Leaf litterfall, fine-root production, and decomposition in shrublands with different canopy structure induced by grazing in the Patagonian Monte, Argentina

Selective sheep grazing in the Patagonian Monte induces the reduction of total and perennial grass cover, species replacement within life forms, and the increase in dominance of long-lived evergreen woody plants with slow growth rates and high concentration of secondary compounds in leaves. We hypothesized that these changes in the canopy structure induced by sheep grazing will affect the mass, chemistry and decomposability of leaf litter and fine roots. We selected two sites in the Patagonian Monte, representative of ungrazed and grazed vegetation states. At each site, we assessed canopy structure (total cover and absolute and relative grass and shrub cover), monthly leaf litterfall, and fine-root biomass and production in the upper soil (15 cm). We also estimated the rates of mass, C, soluble phenolics, lignin and N decay in litterbags containing both leaf litter and fine roots of each site under field conditions during two consecutive years. The ungrazed site exhibited higher total plant cover, absolute and relative grass- and shrub-cover than the grazed one. Leaf litterfall was lower at the grazed site than at the ungrazed site. Fine-root production did not vary between sites. Leaf litter and fine root tissues had higher concentration of secondary compounds at the grazed than at the ungrazed site. However, fine roots showed lower mass and C decay than leaf litter, attributable to the predominant secondary compound (lignin and soluble phenolics, respectively). Leaf litter decomposed slower but released more N during decay at the ungrazed than at the grazed site, probably due to its low concentration of secondary compounds. We concluded that changes in canopy structure induced by grazing disturbance such as those explored in our study could reduce leaf litterfall mass and increase the concentration of secondary compounds of both leaf litter and fine roots leading to slow N release to soil during decay.     

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.     

Spatial and temporal variation of soil moisture in dependence of multiple environmental parameters in semi-arid grasslands

Grazing of grasslands changes soil physical and chemical properties as well as vegetation characteristics, such as vegetation cover, species composition and biomass production. In consequence, nutrient allocation and water storage in the top soil are affected. Land use and management changes alter these processes. Knowledge on the impacts of grazing management on nutrient and water fluxes is necessary because of the global importance of grasslands for carbon sequestration. Soil water in semi-arid areas is a limiting factor for matter fluxes and the intrinsic interaction between soil, vegetation and atmosphere. It is therefore desirable to understand the effects of grazing management and stocking rate on the spatial and temporal distribution of soil moisture. In the present study, we address the question how spatio-temporal soil moisture distribution on grazed and ungrazed grassland sites is affected by soil and vegetation properties. The study took place in the Xilin river catchment in Inner Mongolia (PR China). It is a semi-arid steppe environment, which is characterized by still moderate grazing compared to other regions in central Inner Mongolia. However, stocking rates have locally increased and resulted in a degradation of soils and vegetation also in the upper Xilin River basin. We used a multivariate geostatistical approach to reveal spatial dependencies between soil moisture distribution and soil or vegetation parameters. Overall, 7 soil and vegetation parameters (bulk density, sand, silt and clay content, mean weight diameter, mean carbon content of the soil, vegetation cover) and 57 soil moisture data sets were recorded on 100 gridded points on four sites subject to different grazing intensities. Increasing stocking rates accelerated the influence of soil and vegetation parameters on soil moisture. However, the correlation was rather weak, except for a site with high stocking rate where higher correlations were found. Low nugget ratios indicate spatial dependency between soil or plant parameters and soil moisture on a long-term ungrazed site. However, the effect was not found for a second ungrazed site that had been excluded from grazing for a shorter period. Furthermore the most important soil and vegetation parameters for predicting soil moisture distribution varied between different grazing intensities. Therefore, predicting soil moisture by using secondary variables requires a careful selection of the soil or vegetation parameters.     

Vegetation change following exclusion of grazing animals in depleted grassland,Central Otago,New Zealand

Abstract. Models of semiarid vegetation dynamics were evaluated to explain changes in the grassland of interior South Island, New Zealand. Annual records were taken for six years of plant species height frequency and percentage ground cover in five plots established in 1986. One subplot at each site was fenced to exclude sheep, one to exclude rabbits and sheep, and one remained unfenced as a control. Records from 1986–1992 were analysed by ordination. The overall pattern of vegetation change shows considerable year-to-year variation. At some sites, variation in vegetation composition between years was as great as, or greater than, that between grazed and ungrazed subplots. Such variation is particularly evident in grazed vegetation, perhaps because it is under greater stress than ungrazed vegetation. At one site changes in vegetation total cover and species composition could be statistically related to rainfall during the first half of the growing season. The only general trends following cessation of grazing were for perennials to increase in frequency, and for year-to-year changes to become smaller with time. Total vegetation cover values seldom changed as a result of cessation of grazing, but tended to follow year-to-year changes in species frequency. The results do not in general support switch/state-and-transition models of semi-arid vegetation dynamics. Vegetation change follows changes in grazing and climate with little lag. This most closely conforms with the Pulse-phase dynamic model.     

Influence of grazing and soil conditions on secondary savanna vegetation in India

Abstract. Savanna vegetation and pertinent soil features were studied on 43 sites in a dry tropical forest region of India. Grazing intensity ranged from 0.68 to 0.98. Soil moisture was positively related to the proportion of fine soil particles (< 0.1 mm), and the latter decreased while the proportion of coarse particles (2.0-0.5 mm) increased with increasing grazing intensity. Canopy biomass ranged from 28 to 104 g/m² in grazed communities and from 230 to 337 g /m² in ungrazed communities and was positively related to vegetation cover which ranged between 30–72 % in grazed and 68 - 91 % in ungrazed communities. Vegetation cover was negatively related to grazing intensity. Species richness and diversity were highest at low grazing intensity. Using community coefficients and Detrended Correspondence Analysis, the grazed stands were clustered into six and the ungrazed ones into three communities. The grazed communities were recognised as degradation stages and the ungrazed ones as recovery stages. Only five grass species, in various combinations were able to dominate in one of the different stages. Evidently the harsh climatic conditions (high temperatures, high variability in rainfall and a long dry period) in the region permit only a few species already adapted to these conditions to participate in the succession.     

Growth of reindeer lichens and effects of reindeer grazing on ground cover vegetation in a Scots pine forest and a subarctic heathland in Finnish Lapland

Reindeer lichens are an important component of northern ecosystems. The aim of this study was to measure the growth rate of terricolous lichens as it is a key parameter involved in productivity of these ecosystems and an important part of lichen tolerance to reindeer grazing. Furthermore, the natural succession and the long-term effects of reindeer grazing on lichen community characteristics in two contrasting habitats were investigated as well as the interactions between lichen cover and mosses and vascular plants. Biomass and coverage measurements were conducted in a lichen woodland and in a subarctic heath with grazed and ungrazed areas in northern Finland. Measurements spanning over 13 yr of undisturbed development show that the growth rate of Cladina stellaris can be as high as >0.17 g g⁻¹ produced annually, although in average growth rates were much lower. During the succession of ground vegetation, C. stellaris , C. rangiferina , C. mitis and Cetraria nivalis increased in biomass in fenced areas and were reduced most in biomass by reindeer in unprotected areas. Reindeer grazing and trampling seem to change the vegetation towards a type that is dominated by small dwarf shrubs, bare soil and minute-cup lichens ( Cladonia spp.). Removing the lichen layer by reindeer may reduce natural regeneration of pine trees as implied by increasing numbers of pine seedlings with increasing lichen cover.     

A hierarchical model for analysing the stability of vegetation patterns created by grazing in temperate pastures

Questions: Does vegetation structure display any stability over the grazing season and in two successive years, and is there any correlation between the stability of these spatial patterns and local sward composition? Location: An upland grassland in the French Massif Central. Method: The mosaic of short and tall vegetation stands considered as grazed and ungrazed patches respectively is modeled as the realization of a Boolean process. This method does not require any arbitrarily set sward‐height thresholds to discriminate between grazed and ungrazed areas, or the use of additional variables such as defoliation indexes. The model was validated by comparing empirical and simulated sward‐height distributions and semi‐variograms. Results: The model discriminated between grazed and ungrazed patches at both a fine (1 m²) and a larger (500 m²) scale. Selective grazing on legumes and forbs and avoidance of reproductive grass could partly explain the stability of fine‐scale grazing patterns in lightly grazed plots. In these plots, the model revealed an inter‐annual stability of large‐scale grazing patterns at the time peak biomass occurred. At the end of the grazing season, lightly grazed plots showed fluctuating patch boundaries while heavily grazed plots showed a certain degree of patch stability. Conclusion: The model presented here reveals that selective grazing at the bite scale could lead to the creation of relatively stable patches within the pasture. Locally maintaining short cover heights would result in divergent within‐plot vegetation dynamics, and thus favor the functional diversity of vegetation.     

Effects of livestock grazing intensity on soil biota in a semiarid steppe of Inner Mongolia

Intensive livestock is known to significantly affect soil physical and chemical parameters in steppe ecosystems. However, the effects on soil biological parameters still remain unknown. We hypothesized that intensive grazing would significantly decrease the size and diversity of soil biota due to deterioration of the soil environment and reduction in vegetation cover, while the adapted grazing intensity would improve the biological parameters. Soil samples were collected from five sites with different grazing intensities and history in a semiarid steppe of Inner Mongolia in August 2005. Two sites were long-term ungrazed since 1979 (UG79) and 1999 (UG99), one had been moderately grazed in winter (WG), one continuously grazed moderately (CG) and one long-term site was heavily grazed (HG). Soil microbial biomass carbon (C), basal respiration (BR), catabolic diversity of soil microbial communities, protozoa and nematodes abundance were measured. Soil physicochemical variables were also measured to establish the relationships between soil biological parameters and key soil physical and chemical properties. Soil microbial biomass C, BR, biomass specific respiration (qCO₂) and soil protozoa abundance were significantly lower at the HG site compared to the UG79 site, but no clear differences were found in the other sites. However, soil nematodes abundance increased with increasing grazing intensity, and the abundance of soil amoeba were greater in CG than in the other sites. Principal component analysis (PCA) of Biolog data revealed large differences in catabolic capacity of soil microbial communities between UG79, HG and UG99, WG, CG. However, Shannon??s diversity index did not indicate marked effects of grazing intensity on substrate catabolic community structure. In conclusion, heavy grazing negatively affected soil microbial biomass, activity and protozoan abundance, but positively influenced soil nematodes abundance and did not affect soil microbial catabolic diversity. Based on these results, CG may provide an appropriate grazing intensity to be used in the long term in the semiarid steppe of Inner Mongolia.     

Ecosystem changes associated with grazing in subhumid South American grasslands

Question: What are the changes in vegetation structure, soil attributes and mesofauna associated with grazing in mesic grasslands? Location: Southern Campos of the Río de la Plata grasslands, in south‐central Uruguay. Methods: We surveyed seven continuously grazed and ungrazed paired plots. Plant and litter cover were recorded on three 5‐m interception lines placed parallel to the fence in each plot. We extracted soil fauna from a 10 cm deep composite sample and analysed the oribatids. Soil attributes included bulk density, water content, organic carbon (in particulate and mineral associated organic matter) and nitrogen content and root biomass at different depths. Changes in floristic, Plant Functional Types and mesofauna composition were analysed by Non‐metric Multidimensional Scaling. Results: Species number was lower in ungrazed than in grazed plots. Of 105 species in grazed plots only three were exotics. Shrub and litter cover were significantly higher inside the exclosures, while the cover of Cyperaceae‐Juncaceae was lower. Grazing treatments differed significantly in plant and oribatid species composition. Grazing exclusion significantly reduced soil bulk density and increased soil water content. Carbon content in particulate organic matter was lower in the upper soil of ungrazed sites, but deeper in the profile, grazing exclosures had 8% more carbon in the mineral associated organic matter. Conclusions Our results generally agree with previous studies but deviate from the results of previous analyses in (1) the increase of shrub cover in ungrazed sites; (2) the redistribution of the soil organic carbon in the profile and (3) the low invasibility of the prairies regardless of grazing regime.     

Grazing history effects on above- and below-ground litter decomposition and nutrient cycling in two co-occurring grasses

Large herbivores may alter carbon and nutrient cycling in soil by changing above- and below-ground litter decomposition dynamics. Grazing effects may reflect changes in plant allocation patterns, and thus litter quality, or the site conditions for decomposition, but the relative roles of these broad mechanisms have rarely been tested. We examined plant and soil mediated effects of grazing history on litter mass loss and nutrient release in two grazing-tolerant grasses, Lolium multiflorum and Paspalum dilatatum, in a humid pampa grassland, Argentina. Shoot and root litters produced in a common garden by conspecific plants collected from grazed and ungrazed sites were incubated under both grazing conditions. We found that grazing history effects on litter decomposition were stronger for shoot than for root material. Root mass loss was neither affected by litter origin nor incubation site, although roots from the grazed origin immobilised more nutrients. Plants from the grazed site produced shoots with higher cell soluble contents and lower lignin:N ratios. Grazing effects mediated by shoot litter origin depended on the species, and were less apparent than incubation site effects. Lolium shoots from the grazed site decomposed and released nutrients faster, whereas Paspalum shoots from the grazed site retained more nutrient than their respective counterparts from the ungrazed site. Such divergent, species-specific dynamics did not translate into consistent differences in soil mineral N beneath decomposing litters. Indeed, shoot mass loss and nutrient release were generally faster in the grazed grassland, where soil N availability was higher. Our results show that grazing influenced nutrient cycling by modifying litter breakdown within species as well as the soil environment for decomposition. They also indicate that grazing effects on decomposition are likely to involve aerial litter pools rather than the more recalcitrant root compartment.     

Alteration of salt marsh plant community composition by grazing snow geese

A notable omission from wetlands ecology has been the study of the influence of herbivores on vegetation. Reported here are the effects of grazing by snow geese Anser caerulescens altantica on the vegetation of salt marshes along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States, Exclosures were used to compare total and species percent cover between grazed and ungrazed areas in three marshes (Salt Flats, South Pond, and Bodie Island) with differing vegetation communities from 1978 to 1980.
Spartina alterniflora was reduced by ⅔ in grazed versus ungrazed areas of Salt Flats, S. S. patens was reduced by ½ in grazed portions of South Pond but recovered when grazing ceased. In grazed portions of Bodie Island total plant cover was reduced by 16%. Scirpus robustus and S. patens reacted in opposite ways to grazing pressure with S. robustus increasing and S. patens decreasing, Elocharis was found only in grazed areas of Bodie Island. Echinochloa crusgali appeared in grazed portions of this marsh in 1978 but decreased in abundance during subsequent years. Scirpus americanus was unaffected by grazing, maintaining a nearly constant percent cover in grazed and ungrazed areas at Bodie Island.
Differences in responses to grazing are discussed in terms of each species' growth and reproductive strategies as tempered by the physical and biological environment within each marsh.     

Long‐term effects of exclusion of grazing stock on degraded herbaceous plant communities in a riparian Eucalyptus camaldulensis forest in south‐eastern Australia

Abstract Stock grazing has degraded many riparian ecosystems around the world. However, the potential for ecosystem recovery following the removal of grazing stock is poorly known. We developed a conceptual model to predict the responses of native and exotic herbaceous plants to grazing exclusion, based on site productivity and the degree of initial vegetation degradation. The effects of excluding grazing stock on richness, cover and composition of herbaceous plants were examined over 12 years in the degraded understorey of a riparian forest in Gulpa Island State Forest in south‐eastern Australia. We predicted that grazing exclusion would lead to limited changes in vegetation cover, richness and composition, owing to presumed low site productivity and the high degree of understorey degradation. Results showed that the cover, richness and composition of native and exotic species varied significantly among years. Over all plots, regions and years, total cover was slightly but significantly lower in grazed than in ungrazed plots (43.4% vs. 50.8%). While the cover of native plants increased over time in both treatments, the rate of increase was slightly greater in ungrazed plots. Grazing exclusion had no effect on the richness of native or exotic species, but had a significant but minor impact on plant composition, with different common species (mostly exotics) being promoted or diminished in ungrazed plots. The composition of grazed and ungrazed areas did not become more different over time. Overall, the effects that could be attributed to grazing exclusion were relatively minor and transient. Results are consistent with predictions based on site productivity and initial degradation, and should not be extrapolated to other more productive, or less degraded, riparian systems.     

Utilisation of Wadden Sea salt marshes by geese in relation to livestock grazing

To arctic breeding geese, the salt marshes of the International Wadden Sea are important spring staging areas. Many of these marshes have always been grazed with livestock (mainly cattle and sheep). To evaluate the influence of livestock grazing on composition and structure of salt-marsh communities and its consequences for habitat use by geese, a total of 17 pairs of grazed and ungrazed marshes were visited both in April and May 1999, and the accumulated grazing pressure by geese was estimated using dropping counts. Observed grazing pressure was related to management status and to relevant vegetation parameters.The intensity of livestock grazing influences the vegetation on the marsh. Salt marshes that are not grazed by livestock are characterised by stands with a taller canopy, a lower cover of grasses preferred by geese, and a higher cover of plants that are not preferred.Overall goose-dropping densities are significantly lower in ungrazed marshes compared to marshes grazed by livestock. Some ungrazed marshes had comparatively high goose grazing pressure, and these were all natural marshes on a sandy soil, or artificial mainland marshes with a recent history of intensive livestock grazing. Goose grazing is associated with a short canopy. The plant communities with short canopy, dominated by Agrostis stolonifera, Festuca rubra and Puccinellia maritima, together account for 85% of all goose droppings in our data.The sites that were not visited by geese differed very little from those that were visited, in the parameters we measured. This might indicate that there was no shortage of available habitat for spring staging geese in the Wadden Sea, in the study period.     

The effect of reindeer grazing on decomposition, mineralization and soil biota in a dry oligotrophic Scots pine forest

Reindeer grazing in the Fennoscandian area has a considerable influence on the ground vegetation, and this is likely in turn to have important consequences for the soil biota and decomposition processes. The effects of reindeer grazing on soil biota, decomposition and mineralization processes, and ecosystem properties in a lichen‐dominated forest in Finnish Lapland were studied inside and outside a large long term fenced reindeer exclosure area. Decomposition rates of Vaccinium myrtillus leaves in litter bags were retarded in the grazed area relative to the ungrazed area, as well as in subplots from which lichens had been artificially removed to simulate grazing. The effect of reindeer grazing on soil respiration and microbial C was positive in the lichen and litter layers of the soil profile, but retarded in the humus layer. There was no effect of grazing on gross N mineralization and microbial biomass N in the humus and upper mineral soil layer, but net N mineralization was increased by grazing. In these layers soil respiration was reduced by grazing, indicating that reindeer effects reduce the ratio of C to N mineralized by soil microorganisms. Grazing stimulated populations of all trophic groupings of nematodes in the lichen layer and microbe feeding nematodes in the litter layer, indicating that grazing by reindeer has multitrophic effects on the decomposer food‐web. Grazing decreased lichen and dwarf shrub biomasses and increased the mass of litter present in the litter layer on an areal basis, but did not significantly alter total C storage per unit area in the humus and mineral soil layers. The N concentration of lichens was increased by grazing, but the N concentrations of both living and dead Pinus sylvestris needles and Empetrum hermaphroditum leaves were not affected.
There was some evidence for each of three mechanisms which could account for the grazing effects that we observed in our study. Firstly, reindeer may have changed the composition and quality of litter input by affecting plant species composition and through addition of N from urine and faeces, resulting in a lack of available C relative to N for decomposer organisms. Secondly, the organic matter in the soil may be older in the grazed area, because of reduction of recent production of lichen litter relative to the ungrazed area. The organic matter in the grazed area may have been in a different phase of decomposition from that in the exclosure. Thirdly, the soil microclimate is likely to be affected by reindeer grazing through physical removal of lichen cover on the ground, and this can have a significant influence on soil microbial processes. This is supported by the strong observed effects of experimental removal of lichens on decomposer processes. The impact of reindeer grazing on soil processes may be a result of complex interactions between different mechanisms, and this could help to explain why the below‐ground effects of reindeer grazing have different consequences to those which have been observed in recent investigations on other grazing systems.     

Response to grazing after nine years of cattle exlusion in a Flooding Pampa grassland,Argentina

This paper reports on changes induced by the introduction of cattle in a grassland that had remained ungrazed for 9 yr, in comparison with two adjacent grasslands: one that remained enclosed and one that has been continuously subject to grazing. Basal cover was measured on 25 interception lines, each 1 m long, three times during one year. The variables studied were: total cover, cover of grasses and dicots, cover of creeping grasses, floristic composition, and dissimilarity among sites. At the first sampling, 2 yr after cattle re-introduction, the newly grazed site was more similar to the ungrazed than to the grazed site. The newly grazed site had very low cover of dicots; the species of dicots present were different from those found in the continuously grazed area. Creeping grasses had higher cover in the newly grazed site than in the other sites, and continued to increase. At the last sampling, one year later, the newly grazed site had become more similar to the contiuously grazed site. Only after 5 yr of cattle grazing the exotic dicots that were dominant in the continuously grazed site, were recorded in the re-opened site. The absence of propagules of these species or the absence of safe sites may account for this delayed invasion.     

Influence of grazing on hydraulic and mechanical properties of semiarid steppe soils under different vegetation type in Inner Mongolia, China

Over the last few decades, due to increase in grazing intensity, animal trampling has led to soil structure deterioration in Inner Mongolia, China. We investigated two different steppe ecosystems: Leymus chinensis (LCh, characterized by relatively higher precipitation) and Stipa grandis (SG) and two grazing intensities: ungrazed since 1979 (UG79) and grazed (continuously grazed, CG, at the Stipa grandis site and winter grazed, WG, at Leymus chinensis). Soil mechanical and hydraulic properties of semiarid steppe soils from each site and treatment were determined for soil aggregates and disturbed and bulk soil samples from different depths (4?C8, 18?C22, 30?C34 and 56?C60 cm for disturbed and bulk samples and 0?C15 cm for the aggregates). Grazing causes a significant increase in tensile strength of aggregates and in the precompression stress of the bulk soil as well as a decrease in air and saturated hydraulic conductivity, irrespective of the vegetation type. Furthermore, exclusion from grazing led to more pronounced recovery of soil strength and pore continuity and hydraulic conductivity at the LCh site but it also depended on the moisture conditions of the sites. Under wetter conditions as well as after repeated freezing and thawing the soil strength declined.     

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.     

Production and turnover rates of shallow fine roots in rangelands of the Patagonian Monte, Argentina

Selective sheep grazing in arid rangelands induces a decrease in total cover and grass cover and an increase in the dominance of shrubs. Both life forms differ in aboveground and belowground traits. We hypothesized that grazing disturbance leads to the replacement of grass by shrub fine roots in the upper soil, and this is reflected in changes in the seasonal dynamics of shallow fine roots at the community level. In two sites representative of non-grazed and grazed vegetation states in the Patagonian Monte, we assessed the canopy structure, and the fine root biomass, N concentration, production, and turnover during two consecutive years. The non-grazed site exhibited higher total, grass, and shrub cover than the grazed site. The grazed site had larger or equal fine root biomass than the non-grazed site except for late spring of the second year. This could be associated with the ability of shrubs to develop dimorphic-root systems occupying the soil freed by grasses at the grazed site, and with the larger contribution of grass than shrub fine roots in relation to an extraordinary precipitation event at the non-grazed site. This was consistent with the N concentration in fine roots. Fine root production was positively correlated to temperature at the grazed site and with precipitation at the non-grazed site. Fine root turnover did not differ between sites. Our results indicate that grazing leads to a shifting in the seasonality and main climatic controls of fine root production, while fine root turnover is mostly affected by changes in soil water conditions.     

Trigonella arcuata-associated rhizobia��an Ensifer (Sinorhizobium) meliloti population adapted to a desert environment

Long-term monitoring of soil properties reveals site-specific ecosystem shifts in soil processes due to land use and climate changes. This paper aims to study the effects of physical landscape changes associated with grazing on soil thermal and moisture regime at the plot scale in a semiarid Leymus chinensis steppe of Inner Mongolia, China. The investigated sites were subjected to three grazing intensities: ungrazed since 1979 (UG79), moderately grazed only in winter time (WG), and heavily grazed (HG). At each plot, we recorded the soil moisture and temperature over a 6-year period that spanned between June 2004 and September 2009 and experienced a large range in precipitation (162 to 362 mm). Based on these monitoring data, we divided a year into four hydric periods: (1) growing period (late April to August); (2) transitional period from summer to winter (September?COctober); (3) winter time (November?Cfirst March); and (4) transitional period from winter to summer (March?CApril). In general, soil moisture in grazed sites was lower than in the ungrazed site, particularly for the 30?C50 cm soil layer. Seasonal fluctuation of the soil moisture, due to variable precipitation and atmospheric demands, was most significant in the topsoil (0?C10 cm) and was less pronounced in deeper soil. Regardless of hydric seasons, soil moisture was significantly influenced by grazing intensity, whereas soil temperature was slightly influenced. With increasing grazing intensity, soil water storage decreased remarkably. Consequently, grazing reduced plant available water and therefore grassland productivity, which are linked to a great extent with the trampling-induced soil structure change and soil moisture regime.     

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.