Effects of fire on a forest-grassland ecotone in De La Plata River,Argentina

This study adds information on the dynamics of pioneer forest trees in the face of frequent fire. In particular, effects of fire on the regeneration dynamics and ecological attributes of a Tessaria integrifolia forest and a Cortaderia selloana grassland, located in the Costanera Sur Ecological Reserve, Buenos Aires, are analyzed. Based on the study of ten transects along a forest–grassland gradient, a considerable incidence of fire and resilient response to it were observed on grasslands. On the other hand, the forest proved resistant to fire, not showing evidence of its action. Despite its invasive tendencies, C. selloana was unable to establish itself in the forest or in the forest–grassland ecotones. Conversely, following the action of fire, T. integrifolia could be found in areas previously dominated by grassland, leading to an expansion of the forest. Replacement of grasslands with a T. integrifolia forest indicates a reduction in the incidence of and surface area susceptible to fire, as well as an increase in biodiversity. The post-fire colonization observed for T. integrifolia has not been previously described for this widely distributed South American species.     

Seeds of change: The value of using Rhinanthus minor in grassland restoration

Question: What is the value of using Rhinanthus minor in grassland restoration and can restrictions on its establishment be overcome? Location: England (United Kingdom). Methods: Two experiments were established to determine the efficacy of inoculating R. minor on a suite of four agriculturally improved grasslands and the efficacy of using R. minor in grassland restoration. In Experiment 1, the effect of herbicide gap creation on the establishment and persistence of R. minor in grasslands ranging in productivity was investigated with respect to sward management. In Exp. 2, R. minor was sown at 1000 seeds/m² in conjunction with a standard meadow mix over a randomized plot design into Lolium perenne grassland of moderate productivity. The treatment of scarification was investigated as a treatment to promote R. minor. Results: Gap size had a significant role in the establishment and performance of R. minor, especially the 30 cm diameter gaps (Exp. 1). However, R. minor failed to establish long‐term persistent populations in all of the agriculturally improved grasslands. In Exp. 2, establishment of R. minor was increased by scarification and its presence was associated with a significant increase in Shannon diversity and the number of sown and unsown species. Values of grass above‐ground biomass were significantly lower in plots sown with R. minor, but values of total above‐ground biomass (including R. minor) and forb biomass (not including R. minor) were not affected. Conclusions: The value of introducing R. minor into species‐poor grassland to increase diversity has been demonstrated, but successful establishment was dependent on grassland type. The scope for using R. minor in grassland restoration schemes is therefore conditional, although establishment can be enhanced through disturbance such as sward scarification.     

Role of nurse plants in Araucaria Forest expansion over grassland in south Brazil

Abstract Araucaria Forest expansion over grassland takes place under wet climate conditions and low disturbance and it is hypothesized that isolated trees established on grassland facilitate the establishment of forest woody species beneath their canopies. Forest with Araucaria angustifolia is a particular type of Brazilian Atlantic Forest and the main forest type on the highland plateau in south Brazil, often forming mosaics with natural Campos grassland. The objectives of this paper were to evaluate the role of isolated shrubs and trees as colonization sites for seedlings of Araucaria Forest woody species on grassland, to determine which species function as preferential nurse plants in the process and the importance of vertebrate diaspore dispersal on the structure of seedling communities beneath nurse plants. The study was conducted in São Francisco de Paula, Rio Grande do Sul State, where we sampled isolated shrubs and trees in natural grassland near Araucaria Forest edges. Seedlings were counted and identified, and seedling diaspore dispersal syndromes, size and colour were registered. We detected 11 woody species with a potential role in nucleating grassland colonization by forest species. Beneath the canopies of nurse plants more forest species seedlings were found compared with open field grassland and the seedlings had diaspores mostly dispersed by vertebrates. Also, more seedlings were found under the canopy of A. angustifolia than beneath other nurse plant species. We conclude that A. angustifolia trees established on grassland act as nurse plants, by attracting disperser birds that promote colonization of the site by other forest species seedlings, and that under low level of grassland disturbance, conservation of frugivorous vertebrate assemblages may increase forest expansion over natural grassland and also facilitate the regeneration of degraded forest areas.     

Niche differentiation and preferences of Elaphrus cupreus Duftschmid, 1812 and Elaphrus uliginosus (Fabricius, 1792) (Coleoptera: Carabidae) as reason for their different endangerment in Central Europe

Ecological demands were studied in Elaphrus cupreus, a frequent species, and E. uliginosus, one of the most endangered carabids in Europe. Ecological experiments were performed in the laboratory and the field in northern Germany. Abundance was measured using the mark-and-recatch method. Both species prefer sites with water content changes lower than 25%. E. uliginosus prefers higher temperatures than E. cupreus and niche breadth was on average wider in E. cupreus than in E. uliginosus. E. uliginosus is restricted to grassland sites with a low fraction (>0 and 25%) of bare soil. E. cupreus was mainly found on sites having >75–100% bare soil. This preference of E. uliginosus can be referred to its high temperature demands using open regions for warming up and its predatory behaviour using hideouts for a rapid predatory push. The wider niche structure and lower temperature demand of E. cupreus allows the inhabitation of cooler alder woods. It prefers large fractions of bare soil because its predatory behaviour is to run randomly on the soil. Thus, E. uliginosus demands wet extensively grazed grassland where cattle produces low fractions of bare soil, while E. cupreus prefers intensively grazed sites in grassland or alder woods.     

内蒙古中西部优势植物春季返青对降水的非线性响应

长期以来,研究植被物候变化与气候因子的关系多基于线性模型,事实上植被物候对气候变化的响应可能是非线性的。以1984-2017年内蒙古中西部温性典型草原和温性草原化荒漠长时间序列植被物候观测资料为基础,分析了近40年来气候变化背景下不同草地类型优势植物返青期变化特征及其对春季降水的非线性响应。结果表明：（1）温性典型草原冷蒿返青期主要受水分控制,与春季降水量表现为开口向下的二次函数关系。气候暖干化导致的水分亏缺是冷蒿返青期呈极显著延迟趋势（1.32 d/a）的主要原因;春季降水量超过60 mm时,冷蒿返青期表现出由延迟转变为提前的趋势。（2）温性草原化荒漠猫头刺返青期主要受热量控制。受春季显著升温影响,猫头刺返青期呈极显著提前趋势（0.63 d/a）。春季降水增多利于猫头刺提早返青,二者表现为开口向上的二次函数关系;春季降水量超过40 mm时,猫头刺返青期对降水的响应程度逐渐降低,这可能与荒漠植物本身的生理特性有关。     

Vegetation on avalanche paths in the alps

Vegetation pattern on avalanche paths in the Nordkette Mountains near Innsbruck (Tyrol, Austria) was studied using transect sampling. The plant communities represent a gradient from alpine grassland (Seslerio-Caricetum sempervirentis, via grassland with Trisetum distichophyllum) and nutrient-poor grassland (Carlino-Caricetum sempervirentis) to an avalanche grassland proper. Along this gradient disturbance decreases from higher to lower elevations. The topography of the avalanche path suggests a gradient from the central zone to the edge of the path, although a floristic zonation or grouping of species across the path cannot be detected. Disturbance and local topography are the dominant factors for the vegetation pattern on the avalanche paths investigated.Abbreviations DCA= detrended correspondence analysis     

冰川棘豆(Oxytropis glacialis)根系土壤细菌多样性特征

冰川棘豆是青藏高原高寒草原和荒漠草原主要伴生毒草之一,对青藏高原草地退化及畜牧业的发展产生严重影响。对4种不同生态环境中冰川棘豆根系土壤细菌的16S rRNA进行高通量测序及生物信息学分析,结合土壤的理化性质,分析了不同生态环境下冰川棘豆根系土壤细菌群落多样性及其与土壤理化因子的关系,探讨了根系土壤细菌对冰川棘豆在高寒生态系统中形成优势种可能的影响。结果表明,在不同生态环境下冰川棘豆根系土壤细菌多样性丰富,且受土壤pH和有机物影响最大,同时,能够保持稳定的核心菌群网络,对冰川棘豆在高寒生态系统中形成优势种具有促进作用。     

乌鲁木齐山地草地生态系统服务价值变化评估——基于遥感与GIS

草地生态系统服务功能是指草地生态系统及其生态过程所形成和维持的人类赖以生存的自然环境及其有效性,中国干旱半干旱地区的草地退化严重制约着生态系统服务功能的。以乌鲁木齐市山地草地为研究靶区,利用遥感图像(Landsat TM/OLI)划分出7种不同草地类型并计算其生态系统服务价值(Ecosystem Service Values, ESV)。使用空间统计方法、网格分析、空间自相关等方法进一步分析研究区山地草地退化程度和ESV变化。结果表明:21年中,乌鲁木齐市草地生态系统服务价值呈现波动性下降趋势,年均减少0.27×10~7元。生态损失主要是由山地荒漠草地(7.44%)、山地荒漠草原草地(10.71%)、山地草甸草原草地(18.32%)和高寒草甸草地(40.69%)退化造成。单项生态系统服务价值中,草地对调节服务(土壤形成)和供给服务的贡献率较高。草地ESVs Moran平均值为0.869(1994—2015年),并且草地ESV与相邻网格(2 km×2 km)具有更高的空间相关性。草地ESV具有明显的空间分布特征,高ESV区基本上分布在南山山区,低ESV区主要分布在平原草地区,博格达山草地亚区呈现随机分布格局。研究区气候变化对草地的影响十分显著,平均气温、平均地表温度、湿度、蒸散量、降水量和风速对草地ESV变化均有一定的影响,过度放牧、不合理垦荒、药用植物过度开发、城市化等人为活动仍然是驱动草地退化的主要因子,因此亟需采取措施保育乌鲁木齐市山地草原生态系统。     

脉冲式降水对不同类型草地土壤微生物呼吸碳释放量的影响

降水事件引起土壤短时间内释放大量CO_2的现象常称为降水脉冲效应。降水事件发生后,由于水分和养分可获得性快速提升使土壤微生物呼吸速率快速升高至正常水分状况的数倍,从而导致土壤CO_2大量释放并一定程度上影响着生态系统碳循环过程和土壤碳平衡,尤其在干旱或半干旱地区。利用自主研发的能快速测定土壤微生物呼吸速率的装置,对内蒙古三类典型草原(草甸草原、典型草原和荒漠草原)土壤分别开展土壤复湿实验(60%饱和含水量),并采用高频测定(48 h测定288次)。在土壤复湿后在所有温带草地类型中均发生了明显的脉冲效应,降水脉冲过程中单位有机质(土壤有机碳,SOC)最大呼吸速率(R_(SOC-max))整体表现为荒漠草原(1.59 mg C g~(-1) SOC h~(-1))草甸草原(0.73 mg C g~(-1) SOC h~(-1))典型草原(0.50 mg C g~(-1) SOC h~(-1));而脉冲效应的持续时间(Duration)则表现为典型草原(2.5 h)草甸草原(1.5 h)荒漠草原(0.67 h)。在土壤复湿48 h内,单位土壤微生物呼吸累积量(A_(R_(Soil)))的大小规律与单位土壤微生物呼吸速率R_(Soil)一致,均为典型草原草甸草原荒漠草原;然而,如果用土壤有机质进行标准化,单位有机质呼吸累积量A_(R_(SOC))表现为荒漠草原(9.74 mg C g~(-1) SOC)典型草原(6.54 mg C g~(-1) SOC)草甸草原(3.54 mg C g~(-1) SOC),与当地年降雨频率呈负相关关系,表明降水脉冲效应与土壤长期经历的干旱状况存在密切关系。本研究结果不仅证明在干旱半干旱区域降水脉冲效应的普遍性,同时还启发我们应从国家或区域尺度开展研究,以进一步揭示土壤基质含量、土壤干旱状况等对降水脉冲效应的影响。     

黄土高原草地根系生物量沿环境梯度变化规律

草地是陆地生态系统的重要组成部分，根系生物量是研究草地生态系统的重要参数之一，研究草地根系生物量沿环境梯度的变化规律对当地的植被建设和恢复具有重要意义。以黄土高原3种不同草地类型（森林草原、典型草原和荒漠草原）为研究对象，沿环境梯度从东到西选择10个样地，每个样地内设置8个1 m×1 m样方进行根系生物量的调查，旨在分析不同草地类型根系生物量的垂直分布规律，并探讨了根系生物量沿环境梯度的变化规律及其影响因素。结果表明：（1）黄土高原3种草地类型根系生物量有显著差别（P<0.05），其中森林草原的根系生物量最大，典型草原最小；（2）3种不同草地类型根系生物量垂直分布均呈"T"型，土壤表层（0-10 cm）占55%以上的根系生物量，且荒漠草原根系有更多比例的生物量分布在土壤表层；（3）黄土高原草地根系生物量沿经度从东到西呈现先减少后缓慢增加的趋势，但浅层生物量与深层生物量比例（浅深比）没有表现出明显的经度格局；（4）总根系生物量的变化主要受年均温（MAT）影响（P<0.01），随MAT增大而增大；深层生物量同时受气候和土壤养分含量的影响（P<0.01）；浅深比则与样点平均土壤全磷含量、深层土壤全磷含量有显著负相关性（P<0.05）；（5）气候和土壤因素能解释根系生物量5.12%-39.36%的变异，独立作用中，气候因子对根生物量的解释度最大，可达到2.77%-9.12%的解释度。     

Effect of Agricultural Management Regime on Burkholderia Community Structure in Soil

The main objective of this study was to determine the Burkholderia community structure associated with areas under different agricultural management and to evaluate to which extent this community structure is affected by changes in agricultural management. Two fields with distinct soil history (arable land and permanent grassland) were exposed to three agricultural management regimes (crop rotation, maize monoculture, and grassland). By using a culture-independent approach, based on a Burkholderia-specific polymerase chain reaction–denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis system, it was possible to observe the conversion of Burkholderia communities typical for permanent grassland to those of arable land after four consecutive years. However, the time needed to achieve the reverse transition, i.e., converting the Burkholderia community associated with arable land to that of grassland, was beyond the duration of the field experiment. In addition, by applying principal response curves, the direction and extent of the conversion from grassland to arable land (maize monoculture and to crop rotation) were determined. Hence, the results suggested that agricultural practices, such as fertilization and tillage, were more effective in changing the Burkholderia community structure than agricultural management regime. To determine the effect of agricultural management on the Burkholderia population with biocontrol abilities, the culturable fraction of the Burkholderia community was assessed. The areas under permanent grassland and grassland converted to maize monoculture had the highest percentages of Burkholderia strains with antagonistic activity against Rhizoctonia solani AG-3, mainly Burkholderia pyrrocinia and Burkholderia sp. LMG 22929. The isolation frequency of antagonistic isolates from arable land was extremely low. Our results indicate that (changes in) agricultural management, mainly crop rotation, affect the frequency of isolation of antagonistic Burkholderia strains and that grassland represents a reservoir of Burkholderia species with great potential for agricultural applications.     

Effect of long-term grazing on soil organic carbon content in semiarid steppes in Inner Mongolia

To clarify the response of soil organic carbon (SOC) content to season-long grazing in the semiarid typical steppes of Inner Mongolia, we examined the aboveground biomass and SOC in both grazing (G-site) and no grazing (NG-site) sites in two typical steppes dominated by Leymus chinensis and Stipa grandis, as well as one seriously degraded L. chinensis grassland dominated by Artemisia frigida. The NG-sites had been fenced for 20 years in L. chinensis and S. grandis grasslands and for 10 years in A. frigida grassland. Aboveground biomass at G-sites was 21–35% of that at NG-sites in L. chinensis and S. grandis grasslands. The SOC, however, showed no significant difference between G-site and NG-site in both grasslands. In the NG-sites, aboveground biomass was significantly lower in A. frigida grassland than in the other two grasslands. The SOC in A. frigida grassland was about 70% of that in L. chinensis grassland. In A. frigida grassland, aboveground biomass in the G-site was 68–82% of that in the NG-site, whereas SOC was significantly lower in the G-site than in the NG-site. Grazing elevated the surface soil pH in L. chinensis and A. frigida communities. A spatial heterogeneity in SOC and pH in the topsoil was not detected the G-site within the minimal sampling distance of 10 m. The results suggested that compensatory growth may account for the relative stability of SOC in G-sites in typical steppes. The SOC was sensitive to heavy grazing and difficult to recover after a significant decline caused by overgrazing in semiarid steppes.     

Dynamics of species richness and composition in a limestone grassland restored after tree cutting

Abstract. After abandonment many limestone grasslands have been overgrown by trees and shrubs; as a result, species-rich communities with many regionally rare and endangered species are vanishing. Some studies suggest that, in cases where grassland is being restored, the species composition and rate of change is strongly dependent on the initial conditions, i.e. the earlier presence of grassland species and the opportunity for colonization of new sites by grassland species. These hypotheses were tested in a five-year restoration experiment after the clearing of a 35-yr-old secondary pine wood developed on abandoned grassland. Tree cutting induced rapid changes in the floristic composition and species cover. The number of grassland species from the class Festuco-Brometea increased significantly in the restored grassland, but their cover was much lower than in the old grassland. Canonical Correspondence Analysis showed significant differences in species composition between the grassland restored in former wood gaps and that developed in former closed wood. In wood gap sites the cover of species from the class Molinio-Arrhenatheretea and tufted perennials was much higher, whereas the cover of Festuco-Brometea species was lower. Significantly more shrubs, woodland species, ruderal and nitrophilous species as well as annual and biennial species occurred in the former closed wood site. It was found that richness and composition of the restored grassland depended strongly on the community composition before tree cutting, as well as on the presence of grassland species in the neighbourhood. Periodical tree cutting enables the maintenance of a temporal-spatial mosaic of scrub-grassland communities in isolated habitats and the preservation of local species diversity.     

围栏对青藏高原不同类型草地土壤原核微生物多样性的影响

草地退化是草地植被的倒退演替,导致生物多样性丧失和生态系统功能退化,围栏是恢复退化草地生态系统功能的有效管理措施。微生物是土壤中的重要组成部分,在维持草地生态系统稳定性和功能方面发挥着重要作用。然而,目前尚不清楚围栏如何影响不同类型草地土壤微生物群落。以青藏高原草甸、草原和荒漠草地三种草地类型的退化草地为研究对象,设置围栏和放牧两种处理,采用Illumina HiSeq高通量测序技术研究了围栏对土壤原核微生物群落多样性和群落结构的影响。结果表明：围栏未显著影响草甸土壤原核微生物的丰富度、Shannon多样性和均匀度,但显著增加了草原土壤的原核微生物的丰富度、Shannon多样性和均匀度（P<0.05）,稍降低了荒漠草地土壤原核微生物的丰富度、Shannon多样性和均匀度（P=0.086、0.072和0.099）。在围栏处理的草地中,土壤原核微生物丰富度、Shannon多样性和均匀度与年均温、干旱度和pH显著负相关（P<0.01）,与年平均降水量、溶解性有机碳、地上生物量和植物多样性显著正相关（P<0.01）。在放牧处理的草地中,土壤原核微生物丰富度、Shannon多样性和均匀度与年均温和干旱度显著负相关（P<0.05）,但原核微生物丰富度和Shannon多样性与所有土壤理化和植被因素均无显著相关性。冗余分析（RDA）表明,不同类型草地土壤原核微生物群落结构发生了显著的变化,并沿草甸、草原和荒漠草地的过渡逐渐转变（P<0.001）。方差分解分析（VPA）进一步表明,原核微生物群落结构变化主要受年均温、年平均降水量、干旱度和pH的驱动。围栏显著改变了不同类型草地中部分样点土壤原核微生物群落结构。三种草地类型的主要原核微生物优势门均为放线菌门（Actinobacteria）、变形菌门（Proteobacteria）和酸杆菌门（Acidobacteria）。放线菌门（Actinobacteria）的相对丰度在荒漠草地土壤中最高,而变形菌门（Proteobacteria）和酸杆菌门（Acidobacteria）的相对丰度在草甸土壤中最高。此外,不同类型围栏和放牧草地土壤原核微生物类群的相对丰度均无显著差异。研究表明不同类型草地土壤原核微生物群落对围栏的响应不同,这为因地制宜制定草地管理措施提供了数据支持,为草地退化的防治提供了理论支持。     

Grazing Gradient versus Restoration Succession of Leymus chinensis (Trin.) Tzvel. Grassland in Inner Mongolia

Grazing‐induced degradation of grasslands is the primary impediment to the socioeconomic development of Inner Mongolia. It affects the entire environment of northern China. Understanding grassland dynamics is necessary for restoration and sustainable management of these degraded ecosystems. The recovery dynamics of a degraded Leymus chinensis (Trin.) Tzvel. grassland after removal of grazing was studied in comparison with its spatial variation along a grazing gradient, using its climax community as a benchmark. The species composition, diversity, and biomass of the grassland vegetation, as well as the attributes (height, density, and individual mass) of major species, were examined on the eight sites along the grazing gradient and in the recovering grassland over 11 years. The spatial pattern of grassland vegetation along the grazing gradient closely reflected its recovery trajectory over time. Both the spatial and the temporal processes exhibited the same shift in species dominance in association with grazing removal or less grazing intensity. Grassland degradation was accompanied by an increase in species density and a decrease in species size; this trend was reversed during recovery. This result suggested that the degraded grassland is highly resilient and that restoration could occur naturally by reducing or excluding grazing animals. However, some differences existed between the spatial and the temporal processes. Species richness was high on the light‐ or no‐grazing sites along the gradient, but varied little during the recovery of the degraded grassland. Species evenness was high under moderate to light grazing along the gradient and was high at the beginning of the recovery period but not at the end. Although standing biomass improved significantly during the recovery period, it did not change significantly along the grazing gradient. These observed discrepancies were related to the intrinsic difference in the spatial versus temporal processes and are discussed together with the advantage/disadvantage of the grazing gradient versus dynamic monitoring methods in grassland dynamics studies.     

Spatial variations in aboveground net primary productivity along a climate gradient in Eurasian temperate grassland: effects of mean annual precipitation and its seasonal distribution

Concomitant changes of annual precipitation and its seasonal distribution within the context of global climate change have dramatic impacts on aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) of grassland ecosystems. In this study, combining remote sensing products with in situ measurements of ANPP, we quantified the effects of mean annual precipitation (MAP) and precipitation seasonal distribution (PSD) on the spatial variations in ANPP along a climate gradient in Eurasian temperate grassland. Our results indicated that ANPP increased exponentially with MAP for the entire temperate grassland, but linearly for a specific grassland type, i.e. the desert steppe, typical steppe, and meadow steppe from arid to humid regions. The slope of the linear relationship appeared to be steeper in the more humid meadow steppe than that in the drier typical and desert steppes. PSD also had significant effect on the spatial variations in ANPP. It explained 39.4% of the spatial ANPP for the entire grassland investigated, being comparable with the explanatory power of MAP (40.0%). On the other hand, the relative contribution of PSD and MAP is grassland type specific. MAP exhibited a much stronger explanatory power than PSD for the desert steppe and the meadow steppe at the dry and wet end, respectively. However, PSD was the dominant factor affecting the spatial variation in ANPP for the median typical steppe. Our results imply that altered pattern of PSD due to climate change may be as important as the total amount in terms of effects on ANPP in Eurasian temperate grassland.     

土壤非保护性有机碳对荒漠草原沙漠化的响应

沙化草地的恢复与重建是干旱半干旱区生态建设的重要内容,分析荒漠草原沙漠化过程中土壤非保护性有机碳分配比例的变异规律对于探讨沙化草地恢复机制具有重要的理论价值。以干旱、半干旱地区荒漠草原不同沙化阶段的土壤为研究对象,分析土壤粗颗粒有机碳、细颗粒有机碳、轻组有机碳含量和分配比例的分布特征、土壤非保护性有机碳转化为保护性有机碳的速率。结果表明:荒漠草原发生逆向演替后,土壤细颗粒有碳含量和分配比例表现为固定沙地荒漠草地半固定沙地流动沙地;粗颗粒有机碳含量表现为荒漠草地半固定沙地流动沙地固定沙地,粗颗粒有机碳分配比例表现为流动沙地半固定沙地荒漠草地固定沙地;轻组有机碳含量和分配比例递减。颗粒有机碳、轻组有机碳、土壤有机碳对草地沙漠化的敏感性不同,颗粒有机碳较轻组有机碳和土壤有机碳敏感性强,其中细颗粒有机碳较粗颗粒有机碳敏感性强。随着草地沙漠化程度的增强土壤非保护性有机碳分配比例呈下降趋势,表明草地沙漠化降低土壤质量。荒漠草地退化至流动沙地土壤非保护性有机碳转化为保护性有机碳的速率整体呈上升趋势。     

Dry grassland plant diversity conservation using low-intensity sheep and goat grazing management: case study in Prague (Czech Republic)

After abandonment, dry grassland (Festuco-Brometea) areas decline due to gradual overgrowing by woody species and the expansion of perennial tall grass species. Dry grassland vegetation was formed by extensive livestock grazing, thus grazing is considered one of the most natural methods for managing this type of vegetation. Six years after introducing low-intensity sheep and goat grazing in seven nature reserves in Prague (Czech Republic), the following impact of this management on dry grassland vegetation was observed: The cover of expansive woody species, particularly Ligustrum vulgare, and to a smaller extent Cornus sanguinea and Prunus spinosa declined. In addition, a significant, long-term declining trend of the expansive species Arrhenatherum elatius was also observed. Also the cover of Pimpinella saxifraga and Allium senescens declined significantly with regard to statistical evaluation. On the contrary, the cover of Achillea millefolium, Centaurea stoebe, Securigera varia, Elytrigia repens, Erysimum crepidifolium, Falcaria vulgaris, Fallopia convolvulus and Verbascum lychnitis increased. The cover of species characteristic of dry grasslands (Festuco-Brometea) increased significantly. No changes were observed in the number and cover of the Red List species. In addition, the presence of nitrophilous and ruderal species increased. Species diversity also significantly increased. From our findings we can conclude that managing dry grasslands with low-intensity grazing can help to keep dry grassland vegetation in good condition and conserve its plant diversity. Nomenclature: Kubát et al. (2002) for taxa and Moravec et al. (1995) for syntaxa.     

北方农牧交错带退耕还林与还草对地面节肢动物群落结构的影响

在中国北方农牧交错带宁夏盐池县,以农田为对照,以人工柠条林地、杨树林地和弃耕后自然恢复草地为研究样地,采用陷阱诱捕法,调查了退耕还林与还草4种类型样地的地面节肢动物群落结构特征,旨在分析农牧交错带退耕还林与还草措施对地面节肢动物群落结构生态效应的差异性。结果显示:(1)调查共获得地面节肢动物7目23科25类,其中优势类群为蜉金龟科和蚁科,其个体数占总个体数45.30%;常见类群13类,其个体数占总个体数49.17%;其余10类为稀有类群,其个体数占总个体数5.53%。(2)农田和草地生境的优势类群均有4个类群,而柠条林地和杨树林地生境的优势类群只有1个类群(即蚁科),但草地生境的优势类群种类组成完全不同于农田生境;优势度从农田的86.67%降为杨树林地的54.90%、柠条林地的63.16%和草地的61.70%。退耕还林还草后常见类群数及其优势度均呈现显著增加趋势。另外,4种类型样地生境中均无稀有类群。(3)退耕还林与还草仅对地面节肢动物类群数和Shannon指数产生显著影响(P0.05),而对个体数和优势度指数均无显著影响(P0.05)。地面节肢动物类群数和Shannon指数均表现为草地最高,杨树林地次之,农田和柠条林地最低。(4)不同生境类型样地间Jaccard指数均较低,介于0.13—0.39之间,属于不相似或中等不相似。(5)偏RDA分析表明,土壤含水量和总氮含量是影响地面节肢动物群落个体数分布的关键驱动因子。研究表明,退耕还柠条林地和弃耕后自然恢复草地对土壤性质改善均具有显著影响,并且弃耕后自然恢复草地更有利于节肢动物多样性的恢复。