The effect of drainage and management on peat chemistry and nutrient deficiency in the former Jegrznia-floodplain (NE-Poland)

The Jegrznia floodplain has been deprived of flooding since the late 19th century. Human influence has been limited to haymaking and cattle grazing without land reclamation. Therefore, the present vegetation reflects the impact of hydrological changes, without being much disturbed by changes in other factors. A drainage gradient on the former floodplain was examined for nutrient deficiencies and compared with an intact floodplain. For this purpose we analyzed nutrient concentrations in above ground biomass, we measured redox potentials and peat variables for a rich fen vegetation, a well-developed fen meadow as well as an impoverished fen meadow vegetation. According to P:N-ratios in above ground biomass, all vegetation types appear to be limited by phosphorus, whereas the impoverished fen meadow is also limited by potassium. These results are supported by the chemical composition of the peat, redox characteristics and the physical changes in the peat induced by drainage. It is concluded that hydrological changes in combination with an annual mowing regime resulted in a shift from no nutrient limitation to P-and/or K-limitation in the former Jegrznia floodplain. Changes in hydrology at Jegrznia stopped the input of nutrients, increased the leaching of K and turned P into unavailable Al and Fe-complexes. Continued mowing increased P-and K-deficiency.     

Cattle foraging habits shape vegetation patterns of alluvial year-round grazing systems

Year-round grazing with robust cattle is increasingly used as a near-natural tool for the restoration of structurally diverse grassland ecosystems in Western and Central Europe. The aim of this study was to evaluate the general success of year-round grazing and to analyze the interplay between emerging vegetation structures, grazing patterns and abiotic environmental conditions. In summer 2010 vegetation composition, aboveground biomass and soil properties were sampled at 44 quadrats of 4 × 4 m² within two year-round grazed floodplain sites in Northwestern Germany. For plot selection, we predefined structural vegetation types and later statistically determined indicative plant species for each structural type. Our results showed that year-round grazing resulted in the successful creation of eutrophic grassland communities on former agricultural land after 15 years. Soil parameters like phosphorous and potassium concentration and the flooding duration did not or only slightly differ between different structure types. In summer, cattle preferably fed at short-growing patches which were of better digestible biomass than taller patches. Hence, our data clearly demonstrate a positive feedback between grazing intensity and fodder quality leading to a patchy vegetation structure of intensively grazed swards and less frequented areas dominated by high-growing grasses and tall forbs, almost independently from primary differences in soil parameters and other site factors such as flooding duration. The remarkable structural and floristic diversity of year-round grazing systems clearly is a result of these spatially contrasting feeding patterns.     

Cattle and Weedy Shrubs as Restoration Tools of Tropical Montane Rainforest

Over the last 150 years, a large proportion of forests in Latin America have been converted to pastures. When these pastures are abandoned, grasses may slow re‐establishment of woody species and limit forest regeneration. In this study, we explored the use of cattle in facilitating the establishment of woody vegetation in Colombian montane pastures, dominated by the African grasses Pennisetum clandestinum (Kikuyo) and Melinis minutiflora (Yaraguá). First, we described woody and herbaceous vegetation in grazed and non‐grazed pastures. Second, we tested the effect of grazing and seed addition on the establishment and growth of woody species. We also determined if the effect of grazing was different in P. clandestinum and M. minutiflora pastures. We found that low stocking density of cattle greatly increased density, number of branches per individual (a measure of “shrubiness”), and basal area of woody species, but also reduced woody plant species richness and diversity. In the grazed area, the shrubs Baccharis latifolia (Chilca) and Salvia sp. (Salvia) were the most abundant. The combined effect of grazing and shading from the shrubs reduced herbaceous vegetation by 52 to 92%. In the grazing/seed addition experiment, grazing increased establishment of woody seedlings, particularly of the shrub Verbesina arborea (camargo), but the largest effect was seed addition. Where grasses are an important barrier to regeneration, grazing can facilitate the establishment of shrubs that create a microhabitat more suitable for the establishment of montane forest tree species.     

Herbage response to tree thinning in a Eucalyptus crebra woodland

The effects of a range of tree densities on native herbage (mainly Aristida ramosa, Bothriochloa decipiens and Themeda australis biomass in a Eucalyptus crebra woodland near Kingaroy, Queensland, were investigated between March 1977 and July 1981. Rainfall in this area averages 750 mm year^?1. Initial tree density was 640 trees ha^?1 and this was manipulated using arboricide chemicals to leave plots containing 640, 320, 160, 80 and nil live trees ha^?1. Fires were excluded from the whole area, and half the plots were grazed by cattle. The largest increase in herbage biomass was recorded in the ‘all trees killed’ treatment (nil trees ha^?1), closely followed by the ‘scattered tree’ treatment (80 trees ha^?1). The relationship between tree density and herbage biomass was linear. Recruitment of grass and forb plants, as reflected by changes in density, varied according to treatment. Increased grass recruitment was correlated with cattle grazing, whilst forb recruitment was influenced mainly by tree density.     

Vegetation changes following sheep grazing in abandoned mountain meadows

Abstract. Sheep grazing was investigated as an alternative to traditional management of meadows in the Krkono?e Mts. Until the second World War these meadows were mown in mid‐summer and grazed by cattle for the rest of the season. Subsequent abandonment of the meadows has resulted in decreasing species richness. Degradation phases of the former communities have been replacing the original species‐rich vegetation. Significant changes were apparent six years after the introduction of sheep grazing. In grazed plots the proportion of dominant herbs (Polygonum bistorta and Hypericum maculatum) decreased and grasses (Deschampsia cespitosa, Festuca rubra, Agrostis capillaris, Anthoxanthum alpinum) increased. The increase in grasses was positively correlated with an increase in several herbs. The proportion of some herbs increased despite being selectively grazed (Adenostyles alliariae, Melandrium rubrum, Veratrum lobelianum). Any losses caused by grazing of mature plants were probably compensated by successful seedling establishment. Cessation of grazing resulted in significant changes in vegetation within three years. The cover of nitrophilous tall herbs and grasses (e.g. Rumex alpestris, Holcus mollis, Deschampsia cespitosa, Geranium sylvaticum) increased in the abandoned plots. In the plots grazed for nine years cover of species‐rich mountain meadow species increased (e.g. fine‐leaved grasses, Campanula bohemica, Potentilla aurea, Viola lutea, Silene vulgaris). The main conservation risk is the expansion of a competitive species with low palatability, Deschampsia cespitosa. This species can be suppressed by a combination of grazing and mowing. In order for grazing to be effective, the number of sheep should be proportional to meadow production. This may be difficult to maintain as production is variable and is impossible to predict at the beginning of a growing season. A large part of the biomass may thus remain intact in some years. Negative effects of grazing may be, at least partly, eliminated by a combination of cutting and grazing.     

Influence of rainfall and grazing on herbage dynamics in a seasonally dry tropical savanna

Species composition and herbage dynamics in relation to rainfall variability and cattle grazing were studied in permanently protected, grazed, and temporarily fenced treatments on three sites in a seasonally dry tropical savanna. Permanently protected sites, established between 1979 and 1984, were 55–79% similar with each other in species composition, and 14–25% similar with grazed sites during the period 1986–1988. Similarity among grazed sites was only 36–43%. Number of species was greater in the grazed treatment than in the permanently protected treatment. The percentages of annual grasses and non-leguminous forbs were greater in grazed savanna than in permanently protected savanna. Species diversity was higher in grazed savanna than in the corresponding permanently protected savanna. Species the two annual cycles studied, peak live shoot biomass was 614 g m^-2 in permanently protected savanna, 109 g m^-2 in grazed savanna, and 724 g m^-2 in temporarily fenced savanna. Live shoot biomass in temporarily fenced savanna was 18 to 44% greater than in permanently protected savanna. Peak canopy biomass ranged from 342 to 700 g m^-2 in permanently protected savanna. It was related with total rainy season rainfall, and was particularly sensitive to late rainy season rainfall. On the other hand, peak canopy biomass in grazed savanna ranged from 59 to 169 g m^-2 and was related to grazing intensity rather than either total rainy season rainfall or late rainy season rainfall. Coefficient of variation of green biomass in permanently protected savanna was related with rainfall variability indicating it to be a pulsed system which responds quickly to rainfall events. Biomass of woody species ranged from 2466 to 5298 g m^-2 in permanently protected savanna and from 744 to 1433 g m^–2 in the grazed savanna. Green foliage biomass was 3.7 to 6.4% of the woody biomass in permanently protected and 5.6 to 5.9% in grazed savanna, and supplements substantially the fodder resource during the dry periods of the year.     

Quick Target Vegetation Recovery after Restorative Shrub Removal and Mowing in a Calcareous Fen

Removal of shrubs and trees is an important management and restoration practice to promote openness and light‐dependent vegetation in fens, especially as tree cover is increasing in previously open wetlands. The effects of woody vegetation removal on target species have been poorly documented in wetlands up to now. In this study, I investigated the effect of tree and shrub removal (especially of Juniperus communis) on the target vegetation in a partly overgrown and degraded grazed rich fen after 6 years. I also tested whether additional intensified management by mowing could promote initial recovery. Shrub removal resulted in a rapid recovery of species‐rich fen vegetation such that after 6 years brown moss cover more than tripled and target species richness doubled and became similar to values of a reference area in a favorable conservation status. Additional mowing resulted in a much higher abundance of the target rich fen vascular plants. The reasons for the success at this site may be the proximity to well‐developed rich fen vegetation, presence of cattle that dispersed diaspores, and presence of bare, colonizable substrate. Thus, it may be more beneficial to restore and expand already existing sites in a partly favorable status than to restore severely deteriorated sites. Extensive management by woody vegetation removal may be an alternative method to maintain high conservation values of open mires and other wetlands, where grazing or mowing is not necessary or feasible to meet future needs in response to overgrowth caused by global warming.     

Effect of cattle grazing on soil salinity and vegetation composition along an elevation gradient in a temperate coastal salt marsh of Samborombón Bay (Argentina)

Salt marshes of Samborombón Bay (Argentina) have been grazed sporadically at very low stocking rates, but in the last decade, grazing intensity increased due to agriculture expansion. We investigated the effect of cattle grazing on vegetation and soil salinity on the most extended Spartina densiflora community. This community develops along an elevation gradient where the frequency and duration of tidal flooding and soil salinity increased as elevation decreased. Vegetation and soil data were collected from a national park excluded to cattle grazing for 30 years and from an adjacent commercial livestock farm continuously grazed by cattle. As elevation level decreased, plant cover, richness and diversity of functional groups and species decreased. As we expected, grazing altered soil salinity and vegetation composition in different extent along the elevation gradient. Grazing changed vegetation structure more intensively in the high elevation level because it reduced the competitive exclusion exerted by S. densiflora, allowing the increase in floristic richness. Grazing increased soil salinity and the contribution of salt-tolerant species only in the medium but not in the low elevation level probably because the higher frequency and duration of tidal flooding counterbalanced the increase in evaporation promoted by biomass removal in the low respect to the medium elevation level. While grazing may cause positive impacts for plant conservation in the high elevation level, it may cause negative consequence for livestock production because of the reduction in forage quality along the entire elevation gradient.     

Influence of livestock grazing on meadow pipit foraging behaviour in upland grassland

Changes in grazing management are believed to be responsible for declines in populations of birds breeding in grassland over the last decades. The relationships between grazing management regimes, vegetation structure and composition and the availability of invertebrate food resources to passerine birds remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the foraging site selection of meadow pipits (Anthus pratensis L.) breeding in high intensity sheep-grazed plots or low intensity mixed (i.e. sheep and cattle)-grazed plots. We sampled above-ground invertebrates, measured vegetation height and density and conducted a vegetation survey in areas where meadow pipits were observed to forage and areas that were randomly selected. Birds foraged in areas with a lower vegetation height and density and in areas containing a lower proportion of the dominant, tussock-forming grass species Molinia caerulea. They did not forage in areas with a total higher invertebrate biomass but at areas with preferred vegetation characteristics invertebrate biomass tended to be higher in foraging sites than random sites. The foraging distance of meadow pipits was higher in the intensively grazed plots. Our findings support the hypothesis that resource-independent factors such as food accessibility and forager mobility may determine patch selection and are of more importance as selection criteria than food abundance per se. Food accessibility seems to become an even more important selection criterion under high grazing intensity, where prey abundance and size decrease. In our upland grazing system, a low intensity, mixed grazing regime seems to provide a more suitable combination of sward height, plant diversity, structural heterogeneity and food supply for meadow pipit foraging activity compared to a more intensive grazing regime dominated by sheep.     

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.     

Quantifying the damage of red deer (Cervus elaphus) grazing on grassland production in southeastern Slovenia

The influence of red deer (Cervus elaphus) grazing on grassland production for forage conservation at the forest border during the vegetation period was studied on three locations (Mala gora, Cvišlerji, and Mačkovec) in the Kočevje region (SE Slovenia). The experiment lasted from the 25th of March until the 8th of October 2002. Portable cages were used to exclude red deer from grazing the herbage. At four sampling dates in the season, herbage air dry matter (DM) yield was measured at three different observations (cage-protected plot, cage-protected plot only two to three weeks before sampling date, otherwise freely grazed (removed), and unprotected plot). The results from the experiment showed that red deer grazed on grassland through the entire season and that the regeneration capability of sward was the highest in summer, middle in spring and smallest in autumn. On unprotected plots, an average reduction of 50% of herbage DM yield was found with the most damaged sites also up to 80% reduction.     

Nutrient limitation in species-rich lowland fens

Abstract. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium were supplied to some Belgian fens of varying nutrient status and productivity. Plant growth in the lowest productive fen with a species-rich Caricion davallianae vegetation was strongly P-limited. N was ineffective when applied alone, but increased the effect of P-addition when applied together. Summer biomass and plant nutrient concentrations were monitored for four years, and showed partial recovery of nutrient limitation. In a more productive fen dominated by Carex lasiocarpa and in a fen meadow, nutrient limitation was less strong. N limited growth in the productive fen, and N and K were co-limiting in the fen meadow. The P-concentration in the productive fen vegetation showed a marked increase after P-fertilization, but it did not result in higher standing crop. The significance of P-limitation for the conservation of species rich low productive fens is discussed. P-limitation may be an essential feature in the conservation of low productive rich fens: because it is less mobile in the landscape than N and/or because it is an intrinsic property of this vegetation type. Plant nutrient concentrations and N:P-ratios may be used as an indication for the presence and type of nutrient limitation in the vegetation. We found N:P-ratios of 23 to 31 for a P-limited site and 8 to 15 in N-limited sites. This was in agreement with critical values from the literature: N:P > ca. 20 for P-limitation and N:P < 14 for N-limitation. Thus, this technique appears valid in the vegetation types that were studied here.     

Grazing effects of Black Swans <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cygnus atratus</Emphasis> (Latham) on a seasonally flooded coastal wetland of eastern Australia

Little is known about the effects of grazing by birds on seasonally flooded Australian wetlands. Grazing by Black Swans Cygnus atratus (Latham) has an obvious visual impact in Little Broadwater, an ecologically important wetland on the Clarence River floodplain on the east coast of Australia. We measured the impact of grazing by swans in this wetland from March to September 2007 by comparing the structure and biomass of marsh vegetation (emergent and submerged macrophytes) in sites from which swans had been excluded and sites to which they had access. In grazed sites, after 135 days, the mean above-sediment biomass of the dominant sedge Eleocharis equisetina C. Presl was 52% less than in ungrazed sites. This difference was mostly because of the loss of leaf biomass above the waterline in grazed sites where biomass had been reduced by 99% compared with ungrazed sites. This created more habitat for other birds such as wading birds (e.g., Royal Spoonbills Platalea regia Gould) and dabbling ducks (e.g., Grey Teal Anas gracilis Buller). Where water levels can be artificially manipulated, local wetland managers could attempt to restore the flood pulse to wetlands that are large enough to sustain Black Swan populations to retain a variety of other waterbirds that require open water.     

Effects of grazing and inundation on pasture quality and seed production in a salt marsh

During a six-year period, changes in the composition of dominant plant species of importance to foraging birds in a salt marsh on the Swedish west coast were followed inside and outside exclosures to document effects of grazing on herbage quality and seed production. Since marshes provide an important habitat for foraging geese and ducks, it was of interest to determine how cattle grazing would affect herbage production inAgrostis stolonifera andPuccinellia maritima and seed and root-tuber production inScirpus maritimus. Measurements of cover and height in permanent plots revealed that a wetter weather type favouredAgrostis, probably through reduced salinity, at the expense ofPuccinellia, which was the most favoured food of both cattle and birds.Agrostis out-competedPuccinellia when grazing pressure was low. Seed production inScirpus maritimus was reduced by cattle grazing, particularly whenPhragmites australis formed part of the vegetation. In the absence of cattle grazing, both herbage- and seed producing plants were gradually reduced, andPhragmites increased. Since high herbage consumption and high seed production are mutually exclusive, grazing rotation in combination with mowing is suggested as a management strategy.     

Intensity of livestock grazing in relation to habitat use by brown hares (Lepus europaeus)

There is very limited information concerning livestock (sheep and goats) and brown hare Lepus europaeus interaction when both coexist. The effect of the intensity of livestock grazing on seasonal habitat use by hares, in a typical Mediterranean rangeland, was evaluated using the pellet-count method. Lightly grazed pastures were less preferred by hares compared with moderately grazed ones, whereas ungrazed pastures were used less intensively than grazed ones. Because livestock grazing reduces the quantity of standing biomass proportionally to its grazing intensity, forage resource was not the driving force for pasture selection. The increased use of moderately grazed pastures by hares in relation to lightly and ungrazed ones, where vegetation was more abundant, could be attributed to their reduced herbage height and density. This behaviour is probably a tactic that hares follow for predator avoidance, because they are more likely to detect visually approaching predators when feeding in a biotope with a limited herbaceous layer. The conclusion of this research is that livestock and brown hare coexistence may be compatible and beneficial rather than competitive when stocking rates do not exceed grazing capacity, leading to the conclusion that proper livestock grazing and hare population management can be feasible in practice.     

Effects of livestock grazing on benthic invertebrates from a native grassland ecosystem

SUMMARY 1. The effects of cattle grazing on stream bank stability, biomass of riparian vegetation, instream vegetation cover, biomass of coarse particulate organic matter (CPOM) and epilithon and benthic invertebrate community structure were investigated over a 2‐year period using: (i) enclosures containing different cattle grazing treatments and (ii) by comparing streams with different grazing intensities in the Cypress Hills Provincial Park, Alberta, Canada. 2. Livestock enclosure experiments comprised four treatments of: (1) early season cattle grazing (June–August), (2) late season cattle grazing (August–September), (3) all season cattle grazing (June–September) and (4) cattle‐absent controls. All four treatments were replicated in two streams while two treatments (i.e. cattle‐absent controls, early season cattle grazing) were established in a third stream. 3. Bank stability, estimated visually based on sediment inputs to the stream channel, increased significantly in cattle‐absent treatments compared with cattle‐present enclosures over the 2‐year study period. 4. Epilithic chlorophyll a was significantly affected by time, but neither cattle nor the interaction of time and treatment were significant. 5. At the end of the experiment, total invertebrate biomass in the late and all‐season treatment exceeded that in the early and cattle‐absent treatments. However, excluding cattle from the streams, at any of the different treatments, had little clear impact on the total benthic invertebrate abundance or the abundance of the predominant functional feeding groups over the 2‐year study period. 6. In contrast, comparisons of benthic assemblages from streams with different grazing intensities showed that the non‐grazed reach of Storm Creek contained significantly higher biomass of CPOM and shredders compared with the cattle‐absent enclosures in Battle, Graburn and Nine Mile creeks. Redundancy analysis showed that benthic communities from all enclosures and Storm Creek in summer and autumn 2000 were affected primarily by CPOM biomass, pH, nitrate, turbidity and benthic chlorophyll a. Construction of a 99% probability ellipse from enclosure sites showed that invertebrate communities from livestock enclosures differed from that in the non‐grazed Storm Creek. 7. Results from stream‐scale comparisons indicate that current livestock grazing practices in the Cypress Hills significantly impact riparian zones, stream channels and benthic invertebrate community structure and that alternative practices, such as rotational grazing, need to be developed.     

In search of a hydrological explanation for vegetation changes along a fen gradient in the Biebrza Upper Basin (Poland)

The understanding of succession from rich fen to poorer fen types requires knowledge of changes in hydrology, water composition, peat chemistry and peat accumulation in the successional process. Water flow patterns, water levels and water chemistry, mineralisation rates and nutrient concentrations in above-ground vegetation were studied along a extreme-rich fen-moderate-rich fen gradient at Biebrza (Poland). The extreme-rich fen was a temporary groundwater discharge area, while in the moderate-rich fen groundwater flows laterally towards the river. The moderate-rich fen has a rainwater lens in spring and significant lower concentrations of calcium and higher concentrations of phosphate in the surface water. Mineralisation rates for N, P and K were higher in the moderate-rich fen. Phosphorus concentrations in plant material of the moderate-rich fen were higher than in the extreme-rich fen, but concentrations of N and K in plant material did not differ between both fen types. Water level dynamics and macro-remains of superficial peat deposits were similar in both fen types.We concluded that the differences observed in the moderate-rich and the extreme-rich fens were caused by subtile differences in the proportion of water sources at the peat surface (rainwater and calcareous groundwater, respectively). Development of an extreme-rich fen into a moderate-rich fen was ascribed to recent changes in river hydrology possibly associated with a change in management practices. The observed differences in P-availability between the fen types did not result in significantly different biomass. Moreover, biomass production in both fen types was primarily N-limited although P-availability was restricted too in the extreme-rich fen. Aulacomnium palustre, the dominant moss in the moderate-rich fen, might be favoured in competition because of its broad nutrient tolerance and its quick establishment after disturbance. It might outcompete low productive rich fen species which were shown to be N-limited in both fens. We present a conceptual model of successional pathways of rich fen vegetation in the Biebrza region.     

Impact of selective grazing on plant production and quality through floristic contrasts and current-year defoliation in a wet grassland

Grazing impacts the structure and functional properties of vegetation through floristic changes (i.e., long-term effect) and current defoliation (i.e., short-term effect). The aim of this study was to assess the relative importance of these two grazing effects on productivity (ANPP) and plant quality (C/N ratio) among plant patches submitted to a variety of grazing intensity for several years. Long-term grazing effect was measured by comparing ANPP and C/N ratio among plant patches with contrasting floristic composition. Short-term impact of grazing was measured by comparing ANPP and C/N in plant patches, with and without defoliation. Floristic contrasts led to a lower ANPP in highly grazed patches than in lightly grazed ones. This result may be related to the increasing proportion of grazing-tolerant and grazing-avoiding species with increasing grazing intensity. Vegetation C/N contrasts were recorded among grazed patches but did not linearly relate to grazing intensity. Short-term effect of current-year defoliation on ANPP was limited as vegetation compensated for biomass removal. No evidence for grazing-enhancement of ANPP was found even at moderate grazing intensity. Long-term floristic changes with grazing thus appeared to be the main driving factor of variations in ANPP. In contrast, C/N ratio showed no general and consistent variation along the grazing gradient but varied consistently depending on the community investigated, thus suggesting an effect of the species pool available.     

Intraspecific adoption and foster feeding of fledglings in the North Island robin

We sampled soils and vegetation within and outside two sheep and rabbit exclosures, fenced in 1979, on steep sunny and shady slopes at 770 m altitude on seasonally-dry pastoral steeplands. The vegetation of sunny aspects was characterised by higher floristic diversity, annual species, and low plant cover. Here the exotic grass Anthoxanthum odoratum dominated on grazed treatments, and the exotic forb Hieracium pilosella on ungrazed. Shady aspects supported fewer, and almost entirely perennial, species. Here Hieracium pilosella dominated grazed treatments, but co-dominated with the exotic forb H. praealtum and the native grass Festuca novae-zelandiae on ungrazed treatments. There was 43% more biomass in exclosures (P < 0.01). Most of the biomass difference (4285 kg/ha) was from greater root mass (2400 kg/ha). 1385 kg/ha of the difference was from herbage and the remainder (500 kg/ha) from litter. Exclosures had 50 to 100% more Ca, Mg, K and P in the biomass (P < 0.05), but the effect on soils was limited to significantly higher concentrations of total N (P < 0.05) and exchangeable Mg (P < 0.01) in 0-7.5 cm soils. We conclude that stopping grazing for 16 years on seasonally-dry steeplands results in greater plant cover, approximately double the biomass of standing vegetation, greater biomass in roots, and more biomass nutrients relative to grazed areas. However, it does not favour native species and has little effect on soil nutrients or soil carbon. Stopping grazing alone therefore cannot be regarded as a comprehensive short- or medium-term vegetation or soil rehabilitation option.     

放牧对五台山高山、亚高山草甸牧草品质的影响

通过野外样地调查和室内分析,从牧草的适口性和营养成分两方面,研究了放牧对五台山高山、亚高山草甸牧草品质的影响。结果表明：放牧干扰草甸中适口性为喜食及以上的优质牧草种类为20种,喜食牧草在群落中的相对盖度最大,为45.40%;与之相比,极度退化草甸中优质牧草种类为13种,乐食牧草的相对盖度最大,为62.24%;喜食以上优质牧草的相对盖度最大值,出现在轻度退化草甸中,达到65.95%。同一适口性等级牧草,在不同退化等级草甸中,种类发生变化。从放牧干扰草甸到极度退化草甸,牧草中的粗蛋白和灰分含量呈增加趋势,而中性洗涤纤维和酸性洗涤纤维含量呈下降趋势。放牧压力下,五台山高山、亚高山草甸的牧草品质并未下降,但放牧造成的草甸生产力降低,制约了资源的可持续利用和保护。