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Valkó, Orsolya, Rocco Labadessa, Salza Palpurina, Sabina Burrascano, Atushi Ushimaru, and Stephen Venn. "Conservation and diversity of Palaearctic grasslands – Editorial to the 5th EDGG special issue in Hacquetia." Hacquetia 18, no. 2 (December 1, 2019): 143–46. http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/hacq-2019-0011.
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Abstract Palaearctic grasslands are diverse and dynamic ecosystems that are in the focus of ecology, conservation biology and agronomy. This special issue is dedicated to the biodiversity and conservation issues of Palaearctic grasslands and was initiated by the Eurasian Dry Grassland Group members attending the 14th Eurasian Dry Grassland Conference (EDGC) at Sulmona, Italy in 2018. The papers in this special issue cover a wide range of grassland ecosystems from mountain dry grasslands to lowland loess grasslands, feathergrass steppes and wet grasslands, and focus on the biodiversity values and conservation issues of Palaearctic grasslands. We believe that this compilation will contribute to a better understanding of the ecology of grasslands and support their more effective conservation.
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Guo, Zheng Gang, Tian Gang Liang, Xing Yuan Liu, and Fu Jun Niu. "A new approach to grassland management for the arid Aletai region in Northern China." Rangeland Journal 28, no. 2 (2006): 97. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj05018.
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Land degradation in the arid Aletai Region in northern China is not only detrimental to animal production, but also reduces the ability to conserve water resources by destabilising the catchments of rivers which affects runoff, thus, threatening the sustainable use of these grasslands. A new approach to grassland management based on carrying capacity and ecological services value of grassland types, using an index of classification management (ICG), was designed to ensure the sustainability of grassland ecosystems. In this approach, grassland is classified into 3 management sectors. The first is conservation grassland, which is mainly devoted to ecological and social values; the second is the moderately productive grassland, dedicated to multiple benefits by rational use; and the third is intensively productive grassland, focusing on maximum economic effect. For the arid Aletai region, no intensively productive grassland was available. Conservation grassland occupied 2.5 million ha, accounted for 25.4% of grassland area, and included alpine meadow, mountain meadow, mountain meadow steppe, mountain steppe and flat meadow. In these grasslands, grazing should be eliminated to allow restoration of degenerated areas, protect grasslands with important ecological values from destruction, and to further improve the environment. Moderately productive grassland covered 7.3 million ha, and the grassland types were alpine steppe, mountain desert steppe, plain desert steppe, steppe desert, and plain desert. Agricultural measures, such as fertiliser and irrigation application, should be used to enhance the productivity of these grasslands.
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Valkó, Orsolya, Rocco Labadessa, and Stephen Venn. "Conservation, restoration and biodiversity of Palaearctic grasslands – Editorial to the 6th EDGG special issue in Hacquetia." Hacquetia 20, no. 1 (March 1, 2021): 167–70. http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/hacq-2021-0008.
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Abstract This special issue is a collection of articles about the conservation, restoration and biodiversity of Palaearctic grasslands and was initiated by the Eurasian Dry Grassland Group at the 15th Eurasian Dry Grassland Conference (EDGC), held at Graz, Austria in 2019. The papers in this special issue cover a range of grassland habitats from montane dry grasslands to lowland sandy grasslands, feathergrass steppes and meadow steppes, and focus on the biodiversity values, conservation issues and restoration prospects of Palaearctic grasslands. We hope that the articles in this special issue will contribute to a better understanding of the ecology of grasslands and support their more effective conservation.
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Cordova, Carlos. "Grasslands and Grassland Ecology by Gibson, David J." Journal of Vegetation Science 20, no. 6 (December 2009): 1191. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1654-1103.2009.01112.x.
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Fensham, RJ. "Native Grasslands of the Central Highlands, Queensland, Australia. Floristics, Regional Context and Conservation." Rangeland Journal 21, no. 1 (1999): 82. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj9990082.
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A floristic classification of grassland and related woodland vegetation from the Central Highlands of Queensland suggests four broad types: Mountain coolibah (Eucalyptus orgadophila) woodland on basalt, Mitchell grassland (dominated by Astrebla lappacea) on alluvia and two closely related groups dominated by Dichanthium sericeum, Blue grassland on basalt and Blue grassland on sediment. An analysis including floristic data from grassland and woodland on vertosols from throughout southern, central and western Queensland revealed that the Blue grasslands of the Central Highlands are highly dissimilar from other grasslands in Queensland. Mountain coolibah woodland on basalt is represented within four reserves, but the other more arable grassland types are either not represented or only barely represented within the reserve system. The most immediate threatening process to these communities is conversion to crops and this process is exacerbated by the difficulties of managing the grasslands as native pasture. Large areas of grasslands are degraded, having been converted from dominance by native perennial grasses to the unpalatable, annual, exotic herb Partheniunz hysterophorus. Once this shift has occurred a long period with little or no production benefits is required to recover a sward of native perennial grasses and the cropping alternative becomes particularly favourable. The long-term security of the native grasslands of the Central Highlands will require an enhanced reserve system and incentives designed to retain appropriately managed native pasture. Key words: grassland, grazing, reserves, woodland. Queensland, exotics, Parthenium
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Manlike, Asiya, Rukeya Sawut, Fengling Zheng, Xuesen Li, and Rena Abudukelimu. "Monitoring and analysing grassland ecosystem service values in response to grassland area changes – an example from northwest China." Rangeland Journal 42, no. 3 (2020): 179. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj20014.
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Using remote sensing technology, this study evaluates changes in mountain grassland ecosystem service values (ESVs) and the factors driving them. Degraded grasslands in Urumqi city, northwest China, reached 1.22×105 ha in 2000. However, the grassland degradation rate decreased by 387ha annually from 2000 to 2015. Total grassland ESVs decreased unpredictably with an annual reduction of USD$1.64×107. Ecological losses were mainly caused by degradation of mountain desert grassland, mountain desert steppe-type rangeland, and mountain meadow and mountain steppe-type rangeland. Among individual ESVs, grasslands contributed more to regulating and supporting services, while grassland provisioning and cultural services were relatively low, comprising 0. 7 and 0.5% of the total ESV respectively. The mean Moran’s I value was 0.869 for grassland ESVs (from 1994 to 2015), and exhibited high spatial autocorrelation. A driving factor analysis indicated that grassland degradation is continuing as a consequence of meteorological factors and overgrazing. Controlling grazing intensity has a positive impact on growth of grassland ESVs.
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Zhou, Huakun, Xiaoyuan Yang, Chenyu Zhou, Xinqing Shao, Zhengchen Shi, Honglin Li, Hongye Su, et al. "Alpine Grassland Degradation and Its Restoration in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau." Grasses 2, no. 1 (March 3, 2023): 31–46. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/grasses2010004.
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The alpine grasslands of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau are one of the most famous grazing ecosystems in the world, providing a variety of ecosystem functions and services. The rate of grassland degradation has been slowed by the implementation of national grassland restoration projects, but the degradation of grasslands on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau has not yet been fundamentally reversed, and some grasslands are still degraded to varying degrees. The main causes of grassland degradation on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau are both human and natural factors. Human factors include overgrazing, over-cultivation, indiscriminate digging and mining, mineral resource development, infrastructure construction and use, and tourism development. Natural factors include climate change, wildlife destruction, pests, etc. Based on the principles of restoration ecology, a number of effective practices and integrated management responses for restoring degraded grasslands have been developed on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. The degraded grassland restoration practices include fencing, fertilization, sown grassland establishment, rodent control, and grazing management. Based on these practices, the comprehensive restoration of degraded grasslands and the establishment and sustainable management of sown grasslands in the alpine grasslands of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau should be further strengthened, and research on the mechanisms of grassland degradation and restoration should be further developed.
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Wang, Bei, Xin Li, Gaofeng Zhu, Chunlin Huang, Chunfeng Ma, Meibao Tan, and Juntao Zhong. "Evaluating the Impact of Dynamic Changes in Grasslands on the Critical Ecosystem Service Value of Yanchi County in China from 2000 to 2015." Sustainability 14, no. 19 (September 20, 2022): 11762. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su141911762.
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Grasslands are the basis for sustainable development in the northern farming-pastoral transition zone of China, with functions of human production, living, and ecology. Large-scale human activities inevitably lead to significant changes in grasslands, resulting in significant impacts on ecosystem services. To this end, we quantitatively estimated the ecosystem services value in each positive succession process (the improvement in the coverage or area of grasslands) and negative succession process (the degradation in the coverage or area of grasslands). The results indicated that (1) grasslands showed an improving trend from 2000 to 2015. The grassland improvement from low to high coverage dominated the positive succession process. Grassland degradation from high to low coverage dominated the negative succession process. (2) The total ecosystem services value increased by 25,294.87 × 104 yuan from 2000 to 2015. The grassland improvement from low to high coverage was the most important process that led to the increase in ecosystem service value. The degradation between grasslands and non-grasslands was the key process that led to the decrement in ecosystem services value. (3) The impact of grassland dynamics on the regional ecosystem service value showed significant spatial heterogeneity at the town scale. The results will provide some implications for the sustainable development of grassland ecosystem services to improve human well-being.
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Reinermann, Sophie, Sarah Asam, and Claudia Kuenzer. "Remote Sensing of Grassland Production and Management—A Review." Remote Sensing 12, no. 12 (June 17, 2020): 1949. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/rs12121949.
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Grasslands cover one third of the earth’s terrestrial surface and are mainly used for livestock production. The usage type, use intensity and condition of grasslands are often unclear. Remote sensing enables the analysis of grassland production and management on large spatial scales and with high temporal resolution. Despite growing numbers of studies in the field, remote sensing applications in grassland biomes are underrepresented in literature and less streamlined compared to other vegetation types. By reviewing articles within research on satellite-based remote sensing of grassland production traits and management, we describe and evaluate methods and results and reveal spatial and temporal patterns of existing work. In addition, we highlight research gaps and suggest research opportunities. The focus is on managed grasslands and pastures and special emphasize is given to the assessment of studies on grazing intensity and mowing detection based on earth observation data. Grazing and mowing highly influence the production and ecology of grassland and are major grassland management types. In total, 253 research articles were reviewed. The majority of these studies focused on grassland production traits and only 80 articles were about grassland management and use intensity. While the remote sensing-based analysis of grassland production heavily relied on empirical relationships between ground-truth and satellite data or radiation transfer models, the used methods to detect and investigate grassland management differed. In addition, this review identified that studies on grassland production traits with satellite data often lacked including spatial management information into the analyses. Studies focusing on grassland management and use intensity mostly investigated rather small study areas with homogeneous intensity levels among the grassland parcels. Combining grassland production estimations with management information, while accounting for the variability among grasslands, is recommended to facilitate the development of large-scale continuous monitoring and remote sensing grassland products, which have been rare thus far.
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Valkó, Orsolya, Michal Zmihorski, Idoia Biurrun, Jacqueline Loos, Rocco Labadessa, and Stephen Venn. "Ecology and Conservation of Steppes and Semi-Natural Grasslands." Hacquetia 15, no. 2 (December 1, 2016): 5–14. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/hacq-2016-0021.
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Abstract Palaearctic grasslands encompass a diverse variety of habitats, many of high nature value and vulnerability. The main challenges are climate-change, land-use change, agricultural intensification and abandonment. Many measures are in place to address these challenges, through restoration and appropriate management, though more work is necessary. We present eight studies from China/Germany, Greece, Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine. The papers cover a wide range of grassland and steppe habitats and cover vegetation ecology, syntaxonomy and zoology. We also conducted a systematic search on steppe and grassland diversity. The greatest number of studies was from China, followed by Germany and England. We conclude that the amount of research being carried out on Eurasian grasslands is inadequate considering their high levels of biodiversity and vulnerability. We hope to encourage readers to address current major challenges, such as how to manage grasslands for the benefit of diverse taxa, to ensure that conservation initiatives concentrate on sites where there is good potential for success and for the generation of realistic and viable conservation strategies.
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McGufficke, B. "Native grassland management: a botanical study of two native grassland management options on a commercial cattle property." Rangeland Journal 25, no. 1 (2003): 37. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj03004.
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Variations in the botanical composition of two native grasslands, each managed differently, were investigated on a commercial cattle property in northern NSW. One grassland had not been fertilised, whilst fertiliser and subterranean clover had been applied by aerial application to the other grassland. Soils in both treatments had the same Bray 1 phosphorus level when the study was conducted. The fertilised grassland was stocked at triple the rate of the other grassland. Although more native species were recorded in the fertilised grassland many species had a lower frequency than in the unfertilised grassland; and introduced species tended to have a higher frequency in the fertilised grassland. ground cover was significantly higher in the fertilised grassland in spite of the greatly increased stocking rate.
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Lin, Huilong, Yuting Zhao, and Ghulam Mujtaba Kalhoro. "Ecological Response of the Subsidy and Incentive System for Grassland Conservation in China." Land 11, no. 3 (February 28, 2022): 358. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/land11030358.
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The overexploitation of Grasslands without any return-back and compensation is the major cause of degradation and deterioration of the grassland ecosystem. The Subsidy and Incentive System for Grassland Conservation (SISGC) in China aimed to restore grassland ecology by the reduction of overgrazing, promoting carrying capacity, and increasing alternative employment of herders in non-husbandry sectors. However, the ecological response to the SISGC still remains unclear on the national scale. Here, we used systematic sampling, and satellite image time series data revealed a widespread proliferation of major ecological indicators for grasslands, contrasting climate and actual net primary productivity (NPP) before (2004–2010) and after (2011–2017) the implementation of SISGC founded the contributions to policy, as simulated by the Carnegie-Ames-Stanford-Approach (CASA) model. On average, by two-phase comparison, the actual grassland NPP increased by 11.72%. The contribution of policy implementation and climate factors increased grassland NPP by up to 61.14% and 38.86%, respectively, but the response of the NPP growth of various grassland types exhibited divergence, mainly divided into policy-led (contribution rate of 52.28–97.02%) and climate-led (contribution rate of 57.56–96.00%). Hence, the SISGC policies should be renewed for different grassland types.
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Rong, Hao, Dan Shan, and Jian Ying Guo. "Analysis Threshold Value of Ecological Water Require-Ment for Vegetation Restoration on Northern Grassland." Applied Mechanics and Materials 212-213 (October 2012): 549–53. http://dx.doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/amm.212-213.549.
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Starting from strengthening ecological construction and management of pastoral areas of grassland, aiming at current ecological water demand of natural grassland under the condition of lacking irrigation and agriculture and forestry measures, this paper has studied the quantitative relation between natural grassland’s water demand and rainfall, soil water, grassland vegetation coverage and biomass with various types of grassland in Inner Mongolia as targets and through surveys, experiments and other scientific approaches. Then, it has established calculation methods of natural grassland with utilizable amounts of soil water and average ecological water consumption of grassland as basic parameters to determine to reach a certain level of ecology, water demand threshold range of natural grassland for maintaining ecological balance and achieving expectant function and provide technological support for strengthening water and soil conservation of pastoral areas of grassland and recovering and improving ecological environment of grassland.
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van Oudtshoorn, Frits. "Grasses and Grassland Ecology." African Journal of Range & Forage Science 27, no. 1 (April 2010): 63–64. http://dx.doi.org/10.2989/10220111003703542.
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Hopkins, Alan. "Grasses and grassland ecology." Grass and Forage Science 64, no. 3 (September 2009): 339. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2494.2009.00699.x.
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Sugden, A. M. "ECOLOGY: Forecasting Grassland Production." Science 295, no. 5558 (February 15, 2002): 1195c—1195. http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.295.5558.1195c.
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Wilson, Scott. "Grasses and grassland ecology." Annals of Botany 104, no. 6 (October 1, 2009): ix. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcp219.
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Vannoppen, Astrid, Jeroen Degerickx, Niels Souverijns, and Anne Gobin. "Spatio-Temporal Dynamics in Grasslands Using the Landsat Archive." Land 12, no. 4 (April 21, 2023): 934. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/land12040934.
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Grasslands are an important biotope in Europe, not only because they are widespread, but also because they provide valuable ecosystem services. The ecological value of a grassland parcel is directly proportional to the number of uninterrupted years of grassland cover. However, the area of long-term grassland (i.e., grassland of 5 years or older) is decreasing, limiting its ability to provide ecosystem services. To prevent the further disappearance of long-term grasslands, Europe developed an agricultural policy instrument in 2003 to protect grasslands of 5 years or older. Nature policy instruments aim to protect grasslands that have existed for more than 10 years to support their high environmental value. However, there is currently no multi-annual information on the location and age of grasslands at a high spatial and temporal resolution, which makes it difficult to assess the effectiveness of the current grassland protection regulations. Multi-annual satellite-based land cover classification can provide a solution for grassland area and age monitoring, which we tested by producing a series of Landsat-based land cover classification maps from 2005 to 2019 for the region of Flanders, Belgium. Historical land cover classification maps proved useful for evaluating past and present planning and policy to ensure grassland conservation, linking spatial and temporal changes in the area of long-term grasslands with policy changes and landscape dynamics. We were able to locate grasslands that were grassland between 2005 and 2014 but were converted to arable land between 2015 and 2019, identify the year in which these grasslands were converted to arable land, and demonstrate regional differences in the conservation of long-term grassland aged 5–9 years and 10 years or more. Long-term grassland aged 10 years or more disappeared faster in urban than in rural areas in Flanders between 2014 and 2019. Our study shows that multi-annual high-resolution satellite imagery provides objective and quantitative information on long-term grassland to support climate, agricultural, environmental, and nature policies.
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Rosengren, Frida, Nils Cronberg, Triin Reitalu, and Honor C. Prentice. "Genetic variation in the moss Homalothecium lutescens in relation to habitat age and structure." Botany 91, no. 7 (July 2013): 431–41. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjb-2012-0258.
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Relationships between genetic (allozyme) variation and landscape age and structure were investigated in 17 calcareous grassland demes of the moss Homalothecium lutescens (Hedw.) H. Rob. on the Baltic island of Öland. Mean within-deme gene diversity (HS = 0.152) was moderate compared with other bryophyte studies, and the between-deme proportion of the total diversity (GST = 0.100, Jost's D = 0.011) was low but significantly different from zero. Clonal mixing, measured as the proportion of two adjacent shoots having different haplotypes, was relatively high (mean 0.32 over all demes). HS was higher in old grassland fragments, but negatively related to vascular plant species richness. Allelic richness (A) was positively associated with the area of old (≥ 280 years) grassland in the surroundings: although demes in old grasslands are genetically more variable than those in younger grasslands, proximity to large areas of old grassland may promote genetic variability even in younger grassland demes. The importance of management continuity for species diversity has been stressed in many earlier grassland studies. Here, we conclude that grassland fragments with a long history of grazing continuity are also positively associated with variability at within-species level, as exemplified by the bryophyte H. lutescens.
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Locklear, James H. "Endemic plants of the central grassland of North America: distribution, ecology, and conservation status." Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas 11, no. 1 (July 24, 2017): 193–234. http://dx.doi.org/10.17348/jbrit.v11.i1.1172.
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This paper enumerates the endemic plants of the Central Grassland of North America. The Central Grassland encompasses the full extent of the tallgrass, mixed-grass, and shortgrass prairie ecological systems of North America plus floristically related plant communities that adjoin and/or interdigitate with the midcontinental grasslands including savanna-open woodland systems, shrub-steppe, and rock outcrop communities. There are 382 plant taxa endemic to the Central Grassland, 300 endemic species (eight of which have multiple subspecific taxa endemic to the region) and 72 endemic subspecies/varieties of more widely distributed species. Nine regional concentrations of endemic taxa were identified and are described as centers of endemism for the Central Grassland: Arkansas Valley Barrens, Edwards Plateau, Llano Estacado Escarpments, Llano Uplift, Mescalero-Monahans Dunes, Niobrara-Platte Tablelands, Raton Tablelands, Red Bed Plains, and Reverchon Rocklands. In addition to hosting localized endemics, these areas are typically enriched with more widely-distributed Central Grassland endemics as well as peripheral or disjunct occurrences of locally-rare taxa, making them regions of high floristic diversity for the Central Grassland. Most of the endemics (299 or 78%) are habitat specialists, associated with rock outcrop, sand, hydric, or riparian habitats. There is a strong correlation between geology and endemism in the Central Grassland, with 59% of the endemics (225 taxa) associated with rock outcrop habitat. Of the 382 Central Grassland endemics, 124 or 33% are of conservation concern (NatureServe ranking of G1/T1 to G3/T3). Of these at-risk taxa, 78 or 63% are primarily associated with one of the centers of endemism identified in the study. It is hoped these findings will be useful in focusing conservation action on the habitats, ecological associations, and regions of the Central Grassland that host the highest concentrations of unique and at-risk plant species and associated biological diversity.
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Hussain, Raja Imran, Daniela Ablinger, Walter Starz, Jürgen Kurt Friedel, and Thomas Frank. "Is the Abandonment of Organic Grassland a Threat to Alpine Insect Diversity?" Land 12, no. 4 (April 11, 2023): 867. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/land12040867.
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Land abandonment is a multifaceted, nonlinear, worldwide phenomenon that is influenced by a variety of factors and opinions. The goal of this study was to understand the significance of land abandonment for true bugs and syrphids in three grassland management regimes that includes abandoned, intensive, and extensive alpine organic grasslands. In 2021 and 2022, we sampled true bugs and syrphids by applying observation plot and sweep netting sampling methods. Extensive grasslands had significantly higher true bug and syrphid abundance compared to abandoned grasslands. However, no difference of species richness was found in studied grassland regimes. Large numbers of unique species (25.5% true bugs and 21.5% syrphids) only occurred in the abandoned grasslands but not in intensive and extensive grasslands. Similarly, true bug assemblages in abandoned grasslands differed significantly from assemblages in intensive and extensive grasslands. We found that extensive grassland can manage to increase true bugs and syrphid abundance. Likewise, undisturbed abandoned grassland is not a threat to insect diversity, and supports the survival of more unique true bug and syrphid species. A mosaic landscape consisting of abandoned grassland along with grassland having different, mainly extensive, management intensity could be an ideal arrangement for alpine biodiversity conservation.
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Bean, J. M., and R. D. B. Whalley. "Native grasslands on non-arable slopes of the Garrawillie Creek sub-catchment, Western Liverpool Plains, New South Wales." Rangeland Journal 23, no. 2 (2001): 119. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj01001.
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NSW Government vegetation legislation over the past five years has highlighted the need for a deeper understanding of native grasslands in NSW. The present study looked at such native grasslands on non-arable slopes in the Garrawillie Creek sub-catchment at the western margin of the Liverpool Plains. Sixteen sampling sites were selected on two contrasting rock types and aspects. Species composition and frequency scores were determined at each site using eight concentric nested subquadrats. Cluster analysis revealed seven grassland associations, each designated by a distinctive native grass species. Associated prominent grass species and forbs with 100% fidelity were listed for each grassland association. Within any one association there was a range in condition of the grassland, measured according to the number of perennials + natives relative to the number of annuals + exotics at any individual site. The seven grassland associations were interpreted as states in a state and transition model, in which rock type, aspect and possibly microtopography were important factors determining the states. With some but not all states, management overrode the underlying factors such that transitions occurred across rock type and aspect boundaries. The Sporobulus creber and Eriochloa pseudoacrotricha grasslands were restricted to lighter textured soils on scree slopes of the phonolite lava domes. On the heavy textured soils of the basaltic rocks of the Garrawilla Volcanics, the Bothriochloa spp. grassland maintained a characteristic high level of perennials, even where located within a few metres of land cultivated for at least 30 years. In contrast the Austrostipa aristiglumis grassland, found at lower altitudes on heavy textured soils, displayed low inertia and stability with natives:exotics and perennials:annuals ratios, at the site sampled, close to 1:1. The Eriochloa pseudoacrotricha and Aristida ramosa grasslands were limited to NW slopes.
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Liu, Yun-Hua, Jun-Hui Cheng, Bernhard Schmid, Li-Song Tang, and Jian-Dong Sheng. "Woody plant encroachment may decrease plant carbon storage in grasslands under future drier conditions." Journal of Plant Ecology 13, no. 2 (January 23, 2020): 213–23. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jpe/rtaa003.
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Abstract Aims Woody plants are widely distributed in various grassland types along the altitudinal/climatic gradients in Xinjiang, China. Considering previously reported change in carbon (C) storage following woody plant encroachment in grasslands and the mediating effect of climate on this change, we predicted that a positive effect of woody plants on plant C storage in semiarid grasslands may revert to a negative effect in arid grasslands. We first investigated the spatial variation of aboveground C (AGC) and belowground C (BGC) storage among grassland types and then tested our prediction. Methods We measured the living AGC storage, litter C (LC) and BGC storage of plants in two physiognomic types, wooded grasslands (aboveground biomass of woody plants at least 50%) and pure grasslands without woody plants in six grassland types representing a gradient form semiarid to arid conditions across Xinjiang. Important Findings Living AGC, LC, BGC and total plant C storage increased from desert to mountain meadows. These increases could also be explained by increasing mean annual precipitation (MAP) or decreasing mean annual temperature (MAT), suggesting that grassland types indeed represented an aridity gradient. Woody plants had an effect on the plant C storage both in size and in distribution relative to pure grasslands. The direction and strength of the effect of woody plants varied with grassland types due to the mediating effect of the climate, with wetter conditions promoting a positive effect of woody plants. Woody plants increased vegetation-level AGC through their high AGC relative to herbaceous plants. However, more negative effects of woody plants on herbaceous plants with increasing aridity led to a weaker increase in the living AGC in arid desert, steppe desert and desert steppe than in the less arid other grassland types. Under greater aridity (lower MAP and higher MAT), woody plants allocated less biomass to roots and had lower BGC and had a more negative impact on herbaceous plant production, thereby reducing vegetation-level BGC in the desert, steppe desert and desert steppe. In sum, this resulted in a negative effect of woody plants on total plant C storage in the most arid grasslands in Xinjiang. As a consequence, we predict that woody plant encroachment may decrease rather than increase C storage in grasslands under future drier conditions.
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Behrendt, Karl, Taro Takahashi, David R. Kemp, Guodong Han, Zhiguo Li, Zhongwu Wang, Warwick Badgery, and Haibo Liu. "Modelling Chinese grassland systems to improve herder livelihoods and grassland sustainability." Rangeland Journal 42, no. 5 (2020): 329. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj20053.
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Recent degradation of Chinese grasslands has contributed to declining herder productivity and profitability, increased incidence of dust storms and regionally reduced air quality. Overgrazing due to a doubling of stocking rates since the mid-1980s has been identified as a key contributing factor. Several pathways and strategies exist to improve grassland management; however, there remains uncertainty around the long-term sustainability of alternative systems. Nineteen years of grasslands research in China has produced a suite of models designed to improve understanding of grassland systems and investigate options for change. The StageTHREE Sustainable Grasslands Model was used to evaluate the ability of selected strategies to meet economic, production and environmental objectives. Sets of strategies that focussed on flock size, lambing and selling times, supplementary feeding rules and grazing management were simulated for a typical herder located in the desert steppe of Siziwang Banner, in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China. The results from the risk efficiency analysis indicated that no single strategy set clearly dominates across all objectives. Although the current practice of herders was found to be risk-efficient, it did not achieve the highest rate of grassland recovery, minimise soil erosion or minimise the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission intensity for sheepmeat production. Targeting further improvements in these attributes could be at the detriment of herder livelihoods. The analysis indicated that if herders adopted biomass-based grazing management and improved supplementary feeding they would be able to improve grassland resilience and maintain positive long-term economic performance under reduced flock sizes. Individual decision-making units, however, would still need to trade off the importance of different attributes to identify the strategy set, or system, that best meets their objectives and attitude to risk.
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Wang, Xianguo, Jianguo Han, and Yongping Dong. "Recent Grassland Policies in China." Outlook on Agriculture 34, no. 2 (June 2005): 105–10. http://dx.doi.org/10.5367/0000000054224319.
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This paper provides a basis for understanding recent grassland polices in China and their backgrounds. First, the characteristics and importance of China's grasslands are described briefly. Next, the trends and causes of grassland degradation and desertification are presented. In the main part of the paper, recent key grassland policies and practices adopted by the Chinese government to overcome the environmental crisis are summarized. In conclusion, grassland construction and protection will become the main element of grassland practices over the long term, and grasslands will increasingly be managed more for environmental and ecological services rather than for livestock production.
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Guanghua, Qiao, Zhang Bao, Zhang Jing, and Colin Brown. "Land rental, prices and the management of China’s grasslands: the case of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region." Rangeland Journal 40, no. 3 (2018): 231. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj17106.
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Heterogeneity among China’s pastoral households raises the prospect that efficient transfer of grassland-use rights may improve grassland management. More understanding of grassland rental is needed if policy incentives on grassland management are to be refined. Based on a survey of 252 herders in the typical steppe, desert steppe and sandy grassland areas of Inner Mongolia, a significant part of China’s overall grasslands, a multinomial logit model was used to explore factors influencing the decision to: (i) rent in grassland, (ii) rent out grassland, or (iii) neither rent in nor rent out grassland. A multiple regression model then investigated the factors influencing the price of this rented grassland, including a focus on the factors of the exchange. The findings suggest that rental has facilitated a level of specialisation whereby households with less own-grassland area, more livestock, more intensive production systems, lower perceptions of degradation, and some off-farm income (but not high levels) being more likely to rent in land. The likelihood was independent of the type of grassland, extent of grazing bans or grassland subsidies received. Similarly, households more likely to rent out land had fewer livestock and some land subject to grazing bans. The specialisation and larger land areas has enabled households renting in land to have lower stocking rates than those of households not renting grassland. However, analysis of rental prices reveals limitations in the rental market, with prices dependent on the form of contract and relationship of the participants in the exchange, as well as on area rented and type of grassland. Thus, improving land transfer may be warranted to facilitate further specialisation and improved grazing management and herder livelihoods.
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Koyama, Asuka, Tomoyo F. Koyanagi, Munemitsu Akasaka, Yoshinobu Kusumoto, Syuntaro Hiradate, Masayuki Takada, and Kimiko Okabe. "Partitioning the plant diversity of semi-natural grasslands across Japan." Oryx 52, no. 3 (February 20, 2017): 471–78. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0030605316001526.
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AbstractEffective conservation of global species diversity requires a clear understanding of spatial scales that support overall diversity across broad scales. Abandonment of semi-natural grasslands has increased their fragmentation and decreased their areal extent. We quantified diversity patterns of plant communities in Japan across hierarchical scales to facilitate the development of an effective nationwide strategy for conserving species diversity in remnant semi-natural grasslands. We applied additive partitioning of plant species diversity, using a nested hierarchical design at three spatial scales (quadrat, grassland, and western and eastern regions of Japan) for three groups of plant species (all species, grassland species and national Red Listed species). We consistently found lower proportions of among-quadrats diversity, and higher proportions of among-grasslands diversity and between-regions diversity in the overall diversity of the entire species complement than would be expected by chance. The high contribution of among-grasslands diversity to overall diversity suggests that each grassland had a unique species content. The second-ranking contributor to overall diversity differed between grassland species and Red Listed species: the second-ranking contributor for grassland species was diversity at the among-quadrats scale but the second-ranking contributor for all species and for Red Listed species was diversity at the between-regions scale. Thus, effective conservation of diversity of the entire species complement in remnant semi-natural grasslands requires preservation of beta diversity in individual grasslands. Our findings highlight the importance of strengthening local preservation and restoration activities within each grassland, and of nationwide strategies for conserving Red Listed species in remnant semi-natural grassland communities.
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Feng, Jiguang, Jingsheng Wang, Yanjun Song, and Biao Zhu. "Patterns of soil respiration and its temperature sensitivity in grassland ecosystems across China." Biogeosciences 15, no. 17 (September 3, 2018): 5329–41. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-5329-2018.
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Abstract. Soil respiration (Rs), a key process in the terrestrial carbon cycle, is very sensitive to climate change. In this study, we synthesized 54 measurements of annual Rs and 171 estimates of Q10 value (the temperature sensitivity of soil respiration) in grasslands across China. We quantitatively analyzed their spatial patterns and controlling factors in five grassland types, including temperate typical steppe, temperate meadow steppe, temperate desert steppe, alpine grassland, and warm, tropical grassland. Results showed that the mean (±SE) annual Rs was 582.0±57.9 g C m−2 yr−1 across Chinese grasslands. Annual Rs significantly differed among grassland types, and was positively correlated with mean annual temperature, mean annual precipitation, soil temperature, soil moisture, soil organic carbon content, and aboveground biomass, but negatively correlated with soil pH (p<0.05). Among these factors, mean annual precipitation was the primary factor controlling the variation of annual Rs among grassland types. Based on the overall data across Chinese grasslands, the Q10 values ranged from 1.03 to 8.13, with a mean (±SE) of 2.60±0.08. Moreover, the Q10 values varied largely within and among grassland types and soil temperature measurement depths. Among grassland types, the highest Q10 derived by soil temperature at a depth of 5 cm occurred in alpine grasslands. In addition, the seasonal variation of soil respiration in Chinese grasslands generally cannot be explained well by soil temperature using the van't Hoff equation. Overall, our findings suggest that the combined factors of soil temperature and moisture would better predict soil respiration in arid and semi-arid regions, highlight the importance of precipitation in controlling soil respiration in grasslands, and imply that alpine grasslands in China might release more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere under climate warming.
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Pan, Dongrong, Haowen Yan, Qiang Li, Danyang Liu, Xiaoni Liu, Degang Zhang, Tianhu Han, Bin Sun, and Jiachang Jiang. "Loss of grassland ecosystem service values based on potential vegetation in China." Rangeland Journal 43, no. 6 (February 16, 2022): 363–75. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj20118.
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Grassland resources in China have diverse categories and span extensive areas. Existing studies have estimated the value of ecosystem services in China at different scales, but there are few reports on the potential loss of grassland ecosystem services in China. On the basis of the class-level compatibility of the two existing grassland classification systems, this study separately estimated the ecosystem service valves (ESVs) of Chinese potential grassland ecosystems (Comprehensive Sequential Classification System, CSCS) and existing grassland ecosystems (Vegetation Habitatology Classification System, VHCS). In addition, we also calculated the loss of ESVs between the two grassland classification systems and further analysed the reasons for the loss. The results are as follows: (1) the total amount of ESVs provided by the existing grassland in China was 64 929.87 × 108 Ren Min Bi (RMB) per year, in which lowland meadow and alpine meadow provide higher ESVs than the other 16 grassland classes; (2) the total ESV of Chinese potential grasslands was 83 632.88 × 108 RMB per year, of which IE29 (frigid temperate humid tundra, alpine meadow) and IF36 (frigid perhumid rain tundra, alpine meadow) contributed most to the total ESV (16.9%); (3) the ESVs of grassland in China decreased by 18 703.01 × 108 RMB per year compared with the potential value; the ESV loss mainly occurred in areas where the original grassland decreased and the secondary grassland increased; and (4) anthropogenic disturbances such as grazing, felling and indiscriminate cultivation and climate change are the main reasons for loss of ESV owing to grassland degradation.
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Ding, Xinjing, Peixi Su, Zijuan Zhou, Rui Shi, and Jianping Yang. "Responses of Plant Bud Bank Characteristics to the Enclosure in Different Desertified Grasslands on the Tibetan Plateau." Plants 10, no. 1 (January 12, 2021): 141. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/plants10010141.
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Asexual reproduction is the main mode of alpine plant reproduction, and buds play an important role in plant community succession. The purpose of this study is to explore whether the desertified grassland can recover itself through the existing bud bank. The bud bank composition, distribution and size of different desertified grasslands were studied using unit volume excavation on the Tibetan Plateau. The bud bank consisted of tiller, long and short rhizome buds, and more than 40% of buds were distributed in the 0–10 cm soil layer. Enclosure changed the bud density, distribution and composition. The bud densities were 4327 and 2681 No./m2 in light and middle desertified grasslands before enclosure, while that decreased to 3833 and 2567 No./m2 after enclosure. Tiller bud density and proportion of middle desertified grassland were the highest, increased from 2765 (31.26%, before enclosure) to 5556 No./m3 (62.67%, after enclosure). There were new grasses growing out in the extreme desertified grassland after enclosure. The meristem limitation index of moderate desertified grassland was the lowest (0.37), indicating that plant renewal was limited by bud bank. Plants constantly adjust the bud bank composition, distribution, and asexual reproduction strategy, and desertified grasslands can recover naturally, relying on their bud banks through an enclosure.
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Souza, Alexandre F. "Conifer demography in forest–grassland mosaics: a landscape-scale study over a 24-year period." Botany 95, no. 7 (July 2017): 717–29. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjb-2016-0315.
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Our understanding regarding the demography of adult conifers in forest–grassland mosaics is still limited. I studied the landscape-scale demography and spatial distribution of the conifer Araucaria angustifolia (Bertol.) Kuntze in a subtropical forest–grassland mosaic over a 24-year period. Araucaria angustifolia is a long-lived pioneer that is expected to thrive in grasslands and forest edges better than in forest patches. I used the position of trees in aerial photographs taken in 1984 to analyze spatial patterns and a 2008 satellite image to estimate individual survivorship. Spatial distribution of trees in the grassland was aggregated and was not related to the distribution of trees in forest patches. Survivorship was higher in forest patches than in grasslands, where it showed density dependence. In forest patches, survivorship was positively related to both patch area and distance from forest edge. Crown breakage was more common in the grassland than in forest patches. In forest patches, it was positively related to crown size, number of conspecific neighbours, and patch area. Adult Araucaria angustifolia seem to benefit from angiosperm-dominated neighbourhoods relative to isolation in grasslands. Density-dependent effects, known to be widespread among seeds and seedlings, were shown to be important to adult trees as well.
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Miller-Goodman, Mary S. "Grassland Ecophysiology and Grazing Ecology." Crop Science 42, no. 3 (2002): 981. http://dx.doi.org/10.2135/cropsci2002.0981.
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Miller‐Goodman, Mary S. "Grassland Ecophysiology and Grazing Ecology." Crop Science 42, no. 3 (May 2002): 981–82. http://dx.doi.org/10.2135/cropsci2002.9810.
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Wilkins, R. J. "Grassland Ecophysiology and Grazing Ecology." Grass and Forage Science 56, no. 2 (June 29, 2001): 201–2. http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2494.2001.00256.x.
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Südekum, Karl-Heinz. "Grassland Ecophysiology and Grazing Ecology." Animal Feed Science and Technology 94, no. 3-4 (December 2001): 208–9. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0377-8401(01)00291-7.
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Fang, Jinzhong, Kangning Xiong, Yongkuan Chi, Shuzhen Song, Cheng He, and Shuyu He. "Research Advancement in Grassland Ecosystem Vulnerability and Ecological Resilience and Its Inspiration for Improving Grassland Ecosystem Services in the Karst Desertification Control." Plants 11, no. 10 (May 11, 2022): 1290. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/plants11101290.
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Karst desertification control of grasslands balances the ecological and economic benefits of ecological restoration and rural ecological animal husbandry development. In the context of global changes and intensified human activities, the fragility of grassland ecosystems under karst desertification control is becoming increasingly evident, and enhancing the ecological resilience and ecosystem services of grasslands is an issue that urgently needs to be addressed. In this paper, the CNKI literature, WOS core databases and Goolgle scholar were used as search sources, identifying 179 articles related to the study of grassland ecosystem vulnerability and ecological resilience. This research systematically reviewed the progress of grassland ecosystem vulnerability research and analyzed the relationship between grassland ecosystem services (GESs) and grassland ecosystem vulnerability and resilience. The direction of enhancing GESs in karst areas is indicated in terms of the reciprocal feedback, synergistic relationship, and mechanism of action of GESs, vulnerability, and resilience. It is also emphasized that the karst desertification area should provide an ecological foundation for the sustainable development of the regional environment around the supply-and-demand relationship of GESs, the trade-off synergy of service flow, and the enhancement of ecological resilience, thereby consolidating the effectiveness of karst desertification control, enhancing GESs, and helping rural revitalization.
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Dong, Ping, Changqing Jing, Gongxin Wang, Yuqing Shao, and Yingzhi Gao. "The Estimation of Grassland Aboveground Biomass and Analysis of Its Response to Climatic Factors Using a Random Forest Algorithm in Xinjiang, China." Plants 13, no. 4 (February 17, 2024): 548. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/plants13040548.
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Aboveground biomass (AGB) is a key indicator of the physiological status and productivity of grasslands, and its accurate estimation is essential for understanding regional carbon cycles. In this study, we developed a suitable AGB model for grasslands in Xinjiang based on the random forest algorithm, using AGB observation data, remote sensing vegetation indices, and meteorological data. We estimated the grassland AGB from 2000 to 2022, analyzed its spatiotemporal changes, and explored its response to climatic factors. The results showed that (1) the model was reliable (R2 = 0.55, RMSE = 64.33 g·m−2) and accurately estimated the AGB of grassland in Xinjiang; (2) the spatial distribution of grassland AGB in Xinjiang showed high levels in the northwest and low values in the southeast. AGB showed a growing trend in most areas, with a share of 61.19%. Among these areas, lowland meadows showed the fastest growth, with an average annual increment of 0.65 g·m−2·a−1; and (3) Xinjiang’s climate exhibited characteristics of warm humidification, and grassland AGB showed a higher correlation with precipitation than temperature. Developing remote sensing models based on random forest algorithms proves an effective approach for estimating AGB, providing fundamental data for maintaining the balance between grass and livestock and for the sustainable use and conservation of grassland resources in Xinjiang, China.
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Yamada, Susumu, Wakana Yoshida, Minori Iida, Yoshiko Kitagawa, and Jonathan Mitchley. "Fast grassland recovery from viable propagules after reintroducing traditional mowing management on a steep slope." PeerJ 12 (June 5, 2024): e17487. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17487.
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Semi-natural grasslands on steep slopes often show high plant species diversity. These grasslands were traditionally maintained through mowing and/or grazing. The traditional management practices help to maintain species diversity, whereas land abandonment reduces diversity by increasing competition from dominant species and reducing seedling recruitment. The reintroduction of management can reverse species diversity declines, but suitable grassland restoration programs are scarce in Japan. To study the effect of short-term abandonment on seedling ecology, we monitored the vegetation of a Susogari grassland that had been abandoned for 3 years; the grassland occupies a steep slope (ca. 50°) on a hillside above paddy fields, and was traditionally mown. We monitored the vegetation before abandonment, in the 3rd year of abandonment, and in the 1st and 2nd years after restoration of mowing management. Emergence and survival of seedlings was monitored for 18 months after reintroduction of management. We monitored 1,183 seedlings of grassland species and non-target annuals in ten 1-m2 plots. After mowing was reintroduced, most grassland species reappeared or increased in the first and second years. Few seedlings of perennial plants and no seedlings of annuals flowered. An exotic species, Solidago altissima, had a lower survival rate (10%) than grassland species (>30%), and all but two grassland species survived over the 18-month period. Although vegetation composition was not fully recovered, our findings suggest that a steep slope acts as a strong filter that inhibits the establishment of non-target species while enhancing persistence of target grassland species.
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Stevens, Toni A., Murray C. Evans, William S. Osborne, and Stephen D. Sarre. "Home ranges of, and habitat use by, the grassland earless dragon (Tympanocryptis pinguicolla) in remnant native grasslands near Canberra." Australian Journal of Zoology 58, no. 2 (2010): 76. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/zo09076.
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The grassland earless dragon (Tympanocryptis pinguicolla) is a habitat specialist restricted to the highly fragmented native temperate grasslands of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and nearby New South Wales (NSW). These grasslands, which are listed as an endangered ecological community, continue to be affected by a range of processes including development and overgrazing. Although changes to its habitat present a significant threat to the grassland earless dragon, little is known about its spatial and habitat requirements. We used radio-tracking to study the home-range areas and habitat requirements of 10 adult lizards in native grassland adjacent to Canberra, ACT. We found that burrows excavated by arthropods are an important resource for grassland earless dragons, with individuals having one or two home burrows around which they maintained home ranges of between 925 m2 and 4768 m2. Fidelity to these burrows increased with the onset of winter, indicating their importance as over-winter refuge sites. Within the native grasslands, grassland earless dragons were found to use a broad range of grassland structure as habitat. This result contrasts with the prevailing view that these dragons are confined to well drained, minimally disturbed areas, which include large patches of short grass dominated by Austrodanthonia. We conclude that habitat management (i.e. grazing, mowing, burning) for this species should aim to retain structural heterogeneity of native grasslands rather than impose a uniform structure.
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Qu, Yan, Deping Wang, Sanling Jin, Zhirong Zheng, Zhaoyan Diao, and Yuping Rong. "Flooding Length Mediates Fencing and Grazing Effects on Soil Respiration in Meadow Steppe." Plants 13, no. 5 (February 28, 2024): 666. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/plants13050666.
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Grassland management affects soil respiration (Rs, consists of heterotrophic respiration and autotrophic respiration) through soil micro-ecological processes, such as hydrothermal, plant root, organic carbon decomposition and microbial activity. Flooding, an irregular phenomenon in grasslands, may strongly regulate the response of soil respiration and its components to grassland management, but the regulatory mechanism remains unclear. We conducted a 3-year experiment by grassland management (fencing and grazing) and flooding conditions (no flooding (NF), short-term flooding (STF) and long-term flooding (LTF)) to study their effects on Rs and its components in a meadow steppe in the Hui River basin of Hulunbuir. We found differences in the patterns of Rs and its components under grassland management and flooding conditions. In 2021–2023, the temporal trends of Rs, heterotrophic respiration (Rh) and autotrophic respiration (Ra) were generally consistent, with peaks occurring on days 190–220, and the peaks of grazing were higher than that of fencing. In NF, Rs of grazed grassland was significantly higher than that of fenced grassland in 2021–2022 (p < 0.05). In STF and LTF, there was no significant difference in Rs between fenced and grazed grassland (p > 0.05). The dependence of Rs on soil temperature (ST) decreased with increasing flooding duration, and the dependence of Rs on ST of grazed grassland was higher than fenced grassland under NF and STF, but there was no difference between fenced grassland and grazed grassland under LTF. In addition, Rh was more sensitive to ST than Ra. This may be due to the different pathways of ST effects on Rs under grazing in different flooding conditions. Our study indicates that the effect of flooding on Rs is the key to the rational use of grassland under future climate change. To reduce regional carbon emissions, we recommend grazing on flooding grassland and fencing on no-flooding grassland.
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Butler, Don William, Russell James Fairfax, and Roderick John Fensham. "Impacts of tree invasion on floristic composition of subtropical grasslands on the Bunya Mountains, Australia." Australian Journal of Botany 54, no. 3 (2006): 261. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/bt05070.
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The effect of ongoing forest invasion on floristic composition of subtropical montane grasslands was considered by examining vascular plant species frequencies across 13 adjoining areas of grassland, invaded grassland (eucalypt forest <50 years old) and eucalypt forest (>50 years old) on the Bunya Mountains in subtropical eastern Australia. Tree invasion of grasslands over the last 50 years has had substantial facilitative or antagonistic net impacts on populations of many plant species. Increases in species frequency, indicating net facilitation, generally appear to occur earlier in forest development than do decreases in frequency, indicative of net antagonism. Although more than 20% of the flora showed substantial association with either grassland or forest, the dominant ground-stratum species in each habitat were quite similar and very few grassland species were not recorded in grassy forests. Forb species composition appears to change more rapidly after tree invasion than grass species composition. Relatively few forbs preferred forest to grassland, whereas shrubs, trees or lianes were substantially more frequent in forests. Replacement of grasslands by grassy forests would reduce landscape diversity and impact on other values in the Bunya Mountains. However, this study suggests that most, if not all, vascular plants that currently occur on the grasslands will persist in the area provided the grassy character of the eucalypt forests is maintained.
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Zhang, Y. J., X. Q. Zhang, X. Y. Wang, N. Liu, and H. M. Kan. "Establishing the carrying capacity of the grasslands of China: a review." Rangeland Journal 36, no. 1 (2014): 1. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj13033.
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China is rich in grassland resources, with 400 × 106 ha of natural grasslands and 18 main types, mostly distributed in the north-east, north, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and Xinjiang regions. Grassland-based livestock production is the foundation of the economy in these rural areas. Degradation of grassland has occurred to varying degrees in these regions. Mean overgrazing rates across the whole country were estimated to be ~30% in 2009. Considerable amounts of research have focussed, especially since 2000, on developing better ways of managing Chinese grasslands. Research concerning the relationship between forage production and animal performance, is reviewed for three important national grassland regions. For the three major grassland (steppes) types of Inner Mongolia, the stocking rates proposed as a result of research were 1.0–2.2 sheep units (SU) ha–1 for the western, drier Stipa breviflora desert steppe; 2.0–3.8 SU ha–1 for the steppe of Artemisia frigida and Stipa grandis; and 1.8–4.0 SU ha–1 for the eastern higher-rainfall Leymus chinensis meadow steppe in Hulunbeir. In the Qinghai-Tibetan alpine meadows, the stocking rate of grassland dominated by Edelweiss-Potentilla and Kobresia parva, proposed on the basis of research, was 1.0–5.8 SU ha–1. In Xinjiang’s desert steppe, the stocking rates of Seriphidium transiliense desert steppe were proposed on the basis of research were 1.2 SU ha–1 in spring and 1.8 SU ha–1 in autumn for non-degraded pasture, and 0.3 and 1.2 SU ha–1 for moderate-degraded pasture, respectively. These stocking rates were based on either annual net primary production or desired levels of livestock production and it is argued that there is a need to develop carrying capacities based on a wider range of sustainability criteria and with the most appropriate grazing systems.
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Fűrész, Attila, Károly Penksza, László Sipos, Ildikó Turcsányi-Járdi, Szilárd Szentes, Gabriella Fintha, Péter Penksza, Levente Viszló, Ferenc Szalai, and Zsombor Wagenhoffer. "Examination of the Effects of Domestic Water Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) Grazing on Wetland and Dry Grassland Habitats." Plants 12, no. 11 (May 31, 2023): 2184. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/plants12112184.
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In nature conservation today, there is a global problem with the aggressive expansion of invasive plant species and the conservation of valuable grassland vegetation. Based on this, the following question has been formed: Is the domestic water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) appropriate for managing various habitat types? How does grazing by water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) affect on grassland vegetation? This study was carried out in four areas of Hungary. One of the sample areas was in the Mátra Mountains, on dry grassland areas where grazing had been applied for two, four and six years. The other sample areas were in the Zámolyi Basin, where wet fens with a high risk of Solidago gigantea and in a typic Pannonian dry grassland were investigated. In all areas, grazing was carried out with domestic water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis). During the study, we carried out a coenological survey, examining the change of cover of plant species, their feed values and the biomass of the grassland. According to the results, both the number and cover of economically important grasses (from 28% to 34.6%) and legumes (from 3.4% to 25.4%) increased in Mátra as well as the high proportion of shrubs (from 41.8% to 4.4%) shifted toward grassland species. In the areas of the Zámolyi Basin, invasive Solidago has been suppressed completely, the pasture has been converted completely (from 16% to 1%) and the dominant species has become Sesleria uliginosa. Thus, we have found that grazing with buffalo is suitable as a habitat management method in both dry grasslands and wet grasslands. Therefore, in addition to its effectiveness in the control of Solidago gigantea, grazing with buffalo is successful in both nature conservation and economic aspects of grassland vegetation.
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Stolarski, Oiliam, João A. Santos, André Fonseca, Chenyao Yang, Henrique Trindade, and Helder Fraga. "Climate Change Impacts on Grassland Vigour in Northern Portugal." Land 12, no. 10 (October 12, 2023): 1914. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/land12101914.
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Grasslands are key elements of the global agricultural system, covering around two-thirds of all agricultural areas and playing an important role in biodiversity conservation, food security, and balancing the carbon cycle. Climate change is a growing challenge for the agricultural sector and may threaten grasslands. To address these challenges, it is vital to conduct in-depth climate studies to understand the vulnerability of grasslands. In this study, machine learning was used to build an advanced model able to evaluate the future impact of climate change on grassland vigour. The objective was to identify the most vulnerable grassland areas, analyse the interaction between climate and grassland performance, and outline management strategies against the detrimental implications of climate change. A Random Forest (RF) regression was used to model the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) using the Standardised Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI). The model explained 76% of the NDVI variability. The foremost significant predictors of grassland vigour are the SPEI with temporal lags of 1, 4, and 12 months. These findings suggest that the vegetative status of grasslands exhibits high sensitivity to short-term drought while also being influenced by the memory of past climatic events over longer periods. Future projections indicate an overall reduction in grassland vigour, mostly in RCP8.5. The results indicate that negative effects will be more pronounced in mountainous regions, which currently host the most vigorous grasslands. Dry lowlands in the north should continue to have the lowest vigour in the future. A substantial reduction in vigour is expected in autumn, with an effect on grassland phenology. The development of grasslands in winter, favoured by increasing temperatures and precipitation, can advance the harvesting of grassland (cutting) and the grazing of livestock. To ensure that vigour is maintained in less favourable zones, adaptation measures will be needed, as well as more efficient management of highlands to provide an adequate level of production.
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Dengler, Jürgen, Alla Aleksanyan, Didem Ambarlı, Idoia Biurrun, Iwona Dembicz, Anna Kuzemko, Péter Török, Stephen Venn, and Michael Vrahnakis. "The Eurasian Dry Grassland Group (EDGG) in 2018–2019." Hacquetia 18, no. 2 (December 1, 2019): 147–54. http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/hacq-2019-0010.
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Abstract This report summarises the activities and achievements of the Eurasian Dry Grassland Group (EDGG) from January 2018 through July 2019. During the reported period, two Eurasian Grassland Conference (EGCs) took place: the 15th EGC in Sulmona, Italy, and the 16th EGC in Graz, Austria. The 11th and 12th EDGG Field Workshops studied vegetation diversity patterns in the inner alpine valleys of Austria and Switzerland, while the 13th Field Workshop was organised in Armenia. The formerly electronic newsletter of EDGG (Bulletin of the Eurasian Dry Grassland) was transformed into a peer-reviewed international journal, called Palaearctic Grasslands, which now is attracting both scientific and photographic contributions. Furthermore, the EDGG homepage was re-constructed with a new design and content management system. The EDGG has also finalised two grassland-related Special Features during the past 1.5 years in the international journals Tuexenia and Hacquetia, and contributed with eight chapters to the book Grasslands of the World: Diversity, Management and Conservation. The vegetation-plot database GrassPlot, containing standardised multi-scale data from Palaearctic grasslands and closely connected with EDGG, has developed well, as did some other regional and national grassland-focused databases.
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Holmes, Christopher M., Joshua Pritsolas, Randall Pearson, Carolyn Butts-Wilmsmeyer, and Thorsten Schad. "Time-Series Characterization of Grassland Biomass Intensity to Examine Management Change at Two Sites in Germany Using 25 Years of Remote Sensing Imagery." Applied Sciences 13, no. 22 (November 17, 2023): 12467. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/app132212467.
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In cultivated landscapes, grasslands are an important land use type for insect life. Grassland management practices can have a significant impact on insect ecology. For example, intense fertilization and frequent cutting can reduce the diversity and abundance of insects by destroying their habitat and food sources. Thus, the quality of grassland habitat for insect development depends on its management intensity. The intensification of grassland production is discussed as one factor contributing to the decline in insect biomass over recent decades. Characterizing grassland changes over time provides one piece to the larger puzzle of insect decline. We analyzed landscape-level trends in grassland biomass near Orbroich and Wahnbachtal in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, over a 25-year period. In both areas, pronounced insect biomass decline had been observed. More than 430 Landsat images were used. An image normalization process was developed and employed to ensure that observed changes over time were attributed to grassland changes and not systemic changes inherent within image time series. Distinct clusters of grassland parcels were identified based on intensity and temporal changes in biomass using Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) as an indicator. Cluster separability was confirmed using the Transform Divergence method. The results showed clusters having periods of distinct trends in vegetation biomass, indicating changes in grassland agronomic and/or management practices over time (e.g., fertilization, increased silage production). Changes in management practices coincided with regional trends in cultivation as documented by official statistics. We demonstrated the feasibility of using 100+ images over multiple decades to perform a long-term remote sensing analysis examining grassland change. These temporally expansive and spatially detailed trends of grassland change can be included as factors in the multi-variate analysis of insect decline. The methodology can be applied to other geographic areas. Such improved insights can support informed landscape design and cultivation patterns in relation to insect ecology and the broader context of biodiversity enhancement.
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Wang, D., and L. Ba. "Ecology of meadow steppe in northeast China." Rangeland Journal 30, no. 2 (2008): 247. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj08005.
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Native grassland in China is mostly meadow, typical or desert steppe and comprises 400 million hectares, ~40% of the land area. We review past research on the meadow steppe of north-east China. Our foci are plant adaptation to climate, edaphic-related and defoliation stresses, vegetation production, grassland management, herbivore foraging behaviour, safe stocking rates, plant-animal interactions, ecosystem functioning, conservation of biodiversity and the influence of climate change on grassland function. Recent studies have provided some insights into ecological processes and functioning of meadow steppe, and have enabled better identification of research opportunities. Key areas identified for future research include plant adaptation, grassland function and value, monitoring of range health, ecological consequences of climate change on biodiversity and ecosystem function.
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Pokhrel, Kabi Prasad. "Grassland Management for Climate Change Adaptation and Watershed Protection in Karnali Watershed Area." Tribhuvan University Journal 28, no. 1-2 (December 2, 2013): 99–112. http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/tuj.v28i1-2.26227.
Full textAbstract:
Karnali watershed area is very sensitive and need of scientific management of highland grasslands which are rich in number of plants and animal species that have significant role and contribution in national economy and ecology. However, these grass lands are in threat and exist in their natural state within protected areas as neighboring grasslands and forest habitats have been rapidly degraded. At higher altitudes, trans-Himalayan and alpine rangelands are home to a diverse array of wildlife and are grazed by livestock, which are an integral part of the livelihood of several different ethnic groups. These grasslands are being overgrazed and little is known about the ecology and sustainability of prevailing land use practices at the community level. In this context, the prime concern of the paper is to address the existing issues, challenges along with biodiversity characteristics of the higher altitude grasslands of the region. Thus, the main focus of the paper is to point out the major issues of grasslands along with location specific as well as innovative measures and devises for the effective management of grassland beyond the protected and adjoin areas. Further, the paper explores some applicable measures to high land grassland management strategies with active participation of local communities with a view to provide comprehensive policy guidance for the sustainable management of grasslands in order to build the capacity of locals on the road to climate change adaptation and watershed protection in the Karnali region.
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Bijlmakers, Jitse, Jasper Griffioen, and Derek Karssenberg. "Environmental drivers of spatio-temporal dynamics in floodplain vegetation: grasslands as habitat for megafauna in Bardia National Park (Nepal)." Biogeosciences 20, no. 6 (March 24, 2023): 1113–44. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-1113-2023.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract. Disturbance-dependent grasslands, often associated with hydromorphological and fire dynamics, are threatened, especially in subtropical climates. In the Nepalese and Indian Terai Arc Landscape at the foot of the Himalayas, natural and cultural grasslands serve a viable role for greater one-horned rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) and for grazers that form prey of the Royal Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris). The grasslands are vulnerable to encroachment of forest. We aimed to establish the effects of environmental drivers, in particular river discharge, river channel dynamics, precipitation and forest fires, on the spatio-temporal dynamics of these grasslands. The study area is the floodplain of the eastern branch of the Karnali River and adjacent western part of Bardia National Park. We created annual time series (1993–2019) of land cover with the use of field data, remotely sensed LANDSAT imagery and a supervised classification model. Additionally, we analysed the pattern of grassland patches and aerial photographs of 1964. Between 1964 and 2019, grassland patches decreased in abundance and size due to encroachment of forest. Outside the floodplain, conversion of grassland to bare substrate coincides with extreme precipitation events. Within the floodplain, conversion of grassland to bare substrate correlates with the magnitude of the annual peak discharge of the bifurcated Karnali River. Since 2009, however, this correlation is absent due to a shift of the main discharge channel to the western branch of the Karnali River. Consequently, alluvial tall grasslands (Saccharum spontaneum dominant) have vastly expanded between 2009 and 2019. Because the hydromorphological processes in the floodplain have become more static, other sources of disturbances – local flooding of ephemeral streams, anthropogenic maintenance, grazing and fires – are more paramount to prevent encroachment of grasslands. Altogether, our findings underscore that a change in the environmental drivers impact the surface area and heterogeneity of grassland patches in the landscape, which can lead to cascading effects for the grassland-dependent megafauna.
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Sendžikaitė, Jūratė, Romas Pakalnis, and Zigmantas Gudžinskas. "Changes in botanical diversity of sown grasslands due to naturalization and extensive management." Botanica Lithuanica 19, no. 2 (December 1, 2013): 99–110. http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/botlit-2013-0013.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract Sendžikaitė J., Pakalnis R., Gudžinskas Z., 2013: Changes in botanical diversity of sown grasslands due to naturalization and extensive management [Sėtų pievų botaninės įvairovės kaitos dėl žolynų natūralėjimo ir ekstensyvaus naudojimo]. - Bot. Lith., 19(2): 99-110 The paper deals with sown grassland naturalization models related to changes in botanical diversity of extensively managed meadows under temperate climate conditions. The vegetation surveys were carried out in Sėliškės and Polyma Experimental Field Stations (Lithuania). Based on our research data and literature sources (on the investigation of Lithuanian natural meadows), we developed the following hypothetical models of sown grassland naturalization: vascular plant species constancy alteration chronocline, vascular plant species constancy and productivity alteration topocline and a scheme of sown grassland naturalization on hilly landscape. Here we consider extensive management and naturalization as one of most natural and requiring minor investments method for grassland restoration.