Integrating space and time: a case for phenological context in grazing studies and management

In water-limited landscapes, patterns in primary production are highly variable across space and time. Livestock grazing is a common agricultural practice worldwide and a concern is localized overuse of specific pasture resources that can exacerbate grass losses and soil erosion. On a research ranch in New Mexico with average annual rainfall of 217 mm, we demonstrate with a quantitative approach that annual seasons vary greatly and examine foraging patterns in Angus-Hereford (Bos taurus) cows. We define five seasonal stages based on MODIS NDVI: pre-greenup, greenup, peak green, drydown and dormant, and examine livestock movements in 2008. Daily distance traveled by cows was greater and foraging area expanded during periods with higher precipitation. A regression model including minimum NDVI, rainfall and their interaction explained 81% of the seasonal variation in distance traveled by cows (P<0.01). Cows explored about 81 ha·d⁻¹ while foraging, but tended to explore smaller areas as the pasture became greener (greenup and peak green stages). Cows foraged an average of 9.7 h daily and spent more time foraging with more concentrated search patterns as pastures became greener. Our findings suggest that phenological context can expand the capacity to compare and integrate findings, and facilitate meta-analyses of grazing studies conducted at different locations and times of year.     

Influence of harvest date on seed yield and quality in forage kochia

Forage kochia (Bassia prostrata) is used for rangeland reclamation and livestock and wildlife forage, but limited research has been conducted on its seed production. Therefore, this research evaluated the effect of harvest date on seed weight, germination, and seed yield of forage kochia subspecies virescens and grisea. Seed was harvested from individual plants for 3 years during October, November, and December. October harvest had the lightest 100-seed weights, with the November harvest slightly heavier than December, for most accessions. Cultivar Snowstorm and breeding line Sahsel, both subsp. grisea, had the greatest 100-seed weights in November, 155 and 143 mg, respectively, whereas, cv. Immigrant (subsp. virescens), the standard for forage kochia, ranked among the least for 100-seed weight. For most accessions, germination was lowest from the October harvest (11%–43%), with greater germination with November and December harvested seeds (43%–64%). Viable seed yields were greatest in November with the exception of two accessions, which peaked in October, indicating earlier maturity. Results indicate that forage kochia usually reaches optimum seed maturity by early November, after plants are exposed to freezing temperatures; however, earlier maturing accessions exist in both subspecies virescens and grisea.     

Divergent effects of defoliation intensity and frequency on tiller growth and production dynamics of Pascopyrum smithii and Hesperostipa comata

Rotational stocking theoretically enables regrazing of regrowth, but regrowth may be limited in xerophytic vegetation. We tested the hypothesis that regrowth would be slow and fixed in Hesperostipa comata (a caespitose, drought‐tolerant grass), while growth would be flexible in Pascopyrum smithii (a rhizomatous, less drought‐tolerant grass) under increasing defoliation and moisture, by assessing tiller growth rates, population dynamics and plant yield on marked plants in a Dry Mixed Grass prairie. Plots were clipped in late summer to simulate a deferred control, or intermittently during the growing season (May–August) at high intensity–low frequency (HILF), low intensity–high frequency (LIHF) or high intensity–high frequency and crossed with two water treatments (ambient and addition) in both a xeric upland and a mesic lowland. Growing season defoliation increased tiller growth rates of P. smithii in the upland, whereas HILF and LIHF reduced growth in the lowland. All defoliation regimes increased tiller growth for H. comata. Tiller populations of H. comata increased with frequent defoliation, while tiller populations of P. smithii decreased regardless of defoliation regime. Frequent defoliation, regardless of intensity, reduced yield relative to the deferred control for both grasses. While water addition consistently increased growth rates and reduced differences in tiller number among defoliation treatments, the regrowth of both grasses remained similar under varied defoliation with ambient moisture. High moisture conditions also promoted regrowth more in P. smithii compared to H. comata. In summary, neither grass species displayed an inherently fixed or flexible tiller or plant yield response in response to defoliation or moisture.     

土大黄对云南省滇西北高山草地生物多样性的影响

2009年9月,用点样（Point Quatfats）法调查了云南省滇西北贡山县迪麻村色娃龙巴高山牧场的4种不同土大黄覆盖率群落的空间垂直分布,并采用Shannon’s多样性指数（H）和均匀性指数（EH）对物种和群落多样性进行了分析。结果表明,云南省滇西北高山牧场有比较丰富的牧草资源,共25种;中等和中上等的土大黄覆盖率群落里具有最多的物种丰富度和最高的物种多样性指数,同时也具有高的物种均衡性;其次是高等的土大黄覆盖率群落;低等的土大黄覆盖率群落里则具有最低的物种丰富度和物种多样性指数。这些结果表明,土大黄对高山草地的生物多样性的影响并不明显,造成高山草地生物多样性变化的主要原因是家畜的放牧强度和频率。     

基于3S技术的甘南草地覆盖度动态变化研究

以像元二分法模型为基础,构建了基于改进归一化植被指数(NDVI)的植被覆盖度定量估算模型,并利用MODIS卫星遥感数据,基于3S技术(GIS,RS,GPS)空间分析功能,分级计算得到了甘南2002,2004,2006,2008年的草地植被覆盖度,分析了甘南2002-2008年植被覆盖度变化的空间动态演变过程和趋势。结果表明,2002-2008年,甘南植被覆盖度质量总体呈下降趋势,一级盖度植被的退化比较严重,草地植被的演变情况主要由优等植被覆盖(一、二级)向低等植被覆盖(四、五级)演变。研究结果揭示了甘南州草地退化状况日趋严重的事实,为相关研究和政府草地管理提供了有效依据。     

Spatial occupancy patterns and activity of arid rangeland cattle grazing small riparian pastures

The spatial occupancy patterns and activity of cattle grazing three riparian pastures was investigated in northeastern Oregon using Global Positioning System (GPS) collars logging at 1‐sec intervals. Cattle consistently selected plant communities as grazing areas that had forage in sufficient volume to meet their requirements and favored communities as resting areas that were dry and open. Cattle were stationary for more than 50% of the time in each pasture and consistently rested between dark and 04:00 hours. Interaction with stream channels was found to be 1‐2% of total occupancy time and occurred on less than 10% of channel length. Cattle were indifferent or avoided channel areas relative to their area and, when in this zone, they spent most of their time moving not resting. Cattle did not prefer the stream bank zone and spent only 2% of their time in that zone. When occupied, the stream bank zone was used as a travel corridor to gain access to water or cross the channel to access other pasture areas. These results are in contrast with the general belief that cattle are a primary occupant of the stream bank/channel area; additional research is needed to define factors influencing cattle occupancy.     

土大黄的分布与云南省滇西北高山草地植物物种多样性的关系

2009年9月,用点样法调查了云南省滇西北贡山县迪麻村色娃龙巴高山牧场的4种不同土大黄(Rumexnepalensis)覆盖率群落的空间垂直分布,并采用Shannon’s多样性指数(H)和平均数(EH)对物种和群落多样性进行了分析。结果表明,调查的草地群落里共有25种牧草资源;土大黄覆盖率与毛囊苔草(Carexinanis)和银叶委陵菜(Potentillaleuconota)覆盖率呈负相关,与拉拉藤(Galiumaparine var.echino-spermu)和中华水芹(Oenanthe sinense)覆盖率呈正相关(P0.05);中等和中上等的土大黄覆盖率群落里具有最高的物种丰富度(19、17)、物种多样性指数(2.40、2.32)和物种均衡性(0.82、0.82),其次是高等的土大黄覆盖率群落,低等的土大黄覆盖率群落里则具有最低的物种丰富度(15)和物种多样性指数(1.98)。然而,低等的土大黄覆盖率群落里具有最高的总物种密度(15.65)。这些结果表明,土大黄对高山草地植物物种多样性的影响并不明显,造成物种多样性变化的主要原因是家畜的放牧强度和频率。     

三江源草原生态系统生态服务价值的能值评价

三江源地区处于青藏高原腹地,考虑三江源地区草地生态系统的特殊性、复杂性、敏感性,及其所蕴含的巨大的生态服务价值,全面的评价该地区的生态服务价值对于维护该地区生态环境健康和未来该地区经济社会的可持续发展具有重要意义。本研究以草地综合顺序分类法为理论基础,以能值分析法为主要计算方法,选择合适的6项评估指标,对2001-2010年三江源区草原生态系统生态服务价值进行逐项评估。研究结果表明,在过去的10年中,三江源区草原生态系统生态服务价值总量从1375亿元/年上升到1780亿元/年,年际变化较大;从趋势上,以2006年为分界点,2006年后的年份,其生态服务价值总量基本保持上升趋势,且普遍高于2006年前的年份。对不同草原类型进行生态服务价值评价可以看出,多雨冻原高山草甸类生态服务价值占全部草原类型生态服务价值的比例最大,10年中皆超过99.5%,这主要与该草地类型所占的面积比例有关;各类型草地生态服务价值占总价值的比例年际变化不大;在6项指标中,释放O₂与固定CO₂的价值所占总价值比例最大,两者之和约占全部价值量的90%,而直接的草产量价值仅占全部价值量的1%左右,远远低于其他生态服务项目的价值。     

A MULTIDISCIPLINARY MODEL FOR ASSESSING DEGRADATION IN MEDITERRANEAN RANGELANDS

This paper presents an annual multidisciplinary, non‐spatial model which formalizes the relationships linking the dynamics of shrubs, herbs, soil, livestock and farmers' behaviour with possible exogenous drivers of degradation, such as weather and prices. The model does not represent a pasture–livestock system but a shrub–soil one and is applied to a rangeland in Lagadas County (Northern Greece). A sensitivity analysis of the model is also presented. It shows that livestock, in general, and factors increasing farmers' profits, in particular, are currently helping to combat shrub invasion in Lagadas while having low impacts on erosion rates. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

草地对全球气候变化的响应及其碳汇潜势研究

 本研究用综合顺序分类法（ＣＳＣＳ）分析了１９５０－２０００年和２００１－２０５０年期间的草原类型演替及碳汇动态。证明中国草地的碳汇主体依次是冻原和高山草地、温带湿润草地、斯泰普草地和半荒漠草地大类,占中国潜在草地总面积的８５．５２％,年碳汇潜力占中国潜在草地年碳汇潜力的９３．２９％。全球草地的碳汇主体是萨王纳、冻原和高山草地大类,两者的面积和占全球潜在草地总面积的４８．５０％,年碳汇潜力占全球潜在草地年碳汇潜力的７２．２２％。在全球气候暖干化的强（Ａ２ａ）、弱（Ｂ２ａ）情景下,与当前（１９５０－２０００年）情景相比,中国将呈现草地面积减少,林地面积增加的态势;与中国的趋势相反,全球将呈现草地面积增加,林地面积减少的态势。在全球暖干化的Ａ２ａ和Ｂ２ａ模式下,草地年碳汇潜力,中国将分别提升１４．６％和１８．５％,全球将分别提升１７．３％ 和１６．８％。但两者的增长方式不同,全球是以温带湿润草地大类年碳汇潜力大幅增加为特征,而中国是以负增长为特征。我国的暖干化趋势在草地年碳汇潜力上的反映较之全球更强烈。尽管造成全球气候暖干化的自然因素远非人力所能控制,但系统问题只能靠系统综合的办法治理。这是草地工作者当前的使命。