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Zhao T, Suo R, Alemu AW, Zheng J, Zhang F, Iwaasa AD, Guo J, Zhao M, Zhang B. Mowing increased community stability in semiarid grasslands more than either fencing or grazing. Ecol Appl 2024:e2985. [PMID: 38772563 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
A substantial body of empirical evidence suggests that anthropogenic disturbance can affect the structure and function of grassland ecosystems. Despite this, few studies have elucidated the mechanisms through which grazing and mowing, the two most widespread land management practices, affect the stability of natural grassland communities. In this study, we draw upon 9 years of field data from natural grasslands in northern China to investigate the effects of gazing and mowing on community stability, specifically focusing on community aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) and dominance, which are two major biodiversity mechanisms known to characterize community fluctuations. We found that both grazing and mowing reduced ANPP in comparison to areas enclosed by fencing. Grazing reduced community stability by increasing the likelihood of single-species dominance and decreasing the relative proportion of nondominant species. In contrast, mowing reduced the productivity of the dominant species but increased the productivity of nondominant species. As a consequence, mowing improved the overall community stability by increasing the stability of nondominant species. Our study provides novel insight into understanding of the relationship between community species fluctuation-stability, with implications for ecological research and ecosystem management in natural grasslands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianqi Zhao
- Yinshanbeilu Grassland Eco-hydrology National Observation and Research Station, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing, China
- Institute of Water Resources for Pastoral Area Ministry of Water Resources, Hohhot, China
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Resources of the Ministry of Education, College of Grassland, Resources and Environment, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China
| | - Rongzhen Suo
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Resources of the Ministry of Education, College of Grassland, Resources and Environment, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China
| | - Aklilu W Alemu
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Swift Current Research and Development Center, Swift Current, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Jiahua Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Resources of the Ministry of Education, College of Grassland, Resources and Environment, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China
| | - Feng Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Resources of the Ministry of Education, College of Grassland, Resources and Environment, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China
| | - Alan D Iwaasa
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Swift Current Research and Development Center, Swift Current, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Jianying Guo
- Yinshanbeilu Grassland Eco-hydrology National Observation and Research Station, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing, China
- Institute of Water Resources for Pastoral Area Ministry of Water Resources, Hohhot, China
| | - Mengli Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Resources of the Ministry of Education, College of Grassland, Resources and Environment, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China
| | - Bin Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Resources of the Ministry of Education, College of Grassland, Resources and Environment, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China
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2
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Zhu J, Zhang Y, Wu J, Zhang X, Yu G, Shen Z, Yang X, He Y, Jiang L, Hautier Y. Herbivore exclusion stabilizes alpine grassland biomass production across spatial scales. Glob Chang Biol 2024; 30:e17155. [PMID: 38273528 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
There is growing evidence that land-use management practices such as livestock grazing can strongly impact the local diversity, functioning, and stability of grassland communities. However, whether these impacts depend on environmental condition and propagate to larger spatial scales remains unclear. Using an 8-year grassland exclosure experiment conducted at nine sites in the Tibetan Plateau covering a large precipitation gradient, we found that herbivore exclusion increased the temporal stability of alpine grassland biomass production at both the local and larger (site) spatial scales. Higher local community stability was attributed to greater stability of dominant species, whereas higher stability at the larger scale was linked to higher spatial asynchrony of productivity among local communities. Additionally, sites with higher mean annual precipitation had lower dominant species stability and lower grassland stability at both the spatial scales considered. Our study provides novel evidence that livestock grazing can impair grassland stability across spatial scales and climatic gradients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juntao Zhu
- Lhasa Plateau Ecosystem Research Station, Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yangjian Zhang
- Lhasa Plateau Ecosystem Research Station, Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jianshuang Wu
- Lhasa Plateau Ecosystem Research Station, Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
- Institute of Biology, Theoretical Ecology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Geography, Geography and Geology Faculty, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași, Iași, Romania
| | - Xianzhou Zhang
- Lhasa Plateau Ecosystem Research Station, Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Guirui Yu
- Lhasa Plateau Ecosystem Research Station, Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhenxi Shen
- Lhasa Plateau Ecosystem Research Station, Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xian Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yunlong He
- Lhasa Plateau Ecosystem Research Station, Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lin Jiang
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Yann Hautier
- Ecology and Biodiversity Group, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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3
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Li W, Knops JMH, Zhou X, Jin H, Xiang Z, Ka Zhuo C, Jin X, Zhou H, Dong S. Anchoring grassland sustainability with a nature-based small burrowing mammal control strategy. J Anim Ecol 2023. [PMID: 37211647 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Over the last 40 years, a burrowing mammal eradication policy has been prevalent on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP). This policy is based on similar burrowing mammal eradication programs in other areas and is justified on the assumptions that burrowing mammals compete with livestock for forage and contribute to grassland degradation. However, there is no clear theoretical or experimental evidence supporting these assumptions. This paper synthesizes the ecological functioning of small burrowing mammals in natural grasslands and discusses the irrationality and consequences of burrowing mammal eradication for sustainable livestock grazing and grassland degradation. Past burrowing mammal eradication efforts have failed because increased food availability for the remaining rodents and reduced predator populations led to rapid population rebounds. Herbivores differ in diet, and there is clear evidence that burrowing mammals, especially plateau zokors Myospalax baileyi, have a different diet than livestock. In QTP meadows, burrowing mammal eradication induces a shift towards plant communities with fewer species preferred by livestock and more species preferred by burrowing mammals. Thus, eradicating burrowing mammals has the opposite effect, a reduction in livestock preferred vegetation. We suggest that the policy of poisoning burrowing mammals needs to be reconsidered and revoked as soon as possible. We argue that incorporating density-dependent factors such as predation and food availability are essential for maintaining a low burrowing mammal density. For degraded grasslands, we suggest that the optimal sustainable approach is to decrease the intensity of livestock grazing. Lower grazing induces changes in vegetation structure and plant species composition that increases predation on burrowing mammals and decreases the abundance of plants preferred by burrowing mammals. Such a nature-based grassland management system maintains the density of burrowing mammals at a low stable density while minimizing human management and interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Johannes M H Knops
- Health and Environmental Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
| | - Xi Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Huijun Jin
- School of Civil Engineering, Permafrost Institute, Institute of Cold Regions Science and Engineering, and Northeast-China Observatory and Research-Station of Permafrost Geo-Environment (Ministry of Education), Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China
- State Key Laboratory of Frozen Soils Engineering, Northwest Institute of Resources and Eco-environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Zhiqiang Xiang
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Cairang Ka Zhuo
- Grassland Station in Henan Mongolian Autonomous County, Hen'an, China
| | - Xiaoying Jin
- School of Civil Engineering, Permafrost Institute, Institute of Cold Regions Science and Engineering, and Northeast-China Observatory and Research-Station of Permafrost Geo-Environment (Ministry of Education), Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China
- State Key Laboratory of Frozen Soils Engineering, Northwest Institute of Resources and Eco-environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Huakun Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Restoration Ecology for Cold Regions in Qinghai, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, China
| | - ShiKui Dong
- School of Grassland Science, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
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Giannitsopoulos ML, Burgess PJ, Bell MJ, Richter GM, Topp CFE, Ingram J, Takahashi T. Translating and applying a simulation model to enhance understanding of grassland management. Grass Forage Sci 2023; 78:50-63. [PMID: 38516168 PMCID: PMC10952769 DOI: 10.1111/gfs.12584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2021] [Revised: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Each new generation of grassland managers could benefit from an improved understanding of how modification of nitrogen application and harvest dates in response to different weather and soil conditions will affect grass yields and quality. The purpose of this study was to develop a freely available grass yield simulation model, validated for England and Wales, and to examine its strengths and weaknesses as a teaching tool for improving grass management. The model, called LINGRA-N-Plus, was implemented in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and iteratively evaluated by students and practitioners (farmers, consultants, and researchers) in a series of workshops across the UK over 2 years. The iterative feedback led to the addition of new algorithms, an improved user interface, and the development of a teaching guide. The students and practitioners identified the ease of use and the capacity to understand, visualize and evaluate how decisions, such as variation of cutting intervals, affect grass yields as strengths of the model. We propose that an effective teaching tool must achieve an appropriate balance between being sufficiently detailed to demonstrate the major relationships (e.g., the effect of nitrogen on grass yields) whilst not becoming so complex that the relationships become incomprehensible. We observed that improving the user-interface allowed us to extend the scope of the model without reducing the level of comprehension. The students appeared to be interested in the explanatory nature of the model whilst the practitioners were more interested in the application of a validated model to enhance their decision making.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Paul J. Burgess
- School of Water, Energy and EnvironmentCranfield UniversityCranfieldBedfordshireUK
| | - Matthew J. Bell
- Department of AgricultureHartpury University HECGloucesterGloustershireUK
| | - Goetz M. Richter
- Rothamsted ResearchSustainable Soils and CropsHarpendenHertfordshireUK
| | | | - Julie Ingram
- Countryside & Community Research InstituteUniversity of GloucestershireGloucestershireUK
| | - Taro Takahashi
- Rothamsted Research, Net Zero and Resilient FarmingNorth WykeOkehamptonUK
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5
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Leone JB, Pennarola NP, Larson JL, Oberhauser K, Larson DL. Divergent responses of butterflies and bees to burning and grazing management in tallgrass prairies. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9532. [PMID: 36479035 PMCID: PMC9719824 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Butterflies and bees contribute significantly to grassland biodiversity and play important roles as pollinators and herbivores. Grassland conservation and management must be seen through the lens of insect conservation and management if these species are to thrive. In North America, grasslands are a product of climate and natural disturbances such as fire and grazing. These natural disturbances have changed considerably since European colonization and subsequent landscape fragmentation. The aim of this study was to better understand the impacts of fire and grazing management on butterfly and bee communities in tallgrass prairie, enabling land managers and conservationists to better protect and manage remnant prairie. We examined butterfly and bee abundance, species richness, and diversity in Minnesota tallgrass prairies managed by grazing or fire. In 2016 and 2017, we surveyed butterflies, bees, vegetation, and surrounding land use at 20 remnant prairies (10 burned and 10 grazed) with known management histories. Butterfly and bee abundance at our study sites were significantly negatively correlated. Butterfly abundance, but not species richness, was higher in burned than grazed prairies, and prairie-associated grass-feeding butterflies were more abundant at sites with higher plant species richness. Bee abundance was unrelated to management type but was higher at sites with sandier soils; bee species richness was positively associated with forb frequency. These findings highlight the challenges of designing management plans tailored to wide groups of pollinators and the potential pitfalls of using one group of pollinators as indicators for another. They also point to the importance of a mosaic of management practices across the prairie landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia B. Leone
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation BiologyUniversity of MinnesotaSt. PaulMinnesotaUSA
| | | | - Jennifer L. Larson
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research CenterSt. PaulMinnesotaUSA
| | - Karen Oberhauser
- University of Wisconsin Arboretum, University of Wisconsin–MadisonMadisonWisconsinUSA
| | - Diane L. Larson
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research CenterSt. PaulMinnesotaUSA
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6
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Ratcliffe H, Ahlering M, Carlson D, Vacek S, Allstadt A, Dee LE. Invasive species do not exploit early growing seasons in burned tallgrass prairies. Ecol Appl 2022; 32:e2641. [PMID: 35441427 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2021] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Invasive species management is key to conserving critically threatened native prairie ecosystems. While prescribed burning is widely demonstrated to increase native diversity and suppress invasive species, elucidating the conditions under which burning is most effective remains an ongoing focus of applied prairie ecology research. Understanding how conservation management interacts with climate is increasingly pressing, because climate change is altering weather conditions and seasonal timing around the world. Increasingly early growing seasons due to climate change are shifting the timing and availability of resources and niche space, which may disproportionately advantage invasive species and influence the outcome of burning. We estimated the effects of burning, start time of the growing season, and their interaction on invasive species relative cover and frequency, two metrics for species abundance and dominance. We used 25 observed prairie sites and 853 observations of 267 transects spread throughout Minnesota, USA from 2010 to 2019 to conduct our analysis. Here, we show that burning reduced the abundance of invasive cool-season grasses, leading to reduced abundance of invasive species as a whole. This reduction persisted over time for invasive cover but quickly waned for their frequency of occurrence. Additionally, and contrary to expectations that early growing season starts benefit invasive species, we found evidence that later growing season starts increased the abundance of some invasive species. However, the effects of burning on plant communities were largely unaltered by the timing of the growing season, although earlier growing season starts weakened the effectiveness of burning on Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) and smooth brome (Bromus inermis), two of the most dominant invasive species in the region. Our results suggest that prescribed burning will likely continue to be a useful conservation tool in the context of earlier growing season starts, and that changes to growing season timing will not be a primary mechanism driving increased invasion due to climate change in these ecosystems. We propose that future research seek to better understand abiotic controls on invasive species phenology in managed systems and how burning intensity and timing interact with spring conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugh Ratcliffe
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
| | | | - Daren Carlson
- Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
| | - Sara Vacek
- US Fish and Wildlife Service, Morris, Minnesota, USA
| | | | - Laura E Dee
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA
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7
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Hua T, Zhao W, Pereira P. Opinionated Views on Grassland Restoration Programs on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Front Plant Sci 2022; 13:861200. [PMID: 35557728 PMCID: PMC9087572 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.861200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ting Hua
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Institute of Land Surface System and Sustainable Development, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Wenwu Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Institute of Land Surface System and Sustainable Development, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Paulo Pereira
- Environmental Management Center, Mykolas Romeris University, Vilnius, Lithuania
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8
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Hawkins JH, Zeglin LH. Microbial Dispersal, Including Bison Dung Vectored Dispersal, Increases Soil Microbial Diversity in a Grassland Ecosystem. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:825193. [PMID: 35432281 PMCID: PMC9009311 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.825193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbial communities display biogeographical patterns that are driven by local environmental conditions and dispersal limitation, but the relative importance of underlying dispersal mechanisms and their consequences on community structure are not well described. High dispersal rates can cause soil microbial communities to become more homogenous across space and therefore it is important to identify factors that promote dispersal. This study experimentally manipulated microbial dispersal within different land management treatments at a native tallgrass prairie site, by changing the relative openness of soil to dispersal and by simulating vector dispersal via bison dung addition. We deployed experimental soil bags with mesh open or closed to dispersal, and placed bison dung over a subset of these bags, to areas with three different land managements: active bison grazing and annual fire, annual fire but no bison grazing, and no bison grazing with infrequent fire. We expected microbial dispersal to be highest in grazed and burned environments, and that the addition of dung would consistently increase overall microbial richness and lead to homogenization of communities over time. Results show that dispersal rates, as the accumulation of taxa over the course of the 3-month experiment, increase taxonomic richness similarly in all land management treatments. Additionally, bison dung seems to be serving as a dispersal and homogenization vector, based on the consistently higher taxon richness and increased community similarity across contrasting grazing and fire treatments when dung is added. This finding also points to microbial dispersal as an important function that herbivores perform in grassland ecosystems, and in turn, as a function that was lost at a continental scale following bison extermination across the Great Plains of North America in the nineteenth century. This study is the first to detect that dispersal and vector dispersal by grazing mammals promote grassland soil microbial diversity and affect microbial community composition.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lydia H. Zeglin
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, United States
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9
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Tölgyesi C, Vadász C, Kun R, Csathó AI, Bátori Z, Hábenczyus A, Erdős L, Török P. Post-restoration grassland management overrides the effects of restoration methods in propagule-rich landscapes. Ecol Appl 2022; 32:e02463. [PMID: 34614249 PMCID: PMC9285412 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Grassland restoration is gaining momentum worldwide to tackle the loss of biodiversity and associated ecosystem services. Restoration methods and their effects on ecological community reassembly have been extensively studied across various grassland types, while the importance of post-restoration management has so far received less attention. Grassland management is an important surrogate for natural disturbances, with which most ancient grasslands have coevolved. Thus, without the reintroduction of management-related disturbance, restoration targets are unlikely to be achieved in restored grasslands. In this study, we aimed to explore how 20 yr of management by mowing once a year or light cattle grazing affects restoration success in Palearctic meadow-steppe grasslands restored by either sowing native grasses (sown sites), applying Medicago sativa as a nurse plant (Medicago sites), or allowing spontaneous succession (spontaneous sites). We found that, following mowing, sown sites maintained long-lasting establishment limitation, while Medicago sites experienced a delay in succession. These limitations resulted in low total and target species richness, low functional redundancy, and distinct species and functional composition compared to reference data from ancient grasslands. Spontaneous sites that were mowed reached a more advanced successional stage, although they did not reach reference levels regarding most vegetation descriptors. Sown and Medicago sites that were grazed had higher total and target species richness than those that were mowed, and showed restoration success similar to that of spontaneous sites, on which grazing had only moderate further positive effects. Grazed sites, irrespective of the restoration method, were uniformly species rich, functionally diverse, and functionally redundant, and thus became important biodiverse habitats with considerable resilience. We conclude that an optimally chosen post-restoration management may have an impact on long-term community reassembly comparable to the choice of restoration method. Restoration planners may, therefore, need to put more emphasis on future management than on the initial restoration method. However, our findings also imply that if local constraints, such as potentially high invasive propagule pressure, necessitate the application of restoration methods that could also hinder the establishment of target species, the long-term recovery of the grassland can still be ensured by wisely chosen post-restoration management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Csaba Tölgyesi
- Department of EcologyUniversity of SzegedSzeged6726Hungary
- MTA‐DE Lendület Functional and Restoration Ecology Research GroupUniversity of DebrecenDebrecen4032Hungary
| | - Csaba Vadász
- Kiskunság National Park DirectorateLiszt Ferenc utca 19Kecskemét6000Hungary
| | - Róbert Kun
- Institute of Nature Conservation and Landscape ManagementSzent István UniversityGödöllő2103Hungary
| | | | - Zoltán Bátori
- Department of EcologyUniversity of SzegedSzeged6726Hungary
| | | | - László Erdős
- MTA‐DE Lendület Functional and Restoration Ecology Research GroupUniversity of DebrecenDebrecen4032Hungary
- Centre for Ecological ResearchInstitute of Ecology and BotanyVácrátót2163Hungary
| | - Péter Török
- MTA‐DE Lendület Functional and Restoration Ecology Research GroupUniversity of DebrecenDebrecen4032Hungary
- Polish Academy of SciencesBotanical Garden ‐ Center for Biological Diversity Conservation in PowsinPrawdziwka 2Warszawa02‐973Poland
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10
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Dong YX, Li A, Xue JG, Pan QM, Huang JH. Mobility loss and its restoration in China grasslands. Ying Yong Sheng Tai Xue Bao 2021; 32:406-414. [PMID: 33650349 DOI: 10.13287/j.1001-9332.202102.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Loss of mobility in rangeland use has emerged as a dominant theory to explain ecosystem degradation in the research area of rangeland ecology. The loss of mobility in rangeland use in China resulted from multiple interacting natural and social factors as well as policy changes. Re-establi-shing mobility in rangeland use is critical to rangeland restoration and sustainable management in China. However, the recovery of rangeland might be difficult through simply reverting to traditional rotational grazing. Alternatively, we explored various state-of-the-art rangeland management techniques, including smart fence, intelligent wearables for livestock, and rapid forage biomass measurement using drones. Such novel rangeland management techniques could be used in different regions with different climate and vegetation in China to re-establish mobility in rangeland utilization. Paired with these advanced techniques, new rotational high-mobility grazing systems could further integrate with other essential measures of grass-livestock husbandry in China, such as balancing of forage production and livestock grazing, supplemental forage of livestock, and replenishment of soil nutrients in rangeland. All these practices would ensure a more sustainable and effective utilization of rangeland in China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yin-Xiao Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
| | - Jian-Guo Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, ChinaUniversity of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Qing-Min Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
| | - Jian-Hui Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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11
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Okatsu Y, Tsutsumi T. Carabid Beetle Assemblages (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in a Seminatural Grassland and the Adjacent Old Beech Forest in Northeast Japan. Environ Entomol 2021; 50:97-106. [PMID: 33210716 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvaa143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The decline and disappearance of seminatural grasslands in Japan have caused a reduction in plant and animal species inhabiting such grasslands. We aimed to understand the assemblage structure, species diversity, and distribution of carabid beetles in traditionally managed seminatural grasslands, by comparing with the adjacent old beech forest. We investigated the carabid beetle assemblages in a seminatural grassland maintained by prescribed burning and annual mowing, and the adjacent old beech forest in Yamagata Prefecture, northeast Japan. We recorded several forest species along with open habitat species and habitat generalists in the grassland, suggesting that forest species may utilize the adjacent grasslands as temporary habitats. Cluster analysis showed that the assemblage structure of carabid beetles in the grassland differed from that in the beech forest. There were no clear differences in the carabid assemblages between the burned grassland sites and the grassland sites mowed in July after burning. This suggests that the annual mowing had little influence on the response of grassland carabid species in parts of the grassland. We recorded Harpalus roninus (Coleoptera: Carabidae), a rare carabid species in Japan, indicating that this beetle can be a characteristic of the studied grassland. Redundancy analysis showed that the eight abundant grassland species were associated with canopy openness, grass height, and understory vegetation cover, whereas the five most common species recorded from the beech forest were associated with litter depth and soil moisture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yutaro Okatsu
- Graduate School of Symbiotic Systems Science and Technology, Fukushima University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Tadaaki Tsutsumi
- Faculty of Symbiotic Systems Science, Fukushima University, Fukushima, Japan
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12
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Zhang Z, Sun J, Liu M, Xu M, Wang Y, Wu G, Zhou H, Ye C, Tsechoe D, Wei T. Don't judge toxic weeds on whether they are native but on their ecological effects. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:9014-9025. [PMID: 32953042 PMCID: PMC7487251 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Revised: 07/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The sharp rise in anthropogenic activities and climate change has caused the extensive degradation of grasslands worldwide, jeopardizing ecosystem function, and threatening human well-being. Toxic weeds have been constantly spreading in recent decades; indeed, their occurrence is considered to provide an early sign of land degeneration. Policymakers and scientific researchers often focus on the negative effects of toxic weeds, such as how they inhibit forage growth, kill livestock, and cause economic losses. However, toxic weeds can have several potentially positive ecological impacts on grasslands, such as promoting soil and water conservation, improving nutrient cycling and biodiversity conservation, and protecting pastures from excessive damage by livestock. We reviewed the literature to detail the adaptive mechanisms underlying toxic weeds and to provide new insight into their roles in degraded grassland ecosystems. The findings highlight that the establishment of toxic weeds may provide a self-protective strategy of degenerated pastures that do not require special interventions. Consequently, policymakers, managers, and other personnel responsible for managing grasslands need to take appropriate actions to assess the long-term trade-offs between the development of animal husbandry and the maintenance of ecological services provided by grasslands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenchao Zhang
- Synthesis Research Centre of Chinese Ecosystem Research NetworkKey Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and ModellingInstitute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources ResearchChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess PlateauInstitute of Soil and Water ConservationNorthwest A&F UniversityYanglingChina
| | - Jian Sun
- Synthesis Research Centre of Chinese Ecosystem Research NetworkKey Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and ModellingInstitute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources ResearchChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Northwest Institute of Plateau BiologyQinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Restoration Ecology of Cold AreaChinese Academy of SciencesXiningChina
| | - Miao Liu
- Synthesis Research Centre of Chinese Ecosystem Research NetworkKey Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and ModellingInstitute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources ResearchChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Ming Xu
- Synthesis Research Centre of Chinese Ecosystem Research NetworkKey Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and ModellingInstitute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources ResearchChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural ResourcesSchool environmental and Biological SciencesRutgers UniversityNew BrunswickNJUSA
| | - Yi Wang
- Synthesis Research Centre of Chinese Ecosystem Research NetworkKey Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and ModellingInstitute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources ResearchChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Gao‐lin Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess PlateauInstitute of Soil and Water ConservationNorthwest A&F UniversityYanglingChina
| | - Huakun Zhou
- Northwest Institute of Plateau BiologyQinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Restoration Ecology of Cold AreaChinese Academy of SciencesXiningChina
| | - Chongchong Ye
- Synthesis Research Centre of Chinese Ecosystem Research NetworkKey Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and ModellingInstitute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources ResearchChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Dorji Tsechoe
- Institute of Tibetan Plateau ResearchChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Tianxing Wei
- School of Soil and Water ConservationBeijing Forestry UniversityBeijingChina
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13
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Slabbert EL, Schweiger O, Wubet T, Kautzner A, Baessler C, Auge H, Roscher C, Knight TM. Scale-dependent impact of land management on above- and belowground biodiversity. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:10139-10149. [PMID: 33005370 PMCID: PMC7520218 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2020] [Revised: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Land management is known to have consequences for biodiversity; however, our synthetic understanding of its effects is limited due to highly variable results across studies, which vary in the focal taxa and spatial grain considered, as well as the response variables reported. Such synthetic knowledge is necessary for management of agroecosystems for high diversity and function.To fill this knowledge gap, we investigated the importance of scale-dependent effects of land management (LM) (pastures vs. meadows), on plant and soil microbe diversity (fungi and bacteria) across 5 study sites in Central Germany. Analyses included diversity partitioning of species richness and related biodiversity components (i.e., density of individuals, species-abundance distribution, and spatial aggregation) at two spatial grains (α- and γ-scale, 1 m2 and 16 km2, respectively).Our results show scale-dependent patterns in response to LM to be the norm rather than the exception and highlight the importance of measuring species richness and its underlying components at multiple spatial grains.Our outcomes provide new insight to the complexity of scale-dependent responses within and across taxonomic groups. They suggest that, despite close associations between taxa, LM responses are not easily extrapolated across multiple spatial grains and taxa. Responses of biodiversity to LM are often driven by changes to evenness and spatial aggregation, rather than by changes in individual density. High-site specificity of LM effects might be due to a variety of context-specific factors, such as historic land management, identity of grazers, and grazing regime. Synthesis and applications: Our results suggest that links between taxa are not necessarily strong enough to allow for generalization of biodiversity patterns. These findings highlight the importance of considering multiple taxa and spatial grains when investigating LM responses, while promoting management practices that do the same and are tailored to local and regional conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonore L. Slabbert
- Department of Community EcologyHelmholtz Centre for Environmental Research‐ UFZHalle (Saale)Germany
- Institute of BiologyMartin Luther University Halle‐WittenbergHalle (Saale)Germany
| | - Oliver Schweiger
- Department of Community EcologyHelmholtz Centre for Environmental Research‐ UFZHalle (Saale)Germany
| | - Tesfaye Wubet
- Department of Community EcologyHelmholtz Centre for Environmental Research‐ UFZHalle (Saale)Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigLeipzigGermany
| | - Antje Kautzner
- Department of Community EcologyHelmholtz Centre for Environmental Research‐ UFZHalle (Saale)Germany
| | - Cornelia Baessler
- Department of Community EcologyHelmholtz Centre for Environmental Research‐ UFZHalle (Saale)Germany
| | - Harald Auge
- Department of Community EcologyHelmholtz Centre for Environmental Research‐ UFZHalle (Saale)Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigLeipzigGermany
| | - Christiane Roscher
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigLeipzigGermany
- Department of Physiological DiversityHelmholtz Centre for Environmental Research‐ UFZLeipzigGermany
| | - Tiffany M. Knight
- Department of Community EcologyHelmholtz Centre for Environmental Research‐ UFZHalle (Saale)Germany
- Institute of BiologyMartin Luther University Halle‐WittenbergHalle (Saale)Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigLeipzigGermany
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14
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Stein DS, Debinski DM, Pleasants JM, Toth AL. Evaluating Native Bee Communities and Nutrition in Managed Grasslands. Environ Entomol 2020; 49:717-725. [PMID: 32215621 PMCID: PMC7293027 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvaa009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2019] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Native pollinators are important for providing vital services in agroecosystems; however, their numbers are declining globally. Bees are the most efficient and diverse members of the pollinator community; therefore, it is imperative that management strategies be implemented that positively affect bee community composition and health. Here, we test responses of the bee and flowering plant communities to land management treatments in the context of grasslands in the upper Midwestern United States, a critical area with respect to bee declines. Twelve sites were selected to examine floral resources and wild bee communities based on three different types of grasslands: tallgrass prairie remnants, ungrazed restorations, and grazed restorations. Total bee abundance was significantly higher in ungrazed restorations than remnants, but there were no significant differences among grasslands in community composition or Shannon diversity. Across the three grassland types we also examined mass and lipid stores as nutritional health indicators in three sweat bees (Halictidae), Augochlora pura, Agapostemon virescens, and Halictus ligatus. Although there were no differences in lipid content, total average bee mass was significantly higher in Ag. virescens collected from ungrazed restorations as compared to remnants. Floral abundance of native and non-native species combined was significantly higher in grazed restorations compared to remnants and ungrazed restorations. However, ungrazed restorations had higher abundance and richness of native flowering ramets. These data suggest that bee abundance and nutrition are driven by high abundance of native flowering plant species, rather than total flowering plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- D S Stein
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA
- Corresponding author, e-mail:
| | - D M Debinski
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT
| | - J M Pleasants
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA
| | - A L Toth
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA
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15
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Bernard L, Decau ML, Morvan-Bertrand A, Lavorel S, Clément JC. Water-soluble carbohydrates in Patzkea paniculata (L.): a plant strategy to tolerate snowpack reduction and spring drought in subalpine grasslands. Plant Biol (Stuttg) 2020; 22:441-449. [PMID: 31834979 DOI: 10.1111/plb.13081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2019] [Accepted: 11/28/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
In subalpine grasslands of the central French Alps, cessation of traditional mowing promotes dominance of Patzkea paniculata (L.) G.H.Loos (Poaceae) tussocks, with high biomass but low fodder quality. Mowing limits P. paniculata abundance through the depletion of its water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) reserves, which sustain early spring growth initiation. However, the effectiveness of mowing effects is modulated by grassland functional composition, fertilization and climate change, as WSC compounds, and notably fructans, support plant physiological responses to climate stresses such as drought or frost. To characterize the mechanisms underpinning the control of P. paniculata under global change, we tested the effects of climate manipulation (combined snow removal and drought) and management (cutting and fertilization) alone or in combination on P. paniculata WSC storage in assembled grassland communities of varying functional composition. Management and climate treatments individually decreased seasonal fructan storage, with neither additive nor synergic effects between them, primarily due to the dominance of management over climate effects. Fructan amounts were higher in individuals growing in unmanaged exploitative communities compared to unmanaged conservative communities, regardless of climate treatments, but management overrode these differences. Our findings suggest that reduction by combined snow removal and drought of P. paniculata carbon allocation to WSC storage may similarly limit its dominance to that in current mowing practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Bernard
- CNRS, LECA, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, Grenoble, France
| | - M-L Decau
- INRA, EVA, Normandie Université, Caen, France
| | | | - S Lavorel
- CNRS, LECA, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, Grenoble, France
| | - J-C Clément
- CNRS, LECA, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, Grenoble, France
- INRA, CARRTEL, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, Thonon-les-Bains, France
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16
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Heuss L, Grevé ME, Schäfer D, Busch V, Feldhaar H. Direct and indirect effects of land-use intensification on ant communities in temperate grasslands. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:4013-4024. [PMID: 31015984 PMCID: PMC6468076 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2018] [Revised: 02/07/2019] [Accepted: 02/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Land-use intensification is a major driver of local species extinction and homogenization. Temperate grasslands, managed at low intensities over centuries harbored a high species diversity, which is increasingly threatened by the management intensification over the last decades. This includes key taxa like ants. However, the underlying mechanisms leading to a decrease in ant abundance and species richness as well as changes in functional community composition are not well understood. We sampled ants on 110 grassland plots in three regions in Germany. The sampled grasslands are used as meadows or pastures, being mown, grazed or fertilized at different intensities. We analyzed the effect of the different aspects of land use on ant species richness, functional trait spaces, and community composition by using a multimodel inference approach and structural equation models. Overall, we found 31 ant species belonging to 8 genera, mostly open habitat specialists. Ant species richness, functional trait space of communities, and abundance of nests decreased with increasing land-use intensity. The land-use practice most harmful to ants was mowing, followed by heavy grazing by cattle. Fertilization did not strongly affect ant species richness. Grazing by sheep increased the ant species richness. The effect of mowing differed between species and was strongly negative for Formica species while Myrmica and common Lasius species were less affected. Rare species occurred mainly in plots managed at low intensity. Our results show that mowing less often or later in the season would retain a higher ant species richness-similarly to most other grassland taxa. The transformation from (sheep) pastures to intensively managed meadows and especially mowing directly affects ants via the destruction of nests and indirectly via loss of grassland heterogeneity (reduced plant species richness) and increased soil moisture by shading of fast-growing plant species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Heuss
- Animal Population Ecology, Animal Ecology I, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER)University of BayreuthBayreuthGermany
| | - Michael E. Grevé
- Animal Population Ecology, Animal Ecology I, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER)University of BayreuthBayreuthGermany
| | - Deborah Schäfer
- Institute of Plant SciencesUniversity of BernBernSwitzerland
| | - Verena Busch
- Institute for Landscape EcologyMünster UniversityMünsterGermany
| | - Heike Feldhaar
- Animal Population Ecology, Animal Ecology I, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER)University of BayreuthBayreuthGermany
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17
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Wemheuer B, Thomas T, Wemheuer F. Fungal Endophyte Communities of Three Agricultural Important Grass Species Differ in Their Response Towards Management Regimes. Microorganisms 2019; 7:E37. [PMID: 30691243 PMCID: PMC6407066 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms7020037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2018] [Revised: 01/22/2019] [Accepted: 01/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the importance of endophytic fungi for plant health, it remains unclear how these fungi are influenced by grassland management practices. Here, we investigated the effect of fertilizer application and mowing frequency on fungal endophyte communities and their life strategies in aerial tissues of three agriculturally important grass species (Dactylis glomerata L., Festuca rubra L. and Lolium perenne L.) over two consecutive years. Our results showed that the management practices influenced fungal communities in the plant holobiont, but observed effects differed between grass species and sampling year. Phylogenetic diversity of fungal endophytes in D. glomerata was significantly affected by mowing frequency in 2010, whereas fertilizer application and the interaction of fertilization with mowing frequency had a significant impact on community composition of L. perenne in 2010 and 2011, respectively. Taken together, our research provides a basis for future studies on responses of fungal endophytes towards management practices. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study simultaneously assessing fungal endophyte communities in aerial parts of three agriculturally important grass species over two consecutive years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernd Wemheuer
- Genomic and Applied Microbiology and Göttingen Genomics Laboratory, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August University of Göttingen, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany.
- Centre for Marine Bio-Innovation and School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
| | - Torsten Thomas
- Centre for Marine Bio-Innovation and School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
| | - Franziska Wemheuer
- Genomic and Applied Microbiology and Göttingen Genomics Laboratory, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August University of Göttingen, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany.
- Division of Agricultural Entomology, Department of Crop Sciences, Georg-August University of Göttingen, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany.
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18
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Liu Y, Yang X, Tian D, Cong R, Zhang X, Pan Q, Shi Z. Resource Reallocation of Two Grass Species During Regrowth After Defoliation. Front Plant Sci 2018; 9:1767. [PMID: 30568665 PMCID: PMC6290090 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.01767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2018] [Accepted: 11/14/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Defoliation is widely used for grassland management. Our understanding of how grass species adjust their regrowth and regain balance after defoliation remains limited. In the present study, we examined the regrowth processes of two dominant species after defoliation in grasslands in Inner Mongolia. Our results showed that the aboveground biomass and total biomass of both species significantly decreased and did not completely recover to the control level after 30 days of regrowth. The leaf mass ratio of Leymus chinensis reached the control level at 15 days, but that of Stipa grandis did not recover to the control level. The root mass ratio of these species reached the same levels as that of the control plants within 10 days after defoliation. As indicated by the dynamics of water-soluble carbohydrates (WSCs), protein, and biomass-based shoot: root ratios, both species regained balances of WSCs and protein between above- and below-ground organs at day 10 after defoliation; however, the biomass regained balance 15 days after defoliation. We deduced that the biomass-based shoot:root ratio was regulated by the WSCs and protein concentrations. In conclusion, following defoliation, both grass species first restore their nutrient-based balance between above- and below-ground parts and then regain biomass balance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanshu Liu
- Institute of Desertification Studies, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaohui Yang
- Institute of Desertification Studies, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
| | - Dashuan Tian
- Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Richun Cong
- Institute of Desertification Studies, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao Zhang
- Institute of Desertification Studies, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
| | - Qingmin Pan
- Inner Mongolia Research Center for Prataculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhongjie Shi
- Institute of Desertification Studies, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
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19
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Fritch RA, Sheridan H, Finn JA, McCormack S, Ó hUallacháin D. Enhancing the diversity of breeding invertebrates within field margins of intensively managed grassland: Effects of alternative management practices. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:9763-9774. [PMID: 29188007 PMCID: PMC5696416 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2017] [Revised: 06/12/2017] [Accepted: 06/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe declines in biodiversity have been well documented for many taxonomic groups due to intensification of agricultural practices. Establishment and appropriate management of arable field margins can improve the diversity and abundance of invertebrate groups; however, there is much less research on field margins within grassland systems. Three grassland field margin treatments (fencing off the existing vegetation “fenced”; fencing with rotavation and natural regeneration “rotavated” and; fencing with rotavation and seeding “seeded”) were compared to a grazed control in the adjacent intensively managed pasture. Invertebrates were sampled using emergence traps to investigate species breeding and overwintering within the margins. Using a manipulation experiment, we tested whether the removal of grazing pressure and nutrient inputs would increase the abundance and richness of breeding invertebrates within grassland field margins. We also tested whether field margin establishment treatments, with their different vegetation communities, would change the abundance and richness of breeding invertebrates in the field margins. Exclusion of grazing and nutrient inputs led to increased abundance and richness in nearly all invertebrate groups that we sampled. However, there were more complex effects of field margin establishment treatment on the abundance and richness of invertebrate taxa. Each of the three establishment treatments supported a distinct invertebrate community. The removal of grazing from grassland field margins provided a greater range of overwintering/breeding habitat for invertebrates. We demonstrate the capacity of field margin establishment to increase the abundance and richness in nearly all invertebrate groups in study plots that were located on previously more depauperate areas of intensively managed grassland. These results from grassland field margins provide evidence to support practical actions that can inform Greening (Pillar 1) and agri‐environment measures (Pillar 2) of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Before implementing specific management regimes, the conservation aims of agri‐environment measures should be clarified by defining the target species or taxonomic groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rochelle A Fritch
- UCD School of Agriculture & Food Science University College Dublin Dublin Ireland.,Teagasc Environment Research Centre Wexford Ireland
| | - Helen Sheridan
- UCD School of Agriculture & Food Science University College Dublin Dublin Ireland
| | - John A Finn
- Teagasc Environment Research Centre Wexford Ireland
| | | | - Daire Ó hUallacháin
- UCD School of Agriculture & Food Science University College Dublin Dublin Ireland
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20
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Fetzel T, Havlik P, Herrero M, Erb KH. Seasonality constraints to livestock grazing intensity. Glob Chang Biol 2017; 23:1636-1647. [PMID: 27976453 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2016] [Revised: 11/09/2016] [Accepted: 11/17/2016] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Increasing food production is essential to meet the future food demand of a growing world population. In light of pressing sustainability challenges such as climate change and the importance of the global livestock system for food security as well as GHG emissions, finding ways to increasing food production sustainably and without increasing competition for food crops is essential. Yet, many unknowns relate to livestock grazing, in particular grazing intensity, an essential variable to assess the sustainability of livestock systems. Here, we explore ecological limits to grazing intensity (GI; i.e. the fraction of net primary production consumed by grazing animals) by analysing the role of seasonality in natural grasslands. We estimate seasonal limitations to GI by combining monthly net primary production data and a map of global livestock distribution with assumptions on the length of nonfavourable periods that can be bridged by livestock (e.g. by browsing dead standing biomass, storage systems or biomass conservation). This allows us to derive a seasonality-limited potential GI, which we compare with the GI prevailing in 2000. We find that GI in 2000 lies below its potential on 39% of the total global natural grasslands, which has a potential for increasing biomass extraction of up to 181 MtC/yr. In contrast, on 61% of the area GI exceeds the potential, made possible by management. Mobilizing this potential could increase milk production by 5%, meat production by 4% or contribute to free up to 2.8 Mio km² of grassland area at the global scale if the numerous socio-ecological constraints can be overcome. We discuss socio-ecological trade-offs, which may reduce the estimated potential considerably and require the establishment of sound monitoring systems and an improved understanding of livestock system's role in the Earth system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Fetzel
- Institute of Social Ecology Vienna, Alpen-Adria Universitaet Klagenfurt, Wien, Graz, Schottenfeldgasse 29, 1070, Vienna, Austria
| | - Petr Havlik
- Ecosystem Services and Management Program, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Schloßplatz 1, 2361, Laxenburg, Austria
| | - Mario Herrero
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, 306 Carmody Road, St Lucia, QLD, 4067, Australia
| | - Karl-Heinz Erb
- Institute of Social Ecology Vienna, Alpen-Adria Universitaet Klagenfurt, Wien, Graz, Schottenfeldgasse 29, 1070, Vienna, Austria
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21
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Tiemeyer B, Albiac Borraz E, Augustin J, Bechtold M, Beetz S, Beyer C, Drösler M, Ebli M, Eickenscheidt T, Fiedler S, Förster C, Freibauer A, Giebels M, Glatzel S, Heinichen J, Hoffmann M, Höper H, Jurasinski G, Leiber-Sauheitl K, Peichl-Brak M, Roßkopf N, Sommer M, Zeitz J. High emissions of greenhouse gases from grasslands on peat and other organic soils. Glob Chang Biol 2016; 22:4134-4149. [PMID: 27029402 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2016] [Revised: 03/30/2016] [Accepted: 03/19/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Drainage has turned peatlands from a carbon sink into one of the world's largest greenhouse gas (GHG) sources from cultivated soils. We analyzed a unique data set (12 peatlands, 48 sites and 122 annual budgets) of mainly unpublished GHG emissions from grasslands on bog and fen peat as well as other soils rich in soil organic carbon (SOC) in Germany. Emissions and environmental variables were measured with identical methods. Site-averaged GHG budgets were surprisingly variable (29.2 ± 17.4 t CO2 -eq. ha-1 yr-1 ) and partially higher than all published data and the IPCC default emission factors for GHG inventories. Generally, CO2 (27.7 ± 17.3 t CO2 ha-1 yr-1 ) dominated the GHG budget. Nitrous oxide (2.3 ± 2.4 kg N2 O-N ha-1 yr-1 ) and methane emissions (30.8 ± 69.8 kg CH4 -C ha-1 yr-1 ) were lower than expected except for CH4 emissions from nutrient-poor acidic sites. At single peatlands, CO2 emissions clearly increased with deeper mean water table depth (WTD), but there was no general dependency of CO2 on WTD for the complete data set. Thus, regionalization of CO2 emissions by WTD only will remain uncertain. WTD dynamics explained some of the differences between peatlands as sites which became very dry during summer showed lower emissions. We introduced the aerated nitrogen stock (Nair ) as a variable combining soil nitrogen stocks with WTD. CO2 increased with Nair across peatlands. Soils with comparatively low SOC concentrations showed as high CO2 emissions as true peat soils because Nair was similar. N2 O emissions were controlled by the WTD dynamics and the nitrogen content of the topsoil. CH4 emissions can be well described by WTD and ponding duration during summer. Our results can help both to improve GHG emission reporting and to prioritize and plan emission reduction measures for peat and similar soils at different scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bärbel Tiemeyer
- Thünen Institute for Climate-Smart Agriculture, Bundesallee 50, 38116, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Elisa Albiac Borraz
- Institute of Landscape Biogeochemistry, Leibniz-Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research, Eberswalder Straße 84, 15374, Müncheberg, Germany
| | - Jürgen Augustin
- Institute of Landscape Biogeochemistry, Leibniz-Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research, Eberswalder Straße 84, 15374, Müncheberg, Germany
| | - Michel Bechtold
- Thünen Institute for Climate-Smart Agriculture, Bundesallee 50, 38116, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Sascha Beetz
- Landscape Ecology and Site Evaluation, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Rostock, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 6, 18059, Rostock, Germany
| | - Colja Beyer
- State Authority for Mining, Energy and Geology Lower Saxony, Stilleweg 2, 30655, Hanover, Germany
| | - Matthias Drösler
- Chair of Vegetation Ecology, University of Applied Sciences Weihenstephan-Triesdorf, Am Hofgarten 4, 85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Martin Ebli
- Institute for Geography, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Johann-Joachim-Becher-Weg 21, 55099, Mainz, Germany
| | - Tim Eickenscheidt
- Chair of Vegetation Ecology, University of Applied Sciences Weihenstephan-Triesdorf, Am Hofgarten 4, 85354, Freising, Germany
- Chair of Restoration Ecology, Technische Universität München, Emil-Ramann-Str. 6, 85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Sabine Fiedler
- Institute for Geography, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Johann-Joachim-Becher-Weg 21, 55099, Mainz, Germany
- Institute of Soil Science and Land Evaluation, University of Hohenheim, Emil-Wolff-Str. 27, 70593, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Christoph Förster
- Chair of Vegetation Ecology, University of Applied Sciences Weihenstephan-Triesdorf, Am Hofgarten 4, 85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Annette Freibauer
- Thünen Institute for Climate-Smart Agriculture, Bundesallee 50, 38116, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Michael Giebels
- Institute of Landscape Biogeochemistry, Leibniz-Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research, Eberswalder Straße 84, 15374, Müncheberg, Germany
- Meo Carbon Solutions GmbH, Hohenzollernring 72, 50672, Köln, Germany
| | - Stephan Glatzel
- Landscape Ecology and Site Evaluation, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Rostock, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 6, 18059, Rostock, Germany
- Department of Geography and Regional Research, University of Vienna, Althanstr. 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jan Heinichen
- Chair of Vegetation Ecology, University of Applied Sciences Weihenstephan-Triesdorf, Am Hofgarten 4, 85354, Freising, Germany
- Chair of Restoration Ecology, Technische Universität München, Emil-Ramann-Str. 6, 85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Mathias Hoffmann
- Institute of Landscape Biogeochemistry, Leibniz-Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research, Eberswalder Straße 84, 15374, Müncheberg, Germany
- Institute of Soil Landscape Research, Leibniz-Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research, Eberswalder Straße 84, 15374, Müncheberg, Germany
| | - Heinrich Höper
- State Authority for Mining, Energy and Geology Lower Saxony, Stilleweg 2, 30655, Hanover, Germany
| | - Gerald Jurasinski
- Landscape Ecology and Site Evaluation, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Rostock, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 6, 18059, Rostock, Germany
| | | | - Mandy Peichl-Brak
- Institute of Soil Science and Land Evaluation, University of Hohenheim, Emil-Wolff-Str. 27, 70593, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Niko Roßkopf
- Division of Soil Science and Site Science, Humboldt University zu Berlin, Albrecht-Thaer-Weg 2, 14195, Berlin, Germany
- State Authority for Mining, Geology and Resources Brandenburg, Inselstr. 26, 03046, Cottbus, Germany
| | - Michael Sommer
- Institute of Soil Landscape Research, Leibniz-Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research, Eberswalder Straße 84, 15374, Müncheberg, Germany
| | - Jutta Zeitz
- Division of Soil Science and Site Science, Humboldt University zu Berlin, Albrecht-Thaer-Weg 2, 14195, Berlin, Germany
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Smith GW, Debinski DM, Scavo NA, Lange CJ, Delaney JT, Moranz RA, Miller JR, Engle DM, Toth AL. Bee Abundance and Nutritional Status in Relation to Grassland Management Practices in an Agricultural Landscape. Environ Entomol 2016; 45:338-347. [PMID: 26921883 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvw005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2015] [Accepted: 01/19/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Grasslands provide important resources for pollinators in agricultural landscapes. Managing grasslands with fire and grazing has the potential to benefit plant and pollinator communities, though there is uncertainty about the ideal approach. We examined the relationships among burning and grazing regimes, plant communities, and Bombus species and Apis mellifera L. abundance and nutritional indicators at the Grand River Grasslands in southern Iowa and northern Missouri. Treatment regimes included burn-only, grazed-and-burned, and patch-burn graze (pastures subdivided into three temporally distinct fire patches with free access by cattle). The premise of the experimental design was that patch-burn grazing would increase habitat heterogeneity, thereby providing more diverse and abundant floral resources for pollinators. We predicted that both bee abundance and individual bee nutritional indicators (bee size and lipid content) would be positively correlated with floral resource abundance. There were no significant differences among treatments with respect to bee abundance. However, some of the specific characteristics of the plant community showed significant relationships with bee response variables. Pastures with greater abundance of floral resources had greater bee abundance but lower bee nutritional indicators. Bee nutritional variables were positively correlated with vegetation height, but, in some cases, negatively correlated with stocking rate. These results suggest grassland site characteristics such as floral resource abundance and stocking rate are of potential importance to bee pollinators and suggest avenues for further research to untangle the complex interactions between grassland management, plant responses, and bee health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Griffin W Smith
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011 (; ; ; ; ; ; )
| | - Diane M Debinski
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011 (; ; ; ; ; ; )
| | - Nicole A Scavo
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011 (; ; ; ; ; ; )
| | - Corey J Lange
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011 (; ; ; ; ; ; )
| | - John T Delaney
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011 (; ; ; ; ; ; )
| | - Raymond A Moranz
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011 (; ; ; ; ; ; )
| | - James R Miller
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801
| | - David M Engle
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078
| | - Amy L Toth
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011 (; ; ; ; ; ; ),
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23
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Chang J, Ciais P, Viovy N, Vuichard N, Sultan B, Soussana JF. The greenhouse gas balance of European grasslands. Glob Chang Biol 2015; 21:3748-61. [PMID: 26059550 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2015] [Accepted: 05/29/2015] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The greenhouse gas (GHG) balance of European grasslands (EU-28 plus Norway and Switzerland), including CO2 , CH4 and N2 O, is estimated using the new process-based biogeochemical model ORCHIDEE-GM over the period 1961-2010. The model includes the following: (1) a mechanistic representation of the spatial distribution of management practice; (2) management intensity, going from intensively to extensively managed; (3) gridded simulation of the carbon balance at ecosystem and farm scale; and (4) gridded simulation of N2 O and CH4 emissions by fertilized grassland soils and livestock. The external drivers of the model are changing animal numbers, nitrogen fertilization and deposition, land-use change, and variable CO2 and climate. The carbon balance of European grassland (NBP) is estimated to be a net sink of 15 ± 7 g C m(-2 ) year(-1) during 1961-2010, equivalent to a 50-year continental cumulative soil carbon sequestration of 1.0 ± 0.4 Pg C. At the farm scale, which includes both ecosystem CO2 fluxes and CO2 emissions from the digestion of harvested forage, the net C balance is roughly halved, down to a small sink, or nearly neutral flux of 8 g C m(-2 ) year(-1) . Adding CH4 and N2 O emissions to net ecosystem exchange to define the ecosystem-scale GHG balance, we found that grasslands remain a net GHG sink of 19 ± 10 g C-CO2 equiv. m(-2 ) year(-1) , because the CO2 sink offsets N2 O and grazing animal CH4 emissions. However, when considering the farm scale, the GHG balance (NGB) becomes a net GHG source of -50 g C-CO2 equiv. m(-2 ) year(-1) . ORCHIDEE-GM simulated an increase in European grassland NBP during the last five decades. This enhanced NBP reflects the combination of a positive trend of net primary production due to CO2 , climate and nitrogen fertilization and the diminishing requirement for grass forage due to the Europe-wide reduction in livestock numbers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinfeng Chang
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, UMR8212, CEA-CNRS-UVSQ, 91191, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Sorbonne Universités (UPMC, Univ Paris 06)-CNRS-IRD-MNHN, LOCEAN/IPSL, 4 place Jussieu, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Philippe Ciais
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, UMR8212, CEA-CNRS-UVSQ, 91191, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Nicolas Viovy
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, UMR8212, CEA-CNRS-UVSQ, 91191, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Nicolas Vuichard
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, UMR8212, CEA-CNRS-UVSQ, 91191, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Benjamin Sultan
- Sorbonne Universités (UPMC, Univ Paris 06)-CNRS-IRD-MNHN, LOCEAN/IPSL, 4 place Jussieu, 75005, Paris, France
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24
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Andrey A, Humbert JY, Pernollet C, Arlettaz R. Experimental evidence for the immediate impact of fertilization and irrigation upon the plant and invertebrate communities of mountain grasslands. Ecol Evol 2014; 4:2610-23. [PMID: 25360290 PMCID: PMC4203302 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2013] [Revised: 04/25/2014] [Accepted: 04/30/2014] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
The response of montane and subalpine hay meadow plant and arthropod communities to the application of liquid manure and aerial irrigation - two novel, rapidly spreading management practices - remains poorly understood, which hampers the formulation of best practice management recommendations for both hay production and biodiversity preservation. In these nutrient-poor mountain grasslands, a moderate management regime could enhance overall conditions for biodiversity. This study experimentally assessed, at the site scale, among low-input montane and subalpine meadows, the short-term effects (1 year) of a moderate intensification (slurry fertilization: 26.7-53.3 kg N·ha(-1)·year(-1); irrigation with sprinklers: 20 mm·week(-1); singly or combined together) on plant species richness, vegetation structure, hay production, and arthropod abundance and biomass in the inner European Alps (Valais, SW Switzerland). Results show that (1) montane and subalpine hay meadow ecological communities respond very rapidly to an intensification of management practices; (2) on a short-term basis, a moderate intensification of very low-input hay meadows has positive effects on plant species richness, vegetation structure, hay production, and arthropod abundance and biomass; (3) vegetation structure is likely to be the key factor limiting arthropod abundance and biomass. Our ongoing experiments will in the longer term identify which level of management intensity achieves an optimal balance between biodiversity and hay production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aline Andrey
- Division of Conservation Biology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Yves Humbert
- Division of Conservation Biology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Claire Pernollet
- Division of Conservation Biology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern3012, Bern, Switzerland
- Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage, CNERA Avifaune MigratriceLa Tour du Valat, Le Sambuc, 13200, Arles, France
| | - Raphaël Arlettaz
- Division of Conservation Biology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern3012, Bern, Switzerland
- Swiss Ornithological InstituteValais Field Station, Rue du Rhône 11, 1950, Sion, Switzerland
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25
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Adler SA, Jensen SK, Govasmark E, Steinshamn H. Effect of short-term versus long-term grassland management and seasonal variation in organic and conventional dairy farming on the composition of bulk tank milk. J Dairy Sci 2013; 96:5793-810. [PMID: 23831088 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2012-5765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2012] [Accepted: 05/12/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Bulk tank milk from 28 dairy farms was sampled every second month for 2 yr to assess the effects of grassland management, production system and season on milk fatty acid (FA) composition, concentrations of fat-soluble vitamins, Se, and milk sensory quality. Grassland management varied in terms of time since establishment. Short-term grassland management (SG) was defined as establishment or reseeding every fourth year or more often, and long-term grassland management (LG) was defined as less frequent establishment or reseeding. Fourteen organic (ORG) dairy farms with either short-term or long-term grassland management were paired with 14 conventional (CON) farms with respect to grassland management. Within ORG farms, SG farms differed from LG farms in herbage botanical composition, but not in concentrate FA concentrations, dry matter intake, or milk yield. Within CON farms, herbage composition, concentrate FA concentrations, dry matter intake, and milk yield showed no or insignificant variations. The ORG farms differed from CON farms in herbage botanical composition, concentrate FA concentrations, concentrate intake, and milk yield. Compared with ORG-LG farms, ORG-SG farms produced milk fat with higher proportions of C10:0 and C12:0 associated with higher herbage proportions of legumes (Fabaceae) and lower proportions of other dicotyledon families. Compared with milk from CON farms, milk fat from ORG farms had higher proportions of most saturated FA and all n-3 FA, but lower proportions of C18:0 and C18:1 cis-9 associated with higher forage proportion and differences in concentrations of FA in concentrates. Compared with the outdoor-feeding periods, the indoor feeding periods yielded milk fat with higher proportions of most short-chain and medium-chain FA and lower proportions of most C18-FA associated with grazing and higher forage proportions. Milk concentrations of α-tocopherol and β-carotene were lower during the grazing periods. Inclusion of fishmeal in organic concentrates may explain higher Se concentrations in organically produced milk. Milk sensory quality was not affected in this study. In conclusion, grassland management had minor effects on milk composition, and differences between ORG farms and CON farms may be explained by differences in concentrate intake and concentrate FA concentrations. Milk produced on ORG farms versus CON farms and milk produced during the outdoor versus indoor feeding periods had potential health benefits due to FA composition. In contrast, the higher milk-fat proportions of saturated FA in milk from ORG farms may be perceived as negative for human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- S A Adler
- Bioforsk-Norwegian Institute for Agricultural and Environmental Research, Organic Food and Farming Division, Tingvoll, Norway.
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