究优势植物赖草(Leymus secalinus)功能性状在不同放牧强度下的变化，结果表明：放牧显著降低了赖草株高等形态结构性状以及茎叶比等生产力性状(P<0.05)，中度放牧与不放牧的差异最小；整株干重(地上部分)的变异系数(52.92%)和可塑性指数(93.17%)最大；生产力性状、光合生理性状和化学计量3类性状内部指标之间的相关性均为极显著正相关(P<0.01)；茎氮磷比等性状是赖草响应放牧干扰的主要功能性状。本研究表明，中度放牧下，赖草具有补偿性生长的能力，矮化型变特征和非对称性响应机制是赖草在放牧干扰下的主要适应方式。