In situ ion exchange resin bags to estimate forest site quality

Cation and anion exchange resin bags were placed just under the humus layer at five adjacent forest sample sites with differing site quality classes in order to assess the available nutrient supply. For comparison, humus samples were collected from the same sites. Nutrients were extracted from humus samples by conventional extraction methods and by shaking together with ion exchange resin bags. Ca and Mg corresponded best to differences in site quality class, of all analysed ions in thein situ resin bag eluates. Thein situ resin bag adsorption of NH₄−N, Na and Mn also showed a positive correlation with site quality. The adsorption of PO₄−P was negatively correlated to site quality class. Inadequate amounts of exchange resin, or leaving resin bagsin situ for too long a time result in the replacement of already adsorbed ions by ions with higher ion exchange constants.     

Effects of cessation of grazing on leaf‐level photosynthesis of Periploca laevigata

Abstract. The impact of grazing pressure on gas exchange of Periploca laevigata was studied in relation to its nutritional status. P. laevigata, a woody and highly palatable shrub, is an important forage species in the dry season in Cabo de Gata Natural Park (Almeria, SE Spain) where this study was carried out. Seasonal and diurnal courses of net photosynthesis, transpiration and stomatal conductance were measured in the field. In addition, soil and plant nutrient status were measured as potential factors influencing leaf photosynthetic levels. Early in the growing season, ungrazed P. laevigata had higher photosynthetic activity than grazed plants suggesting that the defoliated plants were still recovering from herbivore damage in the previous summer. Later in the growing season grazed P. laevigata had higher photosynthetic activity than ungrazed plants, suggesting higher metabolic activity and a possible investment in chemical defences. Concentrations of P and N in the soil were higher in the grazed area. The nutrient concentration of the leaves of P. laevigata was similar in grazed and ungrazed plants.     

Spatial heterogeneity and plant species richness at different spatial scales under rabbit grazing

Herbivores influence spatial heterogeneity in soil resources and vegetation in ecosystems. Despite increasing recognition that spatial heterogeneity can drive species richness at different spatial scales, few studies have quantified the effect of grazing on spatial heterogeneity and species richness simultaneously. Here we document both these variables in a rabbit-grazed grassland. We measured mean values and spatial patterns of grazing intensity, rabbit droppings, plant height, plant biomass, soil water content, ammonia and nitrate in sites grazed by rabbits and in matched, ungrazed exclosures in a grassland in southern England. Plant species richness was recorded at spatial scales ranging between 0.0001 and 150 m(2). Grazing reduced plant height and plant biomass but increased levels of ammonia and nitrate in the soil. Spatial statistics revealed that rabbit-grazed sites consisted of a mixture of heavily grazed patches with low vegetation and nutrient-rich soils (lawns) surrounded by patches of high vegetation with nutrient-poor soils (tussocks). The mean patch size (range) in the grazed controls was 2.1 +/- 0.3 m for vegetation height, 3.8 +/- 1.8 m for soil water content and 2.8 +/- 0.9 m for ammonia. This is in line with the patch sizes of grazing (2.4 +/- 0.5 m) and dropping deposition (3.7 +/- 0.6 m) by rabbits. In contrast, patchiness in the ungrazed exclosures had a larger patch size and was not present for all variables. Rabbit grazing increased plant species richness at all spatial scales. Species richness was negatively correlated with plant height, but positively correlated to the coefficient of variation of plant height at all plot sizes. Species richness in large plots (<25 m(2)) was also correlated to patch size. This study indicates that the abundance of strong competitors and the nutrient availability in the soil, as well as the heterogeneity and spatial pattern of these factors may influence species richness, but the importance of these factors can differ across spatial scales.     

Livestock exclusion increases the spatial heterogeneity of vegetation in Colorado shortgrass steppe

Abstract. Spatial heterogeneity, an important characteristic in semi‐arid grassland vegetation, may be altered through grazing by large herbivores. We used Moran's I, a measure of autocorrelation, to test the effect of livestock grazing on the fine scale spatial heterogeneity of dominant plant species in the shortgrass steppe of northeastern Colorado. Autocorrelation in ungrazed plots was significantly higher than in grazed plots for the cover of the dominant species Bouteloua gracilis, litter cover and density of other bunchgrasses. No species had higher autocorrelation in grazed compared to ungrazed sites. B. gracilis cover was significantly auto‐correlated in seven of eight 60‐yr ungrazed exclosures, four of six 8‐yr exclosures, and only three of eight grazed sites. Autocorrelograms showed that B. gracilis cover in ungrazed sites was frequently and positively spatially correlated at lag distances less than 5 m. B. gracilis cover was rarely autocorrelated at any sampled lag distance in grazed sites. The greater spatial heterogeneity in ungrazed sites appeared linked to patches characterized by uniformly low cover of B. gracilis and high cover of C₃ grasses. This interpretation was supported by simple simulations that modified data from grazed sites by reducing the cover of B. gracilis in patches of ca. 8 m diameter and produced patterns quite similar to those observed in ungrazed sites. In the one exclosure where we intensively sampled soil texture, autocorrelation coefficients for sand content and B. gracilis cover were similar at lag distances up to 12 m. We suggest that the negative effect of sand content on B. gracilis generates spatial heterogeneity, but only in the absence of grazing. An additional source of heterogeneity in ungrazed sites may be the negative interaction between livestock exclusion and B. gracilis recovery following patchy disturbance.     

Does resource availability,resource heterogeneity or species turnover mediate changes in plant species richness in grazed grasslands?

Grazing by large ungulates often increases plant species richness in grasslands of moderate to high productivity. In a mesic North American grassland with and without the presence of bison (Bos bison), a native ungulate grazer, three non-exclusive hypotheses for increased plant species richness in grazed grasslands were evaluated: (1) bison grazing enhances levels of resource (light and N) availability, enabling species that depend on higher resource availability to co-occur; (2) spatial heterogeneity in resource availability is enhanced by bison, enabling coexistence of a greater number of plant species; (3) increased species turnover (i.e. increased species colonization and establishment) in grazed grassland is associated with enhanced plant species richness. We measured availability and spatial heterogeneity in light, water and N, and calculated species turnover from long-term data in grazed and ungrazed sites in a North American tallgrass prairie. Both regression and path analyses were performed to evaluate the potential of the three hypothesized mechanisms to explain observed patterns of plant species richness under field conditions. Experimental grazing by bison increased plant species richness by 25% over an 8-year period. Neither heterogeneity nor absolute levels of soil water or available N were related to patterns of species richness in grazed and ungrazed sites. However, high spatial heterogeneity in light and higher rates of species turnover were both strongly related to increases in plant species richness in grazed areas. This suggests that creation of a mosaic of patches with high and low biomass (the primary determinant of light availability in mesic grasslands) and promotion of a dynamic species pool are the most important mechanisms by which grazers affect species richness in high productivity grasslands.     

Assessment of Phytotoxicity of Chromium in Flooded Soils using Embedded Selective Ion Exchange Resin Method

Chromium present in the forms of Cr(VI) or Cr(III) in soils. Since the toxicity and mobility of Cr(VI) are higher than those of Cr(III), it would be important to estimate soil Cr(VI) accurately in order to assess the phytotoxicity of Cr. Soil redox potential can influence the distribution of Cr between Cr(VI) and Cr(III) forms, and thus an in situ method which is not affected by the soil redox condition is needed for determining Cr(VI) availability in paddy fields. In this study, the Cu-saturated selective ion exchange resin (DOWEX M4159), serving as an infinite sink, was embedded in soils to extract available Cr(VI) from three representative saturated soils with different amounts of Cr(VI). The results suggested that Cr(VI) reduction occurred in the flooded soils, and the acid environment favored the adsorption and reduction of Cr(VI). There was a significant dose-response relationship between the soil resin-extractable Cr(VI) and the plant height of rice seedlings for test soils. The experimental results suggested that the embedded selective ion exchange resin method could be a suitable in situ method for assessing the phytotoxicity of Cr in flooded soils.     

Long‐term influence of fallen logs on patch formation and their effects under contrasting grazing regimes

Patchiness is a critical functional feature of arid lands, increasing productivity and diversity, but there is little information on the long‐term dynamics of patch formation. While plant‐created heterogeneity is widespread, grazing reduces plant density, hence removing patchiness. Patchiness is also associated with fallen logs and it is particularly important to assess this association in grazed areas, as there are few patches which are not created by living plants. We studied differences in soil nutrient content and soil seed bank associated with the presence of logs in the long ungrazed Koonamore Vegetation Reserve and an adjacent heavily grazed paddock in chenopod shrublands of South Australia. We studied soil properties associated with fallen logs of unknown age, and others known to have persisted for up to 78 years. Logs acted as traps for soil nutrients and seeds. Organic carbon was higher in soils associated with logs, and also higher inside the reserve than in the grazed paddock. Propagule number and species richness were higher next to logs than in open spaces and viable seeds were in much higher abundance next to logs in the grazed paddock than any other site. Increased time in situ of a log had a relatively small effect on soil organic carbon and total nitrogen. Logs act as resource traps which may enhance the diversity of the system, and may be particularly important for maintaining patches of resources in areas of severe grazing damage. Hence, their preservation should be incorporated into management schemes. [Correction added on 3 March 2015, after online publication: The following parts in the abstract have been edited. ‘Organic carbon and total nitrogen were higher in soils associated with logs’ has been corrected to ‘Organic carbon was higher in soils associated with logs’, and ‘had a relatively small effect on soil organic carbon, total nitrogen and available potassium’ has been corrected to ‘had a relatively small effect on soil organic carbon and total nitrogen’.]     

Grazing‐induced changes in plant–soil feedback alter plant biomass allocation

Large vertebrate herbivores, as well as plant–soil feedback interactions are important drivers of plant performance, plant community composition and vegetation dynamics in terrestrial ecosystems. However, it is poorly understood whether and how large vertebrate herbivores and plant–soil feedback effects interact. Here, we study the response of grassland plant species to grazing‐induced legacy effects in the soil and we explore whether these plant responses can help us to understand long‐term vegetation dynamics in the field. In a greenhouse experiment we tested the response of four grassland plant species, Agrostis capillaris, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus and Rumex acetosa, to field‐conditioned soils from grazed and ungrazed grassland. We relate these responses to long‐term vegetation data from a grassland exclosure experiment in the field. In the greenhouse experiment, we found that total biomass production and biomass allocation to roots was higher in soils from grazed than from ungrazed plots. There were only few relationships between plant production in the greenhouse and the abundance of conspecifics in the field. Spatiotemporal patterns in plant community composition were more stable in grazed than ungrazed grassland plots, but were not related to plant–soil feedbacks effects and biomass allocation patterns. We conclude that grazing‐induced soil legacy effects mainly influenced plant biomass allocation patterns, but could not explain altered vegetation dynamics in grazed grasslands. Consequently, the direct effects of grazing on plant community composition (e.g. through modifying light competition or differences in grazing tolerance) appear to overrule indirect effects through changes in plant–soil feedback.     

Soil and plant water relations in a crested wheatgrass pasture: response to spring grazing by cattle

Summary Few field studies have attempted to relate effects of actual livestock grazing on soil and plant water status. The present study was initiated to determine the effects of periodic defoliations by cattle during spring on soil moisture and plant water status in a crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum (L.) Gaertn. and A. desertorum (Fisch. ex Link) Schult.) pasture in central Utah. Soil moisture in the top 130 cm of the soil profile was depleted more rapidly in ungrazed plots than in grazed plots during spring and early summer. Soil moisture depletion was more rapid in grazed plots in one paddock after 1 July due to differential regrowth, but there was no difference in soil water depletion between plots in another paddock during the same period. This difference in soil water depletion between paddocks was related to a difference in date of grazing. Although more water had been extracted from the 60 cm to 130 cm depths in ungrazed plots by late September, cumulative soil moisture depletion over the entire 193 cm profile was similar in grazed and ungrazed plots. Prior to 1 July, grazing had no effect on predawn leaf water potentials as estimated by a pressure chamber technique; however, after 1 July, predawn leaf water potentials were lower for ungrazed plants. Midday leaf water potentials were lower for grazed plants before 1 July, but did not differ between grazed and ungrazed plants after 1 July. A 4- to 8-day difference in date of defoliation did not affect either predawn or midday leaf water potentials. The observed differences in water use patterns during spring and early-summer may be important in influencing growth and competitive interactions in crested wheatgrass communities that are subject to grazing by domestic livestock.     

The effects of bankside management on chalk stream invertebrate communities

SUMMARY 1. Communities of aquatic macroinvertebrates and the terrestrial adult phases of aquatic insects were investigated from short stretches of English chalk streams with two different bankside vegetation types: simply structured grazed grass (grazed) and structurally complex herbaceous vegetation with scattered trees (ungrazed). Macroinvertebrates were sampled in spring, summer, autumn and winter 1996–97 from three aquatic habitats: mid-channel gravel, patches of the aquatic macrophyte Ranunculus and marginal emergent macrophytes. The terrestrial adult phases of aquatic insects were sampled in spring, summer and autumn from bankside vegetation.
2. Total macroinvertebrate abundance did not differ between stretches with different bankside vegetation. Taxon richness of mid-channel gravel was, however, significantly higher in ungrazed compared with grazed stretches and Shannon diversity ( H ') of mid-channel gravel and marginal vegetation was significantly higher in ungrazed compared with grazed stretches. Total abundance, taxon richness and Shannon diversity ( H ') of the terrestrial adult phases of aquatic insect were significantly higher from the bankside vegetation of ungrazed compared with grazed stretches.
3. Ordination of communities of aquatic macroinvertebrates and terrestrial adults demonstrated that individual families of both groups were generally more abundant in ungrazed stretches. Many more families were significantly associated with ungrazed stretches than with grazed stretches.
4. This investigation has shown that high structural diversity of bankside vegetation along lowland chalk streams is accompanied at the reach scale by increased diversity of both aquatic macroinvertebrates and the terrestrial adult phases of aquatic insects. The conservation potential of such streams may thus be lowered by management practices that result in the removal or simplification of bankside vegetation along extensive stream stretches.     

Impact of reindeer grazing on ground-dwelling Carabidae and Curculionidae assemblages in Lapland

Reindeer Rangifer tarandus L. grazing shapes forest vegetation, microclimate, and soil respiration in Lapland, especially due to grazing on lichens (Cladina). We studied how these changes and their magnitude affect ground‐dwelling species of beetle families Carabidae (predators) and Curculionidae (herbivores), by using pitfall traps to collect invertebrates from pairs of grazed and ungrazed study plots over a wide range of site types. Changes in abundance, composition, richness and diversity of beetle assemblage were tested in relation to magnitude of the impacts on vegetation. The species compositions of Carabidae and Curculionidae differed between grazed and ungrazed plots in all sites. The relative difference between grazed and ungrazed plots in the number of individuals increased linearly with the impact of reindeer on vegetation cover. Carabid beetles, as a family, were more common in grazed plots in all sites. Curculionid beetles were more common in ungrazed plots in the birch dominated sites. This difference was mainly due to the species that feeds on deciduous leaves. In the pine dominated sites with high Cladina cover and more changes in ground vegetation, the number of curculionids feeding on conifers was higher in grazed plots. Species richness and diversity (H’) of both families were higher in grazed plots. Of the total 27 species, 11 were found only in grazed plots, while not a single species was found only in ungrazed plots. The relative difference between plots in diversity and evennes (H’/H'max) had humped response to the difference in Cladina cover. The diversity values were greater in grazed plots at the intermediate levels of grazing impact, and only in sites with very low or extremely high Cladina cover difference was the diversity higher in ungrazed plots. The response of beetle diversity resembled the hypotheses suggested for the relationship between grazing and vegetation diversity: greatest positive effect at intermediate grazing intensity and negative effects at unproductive sites.     

Differential photosynthetic performance of three Mediterranean shrubs under grazing by domestic goats

The impact of grazing by domestic goats, Capra hircus, on the photochemical apparatus of three co-ocurring Mediterranean shrubs, Erica scoparia, Halimium halimifolium, and Myrtus communis was evaluated. Seasonal course of gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence and photosynthetic pigment concentrations were measured in the field in grazed and ungrazed plants. Net photosynthetic rate was higher in grazed plants of E. scoparia and H. halimifolium in May, while there were not significant differences in M. communis. Photosynthetic enhancement in grazed plants of E. scoparia could be explained largely by higher stomatal conductance. On the other hand, the lack of differences in stomatal conductance between grazed and ungrazed plants of H. halimifolium could indicate that carboxylation efficiency, and ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP) regeneration may have been enhanced by grazing. Overall grazing has little effect on the photochemical (PSII) apparatus, however grazed plants of M. communis showed chronic photoinhibition in the short term. Finally, seasonal variations recorded on photosynthesis, photochemical efficiency and pigment concentrations may be a physiological consequence of environmental factors, such as summer drought and competition for light, rather than an adaptation to grazing.     

The influence of soil depth on plant species response to grazing within a semi-arid savanna

Grassland patches within a semi-arid savanna were evaluated over 45-years for (1) local temporal dynamics of basal area for five dominant grass species within long-term heavily grazed and ungrazed treatments, (2) the influence of soil depth (resource availability) on vegetation dynamics, and (3) the applicability of community-level grazing response groups over fine-scale patterns of soil heterogeneity. Temporal patterns in species composition and basal area were dependent upon soil depth. In the heavy grazed treatment, Hilaria belangeri dominated deep soils while Erioneuron pilosum and Bouteloua trifida were restricted to shallow soils. In the ungrazed treatment, removal of grazing resulted in successional changes that were significantly different across soil depths. After 45 years without grazing, Eriochloa sericea was most abundant on deep soils while Bouteloua curtipendula was more abundant on intermediate and shallow soils. Community-level functional groups that are based on grazing were not appropriate when multiple pattern-driving variables were considered across multiple scales indicating that functional groups should only be applied to certain processes at specific scales. Within the ungrazed treatments, variable soil depths have resulted in a shifting mosaic in time and space where early- and late-successional species co-exist continuously but spatially separated within the community. In the heavily grazed treatment, species are somewhat spatially arranged by soil depths, but much of the inherent heterogeneity is eliminated and species composition is dominated by the three grazing-resistant short-grasses. Broad scale successional changes may appear linear and predictable while at finer scales, the same changes may be described as non-linear and dependent upon soil depth resulting in thresholds that are partially explained by weather patterns, seed bank limitations and competitive inhibitions.     

Effects of algivorous minnows (Campostoma) on spatial and temporal heterogeneity of stream periphyton

The effect of grazing minnows (Campostoma) on spatial and temporal heterogeneity of the vertical height of attached filamentous algae (Spirogyra and Rhizoclonium) was measured in natural and artificial streams. Measurements were made at 1-m intervals across natural-stream pools during April–May, and at 0.3-m intervals longitudinally in smaller artificial streams during February–May. Spatial heterogeneity was calculated weekly, as the mean standardized difference in algal height (spatial MDH) between adjacent fixed points. Temporal MDH was calculated as the mean standardized difference in algal height at fixed points between adjacent weeks. Reduction in spatial and temporal MDH, detected only in artificial streams, suggested that grazing by Campostoma promoted and maintained more uniform algal height in contrast to ungrazed algae. Heterogeneity of algal export was greater for ungrazed algae, and decreased over time after sloughing, but that for grazed algae was lower and increased after sloughing. The contrasting experimental systems suggested that Campostoma can reduce spatial and temporal heterogeneity of algae, but that additional variation in depth, substratum characteristics, or presence of other biota may modify effects in natural streams. Received: 30 May 1995 / Accepted: 30 June 1997     

放牧对内蒙古典型草原大针茅凋落物中土壤动物组成及其分解功能的影响

放牧是影响草地生态系统中土壤动物组成和凋落物分解的重要因素.2010—2012年,选择内蒙古锡林郭勒盟白音锡勒牧场境内的禁牧草地、放牧草地和沙地为研究样地,以凋落物袋法研究了大针茅凋落物分解过程中主要理化特性以及其中土壤动物群落的变化特征.共采集到土壤动物67056头52类,隶属于5门8纲,其中螨类23科,昆虫19科.大针茅凋落物的初始有机质含量为92.5%,分解780 d后分别降至40.0%(禁牧草地)和41.3%(放牧草地),差异不显著;凋落物残留率分别降低至50.0%(禁牧草地)和23.0%(放牧草地),差异显著.放牧影响下,大针茅残留凋落物中土壤动物多度显著降低.将大针茅凋落物置入沙地环境,有机质分解速率无显著变化,但凋落物残留率显著降低,螨类群落组成发生显著变化.在内蒙古典型草原环境下,放牧显著改变了植物凋落物中的土壤动物群落组成和多度,但凋落物中有机质分解速率未发生显著变化;半干旱地区土壤动物的凋落物分解功能较为微弱.     

The effects of sheep-grazing on the subterranean termite fauna (Isoptera) of the Western Australian wheatbelt

Abstract The majority of existing remnants of wandoo Eucalyptus capillosa woodland in the Western Australian wheatbelt have been grazed by sheep for several decades and are often visibly degraded. A pilot survey was conducted into the effects of sheep on vegetation and soil variables, and the abundance, diversity and species frequency of occurrence of subterranean termite communities. Ten 1/4 ha study plots were used for paired grazed/ungrazed comparisons. Ungrazed plots had more litter mass (dry weight), leaf and woody litter, canopy cover (%) and soil moisture (moisture content <1.2% across study plots); grazed plots had a higher percentage of bare ground. Termites were as abundant, and as diverse, in grazed as in ungrazed plots, and were equally often sampled in the soil and surface wood. Termite species eating sound wood, decayed wood/debris and grass were sampled equally often, and were of equal diversity in sheep-grazed as in ungrazed plots. The mounds of Drepanotermes tamminensis were more abundant in grazed plots. These findings indicate that prolonged sheep grazing in remnants of wandoo woodland of the Western Australian wheatbelt has had no detrimental or beneficial effect on its subterranean termites.     

Plant responses to selective grazing by bison: interactions between light,herbivory and water stress

Two abundant tallgrass prairie forb species, Ambrosia psilostachya and Vernonia baldwinii, are commonly found intact in patches where the grasses have been selectively grazed by bison. Microclimatic patterns and physiological responses of these forbs were measured in grazed and ungrazed patches. These experiments demonstrated that bison herbivory indirectly enhanced water availability and productivity of forbs growing in grazed patches. This was due primarily to the reduction in transpiring grass leaf area in grazed patches and an increase in light availability. In grazed patches, incident light at forb mid-canopy height was 53% greater than ungrazed sites at midseason and soil temperatures were always warmer (e.g., 10°C at 5 cm), perhaps enabling forbs to initiate growth earlier in the spring. Enhanced leaf xylem pressure potential and stomatal conductance in plants in grazed areas were most evident when water availability was low (i.e., late in the growing season and over short-term dry periods characteristic of the tallgrass prairie environment). Relative to individuals in ungrazed areas, end-of-season biomass of A. psilostachya was 40% greater and reproductive biomass and head number of V. baldwinii was 45% and 40% greater, respectively, in plants in grazed patches. A favorable growing environment maintained in grazed patches during periods of water limitation enhances carbon gain in forbs leading to increased biomass and potential fitness.     

Control of nematode parasites by grazing management—I. Decontamination of cattle pastures by grazing with sheep

Between December and June, six paddocks that had been contaminated naturally with infective larvae of nematode parasites of cattle, were each subjected to one of six grazing treatments. The effects of these treatments on the infectivity of the pastures were assessed by slaughter and total worm counts of calves which subsequently grazed the paddocks, and by counts of larvae on pasture samples. Grazing by sheep during autumn resulted in reduced populations of Ostertagia ostertagi and Trichostrongylus axei, both in calves and on the pasture for up to 12 months after treatment. Similar effects were noted on pasture grazed by cattle repeatedly dosed with anthelmintics, and on ungrazed pasture. There was little effect of any treatment on numbers of Cooperia oncophora. It was concluded that the level of autumn contamination was of importance in determining the numbers of O. ostertagi in the following spring and summer.     

Seasonal variation in enzyme activities and temperature sensitivities in Arctic tundra soils

Arctic soils contain large amounts of organic matter due to very slow rates of detritus decomposition. The first step in decomposition results from the activity of extracellular enzymes produced by soil microbes. We hypothesized that potential enzyme activities are low relative to the large stocks of organic matter in Arctic tundra soils, and that enzyme activity is low at in situ temperatures. We measured the potential activity of six hydrolytic enzymes at 4 and 20 °C on four sampling dates in tussock, intertussock, shrub organic, and shrub mineral soils at Toolik Lake, Alaska. Potential activities of N‐acetyl glucosaminidase, β‐glucosidase, and peptidase tended to be greatest at the end of winter, suggesting that microbes produced enzymes while soils were frozen. In general, enzyme activities did not increase during the Arctic summer, suggesting that enzyme production is N‐limited during the period when temperatures would otherwise drive higher enzyme activity in situ. We also detected seasonal variations in the temperature sensitivity (Q₁₀) of soil enzymes. In general, soil enzyme pools were more sensitive to temperature at the end of the winter than during the summer. We modeled potential in situβ‐glucosidase activities for tussock and shrub organic soils based on measured enzyme activities, temperature sensitivities, and daily soil temperature data. Modeled in situ enzyme activity in tussock soils increased briefly during the spring, then declined through the summer. In shrub soils, modeled enzyme activities increased through the spring thaw into early August, and then declined through the late summer and into winter. Overall, temperature is the strongest factor driving low in situ enzyme activities in the Arctic. However, enzyme activity was low during the summer, possibly due to N‐limitation of enzyme production, which would constrain enzyme activity during the brief period when temperatures would otherwise drive higher rates of decomposition.     

Effects of Rotational Grazing on Nesting Ducks in California

Abstract: Grazing is thought to be incompatible with nesting by dabbling ducks (Anas spp.), but this belief is based on little data. We therefore conducted a 2-year, replicated field experiment to determine whether the habitat requirements of nesting ducks could be met on uplands managed by rotational grazing (1 Jul-1 Nov) in the northern San Joaquin Valley, California, USA. Grazed fields had shorter vegetation than ungrazed fields throughout the winter, but vegetation height did not differ by the beginning of the nesting season in late March, and by the end of the nesting season in late May, previously grazed fields had taller vegetation than did ungrazed fields. In 1996, densities of duck nests were >3 times higher in grazed than in ungrazed fields (least-squares means [± 1 SE]: grazed = 2.18 [0.34] nests/ha, ungrazed = 0.59 [0.34] nests/ha), but nest densities were substantially lower in 1997 and did not differ between treatment groups (grazed = 0.65 [0.32] nests/ha, ungrazed = 0.39 [0.32] nests/ha). Mayfield nest success did not differ between grazed fields (5.3%) and ungrazed fields (2.9%). We conclude that rotational grazing was successful in providing summer nesting habitat for dabbling ducks, and we recommend that it be considered for other managed habitats within the Central Valley, California, USA.