放牧强度对短花针茅荒漠草原甲虫群落分布格局的影响

放牧对脆弱的荒漠草原生态系统有着重要影响,且随放牧强度及持续时间不同而变化。鞘翅目昆虫是环境监测与生物多样性变化的指示生物。利用巴氏罐诱法对短花针茅荒漠草原不同放牧强度草地的甲虫群落组成和多样性进行调查,探究放牧对荒漠草原甲虫群落的影响。结果表明:(1)步甲科、金龟科为短花针茅荒漠草原甲虫群落优势类群,埋葬甲科、芫菁科、拟步甲科和花金龟科为常见类群。(2)放牧强度增加不利于维持更多的捕食性甲虫;对照和轻度放牧样地可维持更多的腐食性甲虫。(3)甲虫数量随放牧强度增加而递减;群落多样性以重度放牧草地最大,轻度放牧草地最小;群落优势度为对照、中度、重度显著高于轻度放牧草地。各甲虫类群在不同放牧强度草地出现时间、高峰期均不同。(4)对照、轻度、重度放牧样地的甲虫优势类群群落结构不同于其他生境,但均与中度放牧样地存在相似性。轻度、中度、重度放牧样地的甲虫稀有类群群落结构不同于其他生境,但均与对照样地存在相似性。(5)甲虫群落个体数与植物群落物种丰富度、盖度、植物平均高度、生物量呈显著正相关。Shannon-Wiener多样性指数、Margalef丰富度指数均与植物群落物种丰富度、生物量显著负相关。研究结果为荒漠草原甲虫多样性保护提供参考依据。     

放牧干扰下高寒草甸物种、生活型和功能群多样性与生物量的关系

为明晰放牧强度对高寒草甸物种、生活型以及功能群多样性和生物量的时间累积作用以及对多样性与生物量之间相互关系的影响。选择青藏高原东北缘高寒草甸,在6个放牧强度样地连续4 a(2012—2015)进行物种、生活型、功能群多样性和生物量调查。采用重复测量方差分析和线性回归法分析放牧强度和放牧年份对物种、生活型、功能群多样性以及多样性与生物量之间的相关关系的影响。结果表明:(1)放牧强度和放牧年份均对生物量产生显著影响。随放牧强度增加,生物量显著降低。但随放牧年份延长,不同放牧强度区生物量无一致的变化规律。(2)放牧年份对物种、生活型和功能群丰富度、均匀度和优势度的影响均达到显著水平。但放牧强度和放牧年份只对物种丰富度产生交互作用,放牧强度对物种丰富度的影响具有时间的累积效应。(3)放牧干扰下不同层次多样性,仅物种丰富度与所有多样性指数显著相关,物种丰富度可以作为物种多样性测度的代表性指标。(4)多样性与生物量关系的研究,对丰富度而言,仅低放牧强度样地(Plot2)中物种丰富度随生物量增加而显著降低,其余放牧强度样地的物种、生活型和功能群丰富度均与生物量无关。对均匀度而言,高放牧强度样地(Plot4、Plot5、Plot6)生活型均匀度随生物量的增加而显著降低。对优势度而言,高放牧强度样地生活型优势度随生物量的增加而显著增加。生活型多样性可作为放牧干扰下生物量变化快速预测的有效指标。     

放牧对草地群落与土壤特征的影响

针对放牧干扰对草地生态系统的影响,采用回归分析和典型对应分析(CCA)方法,研究放牧对草地植物群落物种多样性与生产力、土壤碳氮含量与生物量关系的影响。结果表明:(1)与休牧草地相比,放牧草地的地上生物量降低31.63%,凋落物生物量降低134.29%;放牧草地的禾草类生物量提高19.77%,而杂草类生物量和豆科类生物量分别降低31.09%和23.42%。(2)当物种多样性指数小于1.3时,休牧草地的生产力明显高于放牧草地;当物种多样性指数大于1.3时,放牧草地的生产力高于休牧草地。(3)CCA分析显示,家畜主要通过影响群落地上生物量、凋落物质量和土壤容重进而影响土壤的碳氮含量。(4)当群落地上生物量小于100g·m-2时,休牧草地的土壤有机碳和全氮含量高于放牧草地,当群落地上生物量大于100g·m-2时,放牧草地则略高于休牧草地。(5)当群落地下生物量小于1 200g·m-2时,放牧草地土壤有机碳、全氮含量高于休牧草地;当地下生物量大于1 200g·m-2时,放牧草地则略低于休牧草地。     

不同干扰对黄土区典型草原物种多样性和生物量的影响

对黄土区典型草原进行封育+施肥(EF)、封育+火烧(EB)、封育(E)和放牧(G)处理,实地调查分析群落盖度、高度、密度、地上现存量和物种多样性,以研究不同干扰对黄土区典型草原群落物种多样性和生物量的影响.结果表明:在4种干扰类型中,施肥+封育草地群落盖度和地上生物量最高,且优势度指数最高,这与禾本科草占优势地位有关,群落均匀度指数和多样性指数最低,符合“生态位理论”;放牧地群落高度、盖度、密度和地上现存量最低,群落丰富度指数和多样性指数最高,支持“中度干扰理论”;封育地密度和均匀度指数最高;具体表现为:4种干扰类型地上生物量的变化趋势为封育+施肥＞封育+火烧＞封育＞放牧;说明长时间的封育对草地是一种严重干扰.群落丰富度指数(R和Ma)的排列顺序为放牧＞封育+施肥＞封育+火烧＞封育,群落物种多样性指数(H'和D)的排列顺序为放牧＞封育＞封育+火烧＞封育+施肥,优势度指数与多样性指数相反,群落均匀度指数(Jsw和Ea)的排列顺序为封育＞放牧＞封育+火烧＞封育+施肥.不同干扰样地群落生产力与Shannon-Wiener和Simpson 多样性指数间呈负相关关系,这个结论可以用地上/地下竞争的相互作用来解释.     

青藏高原高寒灌丛植被对长期放牧强度试验的响应特征

在青藏高原中国科学院海北高寒草甸生态系统定位研究站对金露梅高寒灌丛草场植被开展了长期不同放牧强度试验,分别在短期(4年)、中期(11年)和长期(18年)放牧阶段研究不同放牧干扰强度对草地植物物种多样性、群落结构、地上生物量和草场质量的影响.研究表明,在不同放牧阶段,随着放牧强度增加植物群落的高度和盖度都降低.在中期放牧干扰阶段,物种多样性数和均匀度指数随着放牧强度增加呈现典型的单峰曲线模式;在长期放牧干扰阶段,随着放牧强度增加,占优势地位的灌木和禾草被典型杂类草替代,其中的重度放牧干扰简化了高寒灌丛植被群落结构,减少了地上现存生物量,特别是可食优良牧草生物量.植被对放牧的响应除了与放牧强度和放牧时间阶段密切相关外,还与该地区水热条件的变化有一定的相关性.针对长期放牧干扰的反应特性可将金露梅灌丛草场中植物划分为增加型、敏感型、忍耐型和无反应型4种类型.除了丰富度指数、多样性指数和均匀度指数外,其它一些特征参数并不支持著名的中度干扰假说.本研究发现,长期重度放牧促进了青藏高原高寒草地退化,适度放牧有利于高寒灌丛草场的生物多样性保护和牧草利用;"取半留半"的放牧原则在青藏高原草场放牧管理实践中值得推荐,它将有利于防止草场退化,提高牧草利用率和维持较高的生物多样性.     

放牧管理模式对高寒草甸鼢鼠鼠丘群落演替的影响

高寒草甸放牧利用下高原鼢鼠(Eospalax baileyi)等危害的发生是草地管理的关键难题,分析放牧管理模式对鼢鼠鼠丘植被群落演替的影响能为草地管理提供重要依据。研究选择划区轮牧(RG)、生长季休牧(GSG)、连续放牧(CG)和禁牧(PG)4种放牧管理模式,以及各模式下不同年限鼠丘(一年(ZM1)、两年(ZM2)、三年(ZM3)和多年鼠丘(ZMM))与对照(CM)草地。分析不同放牧管理模式对鼠丘植被群落特征和生物量等的影响,结果发现:PG和GSG下所有年限鼠丘的植被高度、地上生物量均高于RG和CG;RG和GSG下ZM1和ZM2物种Shannon-wiener指数均高于对照样地物种Shannon-wiener指数。主成分分析表明:RG下地上生物量和物种丰富度指数是影响鼠丘植被群落演替的重要因子,PG下地上生物量、盖度、Shannon-wiener指数和均匀度指数是鼠丘植被群落演替的重要因子,CG下物种丰富度和重要值是影响鼠丘植被群落演替的重要指标,GSG下Shannon-wiener指数、盖度和高度是影响鼠丘植被群落演替的重要指标。可见,不同放牧制度对鼠丘植被群落演替的影响不同,禁牧和生长季休牧管理模式能够较好地恢复鼠丘植被群落演替。     

牦牛放牧率对小嵩草高寒草甸暖季草场植物群落组成和植物多样性的影响

两年的牦牛放牧试验结果表明:在暖季草场,随着放牧率的提高,禾草和莎草类功能群的盖度、生物量及其组成与高度减小,它们与放牧率呈显著的负相关 P<0.05 可食杂草和毒杂草类功能群的盖度、生物量及其组成与高度增加,它们与放牧率呈显著的正相关 P<0.05 各功能群的盖度与生物量之间是显著的正相关关系 P<0.05 .对照草地由于没有牦牛的采食,群落由少数优势种植物所统治,群落结构趋于简单,物种组成贫乏,物种多样性和均匀度指数最小;轻度放牧牦牛选择采食对植物群落的影响较小,群落的物种丰富度指数、均匀度指数和多样性指数均不高;中度放牧提高了资源的利用效率,增加了群落结构的复杂性,草地的物种丰富度指数、均匀度指数和多样性指数均最高,该结果支持 中度干扰理论 ;重度放牧由于牦牛采食过于频繁,改变了植物的竞争能力,导致植物种的均匀度下降,多样性减少.不同放牧率草地群落的物种数 S 、丰富度指数 Ma 、多样性指数 Shan-non-Wiener指数H′和Simpson指数D 、均匀度指数 Pielow指数J′ 的排序为:对照<轻度放牧<重度放牧<中度放牧,优势度指数 Berger-Parke指数 的变化趋势则与之相反.     

祁连山区不同海拔草地群落的物种多样性

依据植物在各海拔带出现的频率和不同海拔带植物种的生活型,对祁连山区草地群落海拔2500～3000m的物种α多样性变化特征进行了研究．结果表明,随海拔升高,Shahnon-Wiener指数从1．432上升到1．832,Simpson指数的变化较为复杂．海拔2701～2800m带是物种多样性的一个重要转折点,是物种多样性较丰富的地带．在祁连山草地群落中,有毒的与食性较差的物种在各海拔带所占比例均超过50％,生物量占到整个样地生物量的60％以上,物种多样性已呈现衰退．     

克氏针茅草原群落物种多样性与生物量关系对放牧强度的响应

放牧强度引起的草原植物群落物种多样性与地上生物量变化是近年来草地生态系统研究的热点问题。以内蒙古锡林郭勒克氏针茅草原为研究对象,探究植物群落结构特征、物种多样性与地上生物量之间相互关系及其对不同放牧强度的响应。结果表明：随着放牧强度的增加植物群落结构逐步向退化方向演替;植物群落高度逐渐降低（P<0.05）,密度逐渐增加（P<0.05）,盖度总体呈下降趋势（P<0.05）;植物群落和原有群落优势种地上生物量总体呈下降趋势（P<0.05）,而退化指示物种的地上生物量逐渐增加（P<0.05）;轻度、中度放牧条件下群落物种Margalef指数、Pielou指数、Simpson指数均显著高于重度放牧（P<0.05）;地上生物量与Shannon-Wiener指数、Margalef指数和Pielou指数呈正相关关系,而与Simpson指数呈负相关关系。综上所述,克氏针茅草原植物群落结构和功能在不同放牧强度下产生不同的响应,适度放牧有利于提高群落物种多样性与生物量。     

封育对高寒草甸植物群落构成及生态位特征的影响

封育是天然草地管理的一种有效措施,利于草地生产力提高和退化草地恢复。该研究通过对青藏高原高寒草甸放牧和封育草地物种多样性、植被构成、植物种生态位特征、草地演替度等分析,解析高寒草甸植物种间关系及草地演替方向。结果表明:(1)封育显著降低了草地群落植物物种数以及α和β多样性指数,显著增加了草地1年生植物种数、地面芽植物种数和地上生物量。(2)放牧草地地上生物量以莎草科(59.7%)和禾本科(23.9%)为主,封育草地地上生物量以禾本科(85.0%)为主;放牧草地优势种为矮嵩草(Kobresia humilis)和线叶嵩草(K.capillifolia),封育草地优势种为垂穗披碱草(Elymus nutans)和早熟禾(Poasp.)。(3)放牧和封育草地的群落植物种重要值均与各自的生态位宽度变化规律一致。(4)草地植物种间竞争主要发生在不同科属植物种之间,封育增加了群落植物种整体生态位重叠值和植物种间竞争。(5)草地群落演替度为封育地放牧地,封育群落处于较稳定状态。研究认为,封育促进了高寒草甸由莎草+杂类草群落向禾草+杂类草群落演替。     

Long‐term effects of the abandonment of grazing on steppe‐like grasslands

Question: What are the consequences of grazing abandonment on the Stipa lessingiana dominated steppe‐like grasslands? What is the relative importance of management and environmental factors in causing variation in species composition and abundance in the continuously grazed and abandoned grassland stands? Location: Transylvanian Lowland, Romania. Methods: Repeated vegetation mapping of a grassland stand, where grazing was abandoned 35 years ago; re‐sampling six grassland stands surveyed 29–57 years ago. For revealing long‐term changes in species composition and rank abundance PCoA ordination was applied. The relative importance of management and environmental factors in structuring vegetation were explored by CCA ordination. Diversity, evenness and the relative number and abundance of red‐listed species were compared between managed and abandoned stands. Results: Our results pointed out that grasslands which were formerly grazed and dominated by S. lessingiana, in the long‐term absence of grazing, have been transformed into a S. pulcherrima dominated type. Management, probably by creating bare surfaces and preventing litter accumulation, had the strongest effect on the species composition and abundance in the grasslands. Abandoned grassland stands had lower diversity and evenness compared to continuously grazed stands. While at the same time, the relative number of threatened, rare species did not differ between managed and abandoned sites. Conclusion: Maintaining extensively grazed, as well as un‐managed, Stipa dominated grasslands would be important in order to create various habitat conditions for plant species, especially threatened and rare species, and promote diversity on the landscape scale.     

Effects of livestock grazing intensity on soil arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and glomalin-related soil protein in a mountain forest steppe and a desert steppe of Mongolia

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are important components of the grassland ecosystems in terms of plant phosphorus uptake and accumulation of glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP). Though Mongolian grasslands are seriously degraded by livestock grazing, the effects of grazing on soil AMF and GRSP remain unclear. Here, we examined community composition and diversity of AMF as well as amount of GRSP at three different grazing intensities: lightly grazed (LG), moderately grazed (MG), and heavily grazed (HG) under two different types of grassland, mountain forest steppe at Hustai and desert steppe at Mandalgobi. The diversity and biomass of AMF-host and non-AMF plants strongly affected the overall AMF community composition and its diversity. When we separately analyzed the factors affecting soil AMF diversity at Hustai and Mandalgobi, decrease in the shoot biomass of Poaceae plants at Hustai and decreases in the species number and shoot biomass of AMF-host plants at Mandalgobi were significantly correlated with AMF diversity. GRSP decreased with increasing grazing intensity, which was significantly correlated with soil pH and total root biomass at Hustai. The decrease in plant biomass caused by grazing thus led to GRSP reduction. Our results showed that change in soil AMF community caused by livestock grazing were associated with change in the biomass and diversity of functional vegetation groups such as Poaeceae, AMF-host and non-AMF plants, indicating the importance to focus on such functional vegetation groups to evaluate the effect of grazing on AMF.

     

Small-scale species richness and its spatial variation in an alpine meadow on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

We investigated how the high small-scale species richness of an alpine meadow on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China, is maintained. This area is characterized by strong wind and severe cold during long winters. In winter, most livestock is grazed on dead leaves in small pastures near farmers’ residences, whereas in the short summer, livestock is grazed in mountainous areas far from farmers’ residences. The number of plant species and the aboveground biomass were surveyed for three adjacent pastures differing in grazing management: a late-winter grazing pasture grazed moderately from 1 February to 30 April, an early-winter grazing pasture grazed lightly from 20 September to late October, and a whole-year grazing pasture grazed intensively throughout the entire year. In each pasture, we harvested the aboveground biomass from 80 or 100 quadrats of 0.01 m² along a transect and classified the contents by species. We observed 15.5–19.7 species per 0.01 m², which is high richness per 0.01 m² on a worldwide scale. The species richness in the two winter grazing pastures was higher than that in the whole-year grazing pasture. The spatial variation in species richness and species composition in the two winter grazing pastures in which species richness was high was greater than that in the whole-year grazing pasture in which species richness was lower. Most of the leaves that are preserved on the winter grazing pastures during summer are blown away by strong winds during winter, and the remaining leaves are completely exhausted in winter by livestock grazing. A pasture with a high richess is accompanied by a high spatial variation in species richness and species composition. There is a high possibility that the characteristic of spatial variation is also caused by traditional grazing practices in this area.     

Analysis of Grassland Vegetation of the Southwest Heilongjiang Steppe （China） Using the Power Law

In 1997, we conducted a vegetation survey in three semi-arid natural grasslands （steppes） with different livestock grazing intensities in Southwest Heilongjiang Province, China, The dominant grassland species was the grass Stipa baicalensis Roshev. Grasslands with light, intermediate, and heavy grazing intensities were located 10, 5, and 2 km from a village, respectively. Villagers use the steppe to raise cattle, horses, sheep, and goats. Each of the three grasslands was surveyed by placing 100 quadrats （50 cm×50 cm） along a 50 m line transect. Each quadrat was divided into four equal areas （25 cm×25 cm; S-quadrats） and all plant species occurring in each of these smaller areas were identified and recorded. These data were summarized into frequency distributions and the percentage of S-quadrats containing a given species and the variance of each species were estimated. The power law was applied to these estimates. The power law was used to evaluate the spatial heterogeneity and frequency of occurrence for each species in the grassland community. The lightly grazed grassland exhibited high spatial heterogeneity （caused by large plant size）, the highest species diversity, and a high occurrence of S. baicalensis. In contrast, the heavily grazed grassland exhibited high spatial heterogeneity （caused by patchy populations of small plant size）, low species diversity, and a low occurrence of S. baicalensis. We judged that the heavily grazed grassland was overgrazed and exclusion of livestock from the degraded areas is necessary for recovery.     

Grazing as a mediator for maintenance of offspring diversity: Sexual and clonal recruitment in alpine grassland communities

To understand the effects of grazing on grassland plants sexual and clonal recruitment, we conducted a demographic field investigation of species recruitment along a grazing gradient in the Tibetan alpine grassland. Grazing intensity had significant effects on quantity and diversity of sexual and clonal recruitment. Sexual recruitment increased significantly, but clonal offspring production decreased significantly with increased grazing intensity. Grazing intensity had different, significant effects on offspring recruitment of the various functional groups in the community, grasses (GG), sedges (SG), legumes (LG) and forbs (FG). Higher grazing intensity reduced offspring recruitment of GG and SG; it increased offspring recruitment of LG and FG. Seedlings were significantly more abundant in lightly grazed, moderately grazed and heavily grazed meadows than in non-grazed grasslands. Offspring diversity from sexual recruitment was significantly higher than that from clonal recruitment in grazed than in non-grazed grasslands. Our studies indicate that moderate grazing had positive effects on seedling recruitment and offspring diversity, but heavy gazing may alter community succession by affecting recruitment patterns among the four plant functional groups.     

Vertical distribution of below-ground biomass in intensively grazed mesic grasslands

Abstract. Previous work has shown that below-ground biomass is more concentrated in surface soil layers in intensively grazed mesic grasslands than in moderately grazed grasslands. However, since the mesic grasslands previously studied shared similar compositional traits, the question remained whether grasslands with differing species composition, and intensive defoliation, showed similar biomass distribution patterns. Eight grasslands at four sites distributed along an elevational gradient were investigated. The upper and lower zones of a slope were sampled at each site. Four of these grasslands were grazed by livestock and the other four were grazed and mown. Biomass was divided into above-ground, root crown and three root layers. Species composition varied according to management and topography. Annuals and perennial forbs had relatively more above-ground biomass at the upper part of the slopes, while perennial grasses dominated the lower parts. The above-ground biomass and root biomass at 4 — 7 cm depth attained maximum values in the lower, potentially more fertile, parts of the slopes. Crown biomass increased with altitude at the upper part of the slopes. Despite their differences in composition and structure, seven out of the eight stands showed a remarkable concentration of the below-ground biomass near the soil surface, which decreased drastically with soil depth. This pattern is similar to that observed in the intensively grazed mesic communities studied earlier. This similarity was more evident in the more mesic-like grasslands, since it increased from the upper, potentially drier parts of the slopes, to the lower parts, and, when each topographic position was considered separately, from low to high elevation.     

放牧干扰下的蝗虫－植物相互作用关系

本文研究了内蒙古典型草原植物和蝗虫群落在不同放牧强度影响下的多样性、均匀性和丰盛度变化。比较了蝗虫群落与植物群落在放牧梯度上的相互作用关系。研究发现,放牧干扰活动会明显地影响植物和蝗虫群落结构,但蝗虫群落结构的变化趋势并非与植物完全同步。蝗虫与植物间的联系更多地表现在植物起着蝗虫栖息地条件的作用,而并不完全是食料植物的作用。文中对放牧实践与多样性保护的关系进行了讨论。     

Analysis of Grassland Vegetation of the Southwest Heilongjiang Steppe (China) Using the Power Law

In 1997, we conducted a vegetation survey in three semi-arid natural grasslands (steppes) withdifferent livestock grazing intensities in Southwest Heilongjiang Province, China. The dominant grasslandspecies was the grass Stipa baicalensis Roshev. Grasslands with light, intermediate, and heavy grazingintensities were located 10, 5, and 2 km from a village, respectively. Villagers use the steppe to raise cattle,horses, sheep, and goats. Each of the three grasslands was surveyed by placing 100 quadrats (50 cm×50 cm)along a 50 m line transect. Each quadrat was divided into four equal areas (25 cm×25 cm; S-quadrats) and allplant species occurring in each of these smaller areas were identified and recorded. These data were summa-rized into frequency distributions and the percentage of S-quadrats containing a given species and thevariance of each species were estimated. The power law was applied to these estimates. The power law wasused to evaluate the spatial heterogeneity and frequency of occurrence for each species in the grasslandcommunity. The lightly grazed grassland exhibited high spatial heterogeneity (caused by large plant size),the highest species diversity, and a high occurrence of S. baicalensis. In contrast, the heavily grazedgrassland exhibited high spatial heterogeneity (caused by patchy populations of small plant size), lowspecies diversity, and a low occurrence of S. baicalensis. We judged that the heavily grazed grassland wasovergrazed and exclusion of livestock from the degraded areas is necessary for recovery.     

Can re-establishment of cattle grazing restore bryophyte diversity in abandoned mesic semi-natural grasslands?

Changes of agricultural practices have led to decline of semi-natural habitats sustained by traditional animal husbandry in many European regions. The abandonment of semi-natural pastures leads to increase of vascular plant biomass and subsequent decline of weak competitors such as bryophytes. Re-establishing traditional animal husbandry may potentially restore biodiversity but the success of such measures remains insufficiently known. In this study, we asked if re-establishing cattle grazing on previously abandoned grasslands will restore their bryophyte communities. The effect of cattle grazing on bryophyte communities of mesic semi-natural grasslands was studied in south-western Finland in a comparison of (i) continuously grazed pastures, (ii) previously abandoned pastures where grazing was re-established during 1990s, and (iii) abandoned pastures, where grazing had ceased during late 1960s to early 1980s. The average cover, species richness, species density and species diversity of bryophytes were significantly higher in the continuously grazed than in the abandoned grasslands. Ordination analyses revealed clear differences also in community structure between the management classes. Re-established grasslands were ecologically heterogeneous and situated in between the continuously grazed and abandoned grasslands in all characteristics, indicating variable effect of the restoration measure. Seventeen bryophyte species were recognized as significant indicators of the three grassland classes, four of which could be used as indicators of valuable grassland habitats. Although there was variation in the consequences of re-introduction of grazing, the results give evidence of positive effect of grazing on regaining bryophyte diversity of abandoned grasslands.