荒漠草原与典型草原NPP、碳积累对不同降雨年份和利用方式的响应

不同草原利用方式正在影响着内蒙古的草原生态系统,而且在未来降水空间格局变化的背景下,它们共同决定了生态系统植被类型、净初级生产力(NPP)和生态系统碳积累。选取内蒙古中部两个重要的草地类型:荒漠草原和典型草原,研究不同草原利用方式(围栏禁牧、划区轮牧、割草、自由放牧)植物群落在降雨量不同的两个生长季节地上(ANPP)、地下净初级生产力(BNPP)的变化,同时也评估了植物群落的碳积累,研究结果表明:1)在降雨量亏缺年份,与围封相比,荒漠草原自由放牧区ANPP、BNPP及碳积累分别下降了57.1%、51.7%和56.0%,而典型草原自由放牧区分别下降了18.4%、25.1%和17.9%。2)在降雨量充足年份,与围封相比,荒漠草原划区轮牧区ANPP、BNPP以及碳积累分别增加了18.2%、9.8%和21.9%,而典型草原各处理下围封禁牧区ANPP仍是最高;3)两种草地类型下,降雨量对自由放牧的调控作用高于其它草地利用方式;4)荒漠草原ANPP在丰雨年是欠雨年的2倍,而典型草原仅增加了79.0%,降雨量对荒漠草原生产力的季节调控作用远高于典型草原。在未来全球气候变暖和降水格局变化的情况下,荒漠草原降雨量是影响荒漠植物群落NPP和碳积累的主导因子。     

高寒草甸放牧生态系统夏秋草场轮牧制度的模拟研究

利用ＧＭＡＭＥ１模拟高寒草甸放牧生态系统夏秋草场在临界放牧压力下的２７０种轮牧制度,并对其累积采食量进行比较分析。结果指出：在高寒草甸放牧生态系统中,最佳的轮牧小区数目为３或４个。证明了Ｍｏｒｌｅｙ规则：最佳轮牧小区数目应该小于１０。推荐２个高寒草甸地区最佳的轮牧模式供野外实验和放牧规划参考：（１）３个轮牧小区,每小区每次持续放牧２９ｄ,放牧压力为３０．１４ｋＪ／ｍ２·ｄ,累积牧草采食量最高为４２５０．４４３ｋＪ／ｍ２。（２）为保持牧草结构的稳定和各轮牧小区牧草生物量的均匀性,可以采用３个轮收小区,放牧持续时间７ｄ,放牧压力Ｉ（１４５）＝２８．８９１４ｋＪ／ｍ２·ｄ,累积采食量为４０７３．３４ｋＪ／ｍ２。     

管理措施对牧鸡生长性能及草地蝗虫数量的影响

蝗灾作为威胁草地生态系统的主要灾害之一,给草地畜牧业发展带来严重影响,如何经济、有效和安全抑制蝗虫数量显得尤为紧迫。通过野外调查就草地牧鸡放牧强度、补饲量以及放牧方式对牧鸡生长性能和蝗虫发生数量的影响进行探讨。结果发现,高山草地利用牧鸡放牧可有效控制蝗虫发生数量,长期连续牧鸡捕食能有效将蝗虫数量控制在经济阈值之下;不同放牧强度(15只/hm2和13只/hm2)和补饲程序对蝗虫种群数量没有显著差异,但对牧鸡生长性能有明显影响;自由放牧和限时放牧均能控制蝗虫数量,但限时放牧牧鸡日增重和最终活重均高于自由放牧。综合防治蝗虫和养育牧鸡来看,每公顷草场初次放牧15只牧鸡,限时放牧和适当增加补饲量可达到控制蝗虫和获得较高禽肉生产之双赢目的。     

放牧对草地的作用

从牧草生长、种群、群落、土壤和生态系统5个方面分析了放牧的作用、机理与途径。放牧改变牧草的物质与能量分配格局,多途径地诱导牧草的补偿性生长,取决于放牧制度等因素。放牧还改变种间竞争格局、调控种群更新,以及群落结构和功能。介绍了草地健康管理的阈限双因子法,讨论了稳定态一过渡态假说和草地灌丛化。家畜对土壤有直接和间接两种作用途径,作用效果与放牧强度、季节、地形有密切关系,重点分析了放牧对土壤C贮量的作用机制。阐述了提高放牧系统生产力的系统耦合机制,以及放牧对生态系统物质循环的影响。根据放牧生态学的发展趋势和我国放牧管理现状,提出7项值得深入研究的问题。     

Growth Phase and Elemental Stoichiometry of Bacterial Prey Influences Ciliate Grazing Selectivity

ABSTRACT. Protozoa are known to selectively graze bacteria and can differentiate prey based on size and viability, but less is known about the effects of prey cellular composition on predator selectivity. We measured the effect of growth phase and elemental stoichiometry of Escherichia coli on grazing by two ciliates, Euplotes vannus and Cyclidium glaucoma . Bacterial cells of a single strain were transformed with green and red fluorescent protein and harvested from culture at differing growth stages. Cells in exponential growth phase had low carbon:phosphorus (39) and nitrogen:phosphorus (9) ratios, while cells from stationary phase had high carbon:phosphorus of 104 and nitrogen:phosphorus of 26. When offered an equal mixture of both types of bacteria, Cyclidium grazed stationary phase, high carbon:phosphorus, high nitrogen:phosphorus cells to 22% of initial abundance within 135 min, while Euplotes reduced these cells to 33%. Neither ciliate species decreased the abundance of the exponential phase cells, lower carbon:phosphorus and nitrogen:phosphorus, relative to control treatments. Because protozoa have higher nitrogen:phosphorus and carbon:phosphorus ratios than their prokaryotic prey, this study raises the possibility that it may be advantageous for protozoa to preferentially consume more slowly growing bacteria.     

放牧制度对荒漠草原生态系统土壤养分状况的影响

从土壤N,P,K及土壤有机质等方面研究了在连续进行了7 a的放牧制度试验对荒漠草原生态系统土壤养分含量的影响。研究结果表明:放牧制度对土壤的养分状况有明显的影响。划区轮牧区和禁牧提高了土壤有机质、土壤氮素、土壤全钾和土壤速效钾含量。土壤表层磷含量划区轮牧区最高。放牧导致碳氮比减少。同时,土壤养分含量随土壤深度的变化在不同处理没有表现出较为一致的变化趋势。禁牧区土壤全氮含量随土壤深度的增加而增加;不同处理土壤速效氮、土壤速效钾含量均随土壤深度的增加逐渐降低;土壤全磷在自由放牧区随土壤深度的增加逐渐升高;土壤速效磷、全钾含量在划区轮牧区随土壤深度的增加逐渐降低;土壤养分含量与土壤深度的拟合曲线为二次幂函数。研究表明,禁牧和划区轮牧较自由放牧可以提高荒漠草原土壤养分元素的含量,有利于遏制草原土壤的退化。     

Comparison of biodiversity and ground cover between a commercial rotationally grazed property and an adjacent nature reserve in semi‐arid rangeland

Continuous livestock grazing can have negative effects on biodiversity and landscape function in arid and semi‐arid rangelands. Alternative grazing management practices, such as rotational grazing, may be a viable option for broad‐scale biodiversity conservation and sustainable pastoral management. This study compared ground cover, plant species composition and floristic and functional diversity along gradients of grazing intensity between a pastoral property rotationally grazed by goats and an adjacent nature reserve (ungrazed by commercial livestock) in semi‐arid south‐eastern Australia. Understorey plant species composition differed significantly between the rotationally grazed property and the nature reserve, with a greater proportion and frequency of palatable species recorded in the nature reserve. Understorey plant species richness, diversity, functional biodiversity measures and ground cover declined with increasing grazing pressure close to water points under commercial rotational grazing management. However, at a whole‐paddock scale, there were few differences in plant biodiversity and ground cover between the rotationally grazed property and the nature reserve, despite differences in overall plant species composition. Flexible, adaptive, rotational grazing should be investigated further for its potential to achieve both socio‐economic and biodiversity conservation outcomes in semi‐arid rangelands to complement existing conservation reserves.     

Intensity-dependent effects of cattle and sheep grazing in sand grasslands — Does livestock type really matter?

Aims

By analysing cattle- and sheep-grazed sand grasslands, we tested the following hypotheses: (i) livestock type has a stronger effect on the vegetation characteristics than grazing intensity; (ii) sheep grazing results in lower biomass and species and functional diversity than cattle grazing, regardless of intensity; and (iii) increased grazing intensity causes a shift of the trait composition in grasslands.

Location

Sand grasslands in the Nyírség region, East Hungary.

Methods

We selected 26 sand grassland sites grazed by cattle or sheep and classified them into four intensity levels. Vegetation composition was surveyed in 2 m × 2 m plots. We harvested the above-ground biomass from 20 cm × 20 cm plots; then dried and sorted it to live biomass, litter, moss, and lichen. We compared Rao dissimilarity index, species richness, Shannon diversity, evenness, and the community-weighted means of nine vegetative and generative traits along a grazing intensity gradient. We calculated functional richness, evenness, and divergence for comparison.

Results

We found that some diversity metrics and community-weighted means of most studied traits were significantly affected by grazing intensity. Several characteristics were also affected by the interaction of grazing intensity and livestock type, but none of the studied characteristics was affected by livestock type in itself. Increasing Rao dissimilarity index peaking at the fourth grazing intensity level was detected, but for other multitrait indices, no such changes were proven, except for functional divergence, which was the lowest at the first intensity level. Graminoid, forb, and litter biomass were significantly affected by intensity, but none of the biomass fractions was affected by livestock type.

Conclusions

We suggest that for the management of sand grasslands, grazing intensity should be carefully adjusted, considering not only livestock units per hectare. For practical recommendations, well-defined, long-term experiments studying different livestock and habitat types along an intensity gradient would be essential.     

划区轮牧中不同放牧利用时间对草地植被的影响

对比研究了划区轮牧中不同时间的放牧利用对各小区的植被状况的影响。结果表明 ,在固定放牧时间长度的情况下 ,早放牧小区的草群结构比晚放牧的小区受到的影响大。家畜对早放牧小区的牧草利用率高于晚放牧的小区 ,草地生产力则表现出相反的趋势。对于可利用牧草营养 ,早放牧的小区可提供较多的粗蛋白。在生产实践中 ,要灵活应用划区轮牧制度 ,对不同时间放牧利用的各小区要根据草地的实际情况来确定其具体的放牧时间长度 ,在不同的年度也要按不同的顺序来轮换放牧 ,兼顾到草地的可持续利用与家畜生产。     

Restoration of Degraded Grazing Lands through Grazing Management: Can It Work?

Grazing lands are the most degraded land use type in the world, particularly in arid and semiarid areas, as a result of improper human activities such as overgrazing coupled with drought. For restoration of degraded grazing lands, large-scale projects are implemented, which include extensive vegetation improvements (e.g., reseeding, weed control, shrub plantations, reforestations, etc.). Such interventions, apart from being very expensive, often create environmental problems. In situations where the abiotic function of the degraded grazing land has not been irreversibly damaged, application of appropriate grazing management is an ecologically viable solution to their restoration. This is especially necessary for grazed lands with a long history of grazing by large herbivores, including livestock. Excluding domestic animals from such ecosystems may lead to several ecological problems such as loss of biodiversity and devastating wildfires. Appropriate grazing management should include an adjusted stocking rate to the grazing capacity of the restored land, the right kind of animal species, and an appropriate grazing system. In addition, grazing management should be implemented on the basis of a plan that is part of the restoration project. It is concluded that grazing management should become a priority option in restoration of the biotic function of degraded grazing lands, especially in those that have had a long history with the presence of domestic animals.     

Effect of timing of corn silage supplementation to Holstein dairy cows given limited daily access to pasture: intake and performance

The timing in which supplements are provided in grazing systems can affect dry matter (DM) intake and productive performance. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of timing of corn silage supplementation on ingestive behaviour, DM intake, milk yield and composition in grazing dairy cows. In total, 33 Holstein dairy cows in a randomized block design grazed on a second-year mixed grass–legume pasture from 0900 to 1500 h and received 2.7 kg of a commercial supplement at each milking. Paddock sizes were adjusted to provide a daily herbage allowance of 15 kg DM/cow determined at ground level. The three treatments imposed each provided 3.8 kg DM/day of corn silage offered in a single meal at 0800 h (Treatment AM), equally distributed in two meals 0800 and 1700 h (Treatment AM-PM) or a single meal at 1700 h (Treatment PM). The experiment was carried out during the late autumn and early winter period, with 1 week of adaptation and 6 weeks of measurements. There were no differences between treatments in milk yield, but 4% fat-corrected milk yield tended to be greater in AM-PM than in AM cows, which did not differ from PM (23.7, 25.3 and 24.6±0.84 kg/day for AM, AM-PM and PM, respectively). Fat percentage and yield were greater for AM-PM than for AM cows and intermediate for PM cows (3.89 v. 3.66±0.072% and 1.00 v. 0.92±0.035 kg/day, respectively). Offering corn silage in two meals had an effect on herbage DM intake which was greater for AM-PM than AM cows and was intermediate in PM cows (8.5, 11.0 and 10.3±0.68 kg/day for AM, AM-PM and PM, respectively). During the 6-h period at pasture, the overall proportion of observations on which cows were grazing tended to be different between treatments and a clear grazing pattern along the grazing session (1-h observation period) was identified. During the time at pasture, the proportion of observations during which cows ruminated was positively correlated with the DM intake of corn silage immediately before turn out to pasture. The treatment effects on herbage DM intake did not sufficiently explain differences in productive performance. This suggests that the timing of the corn silage supplementation affected rumen kinetics and likewise the appearance of hunger and satiety signals as indicated by observed changes in temporal patterns of grazing and ruminating activities.     

Effect of cattle grazing a species-rich mountain pasture under different stocking rates on the dynamics of diet selection and sward structure

Although stocking rate is a key management variable influencing the structure and composition of pastures, only few studies have simultaneously analysed the seasonal patterns of pasture use by cattle, and the adjustments the animals make to maintain intake of a high-quality diet over the grazing season. Therefore, over a 3-year study, we recorded diet selection, plot use and impact of heifers on sward structure and quality under three different stocking rates (0.6, 1.0 and 1.4 livestock units (LU) per ha) in a species-rich mountain pasture of central France. Measurements were made on three occasions between early June and the end of September each year. Overall, heifers selected for bites dominated by legumes or forbs, and against reproductive grass, whatever the stocking rate or season. Selection for tall mixed (P < 0.05), short mixed (P < 0.05) and short pure grass bites (P < 0.01) was more pronounced in plots grazed at the lowest stocking rate. Although heifers' selection for short patches decreased at the end of the season (P < 0.001), they continued to graze previously grazed areas, thus exhibiting a typical 'patch grazing' pattern, with the animals that grazed at the lowest stocking rate tending to better maintain their selection for short patches in September (treatment × period: P = 0.078). Neither diet quality nor individual animal performance were affected by the different stocking rate treatments despite high variability in the quantity and quality of herbage offered and differences in diet selection. However, at the 1.4 LU per ha stocking rate, the quantity of forage available per animal at the end of the season, 0.79 t dry matter (DM) per ha of green leaves with the median of sward height at 4.6 cm, approached levels limiting cattle's ability to compensate for the effects of increasing stocking rate. In plots grazed at 0.6 LU per ha, the total herbage biomass remained higher than 3 t DM per ha with more than 30% of plot area still covered by reproductive grass patches at the end of the grazing season, which in the medium term should affect the botanical composition of these pastures. Sward heterogeneity was high in plots grazed at 1.0 LU per ha, with sufficient herbage availability (1.1 t DM per ha of green leaves) to maintain animal performance, and more than 15% of plot area was kept at a reproductive stage at the end of the grazing season. Hence, it could represent the optimal balance to satisfy both livestock production and conservation management objectives.     

Effects of rotational and continuous grazing on herbage quality,feed intake and performance of sheep on a semi-arid grassland steppe

Compared to continuous grazing (CG), rotational grazing (RG) increases herbage production and thereby the resilience of grasslands to intensive grazing. Results on feed intake and animal performance, however, are contradictory. Hence, the objective of the study was to determine the effects of RG and CG on herbage mass, digestibility of ingested organic matter (dOM), organic matter intake (OMI) and live weight gain (LWG) of sheep in the Inner Mongolian steppe, China. During June–September 2005–2008, two 2-ha plots were used for each grazing system. In RG, plots were divided into four 0.5-ha paddocks that were grazed for 10 days each at a moderate stocking rate. Instead, CG sheep grazed the whole plots throughout the entire grazing season. At the beginning of every month, dOM was estimated from faecal crude protein concentration. Faeces excretion was determined using titanium dioxide in six sheep per plot. The animals were weighed every month to determine their LWG. Across the years, herbage mass did not differ between systems (p = 0.820). However, dOM, OMI and LWG were lower in RG than in CG (p ≤ 0.005). Thus, our study showed that RG does not improve herbage growth, feed intake and performance of sheep and suggests that stocking rates rather than management system determine the ecological sustainability of pastoral livestock systems in semi-arid environments.     

A comparison of two rotational stocking strategies on the foraging behaviour and herbage intake by grazing sheep

An understanding of the processes involved in grazing behaviour is a prerequisite for the design of efficient grassland management systems. The purpose of managing the grazing process is to identify sward structures that can maximize animal forage daily intake and optimize grazing time. Our aim was to evaluate the effect of different grazing management strategies on foraging behaviour and herbage intake by sheep grazing Italian ryegrass under rotational stocking. The experiment was carried out in 2015 in southern Brazil. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with two grazing management strategies and four replicates. The grazing management treatments were a traditional rotational stocking (RT), with pre- and post-grazing sward heights of 25 and 5 cm, respectively, and a ‘Rotatinuous’ stocking (RN) with pre- and post-grazing sward heights of 18 and 11 cm, respectively. Male sheep with an average live weight of 32 ± 2.3 kg were used. As intended, the pre- and post-grazing sward heights were according to the treatments. The pre-grazing leaf/stem ratio of the Italian ryegrass pasture did not differ between treatments (P > 0.05) (~2.87), but the post-grazing leaf/stem ratio was greater (P < 0.001) in the RN than in the RT treatment (1.59 and 0.76, respectively). The percentage of the non-grazed area was greater (P < 0.01) in post-grazing for RN compared with RT treatment, with an average of 29.7% and 3.49%, respectively. Herbage nutritive value was greater for the RN than for the RT treatment, with greater CP and lower ADF and NDF contents. The total time spent grazing, ruminating and resting did not differ between treatments (P > 0.05), with averages of 439, 167 and 85 min, respectively. The bite rate, feeding stations per min and steps per min by sheep were greater (P < 0.05) in the RN than in the RT treatment. The grazing time per hour and the bite rate were greater (P < 0.05) in the afternoon than in the morning in both treatments. The daily herbage intake by sheep grazing Italian ryegrass was greater (P < 0.05) in the RN than in the RT treatment (843.7 and 707.8 g organic matter/sheep, respectively). Our study supports the idea that even though the grazing time was not affected by the grazing management strategies when the animal behaviour responses drive management targets, such as in ‘Rotatinuous’ stocking, the sheep herbage intake is maximized, and the grazing time is optimized.     

黄土高原半干旱区退化草地恢复与利用过程研究

草地退化表现为土壤和植被遭到彻底破坏,草地演替过程受到强烈抑制.实验采用长期(30年)封禁措施,定位监测退化草地从次生半裸地演变为近似原生植被(进展演替)的变化过程.结果表明,随着封禁时间的变化,退化草地恢复演替经历了4个阶段,群落盖度、植株密度、物种丰富度和多样性指数、地上生物量和地下生物量在草地群落恢复过程中逐渐增加,其特征变化出现的峰值均在封禁第20年(地下生物量峰值在第15年),其中地上生物量最高达520.5 g/m2;直到封禁的第20~25年,以本氏针茅为建群种的草原群落衰败退化现象明显,而大针茅种群密度剧增;在封禁的第26年以上以大针茅为优势的群落生长较为稳定,从目前群落演替进程看,大针茅有替代本氏针茅的趋势.另外,在草原沟道两侧以斑块状聚集分布有中旱生灌木,群落的演替进入了一个新的阶段.随着封禁时间的延续,退化草地从自然封禁恢复的0~26年,通过侵入-竞争-扩散-定居的几个演替阶段,目前形成以大针茅为建群种相对稳定的"亚顶级".虽然草地生物量有一定下降,但草地质量提高,物种多样性丰富,促进草地的进展演替.草地植物群落主要由禾本科、豆科和菊科组成;多年生植物、C3和旱生物种可以作为草地演替过程和植被恢复的指示物种.长期封育对草地物种更新和生态系统稳定性有负面影响,因此,合理的封育时间是草地生态恢复中非常重要的一个因素.本研究提出,在黄土区退化草地封育10~15年后可以开始进行合理的利用,例如通过两年一次刈割和轻度放牧(2只羊/hm2).本研究可为干旱区、半干旱区相似的退化草地恢复提供理论依据.     

Grazing responses in herbs in relation to herbivore selectivity and plant traits in an alpine ecosystem

Herbivores shape plant communities through selective foraging. However, both herbivore selectivity and the plant’s ability to tolerate or resist herbivory may depend on the density of herbivores. In an alpine ecosystem with a long history of grazing, plants are expected to respond to both enhanced and reduced grazing pressures, and the interaction between plant traits and changes in species abundance are expected to differ between the two types of alteration of grazing regime. To understand the mechanisms behind species response, we investigated the relationship between sheep selectivity (measured in situ), plant traits and experimentally derived measures of change in species abundance as a response to the enhancement (from low to high density) or cessation (from low to zero density) of sheep grazing pressure over a six-year time period for 22 abundant herb species in an alpine habitat in south Norway. Sheep selected large, late-flowering herbs with a low leaf C/N ratio. Species that increased in abundance in response to enhanced grazing pressure were generally small and had high root/shoot ratios, thus exhibiting traits that reflect both resistance (through avoidance) and tolerance (through regrowth capacity) strategies. The abundance of selected species remained stable during the study period, and also under the enhanced grazing pressure treatment. There was, however, a tendency for selected species to respond positively to cessation of grazing, although overall responses to cessation of grazing were much less pronounced than responses to enhanced grazing. Avoidance through short stature (probably associated with increased light availability through the removal of tall competitors) as well as a certain amount of regrowth capacity appear to be the main mechanisms behind a positive response to enhanced grazing pressure in this study. The plant trait perspective clearly improves our insight into the mechanisms behind observed changes in species abundance when the disturbance regime is altered. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

长期不同放牧强度下荒漠草原建群种短花针茅(Stipa breviflora)叶片解剖结构变化

植物叶片解剖结构随放牧强度的变化而发生变化。以短花针茅荒漠草原长期(19年)固定监测放牧样地为研究区,以建群种短花针茅叶片作为实验材料,测量不同放牧强度(对照(CK)、轻度放牧(LG)、中度放牧(MG)、重度放牧(HG))下短花针茅叶片保护组织、输导组织、机械组织、同化组织有关的14个解剖结构指标,分析短花针茅叶片解剖结构随长期不同放牧强度的变化,从生理角度探讨荒漠草原植物对长期放牧的适应及响应。研究结果表明：(1)叶片层次上,短花针茅通过增加其叶片横切面面积和叶厚度去适应放牧干扰;(2)保护组织方面,与对照区相比,重度放牧区角质层厚度增加,但未达到差异显著性(P>0.05),角质层厚度占叶厚度比例随放牧强度的增加整体呈增加趋势;(3)输导组织方面,木质部面积随放牧强度的增加呈下降趋势,而韧皮部面积、主导管面积、维管束面积等指标均随放牧强度的增加呈增加趋势,但没有达到显著性(P>0.05);(4)机械组织方面,厚壁组织面积和厚壁组织占叶面积比例均随放牧强度的增加呈增加趋势;(5)同化组织方面,随着放牧强度的增加,短花针茅叶片叶肉组织面积显著增加(P<0.05)。可见,...     

Regional productivity mediates the effects of grazing disturbance on plant cover and patch‐size distribution in arid and semi‐arid communities

Patch‐size distribution and plant cover are strongly associated to arid ecosystem functioning and may be a warning signal for the onset of desertification under changes in disturbance regimes. However, the interaction between regional productivity level and human‐induced disturbance regime as drivers for vegetation structure and dynamics remain poorly studied. We studied grazing disturbance effects on plant cover and patchiness in three plant communities located along a regional productivity gradient in Patagonia (Argentina): a semi‐desert (low‐productivity community), a shrub‐grass steppe (intermediate‐productivity community) and a grass steppe (high‐productivity community). We sampled paddocks with different sheep grazing pressure (continuous disturbance gradients) in all three communities. In each paddock, the presence or absence of perennial vegetation was recorded every 10 cm along a 50 m transect. Grazing effects on vegetation structure depended on the community and its association to the regional productivity. Grazing decreased total plant cover while increasing both the frequency of small patches and the inter‐patch distance in all communities. However, the size of these effects was the greatest in the high‐productivity community. Dominant species responses to grazing explained vegetation patch‐ and inter‐patch‐size distribution patterns. As productivity decreases, dominant species showed a higher degree of grazing resistance, probably because traits of species adapted to high aridity allow them to resist herbivore disturbance. In conclusion, our findings suggest that regional productivity mediates grazing disturbance impacts on vegetation mosaic. The changes within the same range of grazing pressure have higher effects on communities found in environments with higher productivity, markedly promoting their desertification. Understanding the complex interactions between environmental aridity and human‐induced disturbances is a key aspect for maintaining patchiness structure and dynamics, which has important implications for drylands management.     

退化草原冷蒿群落13年不同放牧强度后的植物多样性

放牧过程通过家畜的啃食、践踏干扰草原环境,使草原的物种组成发生变化,植物种群的优势地位发生更替。对退化草原中的冷蒿群落在经历13a不同放牧强度——无牧（0．00只羊,hm^2）、轻牧（1．33只羊／hm^2）、中牧（4．00只羊／hm^2）、重牧（6．67只羊,hm^2）的围栏放牧后的植物群落多样性进行研究,结果表明：经过13a的演替变化,（1）无牧处理下植被密度显著低于其它3个放牧处理下的植被密度,而其它3个放牧处理之间的植被密度差异不显著;（2）无牧处理下羊草成为群落的优势种,轻牧和中牧处理下冷蒿依然是群落的优势种。这3种处理下寸草苔的种群密度最大;重牧处理下优势种变为星毛委陵菜,并且其种群密度最大;随着放牧强度增加,不同放牧退化阶段指示植物的种群密度的变化趋势是：冷蒿为先增大后减小,而星毛委陵菜为先急剧增大,然后平缓增大,最后再急剧增大;（3）植物多样性和均匀度指数在中牧处理下最大,在无牧处理下最小,说明中牧处理下群落的多样性最高,无牧处理下群落的多样性最小。而优势度指数正相反。植物群落结构和多样性的变化主要是由放牧家畜选择性采食、不同植物对放牧响应的不同策略、植物种间的竞争、动植物协同进化以及由放牧改变的土壤理化性质等因素综合决定的。此研究有助于进一步认识退化草原在继续放牧干扰下的演替规律以及为退化草原的保护和恢复提供理论依据。