放牧对小嵩草草甸生物量及不同植物类群生长率和补偿效应的影响

基于小嵩草(Kobresia parva)草甸连续2 a的牦牛放牧试验,研究了暖季和冷季放牧草场地上地下生物量及其分配规律、不同植物类群的绝对生长率生长率,探讨了放牧制度和放牧强度对不同植物类群补偿效应的影响。结果表明,随着放牧强度的增加地上总生物量呈减小趋势,放牧强度对暖季草场地上总生物量的影响极显著（P?0.01）,对冷季草场地上总生物量的影响不显著（P?0.05）;两季放牧草场各土壤层地下生物量随放牧强度的增加呈明显下降趋势,放牧强度对暖季放牧各土壤层地下生物量的影响显著（P?0.05）,对冷季放牧各土壤层地下生物量的影响不显著（P?0.05）;冷季放牧草场牧草生长季地下生物量与地上生物量的比值随放牧强度的增大而减小,暖季放牧草场对照区地下生物量与地上生物量的比值低于轻度放牧和中度放牧、高于重度放牧;暖季放牧草场各放牧处理不同植物类群均存在超补偿生长,但莎草科和禾本科植物的超补偿生长在8月份,阔叶植物的超补偿生长发生在6月和7月份,禾本科植物的超补偿生长效应强于莎草科植物和阔叶植物,轻度和中度放牧的补偿效应更明显;冷季放牧下不同植物类群也存在超补偿生长,但补偿效应不明现。因此,暖季适度（轻、中度）放牧利用更有利于产生超补偿生长,而重度利用对植被的稳定产生潜在的不利影响。     

不同放牧强度对鹅绒委陵菜克隆生长特征的影响

在中国科学院海北高寒草甸生态系统定位站,对通过17 a不同放牧强度干扰后金露梅灌丛草甸内鹅绒委陵菜克隆生长特征进行实地调查统计研究.结果显示:长期放牧并增加放牧强度后,植物群落的高度、盖度和草场质量指数下降.随着放牧强度增大,鹅绒委陵菜无性系匍匐茎数目增加,分枝强度加大;基株变矮,逐渐由直立、半直立型变为匍匐状,形态可塑性明显;根长有逐渐增加的趋势;放牧强度对鹅绒委陵菜无性系分株高度、根长和分株叶数影响不显著;间隔子有变短、变粗的趋势,间隔子数目和分株数目有增加的趋势,但影响不显著;轻牧和不牧样地中用于鹅绒委陵菜克隆生长的平均能量投资(分株和匍匐茎的干重及其所占比例)小于重牧样地.表明随放牧强度增大,鹅绒委陵菜无性繁殖能力增强,呈现出典型的生态适应策略.     

高寒小嵩草草甸牦牛优化放牧强度的研究

高寒小嵩草草甸牦牛放牧强度试验表明:(1)不同放牧强度下各植物类群的地上生物量和总的地上生物量之间差异极显著,莎草科植物地上生物量的百分比组成之间差异极显著,禾本科和杂类草地上生物量的百分比组成之间差异显著,而且禾本科和莎草科(除对照外)植物的地上生物量及其百分比组成随放牧强度的增加而减小,杂类草的变化与之相反;(2)优良牧草比例和草地质量指数与放牧强度之间均呈负相关,而优良牧草比例的年度变化和牦牛个体增重的年度变化之间呈正相关;(3)群落的相似性系数随放牧强度的增加而减小.通过建立植被变化度量指标,认为优良牧草比例的年度变化是评价高寒小嵩草草甸放牧价值的直接度量指标,而相似性系数的变化和草地质量指数的变化与牦牛生产力没有明显的联系,不能反映草场植被放牧价值的变化,只能指示植物群落整体的相对变化程度;牦牛的放牧强度约为1.86头/hm2是小嵩草高寒草甸暖季草场可持续生产而不退化的最大放牧强度.     

高寒草甸放牧扰动与两种植物的反应研究

对不同放牧强度下矮嵩草草甸植物垂穗披碱草和鹅绒委陵菜的生长和繁殖特性进行了5年研究。结果表明,垂穗披碱草株高、分蘖数、地上物量、地下生物量、有性繁殖效力在不放牧或轻度放牧下最大,营养生长效力在重度放牧中最大,而贮藏效力在重度放牧中最小。鹅绒委陵菜叶数、匍匐茎长度、地上生物量、匍匐茎生物量、开花数、生殖生物量、有性繁殖效力及营养繁殖效力在放牧区显著高于不放牧的对照区。说明适当的放牧干扰有利于垂穗披碱草营养生长,但放牧过重会抑制其有性繁殖;由于放牧采食减少了种间竞争影响,从而提高了鹅绒委陵菜营养,生长效力和有性繁殖效力。两物种地下贮藏物的比例随着放牧强度增加显著减少。放牧强度对高寒草甸的群落演替方向有显著影响。     

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.     

玛曲高寒草甸沙化过程中群落结构与植物多样性

针对玛曲高寒草甸沙质荒漠化和水土流失日趋严重的问题,采用群落样方调查的方法,研究了潜在、轻度、中度和重度4种典型高寒沙化草甸的植被结构特征和α多样性与β多样性变化规律。结果表明:随着沙化程度的加剧,1)群落植被盖度持续下降(分别为99.216%,80.078%,49.895%,36.398%)、物种数逐渐减少(分别为53,32,14,13)、群落结构趋向简单(重要值大于1的物种分别有28,16,10,8种),典型高寒草甸优势种和伴生种逐渐退出群落,而适应沙质荒漠的物种逐渐占据群落中的优势地位,玛曲高寒草甸生态系统有向高寒沙质荒漠生态系统转化的趋势,群落以青藏苔草+高山早熟禾群落→青藏苔草+防风+高山嵩草群落→高山嵩草+防风+青藏苔草群落→毛穗赖草+藏虫实+青藏苔草+防风群落的方向演替;2)群落丰富度和植物多样性指数均呈下降趋势,差异显著;均匀度指数先增加后减小,在轻度沙化草甸达到最大,但差异不显著;而群落优势度逐渐增加,在中度沙化草甸增加极显著;3)潜在沙化草甸与沙化草甸之间的Whittaker指数差异极显著,中度沙化草甸与重度沙化草甸之间差异显著,而轻度沙化草甸与中度沙化草甸之间差异不显著。4)潜在沙化草甸与3种沙化草甸和轻度沙化草甸与重度沙化草甸之间群落相异性系数较高(0.705—0.937),群落共有度指数较低(0.034—0.173),而重度沙化草甸与中度沙化草甸、轻度沙化草甸与中度沙化草甸之间群落相异性系数相对较低(0.545—0.553),群落共有度指数相对较高(0.293—0.303)。以上分析表明,玛曲高寒草甸在沙化过程中存在轻度沙化和重度沙化两个关键过程,因此对潜在沙化草甸应采取封育、禁牧、轮牧、抚育等科学管护措施,而对沙化草甸应采取草皮移植、补播、施肥等植被快速恢复措施和流沙治理措施进行生态修复,防止草甸沙化的加剧和蔓延。     

高寒小嵩草草甸暖季草场主要植物种群的生态位

对高寒小嵩草草甸不同放牧强度下20种植物种群的优势度、生态位宽度及生态位重叠规律进行了研究。结果表明,经过2年的放牧实验,对照、轻度和中度放牧组的主要优势种均为小嵩草和垂穗披碱草,重度放牧组的主要优势种为鹅绒委陵菜和阿拉善马先蒿;由于小嵩草、矮嵩草和线叶嵩草具有耐牧和耐践踏等生物学特点,它们的生态位宽度很大（0．938,0．824,0．815）;垂穗披碱草由于其耐牧和耐旱性较差,生态位宽度相对较小（0．805）,且青海野青茅、异针茅、针茅、紫羊茅和双叉细柄茅等禾本科牧草的生态位宽度在放牧强度梯度上均较小（0．226,0．448,0．445,0．608,0．605）,说明放牧抑制了高大禾草层片的发育,为植株矮小的莎草科牧草的生长创造了条件;异针茅和针茅之间、甘肃马先蒿和阿拉善马先蒿之间生态位重叠较小（0．500,0．572）,这是种间对资源利用上分化的结果。分布于放牧演替系列2个极端的种群间生态位重叠较小,表明物种的分布是既间断又连续的。     

青藏高原高寒草甸群落特征和代表性植物生存状态对草地退化的响应

植物群落和代表性植物的生存状态是反映草地退化程度的重要标志之一。以青海省果洛州玛沁县的未退化、轻度退化、中度退化、重度退化和极度退化的高寒草甸为研究对象,分析了植物群落特征、代表性植物地上性状及生存状态对退化程度的响应。结果表明:群落物种组成由禾本科、莎草科过渡到杂类草,Shannon多样性指数、Simpson优势度指数、Pielou均匀度指数先平稳变化后降低,群落平均高度、Patrick丰富度均先增加后降低,群落盖度依次降低,群落特征指标均在极度退化时最低(P<0.05);总体来看,与轻度退化样地相比,中度退化、重度退化和极度退化样地的植物株高均显著降低,分别降低了6.8%、36.8%和31.6%(P<0.05);生存状态指数表现为小嵩草(Kobresia pygmaea)逐渐降低,山地早熟禾(Poa orinosa)和垂穗披碱草(Elymus nutans)的生存状态指数分别在轻度退化和中度退化时最高,肉果草(Lancea tibetica)和黄帚橐吾(Ligularia virgaurea)的生存状态指数分别在重度退化和极度退化样地中最大。说明高寒草甸退化导致群落特征...     

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。     

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.     

放牧对沙质草地生态系统组分的影响

对内蒙古科尔沁沙质草地5年的放牧试验结果表明,过牧对草地生态系统的危害很大,连续5年过牧使草地生物多样性、植被盖度、高度和初级生产力分别较禁牧区低87．9％、82．1％、94．0％和57．0％,草地现存生物量仅为禁牧区的2．1％,土壤粘粒、C、N含量和微生物、小型动物数量也较之降低6．0％、31．9％、25．0％、95．0％和75．9％,地表紧实度提高274．0％,特别是次级生产力从第3年转为负增长,使草地产出功能完全破坏,封育对沙质草地十分有益,封育5年草地各项指标均有大幅度增加,轻牧和中牧下的植被盖度、高度、土壤状况处于禁牧区和重牧区之间,其中轻牧区植被情况要好于中牧区,但次级生产力低于中牧区,根据多年调查和本次试验结果可以认为,内蒙古东部半干旱沙质草地牧草的利用率应为45％～50％,草地载畜量以3～4羊单位·hm^-2比较适宜。     

牧民定居后季节草场优化配置的研究

草地畜牧业季节草场在牧民定居后新的生产力水平下应采取怎样的利用模式,是生产中亟待解决的问题。本文采用调查与实测相结合的方法,遵循草畜平衡及能物流高效持续利用原则,研究提出了新疆天山北坡中段季节草场时空优化配置模式(暖季放牧,冷季舍饲 放牧)。此模式不仅实现了草畜平衡,使生态环境得以保护和改善,且能取得显著的经济和社会效益。     

Spread of exotic grass in grazed native grass pastures and responses of insect communities

Exotic grasses are widely established across the Southeastern United States for livestock forage, resulting in the structural and compositional simplification of grasslands. Replacing exotic forages with native warm‐season grasses (NWSG) could benefit insects due to increased complexity of plant structure and composition, but livestock grazing also may facilitate spread of remnant exotic grasses such as bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) by reducing height and coverage of NWSG. We investigated these relationships among 12 operational‐scale pastures (6.4–10.5 ha) in Mississippi, U.S.A., during May–July (2011–2012). We quantified changes in bermudagrass coverage from one treatment of grazed exotic forages and three treatments of recently established NWSG, including a grazed mixed NWSG polyculture, a grazed Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans) monoculture to evaluate the effects of stand‐type richness among NWSG pastures, and a non‐grazed NWSG polyculture to evaluate the effects of grazing. We also assessed responses of two insect orders, Orthoptera and Hemiptera, to treatment and bermudagrass coverage. We estimated a 101–190% average increase in coverage of bermudagrass in grazed native grass pastures (NWSG polyculture and Indian grass monoculture), but not in non‐grazed NWSG, suggesting that grazing facilitated the spread of this grass. Composition of Orthopteran and Hemipteran communities was correlated with bermudagrass coverage, and inter‐year differences in composition for both communities in grazed mixed NWSG, and for Hemiptera in grazed Indian grass, corresponded with increasing bermudagrass coverage in those treatments. Our results suggest that incomplete eradication of exotic forages prior to establishment of NWSG may be exacerbated by grazing, which could then impact stand condition and insect communities.     

Predicting Extreme Droughts in Savannah Africa: A Comparison of Proxy and Direct Measures in Detecting Biomass Fluctuations,Trends and Their Causes

We monitored pasture biomass on 20 permanent plots over 35 years to gauge the reliability of rainfall and NDVI as proxy measures of forage shortfalls in a savannah ecosystem. Both proxies are reliable indicators of pasture biomass at the onset of dry periods but fail to predict shortfalls in prolonged dry spells. In contrast, grazing pressure predicts pasture deficits with a high degree of accuracy. Large herbivores play a primary role in determining the severity of pasture deficits and variation across habitats. Grazing pressure also explains oscillations in plant biomass unrelated to rainfall. Plant biomass has declined steadily and biomass per unit of rainfall has fallen by a third, corresponding to a doubling in grazing intensity over the study period. The rising probability of forage deficits fits local pastoral perceptions of an increasing frequency of extreme shortfalls. The decline in forage is linked to sedentarization, range loss and herbivore compression into drought refuges, rather than climate change. The results show that the decline in rangeland productivity and increasing frequency of pasture shortfalls can be ameliorated by better husbandry practices and reinforces the need for ground monitoring to complement remote sensing in forecasting pasture shortfalls.     

高寒典型草原主要物种的株高和盖度预测种群和群落地上生物量

为快速、准确、无破坏地测定草原地上生物量,在祁连山高寒典型草原植物生长旺季,观测了冬季和春秋季放牧地60个样方内各物种的株高、盖度等生长指标。以冬季牧地紫花针茅（Stipa purpurea）、醉马草（Achnatherum inebrians）、赖草（Leymus secalinus）、扁穗冰草（Agropyron cristatum）、二裂委陵菜（Potentilla bifurca）、银灰旋花（Convolvulus ammannii）6个主要物种的株高、盖度、株高和盖度的乘积为自变量,分别预测同物种、其他物种和群落地上生物量。用春秋季牧场的数据验证模型的精确性和稳定性。结果表明：主要物种的生长指标可预测其自身、其他物种和群落地上生物量。对自身种群,株高和盖度乘积的复合因子预测效果最好;4种禾草对其他物种、二裂委陵菜对菊科植物种群,株高、盖度单因子预测效果优于复合因子;6个主要物种单独或2-6个种结合均可预测群落地上生物量,但是以6个物种株高和盖度的乘积同时预测时决定系数最大,可解释群落地上生物量89.5%的变异,为高寒典型草原群落地上生物量最优预测模型。     

Managed grazing is an effective strategy to restore habitat for the endangered autumn buttercup (Ranunculus aestivalis)

The only protected habitat of the endangered autumn buttercup is a small, overgrown, wet meadow that no longer supports the species. We used an experimentally driven reintroduction to examine the role of rodent herbivory in limiting the survival and establishment of autumn buttercup at the site. We evaluated the effectiveness of livestock grazing and cages to exclude rodents by comparing survival of caged and uncaged transplants under two pasture management treatments (grazed vs. ungrazed). We found that transplant survival was greatest for caged plants in grazed pasture with 50% of plants surviving to the end of the second growing season. Grazing increased the species richness in the plant community and decreased the amount of cover for small mammals. Accordingly, rodent density and vole herbivory in late summer were significantly lower on grazed pasture. Our results indicate that rodent herbivores represent a major threat to the survival and reestablishment of autumn buttercup and livestock grazing and protective caging are effective strategies to reduce rodent populations and vole herbivory.     

高寒草甸物种多样性对藏系牧羊放牧行为的影响

为探究草原植物物种多样性对家畜放牧行为的影响及其机制,在青藏高原高寒草甸开展藏系牧羊轮牧试验,调查植被物种多样性,观察藏系牧羊采食速率、觅食速率和采食时间,并计算藏系牧羊日采食量。结果表明：两年间,植物物种丰富度与藏系牧羊采食速率呈显著正相关关系（P<0.05）;觅食速率、采食时间和日采食量对放牧率响应敏感（P<0.05）,呈夏秋增冬春减的趋势。植物Shannon-Wiener指数与藏系牧羊的采食时间显著负相关（P<0.05）;在暖季或8羊/hm²放牧率下植物Shannon-Wiener指数与藏系牧羊日采食量呈显著正相关（P<0.05）。Pilelou均匀度指数与藏系牧羊采食速率和采食时间显著负相关（P<0.05）;在暖季或8羊/hm²放牧率下Pilelou均匀度指数与藏系牧羊日采食量呈显著负相关（P<0.05）。植物物种丰富度对藏系牧羊放牧行为贡献较大,且放牧藏系牧羊的采食速率和采食时间比觅食速率和日采食量对植物物种丰富度响应更敏感,以用植物物种丰富度为自变量可以更好预测藏系牧羊放牧行为。放牧管理通过影响植被物种多样性从而进一步影响了藏系牧羊放牧行为。放牧行为不仅是评价草地营养价值和家畜生产力的关键指标,也是草地健康管理的基础。因此,明确草原植物物种多样性-藏系牧羊放牧行为的互作机制有助于更好的提高藏系牧羊地生产力,维护草原生态健康。     

Tracking gastrointestinal nematode risk on cattle farms through pasture contamination mapping

Gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) parasites in grazing cattle are a major cause of production loss and their control is increasingly difficult due to anthelmintic resistance and climate change. Rotational grazing can support control and decrease reliance on chemical intervention, but is often complex due to the need to track grazing periods and infection levels, and the effect of weather on larval availability. In this paper, a simulation model was developed to predict the availability of infective larvae of the bovine GIN, Ostertagia ostertagi, at the level of individual pastures. The model was applied within a complex rotational grazing system and successfully reproduced observed variation in larval density between fields and over time. Four groups of cattle in their second grazing season (n = 44) were followed throughout the temperate grazing season with regular assessment of GIN faecal egg counts, which were dominated by O. ostertagi, animal weight and recording of field rotations. Each group of cattle was rotationally grazed on six group-specific fields throughout the 2019 grazing season. Maps and calendars were produced to illustrate the change in pasture infectivity (density of L3 on herbage) across the 24 separate grazing fields. Simulations predicted differences in pasture contamination levels in relation to the timing of grazing and the return period. A proportion of L3 was predicted to persist on herbage over winter, declining to similar intensities across fields before the start of the following grazing season, irrespective of contamination levels in the previous year. Model predictions showed good agreement with pasture larval counts. The model also simulated differences in seasonal pasture infectivity under rotational grazing in systems that differed in temperature and rainfall profiles. Further application could support individual farm decisions on evasive grazing and refugia management, and improved regional evaluation of optimal grazing strategies for parasite control. The integration of weather and livestock movement is inherent to the model, and facilitates consideration of climate change adaptation through improved disease control.     

Effects of grazing intensity on soil carbon stocks following deforestation of a Hawaiian dry tropical forest

The effects of forest-to-pasture conversion on soil carbon (C) stocks depend on a combination of climatic and management factors, but factors that relate to grazing intensity are perhaps the least understood. To understand the long-term impact of grazing in converted pastures, methods are needed that accurately measure the impact of grazing on recent plant inputs to soil C in a variety of pasture management and climate settings. Here, we present an analysis from Hawai'i of changes in vegetation structure and soil organic carbon (SOC) along gradients of grazing intensity and elevation in pastures converted from dry tropical forest 100 years ago. We used hyperspectral remote sensing of photosynthetic vegetation, nonphotosynthetic vegetation (NPV) and exposed substrate to understand the effects of grazing on plant litter cover, thus, estimating recent plant inputs to soils (the NPV component). Forest-to-pasture conversion caused a shift from C3 to C4 plant physiology, thus the δ ¹³C method was used in soil cores to measure the fraction of SOC accumulated from pasture vegetation sources following land conversion. SOC decreased in pasture by 5–9 kg C m⁻², depending upon grazing intensity. SOC derived from C3 (forest) sources was constant across the grazing gradient, indicating that the observed variation in SOC was attributable to changes in C inputs following deforestation. Soil C stocks were also reduced in pastures relative to forest soils. We found that long-term grazing lowers SOC following Hawaiian forest-to-pasture conversion, and that these changes are larger in magnitude that those occurring with elevation (climate). Further we demonstrate a relationship between remotely sensed measurements of surface litter and field SOC measurements, allowing for regional analysis of pasture condition and C storage where limited field data are available.