草原群落退化与恢复演替中的植物个体行为分析

定度植物个体小型化是在草原过度放牧条件下草原植物植株地片变短、变窄,节间缩短,以及根条分布浅层化等笥状的集合。小型化个体的生态学属性介于环境饰变与生态型之间,特称之为响应型。个体小型化逆转变过程表现出集体行为,小型化个体具有维持其形状的保守性,变化的阶段性和突变性;小型化的逆过程即正常化过程号常规替时间有关。个体经是过度放牧下群落生产力衰退的重要表现,是对过度放牧的负反馈机制。在草原群落经演替机理     

羊草＋大针茅草原群落退化演替机理的研究

通过比较退化与未退化典型草原群落中主要植物种的个体数量特征和根系分布的差异 ,在内蒙古锡林郭勒盟白音锡勒牧场中国科学院草原生态系统定位研究站的实验样地上通过为期 11年 (1983～ 1993)对退化草原群落恢复演替过程中植物个体特征动态的监测 ,证明以节间缩短、叶片变短和根系分布浅层化为特征的植物个体小型化是在过度放牧所致草原退化中联系导因与结果的机理性中间环节。植物个体小型化使群落生产力水平下降 ;也使各个种群构建群落的功能衰退 ,并由此导致原来占据的资源空间被释放出来 ;释放出的资源诱使家畜不喜食的种群大量拓殖 ,从而出现优势种更替。因此 ,植物个体小型化现象及其生态学作用可以很好地揭示过牧条件下草原群落退化所表现出的生产力锐减和优势种更替特征的机理     

放牧对内蒙古锡林河流域草地群落植物茎叶生物量资源分配的影响

以内蒙古锡林河流域沿水分梯度分布的灰脉苔草(Carex appendiculata)、贝加尔针茅(Stipa baicalensis)、羊草(Leymus chinensis)、大针茅(Stipa grandis)、小叶锦鸡儿(Caragana microphylla)和冷蒿(Artemisia frigida) 6个草地群落为对象, 研究了围封禁牧与放牧样地中144个共有植物种的高度、丛幅面积、茎、叶和株(丛)生物量、茎叶比等性状。结果表明: 1)在个体水平上, 放牧样地中植物的生殖枝高度、营养枝高度、丛幅面积、单株(丛)生物量、茎、叶生物量和茎叶比均显著低于围封禁牧样地, 植物在放牧干扰下表现出明显的小型化现象; 2)在群落水平上, 放牧亦显著降低了群落总生物量和茎、叶生物量; 3)过度放牧显著改变了物种的资源分配策略, 使生物量向叶的分配比例增加, 向茎的分配比例减少。资源优先向同化器官分配可能是植物对长期放牧干扰的一种重要适应对策; 4)轻度放牧对物种的资源分配没有显著影响, 单株(丛)生物量和群落茎、叶及总生物量均表现出增加趋势, 这与过度放牧的影响正好相反。过度放牧引起的植物个体小型化改变了生态系统中物种的资源分配策略, 进而对生态系统功能产生重要的影响。     

不同起始状态对草原群落恢复演替的影响

内蒙古典型草原,由于过度放牧利用,绝大部分草原处于退化状态.为了使退化草原得到较好的恢复,以锡林郭勒盟白音锡勒牧场典型草原为研究对象,比较分析了在不同起始状态下的草原群落,经过6a的自然恢复,其各自的群落组成,地上生物量及共有种的植株高度、节间长、叶长、叶宽,土壤紧实度和容重.结果表明:1)不同放牧率的植物群落,经过6a的禁牧恢复,群落类型发生了变化且群落趋于一致.2)当放牧率SR≤5.33羊/hm2(SR4)时,演替起始状态对草原群落地上生物量的恢复没有影响;当放牧率SR＞5.33羊/hm2时,演替起始状态对草原群落地上生物量的恢复产生影响,其结果是导致当前生物量降低,不利于草原的恢复.3)不同放牧率植物群落的植物个体特征趋于一致,“个体小型化”现象消失.同时,也说明群落恢复演替的起点不同,正常化的时间没有太大的变化.4)不同放牧率植物群落的土壤紧实度和容重经过6a的禁牧恢复,没有得到完全恢复,但均达到一致的水平.     

羊草+大针茅草原退化群落优势种群空间点格局分析

草原退化的特征主要表现为群落生产力的大幅下降和植物个体的小型化, 同时, 退化的草原生态系统与一定强度的放牧压力保持平衡而相对稳定。该文应用摄影定位法测定了羊草+大针茅草原退化群落中4个优势种群羊草(Leymus chinensis)、米氏冰草(Agropyron michnoi)、大针茅(Stipa grandis)、糙隐子草(Cleistogenes squarrosa)的空间格局。点格局分析结果表明: 在空间分布格局上, 4个优势种群均偏离完全随机模型和泊松聚块模型, 而符合嵌套双聚块模型, 也就是说, 其空间格局表现为聚集分布, 且在大聚块中分布着较高密度的小聚块。严重退化的草原群落中优势种群的嵌套双聚块空间分布格局当属一种集体行为, 是种群适应过度放牧压力的一种表现形式, 为过度放牧导致的退化草原群落的主要特征之一。这种生态学现象同植物个体小型化一样, 是种群易化(正相互作用)的结果。在过度放牧的胁迫下, 种群通过改变个体性状及个体在空间的分布状况实现自我帮助, 以抵御外界的放牧压力达到自我保护, 从而维持退化草原生态系统与放牧压力间的相对平衡。     

内蒙古草原草场放牧退化模式研究及退化监测专家系统雏议

本文将定位研究与路线考察相结合,将放牧影响下草原的动态演替及其在牧压梯度上的空间变化相对比,研究了内蒙古主要草原草场的放牧退化模式,并在此基础上初步探讨了判别草场退化的数量指标和退化监测专家系统。1)植物种与牧压关系的分析,区别出放牧的定性和定量指示植物及宜中牧植物,并划分植物为不同的放牧生态种组。2)退化草原恢复过程的研究表明,根茎禾草的恢复快于丛生禾草;群落恢复过程是单稳态的,且恢复演替动态与其牧压梯度上的空间变化相对应。3)内蒙古高原主要草原草场在持续放牧影响下均趋同于冷蒿(Artemisia frigida)草原。冷蒿是最可靠的正定量放牧指示植物,但同时又是优良牧草和草原退化的阻击者。4)讨论了草原草场退化的概念,论述了草原逆向演替与草场退化的区别和联系,提出了区分草原的逆向演替为草场熟化和退化两个过程,并依草场群落与牧压的关系建立了判定草场是否退化及退化程度的数量指标。5)初步设计了草原草场退化监测—决策专家系统,包括监测、判别和决策三个步骤。     

内蒙古典型草原地带退化草原的恢复动态

对退化草原自然恢复演替过程的监测,是认识其恢复过程、机理、探讨恢复的限制因子和进一步制定快速、低投入生态恢复措施的基础。通过对内蒙古典型草原地带退化草原［星毛委陵菜（Potentila acaulis）、冷蒿（Artemisia frigida）和寸草苔（Carex duriuscula）等为主］封育恢复动态 8年的监测表明：在退化草原群落自然恢复过程中,植物高度上升;植被盖度和生物量先增加,尔后基本稳定,或略有下降的趋势。群落的物种丰富度增加微弱,这可能与该区草原植物和野生动物协同进化有关,同时与数千年的家畜放牧史有关。即植物物种对放牧有较大的耐性,停止放牧,物种的丰富度也增加较少;群落结构的变化主要表现在不同种群优势度的消长上。群落均匀度指数的动态过程分析表明,恢复8年的草原群落尚未达到天然草原状态,尚需进一步的监测研究。     

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。     

内蒙古典型草原不同恢复演替阶段植物养分化学计量学

对内蒙古典型草原不同恢复演替阶段群落土壤养分动态及空间格局、植物养分及其化学计量比时空动态、植物与土壤养分相关性等进行了分析, 以揭示放牧干扰对植物的养分及其化学计量比影响。结果表明: 土壤各养分含量表现为恢复群落略高于严重退化群落, 土壤全氮(STN)/土壤全磷(STP)恢复群落高于严重退化群落, 土壤有机质(SOC)/STN恢复群落低于严重退化群落; 大多数植物叶片C含量在恢复群落最高, 严重退化群落最低, 与恢复演替时间呈正相关, 而植物的全氮(TN)和全磷(TP)含量则是严重退化群落最高, 恢复群落最低, 与退化程度呈正相关, 且TP含量的变幅明显高于TN含量; 植物叶的N:P和C:N表现为严重退化群落最低, 与退化程度呈负相关; 严重退化群落植物相对于P而言, 总体上表现为缺N; 而恢复群落相对于N而言, 更为缺P, 或同时缺N和P; 群落优势种化学计量学特征对群落演替方向有一定的指示作用。     

草地群落放牧干扰梯度β多样性研究

放牧过程通过牲畜的啃食、践踏作用干扰草场环境,使草地群落的物种组成发生变化,植物种群的优势地位发生更替。结果表明,随放牧干扰强度加重,从盐湿化草甸到典型草原,群落植物种丰富度呈下降趋势。β多样性测度结果显示,盐湿化草甸和羊草杂类草草甸群落物种变化的中度干扰出现在轻牧→中牧阶段,并在整个放牧干扰进程中,表现较低的稳定性;草甸草原和典型草原群落出现在中牧→重牧阶段;而荒漠草原物种变化表现出高度的稳定性,从轻牧到过牧物种替代仅1～3种。各群落放牧干扰植物多样性的稳定性次序是:荒漠草原>典型草原≥草甸草原>盐湿化草甸.     

放牧干扰对根茎冰草无性系种群年龄结构的影响

根茎冰草（Agropyron michnoi)是典型的无性系禾草。在松嫩平原,根茎冰草的分蘖节最老为４龄,可存活５个年度。不同季节的放牧干扰可导致根茎冰草无性系种群分蘖株的年龄结构发生变化,全年放牧样地和夏秋休牧样地均为稳定型年龄结构,两个冬季放牧样地均为增长型年龄结构。１龄分蘖株的生产力和营养繁殖力力均最大。４龄分蘖株均已丧失了营养繁殖力。营养繁殖芽的年龄结构可以更好地预测预报无性系种群和群落的未来。全年放牧可保护稳定型年龄结构,冬季放牧可保持增长型年龄结构,夏秋休牧可使种群发展为增长型年龄结构,两个冬季放牧样地将仍然保持单优势种群落,全年放牧地将仍为混生群落,夏季林牧样地具有向着单优势种群落演替的潜在趋势。     

Successional trajectories of a grazed salt desert shrubland

Successional trajectories through the statistical space of ordinations were used to examine response to grazing in salt desert shrub communities of western Utah, USA. Relative cover data were periodically collected over a 53 year period from grazing exclosures and pastures grazed with light or heavy stocking rates in fall or spring (4 grazing treatments). Two-way indicator species analysis was used to select the 98 most similar plots (24 m²) from among 358 plots in 1935. Foliar cover of 23 species on those 98 plots was followed at irregular intervals over 53 years, resulting in 709 plot-time samples. Successional trajectories were developed for each grazing treatment with ordinations from detrended correspondence analysis. Grazing season had a more pronounced influence on floristic trajectories than did grazing intensity. These ordinations suggest grazing season was an important factor regulating response to grazing and identify annual March-April grazing as an important cause of retrogression in the salt desert shrub ecosystem.Abbreviations (DER) Desert Experimental Range     

The impact of herbivore type and grazing pressure on benthic microalgal diversity

Benthic microalgae and the herbivores Idothea chelipes (Isopoda) and Littorina littorea (Gastropoda) were used as an experimental model system to study the effect of herbivore type on primary producer diversity. Both herbivores enhanced diversity at intermediate grazing pressures, the enhancing effect being stronger with Littorina . This difference is explained by differences in the spatial heterogeneity of the grazed microalgal biofilm caused by behavioural differences in spatial grazing patterns. Idothea spreads its grazing pressure rather evenly in space ("lawn-mower" type), whereas Littorina creates pronounced spatial heterogeneity by moving slowly over the biofilm and decimating it within the grazing tracks ("bulldozer" type). Idothea grazing did not enhance biomass patchiness beyond the level of ungrazed controls (maximum/minimum from 1.7 to 5.5), whereas Littorina strongly increased patchiness (maximum/minimum from 45 to 850).     

Effects of livestock grazing on rangeland biodiversity: A meta‐analysis of grouse populations

Livestock grazing affects over 60% of the world's agricultural lands and can influence rangeland ecosystem services and the quantity and quality of wildlife habitat, resulting in changes in biodiversity. Concomitantly, livestock grazing has the potential to be detrimental to some wildlife species while benefiting other rangeland organisms. Many imperiled grouse species require rangeland landscapes that exhibit diverse vegetation structure and composition to complete their life cycle. However, because of declining populations and reduced distributions, grouse are increasingly becoming a worldwide conservation concern. Grouse, as a suite of upland gamebirds, are often considered an umbrella species for other wildlife and thus used as indicators of rangeland health. With a projected increase in demand for livestock products, better information will be required to mitigate the anthropogenic effects of livestock grazing on rangeland biodiversity. To address this need, we completed a data‐driven and systematic review of the peer‐reviewed literature to determine the current knowledge of the effects of livestock grazing on grouse populations (i.e., chick production and population indices) worldwide. Our meta‐analysis revealed an overall negative effect of livestock grazing on grouse populations. Perhaps more importantly, we identified an information void regarding the effects of livestock grazing on the majority of grouse species. Additionally, the reported indirect effects of livestock grazing on grouse species were inconclusive and more reflective of differences in the experimental design of the available studies. Future studies designed to evaluate the direct and indirect effects of livestock grazing on wildlife should document (i) livestock type, (ii) timing and frequency of grazing, (iii) duration, and (iv) stocking rate. Much of this information was lacking in the available published studies we reviewed, but is essential when making comparisons between different livestock grazing management practices and their potential impacts on rangeland biodiversity.     

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.     

How simple grazing rules can lead to persistent boundaries in vegetation communities

Natural landscape boundaries between vegetation communities are dynamically influenced by the selective grazing of herbivores. Here we show how this may be an emergent property of very simple animal decisions, without the need for any sophisticated choice rules etc., using a model based on biased diffusion. Animal grazing intensity is coupled with plant competition, resulting in reaction-diffusion dynamics, from which stable boundaries spontaneously emerge. In the model, animals affect their resources by both consumption and trampling. It is assumed that forage consists of two heterogeneously distributed competing resource species, one that is preferred (grass) over the other (heather) by the animals. The solutions to the resulting system of differential equations for three cases a) optimal foraging, b) random walk foraging and c) taxis-diffusion are presented. Optimal and random foraging gave unrealistic results, but taxis-diffusion accorded well with field observations. Persistent boundaries between patches of near-monoculture vegetation were predicted, with these boundaries drifting in response to overall grazing pressure (grass advancing with increased grazing and vice versa). The reaction-taxis-diffusion model provides the first mathematical explanation for such vegetation mosaic dynamics and the parameters of the model are open to experimental testing.     

Plant trait responses to grazing – a global synthesis

Herbivory by domestic and wild ungulates is a major driver of global vegetation dynamics. However, grazing is not considered in dynamic global vegetation models, or more generally in studies of the effects of environmental change on ecosystems at regional to global scale. An obstacle to this is a lack of empirical tests of several hypotheses linking plant traits with grazing. We, therefore, set out to test whether some widely recognized trait responses to grazing are consistent at the global level. We conducted a meta‐analysis of plant trait responses to grazing, based on 197 studies from all major regions of the world, and using six major conceptual models of trait response to grazing as a framework. Data were available for seven plant traits: life history, canopy height, habit, architecture, growth form (forb, graminoid, herbaceous legume, woody), palatability, and geographic origin. Covariates were precipitation and evolutionary history of herbivory. Overall, grazing favoured annual over perennial plants, short plants over tall plants, prostrate over erect plants, and stoloniferous and rosette architecture over tussock architecture. There was no consistent effect of grazing on growth form. Some response patterns were modified by particular combinations of precipitation and history of herbivory. Climatic and historical contexts are therefore essential for understanding plant trait responses to grazing. Our study identifies some key traits to be incorporated into plant functional classifications for the explicit consideration of grazing into global vegetation models used in global change research. Importantly, our results suggest that plant functional type classifications and response rules need to be specific to regions with different climate and herbivory history.     

Short communication: Variability of response to feed restriction in lactating Charolais cows

Involuntary temporary feed restriction on commercial cattle is likely to become more frequent with forage shortages in the context of climate change. If general consequences of feed restriction have been the subject of an abundant scientific literature, focus on the inter-individual variability of response is scarce. Here, we explore the response profile in terms of BW, body condition score, milk production, calf weight and cyclicity resumption of 293 lactations from 169 Charolais cows during a winter feed restriction in early lactation and its subsequent recovery at grazing using a principal component analysis followed by a hierarchical clustering on principal component. Results show a very continuous range of response profiles that was divided into three clusters: one with light animals having an intermediate response in terms of milk production and body maintenance, one with animals prioritising body maintenance and cyclicity resumption over milk production and calf weight, and the last one with animals prioritising milk production and calf weight over the rest. Among the animals performing more than one lactation, 57% remain in the same cluster on two successive lactations. This work highlights that an average group response to feed restriction may hide various resilience individual profiles. Further studies are required to determine the existence of a genetic component as well as the consequences of not taking this phenomenon into consideration with the regular use of feed restriction in commercial farms.     

Short-term effects on sheep pastureland due to grazing abandonment in a Western Mediterranean island ecosystem: A multidisciplinary approach

Changes of pasture communities consequent to management practices resulting from land abandonment considerably affect the structure and function of the ecosystem. This study analyses the consequences of grazing abandonment in terms of plant and soil microbial diversity and fertility, on a Mediterranean upland sheep pasture, over a short period (five years). Grazing was experimentally excluded by fencing ten 10×10 m permanent plots within an area that had supported grazing until 2000, by 0.23 sheep ha^?1. Plant and soil microbial communities and physicochemical parameters were monitored within the fenced and unfenced control plots, during three sampling times from 2000 (before the fencing) to 2005. Grazing cessation notably altered the floral composition, with an average dissimilarity of 96.7% between the vegetation communities, over five years. No significant change occurred in the control plots that were grazed throughout the sampling period. This work highlighted that, over a short term, the structural change in the specific plant composition affected only the grass species, confirming that grazing favours the small-sized species over the annual species. Further, it was evident that species groups of conservational and phytogeographic interest, like the endemic and Mediterranean-Atlantic species, tended to disappear with pasture abandonment and were substituted by more widespread species throughout the Mediterranean or even the world. Pasture abandonment was accompanied by an increase of soil pH and a decrease in soil organic matter and soil nitrogen. The microbial parameters recorded at three different sampling times revealed a substantial effect of the plant community, or the time of grazing abandonment, on soil microbial abundance and diversity. Considerable importance is given to the consequences of pasture abandonment on the conservation of plant and microbial diversity and on soil fertility.