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Zhang Q, Lu Y, Zhang C, Yao B, Su J. Effect of moderate livestock grazing on soil and vegetation characteristics in zokor mounds of different ages. Sci Rep 2023; 13:12459. [PMID: 37528212 PMCID: PMC10393963 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-39530-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Mounds formed by plateau zokors (Eospalax baileyi) in alpine meadows are easily disturbed by livestock. We aimed to reveal the effect of moderate livestock grazing (from October 15 to March 15 of the following year) on plant and soil characteristics of zokor mounds. This study explored the effect of zokor mounds of different ages (2015-2018) on soil nutrient content, soil enzymatic activity, plant diversity, and aboveground biomass (AGB) at grazing and non-grazing sites. Compared with the non-grazing sites, soil organic carbon (SOC), total soil phosphorus, and ratio of SOC to total nitrogen were 16.6%-98.7% higher and soil urease activity was 8.4% and 9.6% higher in 1- and 3-year-old mounds, respectively, at the grazing sites. Grazing significantly increased the plant Pielou index, richness, and Shannon-Wiener diversity index of 4-year-old mounds by 20.7%-52.4%. Partial least squares path modeling showed that plant species diversity was the main factor affecting the plant AGB of mounds at the grazing sites, whereas soil enzyme activity was the primary factor at the non-grazing sites. We propose that moderate grazing increases soil nutrient content and the plant diversity in zokor mounds in alpine meadows, which should be considered in future grassland restoration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Zhang
- College of Grassland Science, Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecosystem (Ministry of Education), Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China
- Gansu Agricultural University-Massey University Research Centre for Grassland Biodiversity, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China
| | - Yan Lu
- College of Grassland Science, Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecosystem (Ministry of Education), Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China
- Gansu Agricultural University-Massey University Research Centre for Grassland Biodiversity, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China
| | - Caijun Zhang
- College of Grassland Science, Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecosystem (Ministry of Education), Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China
- Gansu Agricultural University-Massey University Research Centre for Grassland Biodiversity, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China
| | - Baohui Yao
- College of Grassland Science, Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecosystem (Ministry of Education), Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China
- Gansu Agricultural University-Massey University Research Centre for Grassland Biodiversity, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China
| | - Junhu Su
- College of Grassland Science, Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecosystem (Ministry of Education), Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China.
- Gansu Agricultural University-Massey University Research Centre for Grassland Biodiversity, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China.
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Zhang C, Kang Y, Yao B, An K, Pu Q, Wang Z, Sun X, Su J. Increased availability of preferred food and decreased foraging costs from degraded grasslands lead to rodent pests in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.971429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The increased population density of rodent species during ongoing grassland degradation further deteriorates its conditions. Understanding the effects of grassland degradation on rodent feeding habits is of great value for optimizing grassland management strategies. In this study, lightly degraded (LD), moderately degraded (MD), severely degraded (SD), and reseeded grassland (RG) were selected and their plant resources and soil physical properties were investigated. In addition, the study used ITS2 barcode combined with the Illumina MiSeq sequencing method to analyze the food composition and proportion of plateau zokors in different grassland conditions. The results showed that, with grassland degradation, plant biomass decreased, but the relative proportion of forbs increased (LD: 32.05 ± 3.89%; MD: 28.97 ± 2.78%; SD: 49.16 ± 4.67% and RG: 10.93 ± 1.53%). Forbs were the main food of the plateau zokor, accounting for more than 90% of their diet, and the animal had a clear preference for Potentilla species; the soil compaction of feeding habits showed a decreasing trend in the 10–25 cm soil layer, suggesting a decreased foraging cost. Nutritional analysis showed that the stomach content of crude protein in zokors feeding on MD grassland was significantly higher than that of animals feeding on the other grassland types. Structural equation modeling showed that soil physical properties and the relative biomass of forbs had significant (P < 0.05) and extremely significant (P < 0.001) impacts on the population density of plateau zokors, with direct impact contribution rates of 0.20 and 0.63. As the severity of grassland degradation increased, although the aboveground and underground biomass of the plants decreased, the proportion of food preferred by the plateau zokor increased, and the corresponding changes in the feeding environment resulted in decreased foraging energy expenditure, thereby increasing the suitability of the degraded grassland for the plateau zokor. Compared with degraded grassland, the food diversity and evenness of zokors increased, the food niche width enlarged, and the proportion of weeds decreased in RG, which increased the difficulty of obtaining food. Reseeding in grassland management is therefore an effective way to control plateau zokors.
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Fu H, Zhang L, Fan C, Li W, Liu C, Zhang H, Cheng Q, Zhang Y. Sympatric Yaks and Plateau Pikas Promote Microbial Diversity and Similarity by the Mutual Utilization of Gut Microbiota. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9091890. [PMID: 34576785 PMCID: PMC8467723 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9091890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Interactions between species provide the basis for understanding coexisting mechanisms. The plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae) and the yak (Bos grunniens) are considered competitors because they have shared habitats and consumed similar food on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau for more than 1 million years. Interestingly, the population density of plateau pikas increases with yak population expansion and subsequent overgrazing. To reveal the underlying mechanism, we sequenced the fecal microbial 16S rDNA from both sympatric and allopatric pikas and yaks. Our results indicated that sympatry increased both gut microbial diversity and similarity between pikas and yaks. The abundance of Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria, and Tenericutes decreased, while that of Verrucomicrobia increased in sympatric pikas. As for sympatric yaks, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Spirochaetes significantly increased, while Cyanobacteria, Euryarchaeota, and Verrucomicrobia significantly decreased. In sympatry, plateau pikas acquired 2692 OTUs from yaks, and yaks obtained 453 OTUs from pikas. The predominant horizontally transmitted bacteria were Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Verrucomicrobia, and Proteobacteria. These bacteria enhanced the enrichment of pathways related to prebiotics and immunity for pikas, such as heparin sulfate, heparin, chitin disaccharide, chondroitin-sulfate-ABC, and chondroitin-AC degradation pathways. In yaks, the horizontally transmitted bacteria enhanced pathways related to hepatoprotection, xenobiotic biodegradation, and detoxification. Our results suggest that horizontal transmission is a process of selection, and pikas and yaks tend to develop reciprocity through the horizontal transmission of gut microbiota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haibo Fu
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China; (H.F.); (L.Z.); (C.F.); (W.L.); (C.L.); (H.Z.); (Q.C.)
- Qinghai Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Liangzhi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China; (H.F.); (L.Z.); (C.F.); (W.L.); (C.L.); (H.Z.); (Q.C.)
- Qinghai Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China
| | - Chao Fan
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China; (H.F.); (L.Z.); (C.F.); (W.L.); (C.L.); (H.Z.); (Q.C.)
- Qinghai Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Wenjing Li
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China; (H.F.); (L.Z.); (C.F.); (W.L.); (C.L.); (H.Z.); (Q.C.)
- Qinghai Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China
| | - Chuanfa Liu
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China; (H.F.); (L.Z.); (C.F.); (W.L.); (C.L.); (H.Z.); (Q.C.)
- Qinghai Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - He Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China; (H.F.); (L.Z.); (C.F.); (W.L.); (C.L.); (H.Z.); (Q.C.)
- Qinghai Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China
| | - Qi Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China; (H.F.); (L.Z.); (C.F.); (W.L.); (C.L.); (H.Z.); (Q.C.)
- Qinghai Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yanming Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China; (H.F.); (L.Z.); (C.F.); (W.L.); (C.L.); (H.Z.); (Q.C.)
- Qinghai Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China
- Correspondence:
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Fu H, Zhang L, Fan C, Liu C, Li W, Cheng Q, Zhao X, Jia S, Zhang Y. Environment and host species identity shape gut microbiota diversity in sympatric herbivorous mammals. Microb Biotechnol 2021; 14:1300-1315. [PMID: 33369229 PMCID: PMC8313255 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.13687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The previous studies have reported that the mammalian gut microbiota is a physiological consequence; nonetheless, the factors influencing its composition and function remain unclear. In this study, to evaluate the contributions of the host and environment to the gut microbiota, we conducted a sequencing analysis of 16S rDNA and shotgun metagenomic DNA from plateau pikas and yaks, two sympatric herbivorous mammals, and further compared the sequences in summer and winter. The results revealed that both pikas and yaks harboured considerably more distinct communities between summer and winter. We detected the over-representation of Verrucomicrobia and Proteobacteria in pikas, and Archaea and Bacteroidetes in yaks. Firmicutes and Actinobacteria, associated with energy-efficient acquisition, significantly enriched in winter. The diversity of the microbial community was determined by the interactive effects between the host and season. Metagenomic analysis revealed that methane-metabolism-related pathway of yaks was significantly enriched in summer, while some pathogenic pathways were more abundant in pikas. Both pikas and yaks had a higher capacity for lipid degradation in winter. Pika and yak shared more OTUs when food shortage occurred in winter, and this caused a convergence in gut microbial composition and function. From winter to summer, the network module number increased from one to five in pikas, which was different in yaks. Our study demonstrates that the host is a dominant factor in shaping the microbial communities and that seasonality promotes divergence or convergence based on dietary quality across host species identity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haibo Fu
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau BiotaNorthwest Institute of Plateau BiologyChinese Academy of SciencesXiningQinghai810008China
- Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological GenomicsXiningQinghai ProvinceChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100049China
| | - Liangzhi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau BiotaNorthwest Institute of Plateau BiologyChinese Academy of SciencesXiningQinghai810008China
- Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological GenomicsXiningQinghai ProvinceChina
| | - Chao Fan
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau BiotaNorthwest Institute of Plateau BiologyChinese Academy of SciencesXiningQinghai810008China
- Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological GenomicsXiningQinghai ProvinceChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100049China
| | - Chuanfa Liu
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau BiotaNorthwest Institute of Plateau BiologyChinese Academy of SciencesXiningQinghai810008China
- Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological GenomicsXiningQinghai ProvinceChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100049China
| | - Wenjing Li
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau BiotaNorthwest Institute of Plateau BiologyChinese Academy of SciencesXiningQinghai810008China
- Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological GenomicsXiningQinghai ProvinceChina
| | - Qi Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau BiotaNorthwest Institute of Plateau BiologyChinese Academy of SciencesXiningQinghai810008China
- Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological GenomicsXiningQinghai ProvinceChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100049China
| | - Xinquan Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau BiotaNorthwest Institute of Plateau BiologyChinese Academy of SciencesXiningQinghai810008China
- Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological GenomicsXiningQinghai ProvinceChina
| | - Shangang Jia
- College of Grassland Science and TechnologyChina Agricultural UniversityBeijing100193China
| | - Yanming Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau BiotaNorthwest Institute of Plateau BiologyChinese Academy of SciencesXiningQinghai810008China
- Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological GenomicsXiningQinghai ProvinceChina
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Zhang Y, Gao Q, Ganjurjav H, Dong S, Zheng Q, Ma Y, Liang K. Grazing Exclusion Changed the Complexity and Keystone Species of Alpine Meadows on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.638157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Grazing exclusion is an effective approach to restore degraded grasslands. However, the effects of grazing exclusion on keystone species and the complexity of plant community were poorly investigated. Here, we conducted a field survey among different grazing exclusion durations, i.e., Grazing, grazing exclusion below 5 years, grazing exclusion with 5 years, grazing exclusion with 7 years, and grazing exclusion over 7 years, in alpine meadows on the central Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP). The complexity and keystone species of alpine meadows were analyzed by a network analysis. The results showed the following: (1) The species richness did not change, but aboveground biomass and the coverage of the plant community tended to increase with the extension of the grazing exclusion duration. (2) The soil nutrients, i.e., total nitrogen, total organic carbon, available nitrogen, and available potassium, remained stable, while the soil bulk density decreased under grazing exclusion conditions. (3) There was a hump-shaped change of the complexity (i.e., average connectivity and average clustering coefficient) of the plant community along with the extension of the grazing exclusion duration. Moreover, the keystone species were different among the grazing exclusion treatments. Based on the complexity of the plant community and the changes of keystone species, the optimum duration of grazing exclusion for alpine meadows should be between 5 and 7 years. Our results suggest that besides the productivity, the change of the complexity and keystone species of plant community should be considered when grazing exclusion is adopted to restore the degraded alpine meadows.
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Zhang J, Liu D, Meng B, Chen J, Wang X, Jiang H, Yu Y, Yi S. Using UAVs to assess the relationship between alpine meadow bare patches and disturbance by pikas in the source region of Yellow River on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Glob Ecol Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
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Wang Y, Zhang X, Sun Y, Chang S, Wang Z, Li G, Hou F. Pika burrow and zokor mound density and their relationship with grazing management and sheep production in alpine meadow. Ecosphere 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Yingxin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro‐ecosystems; Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology Lanzhou University Lanzhou 730020 China
| | - Xinglu Zhang
- College of Forestry Gansu Agricultural University Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Arid Land Crop Science Lanzhou 730070 Gansu China
| | - Yi Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro‐ecosystems; Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology Lanzhou University Lanzhou 730020 China
| | - Shenghua Chang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro‐ecosystems; Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology Lanzhou University Lanzhou 730020 China
| | - Zhaofeng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro‐ecosystems; Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology Lanzhou University Lanzhou 730020 China
| | - Guang Li
- College of Forestry Gansu Agricultural University Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Arid Land Crop Science Lanzhou 730070 Gansu China
| | - Fujiang Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro‐ecosystems; Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology Lanzhou University Lanzhou 730020 China
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Tibetan sheep grazing modifies rodent density and their interactions effect on GHG emissions of alpine meadow. Sci Rep 2019; 9:17066. [PMID: 31745148 PMCID: PMC6863865 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-53480-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2019] [Accepted: 11/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Digging and mound-building by rodents lead to considerable disturbances in the topsoil and may affect plant composition, soil properties. However, little is known about the effects of these activities on GHG emissions, especially under different grazing management. This paper aimed to measure changes in CO2 and CH4 efflux with varying grazing management during the warm and cold seasons and to relate CO2 and CH4 efflux to pika burrow density and zokor mound density with different grazing management. Results of this study showed that CO2 efflux was significantly affected by the grazing season, whereas CH4 efflux was significantly affected by the grazing system. There were significant relationships between GHG efflux and rodent population density which were regulated by grazing management. CO2 efflux increased linearly with rodent density under seasonal continuous grazing in warm season. CO2 and CH4 efflux and rodent population density showed a significant quadratic convex relationship under rotational grazing at 24 SM/ha in warm and cold seasons and rotational grazing at 48 SM/ha in cold season. Under rotational grazing at light stocking rate (24 SM/ha), appropriate populations of rodents were beneficial for decreasing GHG emissions. This results also used to help drive a best-practices model for grazing practices of local herders.
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Li C, de Jong R, Schmid B, Wulf H, Schaepman ME. Spatial variation of human influences on grassland biomass on the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 665:678-689. [PMID: 30776640 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.01.321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2018] [Revised: 01/20/2019] [Accepted: 01/24/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
An improved understanding of increased human influence on ecosystems is needed for predicting ecosystem processes and sustainable ecosystem management. We studied spatial variation of human influence on grassland ecosystems at two scales across the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP), where increased human activities may have led to ecosystem degradation. At the 10 km scale, we mapped human-influenced spatial patterns based on a hypothesis that spatial patterns of biomass that could not be attributed to environmental variables were likely correlated to human activities. In part this hypothesis could be supported via a positive correlation between biomass unexplained by environmental variables and livestock density. At the 500 m scale, using distance to settlements within a radius of 8 km as a proxy of human-influence intensity, we found both negatively human-influenced areas where biomass decreased closer to settlements (regions with higher livestock density) and positively human-influenced areas where biomass increased closer to settlements (regions with lower livestock density). These results suggest complex relationships between livestock grazing and biomass, varying between spatial scales and regions. Grazing may boost biomass production across the whole QTP at the 10 km scale. However, overgrazing may reduce it near settlements at the 500 m scale. Our approach of mapping and understanding human influence on ecosystems at different scales could guide pasture management to protect grassland in vulnerable regions on the QTP and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengxiu Li
- Remote Sensing Laboratories, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Rogier de Jong
- Remote Sensing Laboratories, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Bernhard Schmid
- Remote Sensing Laboratories, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Hendrik Wulf
- Remote Sensing Laboratories, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Michael E Schaepman
- Remote Sensing Laboratories, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
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Smith AT, Badingqiuying, Wilson MC, Hogan BW. Functional-trait ecology of the plateau pika Ochotona curzoniae in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau ecosystem. Integr Zool 2019; 14:87-103. [PMID: 29316275 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Understanding a species' functional traits allows for a directed and productive perspective on the role a species plays in nature, and thus its relative importance to conservation planning. The functional-trait ecology of the plateau pika Ochotona curzoniae is examined to better understand the resilience and sustainability of the high alpine grasslands of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP). The key functional traits of plateau pikas are their abundance and behavior of digging extensive burrow systems. Plateau pikas have been poisoned over a significant part of their original geographic distribution across the QTP, allowing comparison of ecological communities with and without pikas. Nearly all mammalian and avian carnivores, most of which are obligate predators on pikas, have been lost in regions where pikas have been poisoned. Most endemic birds on the QTP nest in pika burrows; when pikas are poisoned, burrows collapse, and these birds are greatly reduced in number. Due to the biopedturbation resulting from their burrows, regional plant species richness is higher in areas with pikas than without. The presence of pika burrows allows higher rates of infiltration during heavy monsoon rains compared to poisoned areas, possibly mitigating runoff and the potential for serious downslope erosion and flooding. Thus, the functional traits of plateau pikas enhance native biodiversity and other important ecosystem functions; these traits are irreplaceable. As plateau pikas are not natural colonizers, active re-introduction programs are needed to restore pikas to areas from which they have been poisoned to restore the important functional ecological traits of pikas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew T Smith
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Badingqiuying
- School of Geographical Sciences, Qinghai Normal University, Xining, China
| | - Maxwell C Wilson
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Brigitte W Hogan
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
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Miehe G, Schleuss PM, Seeber E, Babel W, Biermann T, Braendle M, Chen F, Coners H, Foken T, Gerken T, Graf HF, Guggenberger G, Hafner S, Holzapfel M, Ingrisch J, Kuzyakov Y, Lai Z, Lehnert L, Leuschner C, Li X, Liu J, Liu S, Ma Y, Miehe S, Mosbrugger V, Noltie HJ, Schmidt J, Spielvogel S, Unteregelsbacher S, Wang Y, Willinghöfer S, Xu X, Yang Y, Zhang S, Opgenoorth L, Wesche K. The Kobresia pygmaea ecosystem of the Tibetan highlands - Origin, functioning and degradation of the world's largest pastoral alpine ecosystem: Kobresia pastures of Tibet. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 648:754-771. [PMID: 30134213 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.08.164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Revised: 08/10/2018] [Accepted: 08/12/2018] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
With 450,000 km2Kobresia (syn. Carex) pygmaea dominated pastures in the eastern Tibetan highlands are the world's largest pastoral alpine ecosystem forming a durable turf cover at 3000-6000 m a.s.l. Kobresia's resilience and competitiveness is based on dwarf habit, predominantly below-ground allocation of photo assimilates, mixture of seed production and clonal growth, and high genetic diversity. Kobresia growth is co-limited by livestock-mediated nutrient withdrawal and, in the drier parts of the plateau, low rainfall during the short and cold growing season. Overstocking has caused pasture degradation and soil deterioration over most parts of the Tibetan highlands and is the basis for this man-made ecosystem. Natural autocyclic processes of turf destruction and soil erosion are initiated through polygonal turf cover cracking, and accelerated by soil-dwelling endemic small mammals in the absence of predators. The major consequences of vegetation cover deterioration include the release of large amounts of C, earlier diurnal formation of clouds, and decreased surface temperatures. These effects decrease the recovery potential of Kobresia pastures and make them more vulnerable to anthropogenic pressure and climate change. Traditional migratory rangeland management was sustainable over millennia, and possibly still offers the best strategy to conserve and possibly increase C stocks in the Kobresia turf.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georg Miehe
- Philipps-University of Marburg, Faculty of Geography, Marburg, Germany
| | | | - Elke Seeber
- University of Greifswald, Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Babel
- University of Bayreuth, Micrometeorology Group, Bayreuth, Germany; University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Tobias Biermann
- Lund University, Centre for Environmental and Climate Research, Lund, Sweden
| | - Martin Braendle
- Philipps-University of Marburg, Department of Ecology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Fahu Chen
- Lanzhou University, MOE Key Laboratory of West China's Environmental System, School of Earth and Environment Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Heinz Coners
- University of Göttingen, Department of Plant Ecology and Ecosystem Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Thomas Foken
- University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Tobias Gerken
- Montana State University, Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Hans-F Graf
- University of Cambridge, Department of Geography, Centre for Atmospheric Science, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Georg Guggenberger
- Leibniz Universität Hannover, Institute for Soil Science, Hannover, Germany
| | - Silke Hafner
- University of Göttingen, Department of Soil Sciences of Temperate Ecosystems, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Maika Holzapfel
- Senckenberg Museum Görlitz, Department of Botany, Görlitz, Germany
| | - Johannes Ingrisch
- University of Innsbruck, Institute of Ecology Research, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Yakov Kuzyakov
- University of Göttingen, Department of Soil Sciences of Temperate Ecosystems, Göttingen, Germany; Senckenberg Museum Görlitz, Department of Botany, Görlitz, Germany; University of Göttingen, Department of Agricultural Soil Science, Göttingen, Germany; Institute of Environmental Sciences, Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Russia
| | - Zhongping Lai
- China University of Geosciences, State Key Lab of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, School of Earth Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Lukas Lehnert
- Philipps-University of Marburg, Faculty of Geography, Marburg, Germany
| | - Christoph Leuschner
- University of Göttingen, Department of Plant Ecology and Ecosystem Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Xiaogang Li
- Lanzhou University, State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystem, College of Life Science, Lanzhou, China
| | - Jianquan Liu
- Lanzhou University, State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystem, College of Life Science, Lanzhou, China
| | - Shibin Liu
- University of Göttingen, Department of Soil Sciences of Temperate Ecosystems, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Yaoming Ma
- Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Beijing, China
| | - Sabine Miehe
- Philipps-University of Marburg, Faculty of Geography, Marburg, Germany
| | - Volker Mosbrugger
- Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Henry J Noltie
- Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Joachim Schmidt
- University of Rostock, Institute of Biosciences, General and Systematic Zoology, Rostock, Germany
| | | | - Sebastian Unteregelsbacher
- Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research, Atmospheric Environmental Research (IMK-IFU), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
| | - Yun Wang
- Senckenberg Museum Görlitz, Department of Botany, Görlitz, Germany
| | - Sandra Willinghöfer
- University of Göttingen, Department of Plant Ecology and Ecosystem Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Xingliang Xu
- University of Göttingen, Department of Soil Sciences of Temperate Ecosystems, Göttingen, Germany; Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yongping Yang
- Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Laboratory of Alpine Ecology and Biodiversity, Beijing, China
| | - Shuren Zhang
- Chinese Academy of Sciences, Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Beijing, China
| | - Lars Opgenoorth
- Philipps-University of Marburg, Department of Ecology, Marburg, Germany.
| | - Karsten Wesche
- Senckenberg Museum Görlitz, Department of Botany, Görlitz, Germany; German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Germany; International Institute Zittau, Technische Universität Dresden, Markt 23, 02763 Zittau, Germany
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12
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Mipam TD, Zhong LL, Liu JQ, Miehe G, Tian LM. Productive Overcompensation of Alpine Meadows in Response to Yak Grazing in the Eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2019; 10:925. [PMID: 31354782 PMCID: PMC6640541 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2019.00925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2019] [Accepted: 07/01/2019] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the interaction between large herbivores and pasture production, especially with respect to the grazing optimization hypothesis, is critical for pasture management and generating theoretical and testable predictions. However, the optimization hypothesis remains contradictory in alpine meadows on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP). In this study, we tested the grazing optimization hypothesis using four yak-grazing intensities (no grazing, light grazing, moderate grazing and heavy grazing) in alpine meadow habitats from 2015 to 2017. The results indicated that species diversity did not differ significantly among grazing regimes during the experimental period. However, the aboveground net primary production (ANPP) under moderate grazing consistently significantly exceeded that in control enclosures over 3 years, confirming the grazing optimization hypothesis. Levels of overcompensation varied among grazing intensities and years, and grazing-induced plant compensation may only occur in the short term. The enhanced regrowth of Poaceae and Cyperaceae induced by yak grazing might contribute to the overall level of overcompensation by plant community. Our results strongly support the grazing optimization hypothesis in the context of alpine meadows grazed by yaks, emphasizing the complex interactions between ANPP, herbivores and other ecological factors in alpine meadows on the QTP. These findings provide new insights for the development of an ecological conservation strategy that will help restore this fragile ecosystem and balance the seemingly incompatible requirements of animal husbandry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tserang-Donko Mipam
- Key Laboratory for Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Institute of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu, China
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Institute of Innovation Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Lin-Ling Zhong
- Key Laboratory for Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jian-Quan Liu
- Key Laboratory for Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Institute of Innovation Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Georg Miehe
- Faculty of Geography, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Li-Ming Tian
- Key Laboratory for Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- *Correspondence: Li-Ming Tian,
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Wang Y, Hodgkinson KC, Hou F, Wang Z, Chang S. An evaluation of government-recommended stocking systems for sustaining pastoral businesses and ecosystems of the Alpine Meadows of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:4252-4264. [PMID: 29721295 PMCID: PMC5916313 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2017] [Revised: 01/28/2018] [Accepted: 02/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
China introduced the "Retire Livestock and Restore Grassland" policy in 2003. It was strengthened in 2011 by additional funding for on-farm structures. On the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP), fences were erected, livestock excluded from degraded areas, rotational stocking introduced, nighttime shelters were built, forages grown, and seed sown. However, the effectiveness of these actions and their value to Tibetan herders has been questioned. We conducted a sheep stocking experiment for 5 years in an Alpine Meadow region of the QTP to evaluate stocking options recommended by Government. Cold and warm season stocking each at three rates (0, 8, and 16 sheep/ha) and continuous stocking at 0 and 4 sheep/ha were compared. We measured live weights of sheep, plant species richness and evenness, root biomass and carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) contents of the 0-10 cm of soil. We found that resting grassland from stocking during the warm season for later cold season stocking significantly reduced plant species richness and evenness and root biomass but not soil C, N, and P. During cold season stocking, live weights of sheep declined whether at a stocking rate of 8 or 16 per ha. In contrast, sheep continuously stocked on grassland at 4 per ha gained weight throughout both the warm and cold seasons and plant species richness and evenness were maintained. Warm season stocking at 8 and 16 sheep/ha increased plant species richness and root biomass but reduced plant species evenness. Resting these alpine grasslands from stocking in the warm season has adverse consequences for plant conservation. Fencing from stocking in the warm season is not justified by this study; all grassland should be judiciously stocked during the warm season to maintain plant species richness. Neither resting nor stocking during the cold season appears to have any adverse consequences but sheltering and in-door feeding of sheep during the cold season may be more profitable than cold season stocking with use of open nighttime yards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingxin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology Lanzhou University Lanzhou China
| | | | - Fujiang Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology Lanzhou University Lanzhou China
| | - Zhaofeng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology Lanzhou University Lanzhou China
| | - Shenghua Chang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology Lanzhou University Lanzhou China
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14
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Liu Z, Baoyin T, Duan J, Yang G, Sun J, Li X. Nutrient Characteristics in Relation to Plant Size of a Perennial Grass Under Grazing Exclusion in Degraded Grassland. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2018; 9:295. [PMID: 29593759 PMCID: PMC5857597 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.00295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2017] [Accepted: 02/21/2018] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Identifying the linkages between nutrient properties and plant size is important for reducing uncertainty in understanding the mechanisms of plant phenotypic plasticity. Although the positive effects of grazing exclusion on plant morphological plasticity has been well documented, surprisingly little is known about the relationship of nutrient strategies with plant shoot size after long-term grazing exclusion. We experimentally investigated the impacts of grazing exclusion over time (0, 9, 15, and 35 years) on the relationships of nutrient traits (nutrient concentration, allocation, and stoichiometry) of with morphological plasticity in Leymus chinensis, which is a dominant species in grasslands of Inner Mongolia, China. Our results showed that there was a significantly negative correlation between the degrees of plasticity and stability of various morphological traits. Increases in plant size by 126.41, 164.17, and 247.47% were observed with the increase of grazing exclusion time of 9, 15, and 35 years, respectively. Plant size was negatively correlated with nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentrations, but was positively correlated with carbon (C) concentration. Biomass partitioning and leaf to stem ratios of nutrient concentrations contributed more than 95% of the changes in N, P, and C allocation in L. chinensis leaves and stems induced by grazing exclusions. Nine years' grazing exclusion rapidly changed the nutrient concentrations (averaged by -34.84%), leaf to stem nutrient allocations (averaged by -86.75%), and ecological stoichiometry (averaged by +46.54%) compared to free-grazing, whereas there was no significant trend of these nutrient traits across the 9, 15, and 35 years' grazing exclusion in L. chinensis individuals. Our findings suggest that with the increase of the duration of the grazing exclusion, time effects on plant performances gradually weakened both in plant morphological plasticity and nutrient properties. There is a significant negative effect between plant sizes and nutrient traits under long-term grazing exclusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiying Liu
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
| | - Taogetao Baoyin
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
| | - Junjie Duan
- National Forage Improvement Center, Institute of Grassland Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hohhot, China
| | - Guofeng Yang
- School of Life Sciences, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China
| | - Juan Sun
- School of Animal Science and Technology, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China
| | - Xiliang Li
- National Forage Improvement Center, Institute of Grassland Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hohhot, China
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology and Restoration of the Ministry of Agriculture, Hohhot, China
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15
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Identifying the Relative Contributions of Climate and Grazing to Both Direction and Magnitude of Alpine Grassland Productivity Dynamics from 1993 to 2011 on the Northern Tibetan Plateau. REMOTE SENSING 2017. [DOI: 10.3390/rs9020136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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16
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Zhou Z, Fang L, Meng Q, Li S, Chai S, Liu S, Schonewille JT. Assessment of Ruminal Bacterial and Archaeal Community Structure in Yak ( Bos grunniens). Front Microbiol 2017; 8:179. [PMID: 28223980 PMCID: PMC5293774 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.00179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2016] [Accepted: 01/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine the microbial community composition in the rumen of yaks under different feeding regimes. Microbial communities were assessed by sequencing bacterial and archaeal 16S ribosomal RNA gene fragments obtained from yaks (Bos grunniens) from Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China. Samples were obtained from 14 animals allocated to either pasture grazing (Graze), a grazing and supplementary feeding regime (GSF), or an indoor feeding regime (Feed). The predominant bacterial phyla across feeding regimes were Bacteroidetes (51.06%) and Firmicutes (32.73%). At genus level, 25 genera were shared across all samples. The relative abundance of Prevotella in the graze and GSF regime group were significantly higher than that in the feed regime group. Meanwhile, the relative abundance of Ruminococcus was lower in the graze group than the feed and GSF regime groups. The most abundant archaeal phylum was Euryarchaeota, which accounted for 99.67% of the sequences. Ten genera were detected across feeding regimes, seven genera were shared by all samples, and the most abundant was genus Methanobrevibacter (91.60%). The relative abundance of the most detected genera were similar across feeding regime groups. Our results suggest that the ruminal bacterial community structure differs across yak feeding regimes while the archaeal community structures are largely similar.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenming Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University Beijing, China
| | - Lei Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University Beijing, China
| | - Qingxiang Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University Beijing, China
| | - Shengli Li
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University Beijing, China
| | - Shatuo Chai
- Qinghai Academy of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Qinghai University Xining, China
| | - Shujie Liu
- Qinghai Academy of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Qinghai University Xining, China
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Zhou J, Cai W, Qin Y, Lai L, Guan T, Zhang X, Jiang L, Du H, Yang D, Cong Z, Zheng Y. Alpine vegetation phenology dynamic over 16years and its covariation with climate in a semi-arid region of China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2016; 572:119-128. [PMID: 27494658 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.07.206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2016] [Revised: 07/27/2016] [Accepted: 07/29/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Vegetation phenology is a sensitive indicator of ecosystem response to climate change, and plays an important role in the terrestrial biosphere. Improving our understanding of alpine vegetation phenology dynamics and the correlation with climate and grazing is crucial for high mountains in arid areas subject to climatic warming. Using a time series of SPOT Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data from 1998 to 2013, the start of the growing season (SOS), end of the growing season (EOS), growing season length (GSL), and maximum NDVI (MNDVI) were extracted using a threshold-based method for six vegetation groups in the Heihe River headwaters. Spatial and temporal patterns of SOS, EOS, GSL, MNDVI, and correlations with climatic factors and livestock production were analyzed. The MNDVI increased significantly in 58% of the study region, whereas SOS, EOS, and GSL changed significantly in <5% of the region. The MNDVI in five vegetation groups increased significantly by a range from 0.045 to 0.075. No significant correlation between SOS and EOS was observed in any vegetation group. The SOS and GSL were highly correlated with temperature in May and April-May, whereas MNDVI was correlated with temperature in August and July-August. The EOS of different vegetation groups was correlated with different climatic variables. Maximum and minimum temperature, accumulated temperature, and effective accumulated temperature showed stronger correlations with phenological metrics compared with those of mean temperature, and should receive greater attention in phenology modeling in the future. Meat and milk production were significantly correlated with the MNDVI of scrub, steppe, and meadow. Although the MNDVI increased in recent years, ongoing monitoring for rangeland degradation is recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jihua Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Resource Plants, Beijing Botanical Garden, West China Subalpine Botanical Garden, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiangshan, Beijing, 100093, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Wentao Cai
- Key Laboratory of Resource Plants, Beijing Botanical Garden, West China Subalpine Botanical Garden, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiangshan, Beijing, 100093, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yue Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Hydro-science and Engineering, Department of Hydraulic Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Liming Lai
- Key Laboratory of Resource Plants, Beijing Botanical Garden, West China Subalpine Botanical Garden, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiangshan, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Tianyu Guan
- Key Laboratory of Resource Plants, Beijing Botanical Garden, West China Subalpine Botanical Garden, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiangshan, Beijing, 100093, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiaolong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Resource Plants, Beijing Botanical Garden, West China Subalpine Botanical Garden, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiangshan, Beijing, 100093, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Lianhe Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Resource Plants, Beijing Botanical Garden, West China Subalpine Botanical Garden, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiangshan, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Hui Du
- Key Laboratory of Resource Plants, Beijing Botanical Garden, West China Subalpine Botanical Garden, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiangshan, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Dawen Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Hydro-science and Engineering, Department of Hydraulic Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Zhentao Cong
- State Key Laboratory of Hydro-science and Engineering, Department of Hydraulic Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yuanrun Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Resource Plants, Beijing Botanical Garden, West China Subalpine Botanical Garden, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiangshan, Beijing, 100093, China.
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