Thyme travels: 15N isoscapes of Thymus vulgaris L. invasion in lightly grazed pastoral communities

Alterations to ecosystem nitrogen (N) cycling by introduced plant species may increase the invasibility of habitat providing a positive feedback for the introduced species to become invasive. Spatial patterns of foliar and soil δ¹⁵N ratios reflect variation in rates and process of N‐cycling across invaded landscapes and provide insight into N‐source uptake and utilization strategies of invasive plant species. To evaluate invasion‐associated changes in soil and foliar δ¹⁵N at different scales: regional (among different sites), local (between north‐ and south‐facing aspect at the same site), and microsite (within populations in the same community), we measured foliar and soil δ¹⁵ N, animal faeces cover (as a proxy for grazing intensity) and N₂‐fixing species cover from inside to outside Thymus vulgaris L. (thyme)‐invaded lightly grazed pastoral communities in Central Otago, southern South Island, New Zealand. Mean thyme foliar δ¹⁵N were near‐zero across the invaded landscape, and did not change across the advancing edge of invasion or with aspect. There was no evidence that associations with N₂‐fixing species provide a potential N source. Soil δ¹⁵N was lower inside of thyme compared to at the edge or outside of thyme and was varied between aspects at some sites. Animal faeces cover as a proxy for grazing intensity explained only 23% of this observed variation of soil δ¹⁵N. Thyme invasion may result in lowered soil δ¹⁵N reflecting alterations to N dynamics. Associated invasion‐related impacts of animal grazing may also impact soil δ¹⁵N. Further studies are required to distinguish the underlying mechanism responsible for the observed patterns of foliar and soil δ¹⁵N values across thyme‐invaded Central Otago landscapes.     

Minimizing the biodiversity impact of Neotropical oil palm development

Oil palm agriculture is rapidly expanding in the Neotropics, at the expense of a range of natural and seminatural habitats. A key question is how this expansion should be managed to reduce negative impacts on biodiversity. Focusing on the Llanos of Colombia, a mixed grassland–forest system identified as a priority zone for future oil palm development, we survey communities of ants, dung beetles, birds and herpetofauna occurring in oil palm plantations and the other principal form of agriculture in the region – improved cattle pasture – together with those of surrounding natural forests. We show that oil palm plantations have similar or higher species richness across all four taxonomic groups than improved pasture. For dung beetles, species richness in oil palm was equal to that of forest, whereas the other three taxa had highest species richness in forests. Hierarchical modelling of species occupancy probabilities indicated that oil palm plantations supported a higher proportion of species characteristic of forests than did cattle pastures. Across the bird community, occupancy probabilities within oil palm were positively influenced by increasing forest cover in a surrounding 250 m radius, whereas surrounding forest cover did not strongly influence the occurrence of other taxonomic groups in oil palm. Overall, our results suggest that the conversion of existing improved pastures to oil palm has limited negative impacts on biodiversity. As such, existing cattle pastures of the Colombian Llanos could offer a key opportunity to meet governmental targets for oil palm development without incurring significant biodiversity costs. Our results also highlight the value of preserving remnant forests within these agricultural landscapes, protecting high biodiversity and exporting avian ‘spill‐over’ effects into oil palm plantations.     

西北地区草地生态系统生态安全评价初探

草地生态系统是我国西北生态脆弱地区的重要组成部分,开展其生态安全的评价对于西部大开发战略的实施有着重要的指导作用,对维护西部地区的政治稳定、经济可持续发展、军事安全等有着不可估量的价值.通过对西北生态脆弱地区草地生态系统现状的剖析,阐述了开展草地生态系统生态安全评价的意义,确立了草地生态系统生态安全评价的原则,分析影响草地生态系统生态安全的6个主要因子:人类活动、草地生态系统功能、植被群落动态、气候变化、土壤条件、有害生物等.在此基础上,初步构建草地生态安全评价的理论指标体系.     

黄土高原退耕地的生态恢复

在刈割干扰下,黄土高原退耕地恢复进程中植被从沙蓬（Agriophyllum arenarium)单优群落向以达乌里胡枝子（Lespedeza davurica)为优势种的群落演替。物种增加速度初期快,后期慢,退耕后恢复初期的新增物种主要是沙蓬和白草（Pennisetum flaccidum);中前期主要是茵陈蒿（Artemisia capillaris),可成为群落的次优势种;中后期新增物种主要是多年生豆科植物,只是群落的伴生种,群落中1年生和多年生植物地上生物量分别以8.8%的年平均速率减少或增加,豆科植物地上生物量及所占比例上升,在退耕地恢复过程中,上层土壤中植物地下生物量比例与变化幅度增加,表现出浅层化趋势,退耕地恢复演替1-7年,土壤粘粒和粉粒减少,砂粒增加,7年后变化趋势相反,退耕地0-100cm土壤含水量在恢复期间呈逐渐上升趋势,中期增幅显著,全N和速效N在恢复前期减少,后期增加,在刈割利用下,退耕地恢复过程中土壤全P,速效P和有机C持续衰竭,退耕地恢复到当前稳定的群落所需时间分别为优势种群8-9年,群落9-11年和土壤11-12年。     

Influence of pastoral fallow on plant root growth and soil physical and chemical characteristics in a hill pasture

Pastoral fallowing over a growing season (October–May) has a profound effect on standing biomass and sward structure, and should have an impact on below ground plant growth and soil biological activities. Two field studies were conducted to compare the effects of pastoral fallow with rotational grazing on root growth and soil physical and chemical properties. Root growth and distribution was altered by pastoral fallowing and there was significantly (P < 0.01) less root biomass at 0–50 mm depth of soil in the fallowed sward than the grazed sward. Compared with the grazed treatment, pastoral fallow increased soil air permeability at 500 mm tension by 38%, saturated hydraulic conductivity by 26%, unsaturated hydraulic conductivity at 20 mm tension by 67% and soil moisture by 10–15%, and reduced soil bulk density by 11%. Fallowing had little effect on soil nutrients both at the end of fallowing, except for small reductions in K and Mineral N levels at 0–75 mm soil depth, and two to three years after fallowing.     

黄土高原草地畜牧业产业形成与发展的牧草生产力基础

在黄土高原197个区县土地利用方式重新规划的基础上,对黄土高原畜牧业产业形成与发展的牧草生产潜力进行了分析预测。结果表明：规划的牧、林、农、果用地占生产用地的比例分别是草地44％、林地22％、基本农田20％、果园14％;197个区县草地牧草生产、作物秸秆、草田轮作和果园种草预测的总牧草饲料生产潜力达104881028t／a(其中,草地牧草生产潜力约占45％,达47196462．7t／a),可载畜104881028个羊单位／a(其中草地可载畜47196462．7个羊单位／a)。按1999年不变价格计算,黄土高原预测畜牧业总产值将达到5244051万元RMB／a,是1999年畜牧业总产值的5．3倍,超过1999年黄土高原农业总产值14％。农业人口人均预测畜牧业产值大于l000元的区县占59％;小于l000元的区县占41％。此外,预测的农业总产值将达到l147．2234亿元RMB／a,其中畜牧业、果业、林业和农业产值占农业总产值的比重分别是46％、27％、14％和13％。随着畜牧业产业链的逐步建立与完善,产业发展布局的日趋合理,黄土高原畜牧业生产总值将有较大幅度的提高,黄土高原生态环境将有进一步的改善。黄土高原草地畜牧业蕴藏着巨大的发展潜力,有望成为黄土高原优化的生产一生态新产业带建制中的支柱产业。     

Women's changing economic roles with pastoral sedentarization: Varying strategies in alternate Rendille communities

The trend of pastoral sedentarization in Africa presents new economic opportunities to women through the sale of dairy products, agricultural produce, and labor. This study of Rendille of northern Kenya shows a variety of economic strategies pursued by women in nomadic pastoral, settled agro-pastoral, and town communities. Results of household budgets and interviews with married women indicate that urban centers attract both wealthier Rendille women selling milk and poorer women engaged in wage-labor and petty commodity trade; time allocation data shows that women living in towns work as strenuously as those in pastoral communities, while men in towns work less than in pastoral communities and less than women in both communities; and anthropometric data of women and children suggest that increases in women's income may have a beneficial effect on the nutrition and well-being of their children.     

新疆阿勒泰牧区雪灾遥感监测体系构建与灾害评价系统研究

It is of significance to establish an integrated evaluation system of snow disaster in northern pastoral areas.Based on the NOAA satellite digital images,field observation data,and maps of grassland type and seasonal pastureland,this paper selected the winter and spring pasturelands in Aletai region of Xinjiang as the main area of snow disaster-remote sensing monitoring.With affecting factors of economy and the characteristics of natural resource distribution comprehensively analyzed,and using 3S techniques and field survey information,a fundamental information processing model for integrated evaluation of snow disaster was built up,and snow disaster-spatial evaluation indices and damage level systems were constructed.Natural and social systems and 20 indices were selected in snow disaster evaluation indicator system.Four principal factors,i.e.,snow cover area,snow depth on grassland,persistence days of low temperature,and livestock death rate,were used as the grading indices of snow disaster damage level,and the models of snow disaster identification and loss estimatation were set up to quantitatively analyze snow disaster.The results indicated that the system could accurately reflect the details of snow hazard grade and the situation of a disaster in temporal and spatial scales,which would help to carry out the dynamic monitoring and scientific estimatation of big area’s snow disaster in pastoral region.