共查询到19条相似文献,搜索用时 109 毫秒
1.
中国草地管理从应急性的围封禁牧,逐步转向兼顾生产生态目标,按照草畜平衡原则对放牧草地进行管理和利用。在草畜平衡载畜量下,进一步通过科学精细的放牧管理,实现草地的持续恢复和合理保育,是当前草地生态系统管理的重要理论和实践问题。该研究在锡林郭勒典型草原,以连续放牧、传统轮牧、高频轮牧为处理组,围封不放牧为对照组,展开为期两年的放牧实验,以回答草畜平衡放牧强度下的高频轮牧是否更有利于维持草地植物群落结构的稳定和生产生态的协同优化。实验结果表明,在草畜平衡条件下的高频轮牧管理,通过延长草地的牧后恢复时间,限制牲畜对植物物种的选择性采食,能够提升羊草(Leymus chinensis)、针茅(Stipa spp.)等优质牧草的生物量及其在群落生物量中的占比,同时促进成年绵羊的个体增长。该研究结果表明在草畜平衡载畜量条件下的高频轮牧管理,能够促进草地群落植物功能群的优化,也有利于草地生产和生态功能的协同。 相似文献
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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... 相似文献
3.
高山草地绵羊放牧生态系统草畜营养供需动态 总被引:8,自引:1,他引:7
为了探讨放牧生态系统草畜间动态关系 ,缓减草畜营养供需的季节性不平衡 ,分别在高山草地春、夏、秋和冬季 ,进行了绵羊消化代谢试验 .结果表明 ,春季牧草消化能、粗蛋白质含量及粗蛋白质 消化能比值最高 ,分别为 9.76MJ、2 1.5 3%和 2 2 .0 6 g·MJ-1,有效能不足 ;高山草地牧草产量低 ,绵羊采食干物质量最低 (6 0 .5 1± 3.4 2 g·W0 .75kg-1·d-1) ;应补充饲料 ,尤其补饲能量饲料 .夏季牧草粗蛋白质 消化能比值为 17.6 2g·MJ-1,偏高 ,能量仍略显不足 ;补饲能量饲料 ,可提高绵羊对牧草N的利用率 .秋季与其它 3季牧地相比 ,草畜间的营养供需较平衡 ,放牧能满足绵羊的营养需要 ,其体内N存留率较高 .冬季牧草质差 ,消化能、粗蛋白质含量最低 ,分别为 4 .30MJ、4 .6 3% ,绵羊干物质采食量亦低 ,N代谢呈负平衡 ,应补饲干物质、有效能及粗蛋白质不足的部分 .为改善此现状 ,要实行季节畜牧业 ,建立植物生产与动物生产的耦合系统 相似文献
4.
青藏高原高寒灌丛植被对长期放牧强度试验的响应特征 总被引:1,自引:1,他引:0
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. 相似文献
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洪格尔嘎查的一个村子位于内蒙古中部一片与外蒙古交界的半荒漠草原上.由于地理位置偏僻,这里受到农耕文化的影响较小。与内蒙古其他草原地区一样,这里在人民公社集体经济解体之后,也开始实行“草畜双承包”政策。牧民们分到了自己的牛羊和草场,盖上了砖瓦房,这一度提高了牧民们的生产积极性。然而.放牧面积小了,草场难以轮流休养生息,出现连年退化;单户牧民不得不以有限的劳动力应对繁重的劳动和自然灾害;而远离市场更使得他们被迫忍受商贩的盘剥;有钱的牧民用围栏保护了自家的草场,而无力设置围栏的牧民只好眼睁睁看着草场任由别人的牲畜践踏啃食。“草畜双承包”二十多年.草原出现了明显的退化.牧民经济也连年萎缩。 相似文献
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草原植被在放牧影响下的时空动态规律是草场监测和管理的基础。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。 相似文献
7.
放牧制度对草地产流产沙及氮磷流失的影响 总被引:2,自引:0,他引:2
研究不同放牧制度草场水土流失过程,对草原生态环境保护和治理具有重要的理论意义。以内蒙古呼伦贝尔草原不同放牧草场为研究对象,设置选取三种放牧制度草场(自由放牧、轮牧、休牧),采用人工模拟降雨的方法进行0.74mm/min和1.5mm/min雨强的降雨模拟试验,测定径流量,含沙量,径流和泥沙中总氮,总磷浓度,并探讨植被截留对径流的影响规律。结果表明:植被截留对减少降雨径流具有明显的作用,休牧草场径流系数减小最多,自由放牧草场减小最少,产沙量显示为自由放牧草场轮牧草场休牧草场。降雨强度对径流中的氮磷浓度影响显著,自由放牧草场总氮浓度和休牧草场总磷浓度受雨强影响最大,氮磷流失过程浓度变化曲线更符合幂函数分布。休牧草场泥沙氮含量和泥沙磷含量均为最高,自由放牧草场与休牧草场的总氮富集率基本相等且均大于轮牧草场,总磷富集率为自由放牧休牧轮牧,三种放牧草场氮磷和泥沙流失主要影响因素为径流量和含沙量。因此,适当的将呼伦贝尔草原自由放牧草场向休牧和轮牧草场转变,将有利于减少草场水土营养元素流失及草原生态可持续发展。 相似文献
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9.
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。 相似文献
10.
牦牛放牧强度对小嵩草草甸两季轮牧草场植物群落数量特征的影响 总被引:1,自引:0,他引:1
基于小嵩草(Kobresia parva)草甸连续2年的牦牛放牧控制试验,研究了暖季和冷季放牧草场植物群落数量特征的变化.结果表明:在2年的放牧期内,小嵩草草甸2季草场优良牧草的盖度随放牧强度的提高呈降低趋势,而杂草的盖度呈增加趋势;2季草场对照、轻度放牧和中度放牧组的优势种均为小嵩草和垂穗披碱草,但暖季草场重度放牧下主要优势种变为鹅绒委陵菜和阿拉善马先蒿,冷季草场重度放牧下小嵩草和鹅绒委陵菜为主要优势种;放牧强度之间的差异越大,2季草场各放牧处理间群落的相似性程度越低,说明放牧强度是引起群落差异的主要原因,也是群落变化的主导因子.2季草场各放牧处理的物种丰富度、多样性指数、均匀度指数在对照组最低,中度放牧组最高,其指数排序为:对照<轻度放牧<重度放牧<中度放牧,这一结果支持“中度干扰理论”. 相似文献
11.
《International journal for parasitology》2022,52(10):691-703
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. 相似文献
12.
Domestic cattle generally graze during the day although some night-time grazing also occurs. However, questions remain as to the effect of management on circadian grazing patterns. This study provides for the first time a quantification of seasonal, circadian and animal variation in grazing behaviour and grazing time in cattle in semi-wild conditions.The objectives of the study were to examine how daily grazing times and the temporal distribution of grazing activity changed with season and to examine the extent to which grazing patterns were influenced by day-length. A group of 12 heifers of the Kerry breed continuously grazed a lowland field of 4.7ha. The old permanent pasture sward was dominated by Holcus spp. and Agrostis spp. Feed availability was never limiting. Length and periodicity of grazing were recorded using vibracorders attached to the necks of seven animals.Results showed that daily grazing times remained constant over most of the grazing season (circa 10-11h per day), however, some variation occurred late in the season. The temporal distribution of grazing activity changed as the season advanced so that by October grazing patterns became significantly different to those of July. The time interval between grazing bouts at dawn and dusk decreased with decreasing day-length. An increased percentage of night-time grazing occurred at shorter day-lengths.It is concluded that there is a significant seasonal effect of day-length on temporal distribution of grazing activity with night-time grazing featuring more as day-length decreases. The maintenance of similar total daily grazing times in the face of changing day-length (with the exception of late in the season) suggests that daily grazing times are a function of the attainment of a relatively constant nutritional requirement by the animal. 相似文献
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区域协调发展空间布局及耦合效应是国土空间治理现代化、区域生态保护和高质量发展绕不开的重要命题。本研究利用146户牧户访谈和21次管理部门调研资料,结合卫星遥感数据和文献资料,从“三生”(生产、生活、生态)视角爬梳祁连山草地畜牧业、河西走廊饲草种植业、牧户生计路径策略的历史源起和发展历程。在生态系统服务流理论指导下深入刻画了祁连山与河西走廊农牧耦合系统的空间联系,诠释了祁连山-河西走廊“共轭型”生态牧场概念框架与发展模式。研究认为:(1)2011年“草原生态奖补政策”实施以来祁连山地区植被覆盖度增加显著(P<0.05);传统牧业户、生态移民户的生计多样化指数分别是2.22和2.69,生计能力脆弱;外购草料、舍饲养殖、人工种草、异地借牧(秸秆补饲)、流转草原等是牧户落实草畜动态平衡的基础性生计策略,实现了祁连山草地畜牧业由超载过牧到“超载不过牧”的跨越式转型;(2)祁连山山地系统将生态系统服务(淡水资源供给)外溢至河西走廊绿洲系统以支撑饲草种植业发展,河西走廊饲草种植业提供优质饲草“反哺”祁连山草地畜牧业发展,二者构成了山地-绿洲“共轭空间”;借助外界物质能量输入路径的“虚拟草场”模... 相似文献
14.
Dumont B Garel JP Ginane C Decuq F Farruggia A Pradel P Rigolot C Petit M 《Animal : an international journal of animal bioscience》2007,1(7):1042-1052
Although stocking rate is a key management variable influencing the structure and composition of pastures, only few studies have simultaneously analysed the seasonal patterns of pasture use by cattle, and the adjustments the animals make to maintain intake of a high-quality diet over the grazing season. Therefore, over a 3-year study, we recorded diet selection, plot use and impact of heifers on sward structure and quality under three different stocking rates (0.6, 1.0 and 1.4 livestock units (LU) per ha) in a species-rich mountain pasture of central France. Measurements were made on three occasions between early June and the end of September each year. Overall, heifers selected for bites dominated by legumes or forbs, and against reproductive grass, whatever the stocking rate or season. Selection for tall mixed (P < 0.05), short mixed (P < 0.05) and short pure grass bites (P < 0.01) was more pronounced in plots grazed at the lowest stocking rate. Although heifers' selection for short patches decreased at the end of the season (P < 0.001), they continued to graze previously grazed areas, thus exhibiting a typical 'patch grazing' pattern, with the animals that grazed at the lowest stocking rate tending to better maintain their selection for short patches in September (treatment × period: P = 0.078). Neither diet quality nor individual animal performance were affected by the different stocking rate treatments despite high variability in the quantity and quality of herbage offered and differences in diet selection. However, at the 1.4 LU per ha stocking rate, the quantity of forage available per animal at the end of the season, 0.79 t dry matter (DM) per ha of green leaves with the median of sward height at 4.6 cm, approached levels limiting cattle's ability to compensate for the effects of increasing stocking rate. In plots grazed at 0.6 LU per ha, the total herbage biomass remained higher than 3 t DM per ha with more than 30% of plot area still covered by reproductive grass patches at the end of the grazing season, which in the medium term should affect the botanical composition of these pastures. Sward heterogeneity was high in plots grazed at 1.0 LU per ha, with sufficient herbage availability (1.1 t DM per ha of green leaves) to maintain animal performance, and more than 15% of plot area was kept at a reproductive stage at the end of the grazing season. Hence, it could represent the optimal balance to satisfy both livestock production and conservation management objectives. 相似文献
15.
Zafar Iqbal Khan Muhammad Ashraf F. Al-Qurainy Kafeel Ahmad Sumaira Gondal Asia Fardous 《Biological trace element research》2011,141(1-3):126-130
The present investigation was carried out to assess the transfer of copper element from the soil to forage plants consumed by the ruminants in two different pastures at the Livestock Experimental Station at Sargodha, Punjab, Pakistan. Soil and forage samples were collected periodically from two different pastures and analyzed after wet digestion. The survey of copper flow from forage from both pastures in the grazing period exhibited a consistent pattern of decrease from sampling periods 1 to 4 across all the sampling periods. In the legumes and grass pastures, it was decreased regularly and reduced up to 50% to that at the beginning across all the samplings. The copper concentration was higher in the legume pasture than that of grass pasture and sufficient to fulfill the requirement of grazing animals, while in grass pasture, it was higher at the first two sampling periods but dropped to a marginal deficient level at sampling period 3 and reached at the severe deficient level at the fourth sampling period during this investigation. The soil–plant transfer factor for Cu was higher in legume pasture compared to its counterpart. It was found that with the increase of forage maturity, a significant reduction in the forage Cu concentration was observed reaching its minimum level at the last sampling period in the grass pasture. These concentrations were within the marginal and severe deficient levels and provide for only 76% of the ruminant requirements. The naturally upset balance of Cu offers a potential hazard not only to both pastures, but also to the Cu status of grazing ruminants therein. This necessitates the provision of additional amount of Cu mixture in the nutrition of livestock for health and reproduction potential enhancement of the animals being reared at that farm. Supplementing the deficient mineral with locally available Cu feed sources like green fodders, cakes, and brans or providing region-specific mineral supplements would alleviate the deficiency of copper during the late season at the livestock farm. 相似文献
16.
John D. Kraft David A. Haukos Matthew R. Bain Mindy B. Rice Samantha Robinson Dan S. Sullins Christian A. Hagen James Pitman Joseph Lautenbach Reid Plumb Jonathan Lautenbach 《The Journal of wildlife management》2021,85(2):354-368
Grazing management recommendations often sacrifice the intrinsic heterogeneity of grasslands by prescribing uniform grazing distributions through smaller pastures, increased stocking densities, and reduced grazing periods. The lack of patch-burn grazing in semi-arid landscapes of the western Great Plains in North America requires alternative grazing management strategies to create and maintain heterogeneity of habitat structure (e.g., animal unit distribution, pasture configuration), but knowledge of their effects on grassland fauna is limited. The lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus), an imperiled, grassland-obligate, native to the southern Great Plains, is an excellent candidate for investigating effects of heterogeneity-based grazing management strategies because it requires diverse microhabitats among life-history stages in a semi-arid landscape. We evaluated influences of heterogeneity-based grazing management strategies on vegetation structure, habitat selection, and nest and adult survival of lesser prairie-chickens in western Kansas, USA. We captured and monitored 116 female lesser prairie-chickens marked with very high frequency (VHF) or global positioning system (GPS) transmitters and collected landscape-scale vegetation and grazing data during 2013–2015. Vegetation structure heterogeneity increased at stocking densities ≤0.26 animal units/ha, where use by nonbreeding female lesser prairie-chickens also increased. Probability of use for nonbreeding lesser prairie-chickens peaked at values of cattle forage use values near 37% and steadily decreased with use ≥40%. Probability of use was positively affected by increasing pasture area. A quadratic relationship existed between growing season deferment and probability of use. We found that 70% of nests were located in grazing units in which grazing pressure was <0.8 animal unit months/ha. Daily nest survival was negatively correlated with grazing pressure. We found no relationship between adult survival and grazing management strategies. Conservation in grasslands expressing flora community composition appropriate for lesser prairie-chickens can maintain appropriate habitat structure heterogeneity through the use of low to moderate stocking densities (<0.26 animal units/ha), greater pasture areas, and site-appropriate deferment periods. Alternative grazing management strategies (e.g., rest-rotation, season-long rest) may be appropriate in grasslands requiring greater heterogeneity or during intensive drought. Grazing management favoring habitat heterogeneity instead of uniform grazing distributions will likely be more conducive for preserving lesser prairie-chicken populations and grassland biodiversity. © 2021 The Wildlife Society. 相似文献
17.
Grazed pastures have been historically used in Japan for animal production with little concern to biodiversity. However, pasturing has significant effects on biodiversity and productivity because it produces gaps in the distribution of vegetation due to animal activities. We hypothesized that different grazing activities would have effects on the diversity of plant species and forage quality in different ways and that the sward type would modify these effects. Therefore, we attempted to predict the diversity of plant species and changes in total nutrient content per area at the time since treatment on the basis of simulations of cattle activities in three pastures with different vegetation compositions. We created three ground types (grazed areas, cleared ground, and undisturbed areas) in three pastures (improved, partially improved semi-natural, and semi-natural pasture) and recorded the percentage cover of each plant within the plots. We repeatedly calculated the biodiversity indices from these community data by varying the sampling probabilities for each ground type, which provided us with the expected species diversity indices with the changing proportions of each ground type. Furthermore, we investigated the dry matter and forage qualities. For improved and partially improved semi-natural pasture, our models predicted that plant diversity increased as a saturating function of the proportion of cleared ground and grazed area relative to the undisturbed area, although our models also showed exponential curves for the semi-natural pasture. Forage samples from cleared ground plots and semi-natural pasture had the lowest forage quality among all pastures. Based on the predicted effects of cattle pasturing on the plant species biodiversity and forage quality, it may be more beneficial to maintain a small proportion of cleared ground in the improved pasture during intensive grazing. 相似文献
18.
A model predicting the seasonal dynamics of intake and production for suckler cows and their calves fed indoors or at pasture 总被引:1,自引:0,他引:1
To investigate the dynamics of animal intake and production in grassland-based suckler systems, we constructed a model for suckling cows with their calves. The model calculates on a day-to-day basis the selective intake at pasture and the animal production (weight, condition, milk production) in response to energy intake. The model dynamically applies the feed evaluation systems developed by the INRA: the “cattle fill unit” system to predict forage intake, and the “feed unit” system to predict net energy requirements and supply. To predict intake at pasture, we adapted the cattle fill unit system by adding effects of herbage availability and sward structural composition on the amount and quality of intake.At pasture, the grazeable herbage is divided into structural components characterized by their biomass and digestibility. The model predicts the composition of the diet, assuming that the most digestible and abundant components of herbage are preferred. The amount of herbage ingested depends on the animal profile, the digestibility of the diet and the amount of herbage available. Sward depletion by animal intake at pasture has feedback effects on herbage growth and quality, which can be calculated by a vegetation model. Animal production is calculated based on net energy balance, which is the difference between net energy intake and net energy requirements for maintenance (for cow and calf), gestation and lactation (for the cow). The net energy balance determines weight and condition gain or loss, and – after 3 months of lactation – influences milk production the following day. Changes in weight and condition have feedback effects on energy requirements and intake capacity.Sensitivity analysis on the input values highlighted the importance of forage digestibility for the production of cows and calves. Calf growth was also driven over 3 months old by calf live weight, and under 3 months old by the milk production of the cow. The model's response to stocking rate during the grazing down of a paddock was consistent with current knowledge. The model was validated against experimental data for cows fed indoors or at pasture, at different feed allowances. Model predictions were precise for the digestibility of intake and for live weight (error represents 2–3% of the average observed value), satisfactory for dry matter intake, body condition score and milk production at the beginning of lactation (error represents 10% of the average observed value), and very imprecise for milk production after the third month of lactation (error represents 23% of the average observed value), but the latter had small consequences on calf live weight. 相似文献
19.
Margje M. Voeten Claudius A.D.M. van de Vijver Han Olff Frank van Langevelde 《African Journal of Ecology》2010,48(1):169-179
In many areas in Africa, seasonal movements of migratory ungulates are restricted and their population numbers decline, for example in the Tarangire region, Tanzania. Here, agriculture restricts migration of ungulates to their wet season ranges. We investigated whether low forage quality or supply are possible causes of population decline of wildebeest and zebra when access to these wet season ranges is restricted and migratory herds have to reside in the dry season range year-round. We simulated grazing through a clipping experiment in the dry season range during the wet season. Clipping negatively affected forage supply and had a positive effect on forage quality by increasing proportions of live and leaf biomass as well as nutrient concentrations in the leaves. However, increase in forage quality in the dry season range due to grazing was not as such that requirements of wildebeest during the wet season, when females are lactating, could be met. We conclude that low forage quality in the dry season range during the wet season could cause the decrease in migratory ungulate populations in the Tarangire region. With this study, the necessity of protecting wet season ranges from expanding human activities to safeguard migratory systems is supported. 相似文献