Coastal sand dune vegetation of Tabasco and Campeche,Mexico

Abstract. Sand dune vegetation along the coast of the Mexican states of Tabasco and Campeche was sampled by means of 1501 releves and the data were analyzed with classification and ordination programs. 36 community types were distinguished, which were grouped into 10 higher-order groups. The communities are described in a sequence reflecting the main vegetation zonation. Beach, embryo dune and foredune community groups include 12 community types, the sheltered zone includes 16 types and the fixed dunes 8 types. The ordination results reveal one main vegetation gradient corresponding to the increase in mean distance from the shoreline and elevation, and being covariant with species richness, mean vegetation cover and mean vegetation height. Additional differences are related to the geographical transition between the Gulf and Caribbean coastal vegetation and environmental conditions, mainly type of sand, occurring in the study area. Siliceous sand and a Gulf climate are characteristic for most of Tabasco, and calcareous sand and a Caribbean-type climate are characteristic for Campeche. Disturbance caused by coconut plantations, cattle grazing and tourism favours the invasion of ruderal species from waste places behind the dunes, which attain local dominance in the dunes described here. Consequently some separate community types had to be distinguished. The distribution of community types is analyzed in the context of the transitions between calcareous and siliceous substrates in the study area.     

Effects of long‐term grazing management on sand dune vegetation of high conservation interest

Question: Can long‐term grazing management maintain and restore species‐rich sand dune plant communities within a sand dune site of high conservation interest? Location: Newborough Warren, North Wales, UK. Methods: Vegetation changes that occurred between 1987 and 2003, subsequent to grazing by domestic livestock being introduced to the site after decades with little or no stock grazing, were analysed using data collected from permanent monitoring quadrats over a 16‐year period. Results: At the plant community level, grazing brought about a shift from a tall‐grass dominated, species‐poor community to a more species‐rich community in the dry dunes, but did not change community type in dune slacks. However, at the species level, grazing enhanced the abundance of some desired perennial, annual and biennial species, graminoids and bryophytes in both habitat types. The increased frequency of positive indicator species for habitat condition suggests that grazing was beneficial for species of conservation interest. Ellenberg nitrogen (N) values decreased after grazing in dry habitats but showed no long‐term change independent of grazing, suggesting no increase in site fertility over the study period. Surprisingly, light (L) values also decreased in the dry dunes after grazing. Conclusions: Long‐term grazing management can play an important role for the conservation of dune communities and associated species. Because of its positive effects on species diversity, plant communities and habitat condition in sand dunes, livestock grazing is recommended for conservation management.     

Rabbit grazing and species diversity in a dune area

Summary The relation between density of rabbit populations and plant species diversity is discussed. In the dunes of the Dutch Frisian Island of Schiermonnikoog, the rabbit grazing pressure has been quantified on the basis of traces of recent grazing activity. Moderate grazing turned out to bring about maximal species richness. Current changes in grazing pressure (either decrease or increase) can result in plant species diversity that is lower than in other places with equal but stabilized grazing pressure.Nomenclature follows Heukels-van Ooststroom, Flora van Nederland, 18e druk, 1975.The work has been done by Mrs Ada Zeevalking-van Y peren and Mr Hein Zeevalking as part of their study for a doctoral degree.     

放牧方式对浑善达克沙地榆树疏林退化的影响

浑善达克沙地榆树疏林是分布于草原地带的隐域植被类型,相较周边的典型草原区,其植被更加茂密,乔灌丛生,水草丰美,千百年来一直是牧民的优质冬季牧场。近半个世纪以来,因人类的过度开垦以及不合理的放牧管理,浑善达克沙地植被遭到空前的破坏,沙丘活化,载畜能力降低,生态价值和经济价值严重受损。近年来,随着国家草畜平衡以及禁牧政策的推广落实,放牧的牲畜总量得到一定程度的遏制,然而大面积草场还在继续退化。在牧民对生产生活的基本需求下,牲畜总量不可能无限制的压制。另外,适度的放牧对草原生态系统健康是有益的。因此,如何改良放牧方式,合理利用草场,在保持生态良好的基础上合理发挥草场的畜牧价值,是我们亟待探索的问题。以浑善达克沙地的典型天然植被榆树疏林为例,对不同放牧方式下的植被进行调查,基于沙地特殊的基质和植被特征,探讨适合沙地的放牧利用方式。研究表明,在相似的放牧强度下,把沙地作为冬营地,其榆树种群更新正常,植被覆盖度以及植物种类等均能保持良好,而把沙地作为夏季营地,榆树疏林植被退化严重,具体表现为:(1)榆树种群自然更新受阻;(2)灌木群落大量死亡或消失;(3)草本覆盖度显著降低,植物种类减少,多年生草本比例减少,一、二年生草本比例增加;(4)裸沙面积增加,沙丘趋于活化。本研究认为目前沙地植被的退化主要由不合理的放牧引起,并非气候因素所致。沙地适合于冬季放牧而不适合其他季节放牧。借鉴牧民的传统放牧方式,建议配合周边的典型草原区实行季节性倒场放牧,仅将沙地作为冬季营地使用,既能有效保护沙地植被又能充分发挥其畜牧价值。     

Vegetation succession on the dunes near Oostvoorne,The Netherlands,since 1934, interpreted from air photographs and vegetation maps

The vegetation succession on the dunes near Oostvoorne, The Netherlands has been followed by means of a novel combination of repeated large-scale vegetation mapping and air photograph interpretation. Vegetation units have been discerned on the formation level because these could be distinguished fairly easily on the photographs and because the rates of change are appropriate to the time interval chosen. Nineteen formations were distinguished. Five 1:6250 maps were constructed, reflecting the formation pattern in 1934, 1943, 1959, 1972 and 1980. An overlay with 2736 grid points at 25 m field distance was used to quantify changes in the formation pattern.The results suggest a pronounced multiple pathway succession with nevertheless three principal trajectories of succession from pioneer to woodland vegetation. The outer dunes, which have originated since 1910, are distinct in successional characteristics from the inner dunes, which already existed but were released from heavy grazing pressure in 1910. The rate of change in the outer dunes was high in the beginning and is slowly decreasing eversince. In the inner dunes it went the other way around. Through visual extrapolation the likely formation patterns in 1910 and in 2000 were estimated.Transition frequencies proved highly variable for most formations. Moreover, strong spatial dependence was found. Limitations in the use of Markov models in cases of long-term succession in heterogeneous environments are discussed.Nomenclature follows the same sources as in van der Maarel et al. (1984).Field work carried out 1980–1981 when the authors were at the Division of Geobotany, University of Nijmegen. We thank Jos Rijntjes, Nijmegen, for his cooperation in the field. Vegetation maps were prepared and calculations performed at Uppsala. We thank the Foundation Het Zuid-Hollands Landschap, Rotterdam, for providing facilities and a grant for fieldwork as well as additional means to reproduce the vegetation maps. Two reviewers gave useful comments.     

Severely degraded dunes of the southern Kalahari: local extinction,persistence and natural re‐establishment of plants

This study aimed to quantify and understand the impact of severe land degradation on plant attributes and diversity on dunes of the southern Kalahari. Heavy grazing pressure in particular resulted in a significant decline of canopy cover and species number in annual and perennial life forms; forb and graminoid growth forms; erect and prostrate habits; and leafy stem, tussock and stoloniferous architectures. However, no significant change was found in shrub and tree forms which persisted without apparent new recruitment. Under these conditions, species diversity dropped sharply and a number of species, mainly graminoids, became apparently locally extinct. The perennial shrub, Crotalaria cf. spartioides, showed the converse with a high frequency of establishing seedlings on the degraded dunes. Changes in relative dominance show that the extreme treatment favours perennial over annual, woody over graminoid and forb, erect over prostrate and leafy stem over stoloniferous and tussock. Some of these results and certain species and soil responses differ from those reported from grazing studies elsewhere, and are possibly no longer directly related to the impact of the primary grazing pressure but to the secondary effect of subsequent instability of the dunes.     

The effect of grazing on granivory patterns in the temperate Monte Desert, Argentina

Structural variations result in a marked heterogeneity of processes in arid environments. Disturbances have noticeable impacts on ecosystems, and a solid way of assessing their effect is to analyze how ecological processes operate. In deserts, granivory has been considered as a keystone process. The objective of our study was to determine the effect of domestic grazing on seed removal rates by birds, ants and rodents as an indirect measure of the process of granivory. This study was carried out in grazed and ungrazed habitats in the central Monte desert ecoregion in Argentina, during February and July 2002. We analyzed three major habitats: mesquite forest, creosotebush shrubland, and sand dunes under two different treatments (grazed, ungrazed). We found significant effects of grazing and non-grazing treatments on total seed removal rates, among granivorous taxa, as well as interactions with season and habitats. Ants and birds were the taxa that differed most under grazing pressure whereas seed removal by rodents showed no significant responses towards grazing. In conclusion, grazing affects plant structure and the assemblage of granivorous taxa, which in turn translates to the granivory process, adding another source of variation to the seed removal patterns reported for the temperate Monte desert.     

毛乌素沙地油蒿群落的循环演替

流动沙地→半流动沙地白沙蒿群落→半固定沙地油蒿＋白沙蒿群落→固定沙地油蒿群落→固定沙地油蒿＋本氏针茅＋苔藓群落→地带性的本氏针茅草原及其迅速沙化的植被发展过程是毛乌素沙地植被自发演替的基本过程。油蒿具有耐沙埋、抗风蚀、耐土壤贫瘠等特性,是该地区最主要的优良固沙植物和重要牧草。半固定、固定沙地池蒿群落在毛乌素沙地的生态环境保护和农牧业生产方面发挥着极其重要的作用,维持其稳定十分重要。然而,其沙化的现     

Grassland systems of red meat production: integration between biodiversity, plant nutrient utilisation, greenhouse gas emissions and meat nutritional quality

Government policies relating to red meat production take account of the carbon footprint, environmental impact, and contributions to human health and nutrition, biodiversity and food security. This paper reviews the impact of grazing on these parameters and their interactions, identifying those practices that best meet governments' strategic goals. The recent focus of research on livestock grazing and biodiversity has been on reducing grazing intensity on hill and upland areas. Although this produces rapid increases in sward height and herbage mass, changes in structural diversity and plant species are slower, with no appreciable short-term increases in biodiversity so that environmental policies that simply involve reductions in numbers of livestock may not result in increased biodiversity. Furthermore, upland areas rely heavily on nutrient inputs to pastures so that withdrawal of these inputs can threaten food security. Differences in grazing patterns among breeds increase our ability to manage biodiversity if they are matched appropriately to different conservation grazing goals. Lowland grassland systems differ from upland pastures in that additional nutrients in the form of organic and inorganic fertilisers are more frequently applied to lowland pastures. Appropriate management of these nutrient applications is required, to reduce the associated environmental impact. New slurry-spreading techniques and technologies (e.g. the trailing shoe) help reduce nutrient losses but high nitrogen losses from urine deposition remain a key issue for lowland grassland systems. Nitrification inhibitors have the greatest potential to successfully tackle this problem. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are lower from indoor-based systems that use concentrates to shorten finishing periods. The challenge is to achieve the same level of performance from grass-based systems. Research has shown potential solutions through the use of forages containing condensed tannins or establishing swards with a high proportion of clover and high-sugar grasses. Relative to feeding conserved forage or concentrates, grazing fresh grass not only reduces GHG emissions but also enhances the fatty acid composition of meat in terms of consumer health. It is possible to influence biodiversity, nutrient utilisation, GHG emissions and the nutritional quality of meat in grass-based systems, but each of these parameters is intrinsically linked and should not be considered in isolation. Interactions between these parameters must be considered carefully when policies are being developed, in order to ensure that strategies designed to achieve positive gains in one category do not lead to a negative impact in another. Some win-win outcomes are identified.     

On the polymorphism of cyanogenesis in Lotus corniculatus L. IV. The Netherlands

A continuous gradual increase in the frequency of the cyanogenic form of Lotus corniculatus L. from 3 per cent near Den Helder to 96 per cent in Goeree has been found on the high dunes of west Holland. It is possible that grazing by rabbits may have contributed to the origin and maintenance of the cline.     

Ecological effects of desertification control and desertified land reclamation in an oasis–desert ecotone in an arid region: A case study in Hexi Corridor,northwest China

Desertification around oases is the major obstacle for sustainable development of oases in arid regions of northwest China. An effective way of maintaining the stability of oases is to recover the relatively stable ecological zone between an oasis and desert from the destroyed ecological rift zone. This paper presents a typical case of successful efforts in ecological restoration and desertified land reclamation of oasis–desert ecotone. On the basis of stabilization of mobile dunes and agricultural use of reclaimed land, some successful techniques including established straw checkerboards and planting drought-tolerant indigenous shrubs, leveling sand dunes and drawing water for irrigation, closing dunes for grass reservation were carried out in 1975. In the restoration area, a stable artificial protective forest system had been developed. Pedological analyses indicate that the fine particle fraction (silt and clay content) in 0–10 cm soil surface layer has been increased from 2.6% on the untreated mobile sandy land to 9.3–37.3% in the restoration areas, and correspondingly, soil organic C has been increased from 0.63 to 1.88–9.70 g kg⁻¹ during the 28 years of restoration period. In these 28 years, a 10 cm depth of minero-organic topsoil in the irrigated Picea sylvestris forestland has been developed. It is also observed that sand transportation rate during sandstorm events has been significantly reduced. The increase of vegetation cover indicates a remarkable environmental improvement. Overall, the ecological restoration approach in this study is of practical significance for the rebuilding of rift zone ecosystem and maintenance of the stability of oasis in the arid regions of northwest China.     

Mobile dunes and eroding salt marshes

The paper deals with general outlines of salt marsh and dune vegetation in the Ellenbogen and Listland area on Sylt (Schleswig-Holstein, FRG). The composition of current salt marsh vegetation is considered to be mainly the result of a long-lasting process of tidal inundation, grazing, and a permanent influence of groundwater seepage from the surrounding dunes. The lower salt marsh communities have shown constancy for 67 years, due to the effect of heavy grazing. The mid-upper salt marsh communities demonstrated a succession from aPuccinellia maritima-dominated community of the lower marsh to aJuncus gerardii-dominated community of the mid-upper salt marsh, which may be due to the transport of sand — over a short time — on the surface of the marsh. The area covered by plant communities of annuals below Mean High Water (MHW) seemed to diminish. Salt marsh soils, especially of the mid-upper marsh, indicate sandy layers resulting from sand drift of the dunes. Dry and wet successional series of the dunes in the Listland/Ellenbogen area both show grassy stages shifting to dwarf shrubs as final stages. White primary dunes can only be found on the accreting shoreline of the Ellenbogen, which is also grazed by sheep; vegetation cover therefore remains dominated by grasses, mosses and lichens. Three mobile dunes (as the most prominent features of this landscape) have been left unaffected by seeding and planting by local authorities. Grazing is considered to be an inadequate tool in nature conservation as long as natural processes are to prevail in the landscape as major determinants.     

Long-term effects of grazing on subalpine and alpine grasslands in the Central Alps,Austria

The effects of grazing exclusion on species diversity and functional diversity were analyzed along an elevation gradient from the subalpine (1960 m a.s.l.) to the lower and upper alpine zone (2275 m–2650 m a.s.l.) in the Austrian Central Alps for 15 years. Nine sites were chosen, including grasslands at different elevations, a bog and a glacier foreland site at the lower alpine zone and a snowbed at the upper alpine zone. Data were acquired by frequency counts in 1 m² permanent plots inside each fenced area (three plots per site) and outside in grazed areas (three plots). Diversity indices and functional diversity were analyzed by means of generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs). Exclosure, duration of exclusion and exclosure*years (interaction effect) were defined as predictor variables. Multivariate ordination techniques were used to (i) determine species responses to grazing exclusion (pRDA, partial redundancy analysis) and (ii) to create a distance matrix representing the changes between exclosures and control plots per year (NMDS, non-metric multidimensional scaling). At the subalpine grassland, first differences between exclosure and control plots occurred already only after three years, at the upper alpine zone after four and five years. Contrary to our expectation, dwarf shrubs did not increase within the exclosures of the subalpine grassland. Instead, mainly the tall forb Geranium sylvaticum increased. Species richness significantly decreased at the exclosures of the subalpine zone, the snowbed and at one upper alpine grassland sites. The communities of the glacier foreland and the bog were hardly affected by grazing exclusion.We conclude that plant species and communities react individually depending on elevation and grazing animals. Grazing exclusion studies at high elevations should definitely be carried out in the long-term.     

Changes in woody community structure and composition under constrasting landuse systems in a semi-arid savanna, South Africa

We aimed to explore the farm scale effects of three landuse types, communal grazing, wildlife management and commercial cattle farming, on the woody vegetation of a semiarid savanna. Location The study farms were located within a single bioclimatic zone in semiarid savanna, South Africa. Methods The species composition and structure of woody vegetation on three farms of each of three landuse types were sampled. Results We found that communal grazing land sites were classified outside the topland-bottomland vegetation dichotomy characteristic of this region. Comparisons of size class distributions showed the communal grazing lands had fewer small and large individuals; suggesting both lower levels of regeneration and regenerative capacity in the communal grazing lands. The species richness and biomass of woody plants was lower on communal grazing lands than on private game reserves and commercial cattle farms. The longevity of tree species explains the observed lag between changes in abundance and species loss; we consequently predict that there will be future losses of species in the communal grazing lands. By classifying species into a range of use-categories we showed that utilization and species loss was not limited to certain plant use categories. Higher levels of wood harvesting measured in the communal grazing lands are likely to be responsible for the observed differences. Main conclusions It is concluded that communal grazing management at this study site has substantially changed the composition and structure of woody plant communities, and that these changes have reduced the current availability of natural resources and will reduce resource production in the future.     

内蒙古锡盟白音锡勒牧场沙地植被的空间分布格局与演替

1985—1986年期间,作者调查了白音锡勒牧场沙地植被。本文具体分析沙地植被的空间分布和动态演替。1．沙地西段的植被呈疏林灌丛草原景观,沙地东段的植被则呈密林灌丛草原景观。由西向东随着海拔高度的上升形成一个植被生态系列。植被PCA分析的结果表明沙地基质稳定性梯度和沙地环境水分梯度是控制沙地植物群落空间分布格局的两个主要环境因素。2．描述了沙地原生植被演替的各个阶段。沙地植被演替阶段与沙地固定过程相一致,群落稳定性与沙地地貌稳定性相关。由于地形分异引起立地水热条件组合变化,植被演替系列分化为阴坡系列和阳坡系列,前者向森林化方向发展,后者则沿草原化方向发展。本文还就沙地植被资源的开发、利用和保护等方面提出6项建议。     

The role of cattle in maintaining plant species diversity in wet dune valleys

The succession of species-rich wetland vegetation in dune valleys into species-poor dwarf shrub vegetation was followed by means of permanent vegetation plots, in which the cover of vascular plant, moss and lichen species were recorded over a period of up to 33 years. Low density cattle grazing is an effective substitute for rabbits in stalling this succession, thus preserving the local plant species diversity. The influence of direct rabbit grazing pressure on the vegetation was studied in exclosures. The differences were significant, but not long-lasting after the exclosures had been opened again to the rabbits. Cladina lichen-rich Empetrum-heathland in the dunes is a stage in a probably cyclic succession that might be triggered by grazing. The total vascular plant, moss and lichen diversity of the dune ecosystem can be maintained by a combination of extensive cattle grazing and a regular but limited re-creation of pioneer situations.     

Carbon Fixation, Ammonium Uptake and Regeneration in an Equatorial Lake: Biological Versus Physical Control

Ammonium uptake and regeneration were measured in the euphoticzone of Petit Saut Lake, French Guyana, to examine nitrogencycling in this recently flooded equatorial forest environment.Am-monium regeneration rates were extremely high (mostly inthe range 1–6 µmol N l^–1 h^–1), and aredue to the very high grazing rates of the microzooplankton,which consumed between 56 and 95% of the phytoplankton productionin any given incubation. These regeneration rates were aboutan order of magnitude higher than the net ammonium uptake rates.This imbalance is probably due to dissolved organic nitrogenrelease during grazing. At the bottom of the euphotic zone (4–5m), photosynthetic bacteria are responsible for ammonium uptake.Diffusion-driven ammonium fluxes are an order of magnitude lowerthan biologically driven fluxes. Therefore, ammonium fluxesare dominated by biology rather than by physics in this lake.     

Effects of environment and grazing disturbance on tree establishment in meadows of the central Cascade Range,Oregon, USA

Abstract. Within the last century there has been widespread establishment of trees in mountain meadows of the Pacific Northwest. We reconstructed patterns of tree invasion at 17 meadow sites in the central Cascade Range of Oregon, USA -sites representing diverse physical environments and vegetation types and experiencing different histories of recent anthropogenic disturbance (sheep grazing). Spatial distributions and age structures of invasive tree populations were analysed with respect to climatic records and grazing history. Patterns of establishment varied considerably among meadows, reflecting strong differences in environment and grazing history. In montane hydric meadows, tree establishment was spatially clumped beneath large old trees and on elevated microsites; however the timing of invasion differed between sites with stable versus fluctuating water tables. In upland mesic/dry montane meadows, timing of invasion corresponded with cessation of sheep grazing (early 1940s) and the onset of wetter summers (mid 1940s). In the subalpine zone, climate and aspect interacted to produce contrasting histories of invasion on north- and south-facing slopes. Establishment on north-facing slopes, concentrated in heath-shrub communities, coincided with regional warming (ca. 1920–1945) when snowpacks were lighter and melted earlier. Recruitment of trees onto south-facing slopes occurred later, when conditions were wetter (1945–1985). In many environments, the spatial distribution of recruitment suggests that once trees have established, autogenic factors become increasingly important as individual trees or groups of trees alter the physical or biotic conditions that once inhibited establishment. Knowledge of the factors that influence invasion, and of their varying importance across gradients in environment and vegetation, is critical to predicting future changes in these dynamic systems.     

Tracks and trackways of Myotragus balearicus Bate (Artiodactyla, Caprinae) in Pleistocene aeolianites from Mallorca (Balearic Islands, Western Mediterranean)

Tracks and trackways of the ruminant goat, Myotragus balearicus Bate, 1909 are abundant in the Late Pleistocene aeolianites of the south coast of Mallorca, Spain. The carbonate aeolianites form impressive dunes and related sand ramps that were initiated as echo dunes in front of a 20–40 m high paleocliff of Miocene reefal limestone. Where the dunes built up to the cliff top, they covered it as an aeolian ramp. The dunes and sand ramps were active during the dry summer months but were passive during the wet winter period. The small, goat-like animals were abundant on the island, and for unknown reasons crossed the aeolian accumulations in large numbers. This study deals with the tracks formed in the dune deposits. All preserved trackways indicate impression into moist sand. Special features of the tracks include the structure produced by the withdrawal of the foot, here called the ‘axis’, and a disturbance zone of plastic deformation around this. On dune crests, the disturbance zone surrounds the axis more or less symmetrically. However, in addition, a ‘pressure pad’ of dislocated, slightly rotated sediment bound by curved microfaults is commonly produced posterior to the axis by propulsive pressure of the foot. On steep stoss and lee slopes, the pressure pad becomes oriented in a down-slope position as a result of gravitational slip of the walking animal. Combination of disturbance of the sediment in this way by manus followed by overprinting of similar disturbance by pes produces highly complicated track structure. This structure may be characteristic of artiodactylous mammals in soft sand, particularly aeolian deposits. The structure is designated as Bifidipes aeolis isp. nov.