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Dawson SJ, Kreplins TL, Kennedy MS, Renwick J, Cowan MA, Fleming PA. Land use and dingo baiting are correlated with the density of kangaroos in rangeland systems. Integr Zool 2023; 18:299-315. [PMID: 36065141 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Rangelands worldwide have been subject to broadscale modification, such as widespread predator control, introduction of permanent livestock water and altered vegetation to improve grazing. In Australia, these landscape changes have resulted in kangaroos (i.e. large macropods) populations increasing over the past 200 years. Kangaroos are a key contributor to total grazing pressure and in conjunction with livestock and feral herbivores have been linked to land degradation. We used 22 years of aerial survey data to investigate whether the density of 3 macropod species in the southern rangelands of Western Australia was associated with: (i) land use, including type of livestock, total livestock, density of feral goats, type of land tenure, and kangaroo commercial harvest effort; (ii) predator management, including permitted dingo control effort, estimated dingo abundance, and presence of the State Barrier Fence (a dingo exclusion fence); and (iii) environmental variables: ruggedness, rainfall, fractional cover, and total standing dry matter. Red kangaroos (Osphranter rufus) were most abundant in flat, open vegetation, on pastoral land, where area permitted for dingo control was high, and numbers were positively associated with antecedent rainfall with a 12-month delay. Western grey kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus) were most abundant on flat, agricultural land, but less abundant in areas with high permitted dingo control. Euros (Osphranter robustus) were most abundant in rugged pastoral land with open vegetation, where permitted dingo control was high. While environmental variables are key drivers of landscape productivity and kangaroo populations, anthropogenic factors such as land use and permitted dingo control are strongly associated with kangaroo abundance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart J Dawson
- Terrestrial Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Australia.,Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (present address), South Perth, Australia
| | - Tracey L Kreplins
- Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Northam, Australia
| | | | - Juanita Renwick
- Queensland Department of Environment and Science, Moggill, Australia
| | - Mark A Cowan
- Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Woodvale, Australia
| | - Patricia A Fleming
- Terrestrial Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Australia
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2
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Prevalence and drivers of abrupt vegetation shifts in global drylands. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2123393119. [PMID: 36252001 PMCID: PMC9618119 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2123393119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The constant provision of plant productivity is integral to supporting the liability of ecosystems and human wellbeing in global drylands. Drylands are paradigmatic examples of systems prone to experiencing abrupt changes in their functioning. Indeed, space-for-time substitution approaches suggest that abrupt changes in plant productivity are widespread, but this evidence is less clear using observational time series or experimental data at a large scale. Studying the prevalence and, most importantly, the unknown drivers of abrupt (rather than gradual) dynamical patterns in drylands may help to unveil hotspots of current and future dynamical instabilities in drylands. Using a 20-y global satellite-derived temporal assessment of dryland Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), we show that 50% of all dryland ecosystems exhibiting gains or losses of NDVI are characterized by abrupt positive/negative temporal dynamics. We further show that abrupt changes are more common among negative than positive NDVI trends and can be found in global regions suffering recent droughts, particularly around critical aridity thresholds. Positive abrupt dynamics are found most in ecosystems with low seasonal variability or high aridity. Our work unveils the high importance of climate variability on triggering abrupt shifts in vegetation and it provides missing evidence of increasing abruptness in systems intensively managed by humans, with low soil organic carbon contents, or around specific aridity thresholds. These results highlight that abrupt changes in dryland dynamics are very common, especially for productivity losses, pinpoint global hotspots of dryland vulnerability, and identify drivers that could be targeted for effective dryland management.
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3
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Laverty TM, Berger J. Indirect effects of African megaherbivore conservation on bat diversity in the world's oldest desert. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2022; 36:e13780. [PMID: 34061400 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 05/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
In extreme environments, temperature and precipitation are often the main forces responsible for structuring ecological communities and species distributions. The role of biotic interactions is typically thought to be minimal. By clustering around rare and isolated features, like surface water, however, effects of herbivory by desert-dwelling wildlife can be amplified. Understanding how species interact in these environments is critical to safeguarding vulnerable or data-deficient species. We examined whether African elephants (Loxodonta africana), black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis), and southern giraffe (Giraffa giraffa) modulate insectivorous bat communities around permanent waterholes in the Namib Desert. We estimated megaherbivore use of sites based on dung transects, summarized vegetation productivity from satellite measurements of the normalized difference vegetation index, and surveyed local bat communities acoustically. We used structural equation models to identify relationships among megaherbivores and bat species richness and dry- (November 2016-January 2017) and wet- (February-May 2017) season bat activity. Site-level megaherbivore use in the dry season was positively associated with bat activity-particularly that of open-air foragers-and species richness through indirect pathways. When resources were more abundant (wet season), however, these relationships were weakened. Our results indicate that biotic interactions contribute to species distributions in desert areas and suggest the conservation of megaherbivores in this ecosystem may indirectly benefit insectivorous bat abundance and diversity. Given that how misunderstood and understudied most bats are relative to other mammals, such findings suggest that managers pursue short-term solutions (e.g., community game guard programs, water-point protection near human settlements, and ecotourism) to indirectly promote bat conservation and that research includes megaherbivores' effects on biodiversity at other trophic levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theresa M Laverty
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Joel Berger
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, New York, USA
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4
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Joly F, Sabatier R, Tatin L, Mosnier C, Ahearn A, Benoit M, Hubert B, Deffuant G. Adaptive decision-making on stocking rates improves the resilience of a livestock system exposed to climate shocks. Ecol Modell 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2021.109799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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5
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Li A, Chen S. Loss of density dependence underpins decoupling of livestock population and plant biomass in intensive grazing systems. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2021; 31:e02450. [PMID: 34515410 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Revised: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Across the world, social-ecological rangeland systems have been transformed from a preindustrial extensive status to intensive exploitation, often leading to long-term livestock population booms, overgrazing, and rangeland degradation. To understand the regulatory mechanisms involved in such historical social-ecological transformations, we collected population data on the native sheep of the last nomadic county in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (1961-2005). We detected changes in internal feedbacks (e.g., density-dependent effects) and external disturbance (e.g., winter harshness, rainfall, harvest) between the extensive and intensive management periods using regression models of sheep population growth rate and counterfactual analyses. We found that, in the extensive period, sheep populations were regulated during harsh winters by climate, while they were regulated during mild winters by negative density dependence. In the intensive period, the negative feedback of density dependence was removed through the provision of additional forage and shelter, and only winter climate and growing season rainfall regulated sheep populations. Counterfactual analyses also confirmed the irreplaceable role of density-dependence in maintaining a sustainable rangeland ecosystem. Although herders attempted to adapt to the removal of negative feedbacks by improving livestock harvest, overgrazing and grassland degradation remain a challenge in this system. We conclude that internal feedbacks within social-ecological systems should be carefully anticipated and accounted for when managing rangelands for sustainability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Shi Chen
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina, 28223, USA
- School of Data Science, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina, 28223, USA
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6
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Berdugo M, Vidiella B, Solé RV, Maestre FT. Ecological mechanisms underlying aridity thresholds in global drylands. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Berdugo
- ICREA‐Complex Systems Lab UPF‐PRBB Barcelona Spain
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva CSIC‐UPF Barcelona Spain
- Institute of Integrative Biology Department of Environment Systems Science ETH Zürich Zürich Switzerland
| | - Blai Vidiella
- ICREA‐Complex Systems Lab UPF‐PRBB Barcelona Spain
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva CSIC‐UPF Barcelona Spain
| | - Ricard V. Solé
- ICREA‐Complex Systems Lab UPF‐PRBB Barcelona Spain
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva CSIC‐UPF Barcelona Spain
- Santa Fe Institute Santa Fe NM USA
| | - Fernando T. Maestre
- Instituto Multidisciplinar para el Estudio del Medio “Ramon Margalef” Universidad de Alicante Alicante Spain
- Departamento de Ecología Universidad de Alicante Alicante Spain
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7
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Munkhzul O, Oyundelger K, Narantuya N, Tuvshintogtokh I, Oyuntsetseg B, Wesche K, Jäschke Y. Grazing Effects on Mongolian Steppe Vegetation—A Systematic Review of Local Literature. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.703220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The Mongolian steppes with a long history of nomadic pastoralism cover a large area of the Palaearctic steppe biome and are still relatively intact. As livestock number has increased over the last two decades, grazing has been considered as the main reason of pasture degradation. However, the impact of grazing on vegetation dynamics, and its interaction with climate, is still not clear. We reviewed 44 publications in Mongolian language, covering 109 sites in five main steppe types, i.e., desert, dry, meadow, mountain, and high mountain steppe, with a mean annual precipitation and temperature range from 120 to 370 mm and from −6 to +5°C, respectively. We calculated relative changes in vegetation cover, species richness, and aboveground biomass from heavily grazed with respect to lightly/non-grazed conditions. Multiple linear regression models were used to test the impact of environmental factors, i.e., mean annual precipitation, coefficient of variation for precipitation, mean annual temperature and elevation. Grazing had a stronger effect on the vegetation of dry, desert and high mountain steppes, whereas its effect was less pronounced in the meadow and mountain steppes with mesic climate and high productivity. Vegetation cover, species richness and aboveground biomass were reduced by heavy grazing in the dry, desert and high mountain steppes. In the meadow steppes, grazing reduced vegetation cover, but increased richness and had nearly no effect on biomass. In the mountain steppe, richness and cover were not affected, but biomass was reduced by heavy grazing. Additionally, grazing effects on biomass tended to be more pronounced at sites with higher amounts of annual precipitation, and effects on cover changed from negative to positive as elevation increased. In conclusion, grazing effects in Mongolian steppes are overall negative in desert, dry and high mountain steppes, but no or even positive effects are found in meadow and mountain steppes. Especially, heavy grazing showed a detrimental effect on all vegetation variables in desert steppes, indicating the existence of combined pressure of climate and grazing in arid habitats, making them potentially sensitive to overgrazing and climate change. Grassland conservation and management should consider characteristics of different steppe types and give importance to local environmental conditions.
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8
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Enkhtur K, Brehm G, Boldgiv B, Pfeiffer M. Alpha and beta diversity patterns of macro-moths reveal a breakpoint along a latitudinal gradient in Mongolia. Sci Rep 2021; 11:15018. [PMID: 34294812 PMCID: PMC8298579 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-94471-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Little is known about the diversity and distribution patterns of moths along latitudinal gradients. We studied macro-moths in Mongolia along an 860 km latitudinal climatic gradient to gain knowledge on community composition, alpha, beta, and gamma diversity as well as underlying factors, which can be used as baseline information for further studies related to climate change. We identified 236 species of moths of ten families. Our study shows that the diversity of moths increased with the latitude, i.e., low species richness in the south and higher richness in the north. Moth community composition changed along the gradient, and we revealed a breakpoint of beta diversity that divided grassland and desert communities. In the desert, beta diversity was driven by species loss (i.e., nestedness), and few tolerant species existed with high abundance. In contrast, in the grassland, beta diversity was driven by species replacement with more unique species, (i.e., species which occurred only in one site). We found the lowest species diversity in the transitional zones dominated by few generalist species such as Agrotis ripae and Anarta trifolii. Low precipitation and an increasing number of grazing goats are drivers of species loss. We suggest different conservation strategies regarding the contrasting patterns of beta diversity in desert and grassland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khishigdelger Enkhtur
- Department of Biogeography, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447, Bayreuth, Germany.
| | - Gunnar Brehm
- Phyletisches Museum, Institut für Zoologie und Evolutionsbiologie, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität, Vor dem Neutor 1, 07743, Jena, Germany
| | - Bazartseren Boldgiv
- Ecology Group, Department of Biology, National University of Mongolia, Ikh Surguuliin Gudamj 1, Ulaanbaatar, 14201, Mongolia.,Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, 19103, USA
| | - Martin Pfeiffer
- Department of Biogeography, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447, Bayreuth, Germany
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9
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Wang Z, Zhang J, Li Z, Liu H, Wang L, Wang W, Wang Y, Liang C. Single Grazing Is More Detrimental to Grasslands Than Mixed Grazing: Evidence From the Response of Functional Traits of Dominant Plants to Grazing Systems. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.682289] [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
Plant functional traits reflect species ecological strategies and determine how plants respond to environmental changes, however, how dominant species in the Inner Mongolia grassland adapt to different grazing systems by changing their functional traits has not been systematically investigated. In this study, we established four 7-year grazing treatments in the Inner Mongolia grassland: cattle grazing, sheep grazing, mixed sheep and cattle grazing, and no grazing. Fourteen functional traits of three dominant species (Stipa grandis, Leymus chinensis, and Cleistogenes squarrosa) were measured under the different grazing treatments. We found convergences of plant functional traits that indicate herbivory avoidance or tolerance. Plants reduced their vegetative height (VH) and stem: leaf ratio (SLR) to avoid grazing; increased their ability to acquire resources by increasing their specific leaf area (SLA), leaf nitrogen concentration (LNC), and leaf phosphorus concentration (LPC); and reduced their leaf dry matter content (LDMC) to tolerate grazing. Moreover, plants may adapt to grazing by increasing the intraspecific variability of their functional traits. Sheep-only grazing adversely affected L. chinensis growth and survival, while cattle-only grazing hindered S. grandis growth and increased the intraspecific variability of its plant functional traits. Our study emphasizes that intraspecific variability is an important indicator of the responses of plant functional traits to grazing. Since single grazing is more detrimental to the functional traits of dominant plants, we suggest that mixed cattle and sheep grazing may be a more environmentally friendly and sustainable practice for the Inner Mongolia grassland than single grazing.
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10
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Reinecke J, Ashastina K, Kienast F, Troeva E, Wesche K. Effects of large herbivore grazing on relics of the presumed mammoth steppe in the extreme climate of NE-Siberia. Sci Rep 2021; 11:12962. [PMID: 34155242 PMCID: PMC8217226 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-92079-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The Siberian mammoth steppe ecosystem changed dramatically with the disappearance of large grazers in the Holocene. The concept of Pleistocene rewilding is based on the idea that large herbivore grazing significantly alters plant communities and can be employed to recreate lost ecosystems. On the other hand, modern rangeland ecology emphasizes the often overriding importance of harsh climates. We visited two rewilding projects and three rangeland regions, sampling a total of 210 vegetation relevés in steppe and surrounding vegetation (grasslands, shrublands and forests) along an extensive climatic gradient across Yakutia, Russia. We analyzed species composition, plant traits, diversity indices and vegetation productivity, using partial canonical correspondence and redundancy analysis. Macroclimate was most important for vegetation composition, and microclimate for the occurrence of extrazonal steppes. Macroclimate and soil conditions mainly determined productivity of vegetation. Bison grazing was responsible for small-scale changes in vegetation through trampling, wallowing and debarking, thus creating more open and disturbed plant communities, soil compaction and xerophytization. However, the magnitude of effects depended on density and type of grazers as well as on interactions with climate and site conditions. Effects of bison grazing were strongest in the continental climate of Central Yakutia, and steppes were generally less affected than meadows. We conclude that contemporary grazing overall has rather limited effects on vegetation in northeastern Siberia. Current rewilding practices are still far from recreating a mammoth steppe, although large herbivores like bison can create more open and drier vegetation and increase nutrient availability in particular in the more continental Central Yakutian Plain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Reinecke
- Senckenberg Museum of Natural History, Görlitz, Germany. .,International Institute Zittau, Technische Universität Dresden, Markt 23, 02763, Zittau, Germany.
| | - Kseniia Ashastina
- Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum, Research Station of Quaternary Paleontology, Weimar, Germany.,Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Philosophenweg 16, 07743, Jena, Germany
| | - Frank Kienast
- Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum, Research Station of Quaternary Paleontology, Weimar, Germany
| | - Elena Troeva
- Institute for Biological Problems of Cryolithozone, Siberian Branch of RAS, Yakutsk, Russia
| | - Karsten Wesche
- Senckenberg Museum of Natural History, Görlitz, Germany.,International Institute Zittau, Technische Universität Dresden, Markt 23, 02763, Zittau, Germany.,German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
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11
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Contrasting effects of local environment and grazing pressure on the genetic diversity and structure of Artemisia frigida. CONSERV GENET 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-021-01375-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
AbstractDrylands count among the most globally extensive biomes, and while many desert and dry rangeland ecosystems are under threat, genetic structures of dryland species are still rarely studied. Artemisia frigida is one of the most widely distributed plant species in the temperate rangelands of Eurasia and North America, and it also dominates in many habitats of Mongolia due to its tolerance to low temperatures, drought and disturbance. Local environmental conditions and grazing pressure can influence species performance and affect spatial patterns of genetic diversity in contrasting ways, and our study set out to evaluate such effects on the genetic diversity and structure of A. frigida. We first developed new species-specific Simple Sequence Repeats (SSRs) markers using whole genome sequencing. We then analysed 11 populations of A. frigida that had been sampled along a large climatic gradient in Mongolia, which were sub-structured according to three levels of grazing intensity. Estimates of genetic diversity at the population level were high (HO = 0.56, HE = 0.73) and tended to increase with higher precipitation and soil nutrient availability. Grazing had no effect on genetic diversity, however, a high number of grazing-specific indicator alleles was found at grazed sites. Genetic differentiation among populations was extremely low (global GST = 0.034). Analysis of Molecular Variance revealed 5% variance between populations along the climatic gradient, with 3% of the variance being partitioned among different grazing intensity levels. We found no relationship between geographic and genetic distances, and thus no isolation by distance in this widely distributed species. The relatively low genetic structuring suggests that considerable gene flow exists among A. frigida populations across the rangelands of Mongolia, in spite of the pervasive grazing in the region.
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12
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Abstract
This essay examines three central components of extensive livestock production—herd composition, grazing/pasture management, and rangeland tenure. In all of these areas, fenced, and open-range forms of migratory pastoralism face a number of shared problems. Set aside the presumption that either one of these systems is technically or institutionally more advanced than the other, and it turns out that each has lessons for the other. 1. For a variety of reasons, including climate change, we can look forward to a future world with less grass, which presents a challenge for livestock producers reliant on grass feeding livestock. With little delay and minimal scientific support, East African pastoralists are already adjusting to a new woody world by diversifying the species composition of their herds to include more browsers—camels and goats. There is a potential lesson here for commercial ranchers who have traded the stability of mixed herds for the profitability of keeping sheep or cattle alone. 2. Migratory rangeland systems distribute livestock very differently than fenced, rotational systems of livestock, and pasture management. Whereas, migratory herds exploit environmental heterogeneity, fenced ranching attempts to suppress it. Emerging archaeological evidence is demonstrating that pastoralists have amplified rangeland heterogeneity for millennia; ecological research shows that this heterogeneity sustains both plant and wildlife biodiversity at the landscape scale; and new approaches to ranch management are appropriating aspects of migratory herding for use on fenced ranches. A rapprochement between the environmental sciences, ranching, and open-range migratory pastoralism has occurred and merits wider policy recognition. 3. In contemporary Africa, indigenous tenure regimes that sustain open rangelands are eroding under pressure from market penetration and state encapsulation. At the same time in the American West, there are emerging novel land tenure instruments that replicate some of the most important functional characteristics of tenure arrangements in pastoral Africa. After many false starts, it appears that some aspects of American ranching do provide an appropriate model for the preservation of the open-range migratory systems that they were once supposed to supplant. “Development” policy needs to reflect upon this inversion of roles and its implications for accommodating diversity.
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13
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Murray-Tortarolo GN, Jaramillo VJ. Precipitation extremes in recent decades impact cattle populations at the global and national scales. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 736:139557. [PMID: 32473457 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Revised: 05/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Cattle populations are one of the most important global ecological drivers. The global cattle population tripled during the past century, leading to large impacts on nutrient cycling, greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss. Nonetheless, their populations have not increased uniformly through the last seven decades (1961-2018), with large unexplained variation between years. We hypothesized a main driver for such fluctuation was climate variability and thus examined global and national level relationships between cattle population growth and precipitation anomalies for the period 1961-2017. We showed that the variation in the global cattle population growth rate was related to precipitation anomalies following a distinctive parabolic relationship, where extreme wetness or dryness decreased population growth. When the analysis was downscaled to the national level, we found the strength of such relationship to be determined by the background climate and management intensity. Countries in drier climates and with less intensive cattle management showed the largest susceptibility to extreme annual precipitation. We propose a general model to explain the relationship between precipitation extremes and cattle populations at multiple scales, based on ecological processes applicable to grazing systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillermo N Murray-Tortarolo
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Mexico.
| | - Víctor J Jaramillo
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Mexico
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14
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Rau AL, Burkhardt V, Dorninger C, Hjort C, Ibe K, Keßler L, Kristensen JA, McRobert A, Sidemo-Holm W, Zimmermann H, Abson DJ, von Wehrden H, Ekroos J. Temporal patterns in ecosystem services research: A review and three recommendations. AMBIO 2020; 49:1377-1393. [PMID: 31776967 PMCID: PMC7239989 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-019-01292-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2019] [Revised: 09/15/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Temporal aspects of ecosystem services have gained surprisingly little attention given that ecosystem service flows are not static but change over time. We present the first systematic review to describe and establish how studies have assessed temporal patterns in supply and demand of ecosystem services. 295 studies, 2% of all studies engaging with the ecosystem service concept, considered changes in ecosystem services over time. Changes were mainly characterised as monotonic and linear (81%), rather than non-linear or through system shocks. Further, a lack of focus of changing ecosystem service demand (rather than supply) hampers our understanding of the temporal patterns of ecosystem services provision and use. Future studies on changes in ecosystem services over time should (1) more explicitly study temporal patterns, (2) analyse trade-offs and synergies between services over time, and (3) integrate changes in supply and demand and involve and empower stakeholders in temporal ecosystem services research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna-Lena Rau
- Faculty of Sustainability, Leuphana University, Universitätsallee 1, 21335 Lüneburg, Germany
| | - Verena Burkhardt
- Faculty of Sustainability, Leuphana University, Universitätsallee 1, 21335 Lüneburg, Germany
| | - Christian Dorninger
- Faculty of Sustainability, Leuphana University, Universitätsallee 1, 21335 Lüneburg, Germany
| | - Cecilia Hjort
- Centre for Environmental and Climate Research, Lund University, 22362 Lund, Sweden
- Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Lund University, Ekologihuset Sölvegatan 37, Lund, Sweden
| | - Karin Ibe
- Faculty of Sustainability, Leuphana University, Universitätsallee 1, 21335 Lüneburg, Germany
- Faculty of Sustainability, Institute of Ecology, Leuphana University, Universitätsallee 1, 21335 Lüneburg, Germany
| | - Lisa Keßler
- Faculty of Sustainability, Leuphana University, Universitätsallee 1, 21335 Lüneburg, Germany
| | - Jeppe A. Kristensen
- Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science, Lund University, Sölvegatan 12, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - Andrew McRobert
- Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science, Lund University, Sölvegatan 12, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - William Sidemo-Holm
- Centre for Environmental and Climate Research, Lund University, 22362 Lund, Sweden
| | - Heike Zimmermann
- Faculty of Sustainability, Leuphana University, Universitätsallee 1, 21335 Lüneburg, Germany
| | - David J. Abson
- Faculty of Sustainability, Leuphana University, Universitätsallee 1, 21335 Lüneburg, Germany
- Faculty of Sustainability, Center for Sustainability Management, Leuphana University, 21335 Lüneburg, Germany
| | - Henrik von Wehrden
- Faculty of Sustainability, Leuphana University, Universitätsallee 1, 21335 Lüneburg, Germany
- Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281 USA
| | - Johan Ekroos
- Centre for Environmental and Climate Research, Lund University, 22362 Lund, Sweden
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15
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Imai S, Ito TY, Shinoda M, Tsunekawa A, Lhagvasuren B. The benefit and strategy of spring movements in Mongolian gazelles. J Mammal 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyz209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Animal movement is predicted to be nomadic in areas with low temporal predictability of environmental conditions, but it remains unclear whether the costs of nomadic movement outweigh the benefits received. To examine the spring movement strategy of Mongolian gazelles (Procapra gutturosa) in Mongolia, where predictability of vegetation conditions is relatively low, we identified the type of each movement, evaluated the preferred vegetation conditions for gazelles, and quantified the benefit achieved through each spring movement. The surveyed gazelles continuously preferred areas with intermediate normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) values from May to July, and spatial and temporal shifts of the distribution of preferred areas explain the long-distance movements of many gazelles in spring. Three movement types, sedentary, linear, and nomadic movement, were identified. The period when benefit varied most greatly among individuals differed between the linear and nomadic movement types. During the spring movement period, the variance of benefit was larger for the nomadic movement type, whereas during the summer it was larger for the linear movement type, suggesting the existence of different movement strategies in the Mongolian gazelle. Linear long-distance movements over a short period in the linear movement type suggest the so-called jumper strategy, whereas other movement patterns might represent the searcher strategy. Benefit loss through movements of individuals in both strategies indicate low interannual predictability of vegetation conditions in the study area, and it would explain the co-existence of multiple movement types or strategies used by Mongolian gazelles in spring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shunsuke Imai
- Arid Land Research Center, Tottori University, Tottori, Japan
| | - Takehiko Y Ito
- Arid Land Research Center, Tottori University, Tottori, Japan
- Organization for the Strategic Coordination of Research and Intellectual Properties, Meiji University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masato Shinoda
- Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | | | - Badamjav Lhagvasuren
- Institute of General and Experimental Biology, Mongolian Academy of Sciences, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
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16
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Briske DD, Coppock DL, Illius AW, Fuhlendorf SD. Strategies for global rangeland stewardship: Assessment through the lens of the equilibrium–non‐equilibrium debate. J Appl Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David D. Briske
- Department of Ecosystem Science & Management Texas A&M University College Station TX USA
| | - D. Layne Coppock
- Department of Environment and Society Utah State University Logan UT USA
| | - Andrew W. Illius
- School of Biological Sciences University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK
| | - Samuel D. Fuhlendorf
- Natural Resource Ecology and Management Oklahoma State University Stillwater OK USA
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17
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Abstract
The regions of the world where average precipitation is between one fifth and half of the potential plant water demand are termed ‘semi-arid’. They make up 15.2% of the global land surface, and the approximately 1.1 billion people who live there are among the world’s poorest. The inter-annual variability of rainfall in semi-arid regions is exceptionally high, due to intrinsic features of the global atmospheric circulation. The observed and projected climate trends for most semi-arid regions indicate warming at rates above the global mean rate over land, increasing evaporative demand, and reduced and more variable rainfall. Historically, the ecosystems and people coped with the challenges of semi-arid climates using a range of strategies that are now less viable. Semi-arid ecosystems are by definition water limited, generally only suitable for extensive pastoralism and opportunistic cropping, unless irrigation supplementation is available. The characteristics of dryland plant production in semi-arid ecosystems, as they interact with climate change and human systems, provide a conceptual framework for why land degradation is so conspicuous in semi-arid regions. The coupled social-ecological failures are contagious, both within the landscape and at regional and global scales. Thus, semi-arid lands are a likely flashpoint for Earth system changes in the 21st century.
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18
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Matos IS, Flores BM, Hirota M, Rosado BHP. Critical transitions in rainfall manipulation experiments on grasslands. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:2695-2704. [PMID: 32185011 PMCID: PMC7069333 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Revised: 01/02/2020] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
As a result of climate and land-use changes, grasslands have been subjected to intensifying drought regimes. Extreme droughts could interfere in the positive feedbacks between grasses and soil water content, pushing grasslands across critical thresholds of productivity and leading them to collapse. If this happens, systems may show hysteresis and costly management interventions might be necessary to restore predrought productivity. Thus, neglecting critical transitions may lead to mismanagement of grasslands and to irreversible loss of ecosystem services. Rainfall manipulation experiments constitute a powerful approach to investigate the risk of such critical transitions. However, experiments performed to date have rarely applied extreme droughts and have used resilience indices that disregard the existence of hysteresis. Here, we suggest how to incorporate critical transitions when designing rainfall manipulation experiments on grasslands and when measuring their resilience to drought. The ideas presented here have the potential to trigger a perspective shift among experimental researchers, into a new state where the existence of critical transitions will be discussed, experimentally tested, and largely considered when assessing and managing vegetation resilience to global changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaíne S. Matos
- Ecology and Evolution Graduate ProgramIBRAGRio de Janeiro State UniversityRio de JaneiroBrazil
| | | | - Marina Hirota
- Department of Plant BiologyUniversity of CampinasCampinasBrazil
- Department of PhysicsFederal University of Santa CatarinaFlorianopolisBrazil
| | - Bruno H. P. Rosado
- Department of EcologyIBRAGRio de Janeiro State UniviersityRio de JaneiroBrazil
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19
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Ibáñez J, Martínez-Valderrama J, Contador JFL, Fernández MP. Exploring the economic, social and environmental prospects for commercial natural annual grasslands by performing a sensitivity analysis on a multidisciplinary integrated model. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 705:135860. [PMID: 31972922 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2019] [Revised: 11/18/2019] [Accepted: 11/28/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
This paper presents an integrated modelling study aimed at exploring the possible effects of drivers of change in commercial natural annual grasslands. We consider drivers as factors that affect the rangeland but are not affected by it. Thus, the stocking rate is not treated as a driver, but as an endogenous factor ultimately determined by drivers. This approach, which call for integrated multidisciplinary studies, is rare in the rangeland literature. We try to alleviate this lack by presenting and utilizing a novel multidisciplinary integrated system-dynamics model (108 equations) which represents an area of privately owned extensive farms, its farmers (their numbers and decisions), herds or flocks, herbage production, soil erosion and the linked local markets. By means of a global sensitivity analysis of this model we evaluated the sensitivities of key endogenous factors to the same percentage variation in 70 factors, including economic and climate drivers. The analysis considered the behaviours of 288,000 variants of the modelled system, each under a different 300-year driver scenario. We found that the environmental component of the model was almost exclusively sensitive to biophysical factors, whereas the socio-economic component was almost exclusively sensitive to socio-economic factors, despite the model takes account of key feedbacks connecting both components. Our results suggest that cautiously-managed commercial natural grasslands could socially and economically cope with climate change, especially in a scenario of rising prices of animal products, and also that, even though stocking rates would increase due to an increase in the demand for livestock products, the main threat to the provision of ecosystem services in the studied system would be climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Ibáñez
- Departamento de Economía Agraria, Estadística y Gestión de Empresas, ETSIAAB, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Jaime Martínez-Valderrama
- Department of Ecology & Multidisciplinary Institute for Environment Studies "Ramon Margalef", University of Alicante, Spain
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20
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Berdugo M, Delgado-Baquerizo M, Soliveres S, Hernández-Clemente R, Zhao Y, Gaitán JJ, Gross N, Saiz H, Maire V, Lehmann A, Rillig MC, Solé RV, Maestre FT. Global ecosystem thresholds driven by aridity. Science 2020; 367:787-790. [DOI: 10.1126/science.aay5958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 251] [Impact Index Per Article: 62.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Aridity, which is increasing worldwide because of climate change, affects the structure and functioning of dryland ecosystems. Whether aridification leads to gradual (versus abrupt) and systemic (versus specific) ecosystem changes is largely unknown. We investigated how 20 structural and functional ecosystem attributes respond to aridity in global drylands. Aridification led to systemic and abrupt changes in multiple ecosystem attributes. These changes occurred sequentially in three phases characterized by abrupt decays in plant productivity, soil fertility, and plant cover and richness at aridity values of 0.54, 0.7, and 0.8, respectively. More than 20% of the terrestrial surface will cross one or several of these thresholds by 2100, which calls for immediate actions to minimize the negative impacts of aridification on essential ecosystem services for the more than 2 billion people living in drylands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Berdugo
- Instituto Multidisciplinar para el Estudio del Medio “Ramón Margalef,” Universidad de Alicante, 03690 San Vicente del Raspeig, Alicante, Spain
- Institut de Biología Evolutiva (UPF-CSIC), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo
- Instituto Multidisciplinar para el Estudio del Medio “Ramón Margalef,” Universidad de Alicante, 03690 San Vicente del Raspeig, Alicante, Spain
- Universidad Pablo de Olavide, 41704 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Santiago Soliveres
- Instituto Multidisciplinar para el Estudio del Medio “Ramón Margalef,” Universidad de Alicante, 03690 San Vicente del Raspeig, Alicante, Spain
- Departamento de Ecología, Universidad de Alicante, 03690 San Vicente del Raspeig, Alicante, Spain
| | | | - Yanchuang Zhao
- College of Information Science and Engineering, Henan University of Technology, 450001 Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Digital Earth Science, Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100094 Beijing, China
| | - Juan J. Gaitán
- Instituto de Suelos, CIRN, INTA, 01686 Hurlingham, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Departamento de Tecnología, Universidad Nacional de Luján, 6700 Luján, Argentina
- National Research Council of Argentina (CONICET), 01686 Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Nicolas Gross
- UCA, INRAE, VetAgro Sup, UMR 0874 Ecosystème Prairial, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Hugo Saiz
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, 3013 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Vincent Maire
- Département des sciences de l’environnement, Université du Québec à Trois Rivières, G9A 5H7 Trois Rivières, Québec, Canada
| | - Anika Lehmann
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Matthias C. Rillig
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Ricard V. Solé
- Institut de Biología Evolutiva (UPF-CSIC), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
- Santa Fe Institute, 87501 Santa Fe, NM, USA
| | - Fernando T. Maestre
- Instituto Multidisciplinar para el Estudio del Medio “Ramón Margalef,” Universidad de Alicante, 03690 San Vicente del Raspeig, Alicante, Spain
- Departamento de Ecología, Universidad de Alicante, 03690 San Vicente del Raspeig, Alicante, Spain
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21
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Brown C, Behrendt K, Ping L, Guanghua Q, Bennett J, Bao Z, Addison J, Kemp D, Guodong H, Jing Z. Refining China’s grassland policies: an interdisciplinary and ex-ante analysis. RANGELAND JOURNAL 2020. [DOI: 10.1071/rj20097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
China is about to embark on a new round of grassland policies as part of its 14th Five-Year-Plan. Although current grassland policies have generally been perceived positively in arresting widespread grassland degradation, concerns have arisen that the current policies may not be effective in achieving the desired reduction in livestock numbers. Furthermore, there are concerns the incentive-based payments that are part of these policy programs may not reflect herder opportunity costs or the marginal environmental benefits of the program, with associated issues of herder satisfaction and compliance. Changes to current policy settings are being considered in response to these concerns. This paper reports on an interdisciplinary and ex-ante analysis of alternative policy settings affecting grazing and livestock management in terms of their environmental impacts, net social benefits and other impacts. The analysis finds that a bundle of instruments involving both positive and negative herder incentives is needed if desired stocking rates are to be achieved. The impact on herder incomes, both positive and negative depending on the grassland biome, along with transaction costs of implementing the policies, have the most influence on net social benefits.
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22
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Lang B, Ahlborn J, Oyunbileg M, Geiger A, von Wehrden H, Wesche K, Oyuntsetseg B, Römermann C. Grazing effects on intraspecific trait variability vary with changing precipitation patterns in Mongolian rangelands. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:678-691. [PMID: 32015835 PMCID: PMC6988561 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2018] [Revised: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 10/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Functional traits are proxies for plant physiology and performance, which do not only differ between species but also within species. In this work, we hypothesized that (a) with increasing precipitation, the percentage of focal species which significantly respond to changes in grazing intensity increases, while under dry conditions, climate-induced stress is so high that plant species hardly respond to any changes in grazing intensity and that (b) the magnitude with which species change their trait values in response to grazing, reflected by coefficients of variation (CVs), increases with increasing precipitation. Chosen plant traits were canopy height, plant width, specific leaf area (SLA), chlorophyll fluorescence, performance index, stomatal pore area index (SPI), and individual aboveground biomass of 15 species along a precipitation gradient with different grazing intensities in Mongolian rangelands. We used linear models for each trait to assess whether the percentage of species that respond to grazing changes along the precipitation gradient. To test the second hypothesis, we assessed the magnitude of intraspecific trait variability (ITV) response to grazing, per species, trait, and precipitation level by calculating CVs across the different grazing intensities. ITV was most prominent for SLA and SPI under highest precipitation, confirming our first hypothesis. Accordingly, CVs of canopy height, SPI, and SLA increased with increasing precipitation, partly confirming our second hypothesis. CVs of the species over all traits increased with increasing precipitation only for three species. This study shows that it remains challenging to predict how plant performance will shift under changing environmental conditions based on their traits alone. In this context, the implications for the use of community-weighted mean trait values are discussed, as not only species abundances change in response to changing environmental conditions, but also values of traits considerably change. Including this aspect in further studies will improve our understanding of processes acting within and among communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birgit Lang
- Institute of Ecology and EvolutionFriedrich Schiller UniversityJenaGermany
| | - Julian Ahlborn
- Faculty of SustainabilityInstitute of EcologyLeuphana University LüneburgLüneburgGermany
| | - Munkhzuul Oyunbileg
- Botany DepartmentSchool of Biology and BiotechnologyNational University of MongoliaUlaanbaatarMongolia
| | - Anna Geiger
- Institute of Ecology and EvolutionFriedrich Schiller UniversityJenaGermany
| | - Henrik von Wehrden
- Faculty of SustainabilityInstitute of EcologyLeuphana University LüneburgLüneburgGermany
| | - Karsten Wesche
- Senckenberg Museum of Natural HistoryGörlitzGermany
- International Institute ZittauTechnische Universität DresdenZittauGermany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv)Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigGermany
| | - Batlai Oyuntsetseg
- Botany DepartmentSchool of Biology and BiotechnologyNational University of MongoliaUlaanbaatarMongolia
| | - Christine Römermann
- Institute of Ecology and EvolutionFriedrich Schiller UniversityJenaGermany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv)Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigGermany
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23
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Fensham RJ, Laffineur B, Rhodes JR, Silcock JL. Rare plant species do not occupy water-remote refuges in arid environments subject to livestock grazing. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2019; 29:e01911. [PMID: 31017349 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2018] [Revised: 01/29/2019] [Accepted: 03/19/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
In many of the world's arid regions there has been a dramatic increase in grazing pressure with herds of livestock sustained by the provision of artificial water points. In these systems it has been suggested that grazing-sensitive plant species will have contracted to refuges distant from water points where grazing impacts are low. This association was tested using a large data set of presence/absence records for rare plant species throughout the northeastern Australian arid zone. The presence records of only one of 45 species were statistically associated with lower grazing activity, as a function of distance-to-water, than the absence records. The field observation that this species is rarely grazed suggests it is not susceptible to grazing pressure. In general, the study supports assertions that populations of short-lived plants in drylands are resilient in the face of exaggerated livestock grazing because herbivores are not in sufficient densities to have an impact during the sporadic periods of high rainfall when plants can complete their life cycles. However, long-lived palatable species may be extinction-prone in grazed landscapes over long time frames if recruitment is curtailed by grazing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roderick J Fensham
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072, Queensland, Australia
- Queensland Herbarium, Department of Environment and Science, Information Technology and Innovation, Brisbane Botanic Gardens, Mt Coot-tha Road, Toowong, 4066, Queensland, Australia
| | - Boris Laffineur
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072, Queensland, Australia
- Queensland Herbarium, Department of Environment and Science, Information Technology and Innovation, Brisbane Botanic Gardens, Mt Coot-tha Road, Toowong, 4066, Queensland, Australia
| | - Jonathan R Rhodes
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072, Queensland, Australia
| | - Jennifer L Silcock
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072, Queensland, Australia
- Queensland Herbarium, Department of Environment and Science, Information Technology and Innovation, Brisbane Botanic Gardens, Mt Coot-tha Road, Toowong, 4066, Queensland, Australia
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24
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Jamsranjav C, Fernández‐Giménez ME, Reid RS, Adya B. Opportunities to integrate herders' indicators into formal rangeland monitoring: an example from Mongolia. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2019; 29:e01899. [PMID: 31020715 PMCID: PMC6851969 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2018] [Revised: 02/28/2019] [Accepted: 03/12/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Despite increasing calls for knowledge integration around the world, traditional knowledge is rarely used in formal, Western-science-based monitoring and resource management. To better understand indicators herders use and their relationship to researcher-measured indicators, we conducted in-depth field interviews with 26 herders in three ecological zones of Mongolia. We asked each herder to (1) assess the overall condition of three different sites located along a livestock-use gradient from their winter camp using a numeric scale, (2) describe the indicators they used in their assessment, and (3) explain what caused their pastures to remain healthy or become degraded. At each site, we collected field data on vegetation variables and compared these with herders' ratings and indicators using linear regression. We used classification and ordination to understand how herders' assessment scores related to plant community composition, and determine how well multivariate analysis of factors determining plant community composition aligned with herders' observations of factors causing rangeland change. Across all ecological zones, herders use indicators similar to those used in formal monitoring. Herders' assessment scores correlated significantly and positively with measured total foliar cover in all three ecological zones, and with additional measured variables in the steppe and desert steppe. Ordination revealed that herder assessment scores were correlated with the primary ordination axis in each zone, and the main factors driving plant community composition in each zone were the same as those identified by herders as the primary causes of rangeland change in that zone. These results show promise for developing integrated indicators and monitoring protocols and highlight the importance of developing a common language of monitoring terminology shared by herders, government monitoring agencies, and researchers. We propose a new model for integrating herder knowledge and participation into formal monitoring in Mongolia, with implications for rangelands and pastoral people globally. We suggest practical ways of involving herders in formal monitoring that have potential broad application for promoting local and indigenous people's participation in implementing international agreements such as the UN Convention to Combat Desertification and the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, both of which call for involvement of local people and indigenous/traditional knowledges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chantsallkham Jamsranjav
- Department of Forest and Rangeland StewardshipColorado State UniversityFort CollinsColorado80523‐1472 USA
| | - María E. Fernández‐Giménez
- Department of Forest and Rangeland StewardshipColorado State UniversityFort CollinsColorado80523‐1472 USA
- Center for Collaborative ConservationColorado State UniversityFort CollinsColorado80523‐1472 USA
| | - Robin S. Reid
- Center for Collaborative ConservationColorado State UniversityFort CollinsColorado80523‐1472 USA
- Department of Ecosystem Science and SustainabilityColorado State UniversityFort CollinsColorado80523‐1472USA
| | - B. Adya
- Nutag Action Research InstituteUlaanbaatarMongolia
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25
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Silcock JL, Fensham RJ. Degraded or Just Dusty? Examining Ecological Change in Arid Lands. Bioscience 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biz054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractThe ecological history of rangelands is often presented as a tale of devastation, where fragile drylands are irreversibly degraded through inappropriate land use. However, there is confusion about how to recognize and measure degradation, especially in low-productivity environments characterized by extreme natural variability and where abrupt and comprehensive management upheavals preclude benchmarks. These issues have important consequences for rangeland management programs, which are typically founded on presumptions of substantial and ongoing degradation from former “natural” states. We explore complementary approaches to critically assess degradation: the historical record, long-term grazing exclosures, surveys for potentially rare and sensitive plant species, and assessment of water-remote areas in relation to rare plant occurrence. Employing these approaches in inland Australia, we show that prevailing paradigms have become entrenched despite being inconsistent with empirical evidence. Our methodology can be applied to drylands with abrupt changes in management and contentious ecological narratives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L Silcock
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, National Environmental Science Program, Threatened Species Recovery Hub, University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, Australia
- Sustainable Agriculture Flagship, CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, Dutton Park, Queensland, Australia
| | - Rod J Fensham
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, National Environmental Science Program, Threatened Species Recovery Hub, University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, Australia
- Queensland Herbarium, Department of Environment and Science, Brisbane Botanic Gardens, Toowong, Queensland, Australia
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26
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Imai S, Ito TY, Kinugasa T, Shinoda M, Tsunekawa A, Lhagvasuren B. Nomadic Movement of Mongolian Gazelles Identified through the Net Squared Displacement Approach. MAMMAL STUDY 2019. [DOI: 10.3106/ms2018-0052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shunsuke Imai
- Arid Land Research Center, Tottori University, 1390 Hamasaka, Tottori 680-0001, Japan
| | - Takehiko Y. Ito
- Arid Land Research Center, Tottori University, 1390 Hamasaka, Tottori 680-0001, Japan
| | | | - Masato Shinoda
- Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Atsushi Tsunekawa
- Arid Land Research Center, Tottori University, 1390 Hamasaka, Tottori 680-0001, Japan
| | - Badamjav Lhagvasuren
- Institute of General and Experimental Biology, Mongolian Academy of Sciences, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
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27
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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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Wang Y, Sun Y, Wang Z, Chang S, Hou F. Grazing management options for restoration of alpine grasslands on the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau. Ecosphere 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] 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
| | - 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
| | - 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
| | - 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
| | - 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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Ito TY, Sakamoto Y, Lhagvasuren B, Kinugasa T, Shinoda M. Winter habitat of Mongolian gazelles in areas of southern Mongolia under new railroad construction: An estimation of interannual changes in suitable habitats. Mamm Biol 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mambio.2018.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Joly F, Sabatier R, Hubert B. Modelling interacting plant and livestock renewal dynamics helps disentangle equilibrium and nonequilibrium aspects in a Mongolian pastoral system. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 625:1390-1404. [PMID: 29996436 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.12.215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2017] [Revised: 12/19/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The interplay of livestock density dependence drivers and climate hazards is thought to cause pasture deterioration and poverty in Mongolian pastoral systems. We assessed their relative weights in a system of the Gobi exposed to high rainfall variability and harsh winters, which suggests that climate is the main system's driver. In this aim we modelled how interacting plant and livestock renewal dynamics impact herder performances, under the influence of climate. Plant dynamics was studied through an underground biomass sub-model because local pastures are dominated by perennial species. This approach enabled us studying pastoral issues in a holistic way, by integrating plant underground organs, livestock populations, herder income, and climate drivers. Models described that current grazing practices can significantly reduce underground biomass (-30% after 20years), but not entirely deplete it. They also showed that competition between herders could trap the smallest ones in poverty, by preventing the growth of their herds. This competition operates through density dependent factors affecting livestock productivity and vulnerability to climate shocks. This competition effect is all the more important since small herders could grow their herd and escape poverty if they were alone in the system. This result shows that density dependent factors could significantly impact herder performances and suggests that forage resource allocation is a driver as powerful as climate, even in the local harsh bioclimatic configuration of the Mongolian Gobi.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Joly
- Association pour le cheval de Przewalski: TAKH, Station Biologique de la Tour du Valat, Le Sambuc, 13200 Arles, France; ABIES/AgroParisTech, 19 avenue du Maine, 75015 Paris, France.
| | - R Sabatier
- AgroParisTech/INRA, UMR 1048 SADAPT, 16 rue Claude Bernard, 75005 Paris, France.
| | - B Hubert
- INRA, Unité d'Ecodéveloppement, Site Agroparc, 84914 Avignon, France.
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31
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Yang Y, Hopping KA, Wang G, Chen J, Peng A, Klein JA. Permafrost and drought regulate vulnerability of Tibetan Plateau grasslands to warming. Ecosphere 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Yan Yang
- Institute of Mountain Hazards & Environment Chinese Academy of Sciences Chengdu 610041 China
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability Colorado State University Campus Delivery 1476 Fort Collins Colorado 80523 USA
| | - Kelly A. Hopping
- Department of Earth System Science Stanford University 473 Via Ortega Stanford California 94305 USA
| | - Genxu Wang
- Institute of Mountain Hazards & Environment Chinese Academy of Sciences Chengdu 610041 China
| | - Ji Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology and Key Laboratory of Aerosol Chemistry and Physics Institute of Earth Environment Chinese Academy of Sciences Xi'an 710061 China
- Center for Ecological and Environmental Sciences Northwestern Polytechnical University Xi'an 710072 China
| | - Ahui Peng
- Institute of Mountain Hazards & Environment Chinese Academy of Sciences Chengdu 610041 China
| | - Julia A. Klein
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability Colorado State University Campus Delivery 1476 Fort Collins Colorado 80523 USA
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32
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Jamsranjav C, Reid RS, Fernández-Giménez ME, Tsevlee A, Yadamsuren B, Heiner M. Applying a dryland degradation framework for rangelands: the case of Mongolia. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2018; 28:622-642. [PMID: 29509298 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2017] [Revised: 11/17/2017] [Accepted: 12/08/2017] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Livestock-caused rangeland degradation remains a major policy concern globally and the subject of widespread scientific study. This concern persists in part because it is difficult to isolate the effects of livestock from climate and other factors that influence ecosystem conditions. Further, degradation studies seldom use multiple plant and soil indicators linked to a clear definition of and ecologically grounded framework for degradation assessment that distinguishes different levels of degradation. Here, we integrate two globally applicable rangeland degradation frameworks and apply them to a broad-scale empirical data set for the country of Mongolia. We compare our assessment results with two other recent national rangeland degradation assessments in Mongolia to gauge consistency of findings across assessments and evaluate the utility of our framework. We measured livestock-use impacts across Mongolia's major ecological zones: mountain and forest steppe, eastern steppe, steppe, and desert steppe. At 143 sites in 36 counties, we measured livestock-use and degradation indicators at increasing distances from livestock corrals in winter-grazed pastures. At each site, we measured multiple indicators linked to our degradation framework, including plant cover, standing biomass, palatability, species richness, forage quality, vegetation gaps, and soil surface characteristics. Livestock use had no effect on soils, plant species richness, or standing crop biomass in any ecological zone, but subtly affected plant cover and palatable plant abundance. Livestock effects were strongest in the steppe zone, moderate in the desert steppe, and limited in the mountain/forest and eastern steppes. Our results aligned closely with those of two other recent country-wide assessments, suggesting that our framework may have widespread application. All three assessments found that very severe and irreversible degradation is rare in Mongolia (1-18% of land area), with most rangelands slightly (33-53%) or moderately (25-40%) degraded. We conclude that very severe livestock-induced rangeland degradation is overstated in Mongolia. However, targeted rangeland restoration coupled with monitoring, adaptive management and stronger rangeland governance are needed to prevent further degradation where heavy grazing could cause irreversible change. Given the broad applicability of our degradation framework for Mongolia, we suggest it be tested for application in other temperate grasslands throughout Central Asia and North America.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Jamsranjav
- Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80523-1472, USA
| | - R S Reid
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80523-1472, USA
| | - M E Fernández-Giménez
- Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80523-1472, USA
| | - A Tsevlee
- Nutag Action Research Institute, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
| | - B Yadamsuren
- Institute of Geo-ecology and Geography, Mongolian Academy of Science, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
| | - M Heiner
- The Nature Conservancy, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80524, USA
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34
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Briske DD, Illius AW, Anderies JM. Nonequilibrium Ecology and Resilience Theory. RANGELAND SYSTEMS 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-46709-2_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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Li X, Ding Y, Yin Y, Yang T, Liu Z, Ren W, Zhang J, Sarula, Li Y, Hou X. Patterns of herders’ adaptation to changes in social–ecological systems across northern China’s grasslands over the past three decades. RANGELAND JOURNAL 2017. [DOI: 10.1071/rj16070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the changes in herders’ adaptation to environmental change can provide insight into humans’ adaptive mechanisms to different social–ecological systems, and is also important for the optimal management of grasslands. However, the existing and emerging patterns of herders’ adaptation to changes in social–ecological systems across different types of grasslands are poorly understood. This paper presents a systematic participatory investigation that was conducted to comprehensively understand herders’ adaptation in this context over the past three decades. Three counties in Inner Mongolia grasslands were selected as the case study sites, located in meadow steppe, typical steppe and desert steppe respectively. Our results indicate that herders’ perceptions partly fit with the reality of the actual changes. The majority of herders attributed their pasture’s quality degradation to reduced precipitation rather than overgrazing, a contradictory perception to previous scientific observations (overgrazing > climate change). Moreover, herders’ behaviour in relation to herbage storage and livestock structure had dramatically changed in terms of spatial and temporal patterns in Inner Mongolia, which benefited herders in production efficiency. Lambing time of sheep and goats occurred earlier than it did several decades ago across the three grassland types. This was attributed to a rise in temperature, increasing marketisation and developing infrastructure. In addition, there became evident a transformation in the animal husbandry production cycle from a two-year to one-year cycle. Our results highlighted that the transformation of herders’ behavioural strategies resulted from variations in spatial and temporal patterns of climate change, pasture degradation, new policies and marketisation in pastoral areas. These strategies can be seen as key mechanisms in long-term adaptation to changes in social–ecological systems, which benefit herders’ efficiency in grassland management.
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Densmore-McCulloch JA, Thompson DL, Fraser LH. Short-Term Effects of Changing Precipitation Patterns on Shrub-Steppe Grasslands: Seasonal Watering Is More Important than Frequency of Watering Events. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0168663. [PMID: 27997611 PMCID: PMC5173370 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0168663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2016] [Accepted: 12/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change is expected to alter precipitation patterns. Droughts may become longer and more frequent, and the timing and intensity of precipitation may change. We tested how shifting precipitation patterns, both seasonally and by frequency of events, affects soil nitrogen availability, plant biomass and diversity in a shrub-steppe temperate grassland along a natural productivity gradient in Lac du Bois Grasslands Protected Area near Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada. We manipulated seasonal watering patterns by either exclusively watering in the spring or the fall. To simulate spring precipitation we restricted precipitation inputs in the fall, then added 50% more water than the long term average in the spring, and vice-versa for the fall precipitation treatment. Overall, the amount of precipitation remained roughly the same. We manipulated the frequency of rainfall events by either applying water weekly (frequent) or monthly (intensive). After 2 years, changes in the seasonality of watering had greater effects on plant biomass and diversity than changes in the frequency of watering. Fall watering reduced biomass and increased species diversity, while spring watering had little effect. The reduction in biomass in fall watered treatments was due to a decline in grasses, but not forbs. Plant available N, measured by Plant Root Simulator (PRS)-probes, increased from spring to summer to fall, and was higher in fall watered treatments compared to spring watered treatments when measured in the fall. The only effect observed due to frequency of watering events was greater extractable soil N in monthly applied treatments compared to weekly watering treatments. Understanding the effects of changing precipitation patterns on grasslands will allow improved grassland conservation and management in the face of global climatic change, and here we show that if precipitation is more abundant in the fall, compared to the spring, grassland primary productivity will likely be negatively affected.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Lauchlan H. Fraser
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada
- * E-mail:
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Shine T, Dunford B. What value for pastoral livelihoods? An economic valuation of development alternatives for ephemeral wetlands in eastern Mauritania. PASTORALISM 2016. [DOI: 10.1186/s13570-016-0057-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
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Stein C, Harpole WS, Suding KN. Transitions and invasion along a grazing gradient in experimental California grasslands. Ecology 2016; 97:2319-2330. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.1478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2016] [Accepted: 04/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Stein
- Environmental Science, Policy and Management; University of California at Berkeley; 130 Mulford Hall Berkeley California 94720 USA
| | - William Stanley Harpole
- Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology; Iowa State University; 251 Bessey Hall Ames Iowa 50011 USA
- Department of Physiological Diversity; Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research-UFZ; Permoserstrasse 15 04318 Leipzig Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig; Deutscher Platz 5e D-04103 Leipzig Germany
- Institute of Biology; Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg; Am Kirchtor 1 06108 Halle (Saale) Germany
| | - Katharine N. Suding
- Environmental Science, Policy and Management; University of California at Berkeley; 130 Mulford Hall Berkeley California 94720 USA
- Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research; University of Colorado; 1560 30th Street Boulder Colorado 80303 USA
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Zeng Y, Liu T, Zhou XB, Sun QM, Han ZQ, Liu K. Effects of climate change on plant composition and diversity in the Gurbantünggüt Desert of northwestern China. Ecol Res 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s11284-016-1352-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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40
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Burnik Šturm M, Pukazhenthi B, Reed D, Ganbaatar O, Sušnik S, Haymerle A, Voigt CC, Kaczensky P. A protocol to correct for intra- and interspecific variation in tail hair growth to align isotope signatures of segmentally cut tail hair to a common time line. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2015; 29:1047-1054. [PMID: 26044272 PMCID: PMC4437015 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.7196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2015] [Revised: 03/02/2015] [Accepted: 03/10/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE In recent years, segmental stable isotope analysis of hair has been a focus of research in animal dietary ecology and migration. To correctly assign tail hair segments to seasons or even Julian dates, information on tail hair growth rates is a key parameter, but is lacking for most species. METHODS We (a) reviewed the literature on tail hair growth rates in mammals; b) made own measurements of three captive equid species; (c) measured δ(2)H, δ(13)C and δ(15)N values in sequentially cut tail hairs of three sympatric, free-ranging equids from the Mongolian Gobi, using isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS); and (d) collected environmental background data on seasonal variation by measuring δ(2)H values in precipitation by IRMS and by compiling pasture productivity measured by remote sensing via the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). RESULTS Tail hair growth rates showed significant inter- and intra-specific variation making temporal alignment problematic. In the Mongolian Gobi, high seasonal variation of δ(2)H values in precipitation results in winter lows and summer highs of δ(2)H values of available water sources. In water-dependent equids, this seasonality is reflected in the isotope signatures of sequentially cut tails hairs. CONCLUSIONS In regions which are subject to strong seasonal patterns we suggest identifying key isotopes which show strong seasonal variation in the environment and can be expected to be reflected in the animal tissue. The known interval between the maxima and minima of these isotope values can then be used to correctly temporally align the segmental stable isotope signature for each individual animal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Burnik Šturm
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary MedicineVienna, Austria
| | | | - Dolores Reed
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology InstituteFront Royal, Virginia, USA
| | - Oyunsaikhan Ganbaatar
- Great Gobi B Strictly Protected Area Administration & Department of Zoology, School of Biology and Biotechnology, National University of MongoliaUlan Bator, Mongolia
| | - Stane Sušnik
- Oslarija, Institute for Donkey Breeding and ResearchKomen, Slovenia
| | - Agnes Haymerle
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary MedicineVienna, Austria
| | - Christian C Voigt
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW)Berlin, Germany
| | - Petra Kaczensky
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary MedicineVienna, Austria
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von Wehrden H, Wesche K, Chuluunkhuyag O, Fust P. Correlation of trends in cashmere production and declines of large wild mammals: response to Berger et al. 2013. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2015; 29:286-289. [PMID: 25369878 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2013] [Accepted: 04/03/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Henrik von Wehrden
- Centre of Methods & Institute of Ecology/Faculty of Sustainability, Leuphana University Lüneburg, Scharnhorststrasse 1, Lüneburg 21335, Germany; Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Savoyen Strasse 1, Vienna, 1160, Austria; Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal and Cátedra de Biogeografía, FCEFyN (CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Córdoba), Casilla de Correo 495, (5000), Córdoba, Argentina.
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Waudby HP, Petit S. Ephemeral plant indicators of livestock grazing in arid rangelands during wet conditions. RANGELAND JOURNAL 2015. [DOI: 10.1071/rj14118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Vegetation communities in arid rangeland systems are typically dominated by short-lived, ephemeral (annual) plants during periods of high rainfall. These conditions present a rare opportunity to examine herbivore–plant interactions and identify potential indicators of grazing intensity. The influence of cattle grazing on vegetation communities of arid cracking-clay gibber-gilgai systems in Australian rangelands was investigated during La Niña (wet) conditions, including 2010, which was the wettest year on record in the region. Seasonal annual plant diversity was assessed at three grazed and three less-grazed sites. Individual annual species’ responses to grazing intensity were examined among grazed and less-grazed sites (i.e. increasing or decreasing response). Additionally, rare (found at one site only) and restricted (found at grazed or less-grazed sites only) annual and perennial species were identified to elucidate their status as indicators. Prevailing La Niña conditions allowed the study of little-known, short-lived species, which constituted the bulk of species richness. Differences in grazing intensity were more clearly ascertained from examining individual species than plant diversity. Of 31 annual/short-lived species, 21 responded to grazing intensity. Although most species responded to grazing (n = 7 increasers and n = 14 decreasers), these responses did not necessarily reflect published accounts of their so-called palatability. Thirty other species were restricted to certain site types (grazed or less-grazed) and 20 were rare. The indicator species concept should be applied at appropriate scales, and more detailed information is needed on stock preferences for these ephemeral plants in these rangeland systems. Elucidating the effect of grazing on individual plant species’ phenology, and identifying indicators, is important for developing efficacious land management practices.
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43
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Batsaikhan N, Buuveibaatar B, Chimed B, Enkhtuya O, Galbrakh D, Ganbaatar O, Lkhagvasuren B, Nandintsetseg D, Berger J, Calabrese JM, Edwards AE, Fagan WF, Fuller TK, Heiner M, Ito TY, Kaczensky P, Leimgruber P, Lushchekina A, Milner-Gulland EJ, Mueller T, Murray MG, Olson KA, Reading R, Schaller GB, Stubbe A, Stubbe M, Walzer C, Von Wehrden H, Whitten T. Conserving the world's finest grassland amidst ambitious national development. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2014; 28:1736-9. [PMID: 24712745 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2013] [Accepted: 02/01/2014] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Nyamsuren Batsaikhan
- Department of Zoology, School of Biology and Biotechnology, National University of Mongolia, University Avenue-1, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
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44
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Buuveibaatar B, Fuller TK, Young JK, Berger J. Calving location selection patterns of saiga antelope in
M
ongolia. J Zool (1987) 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- B. Buuveibaatar
- Department of Environmental Conservation University of Massachusetts Amherst MA USA
- Mongolia Program Wildlife Conservation Society Ulaanbaatar Mongolia
| | - T. K. Fuller
- Department of Environmental Conservation University of Massachusetts Amherst MA USA
| | - J. K. Young
- USDA‐WS‐National Wildlife Research Center and the Department of Wildland Resources Utah State University Logan UT USA
| | - J. Berger
- Organismic Biology and Ecology University of Montana Missoula MT USA
- Wildlife Conservation Society New York NY USA
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Kaczensky P, Adiya Y, von Wehrden H, Mijiddorj B, Walzer C, Güthlin D, Enkhbileg D, Reading RP. Space and habitat use by wild Bactrian camels in the Transaltai Gobi of southern Mongolia. BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION 2014; 169:311-318. [PMID: 24695588 PMCID: PMC3969720 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2013.11.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2013] [Revised: 10/14/2013] [Accepted: 11/20/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Wild Bactrian camels (Camela ferus) are listed as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and only persist in some of the most remote locations in northern China and southern Mongolia. Although the species has been recognized as an umbrella species for the fragile central Asian desert ecosystem and has been high on the conservation agenda, little is known about the species' habitat requirements, with most information coming from anecdotal sightings and descriptive studies. We compiled the only available telemetry data from wild camels worldwide. Seven wild camels, which were followed for 11-378 monitoring days, covered a total range of 28,410 km2, with individual annual ranges being >12,000 km2 for three animals followed over a year. Camels reacted strongly to capture events, moving up to 64 km from the capture site within a day, whereas normal average daily straight line distances were 3.0-6.4 km/day. Camels showed a preference for intermediate productivity values (NDVI, habitat type) and landscape parameters (distance to water, elevation) and an avoidance of steep slopes. Our telemetry results suggest that wild camels still range throughout the entire Great Gobi A Strictly Protected Area (SPA), are highly mobile, and very sensitive to human disturbance. Their habitat preference may be a trade-off between dietary and safety requirements. Small sample size did not allow the development of a full habitat model testing all variables simultaneously and we urgently call for more data from additional wild camels as a foundation for evidence driven conservation actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Kaczensky
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Savoyenstrasse 1, A-1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Yadamsuren Adiya
- Institute of Biology, Mongolian Academy of Science & Wild Camel Protection Foundation in Mongolia, Jukov Avenue 77, Bayanzurkh District, Ulaanbaatar 21035, Mongolia
| | - Henrik von Wehrden
- Leuphana University Lüneburg, Centre for Methods, Institute of Ecology, Faculty of Sustainability, Scharnhorststr. 1, C04.003a, 21335 Lüneburg, Germany
| | - Batmunkh Mijiddorj
- Great Gobi A Strictly Protected Area Administration, Bayantoorai, Mongolia
| | - Chris Walzer
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Savoyenstrasse 1, A-1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Denise Güthlin
- Departement of Wildlife Ecology and Management, University of Freiburg, Tennenbacher Strasse 4, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Dulamtseren Enkhbileg
- Institute of Biology, Mongolian Academy of Science & Wild Camel Protection Foundation in Mongolia, Jukov Avenue 77, Bayanzurkh District, Ulaanbaatar 21035, Mongolia
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Muenchow J, Bräuning A, Rodríguez EF, von Wehrden H. Predictive Mapping of Species Richness and Plant Species' Distributions of a Peruvian Fog Oasis Along an Altitudinal Gradient. Biotropica 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jannes Muenchow
- Institute of Geography; University of Erlangen-Nuremberg; Kochstr. 4; 91054; Erlangen; Germany
| | - Achim Bräuning
- Institute of Geography; University of Erlangen-Nuremberg; Kochstr. 4; 91054; Erlangen; Germany
| | - Eric Frank Rodríguez
- Herbarium Truxillense (HUT); National University of Trujillo; Jr. San Martín 392; Trujillo; 13001; Peru
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James JJ, Sheley RL, Erickson T, Rollins KS, Taylor MH, Dixon KW. A systems approach to restoring degraded drylands. J Appl Ecol 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy J. James
- Sierra Foothills Research and Extension Center; University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources; Browns Valley; CA; 95918; USA
| | - Roger L. Sheley
- United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service; Burns; OR; 97720; USA
| | | | - Kim S. Rollins
- Department of Economics; University of Nevada; Reno; NV; 89557; USA
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Length of Growing Period over Africa: Variability and Trends from 30 Years of NDVI Time Series. REMOTE SENSING 2013. [DOI: 10.3390/rs5020982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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