scholarly journals Effect of Dietary Types on Feed Intakes, Growth Performance and Economic Benefit in Tibetan sheep and Yaks on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau during Cold Season

PLoS ONE ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. e0169187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tianwei Xu ◽  
Shixiao Xu ◽  
Linyong Hu ◽  
Na Zhao ◽  
Zhe Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Performance ◽  
Economic Benefit ◽  
Cold Season ◽  
Tibet Plateau ◽  
Tibetan Sheep ◽  
Qinghai Tibet Plateau

scholarly journals Rumen Microbiota of Tibetan Sheep (Ovis aries) Adaptation to Extremely Cold Season on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qingshan Fan ◽  
Xiongxiong Cui ◽  
Zhaofeng Wang ◽  
Shenghua Chang ◽  
Metha Wanapat ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Performance ◽  
Nutritional Quality ◽  
Cold Season ◽  
Ovis Aries ◽  
Tibet Plateau ◽  
Rumen Microbiota ◽  
Next Generation Sequencing Technology ◽  
Tibetan Sheep ◽  
Serum Biochemical

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is characterized by low temperatures and hypoxia, and this feature is more obvious in the winter. However, it is not clear how Tibetan sheep adapt to extreme cold climates. To address this, we used physiological methods combined with next-generation sequencing technology to explore the differences in growth performance, forage nutrient digestion, serum biochemical indexes, and rumen microbial communities of Tibetan sheep (Ovis aries) between the summer and winter. In the summer, owing to the high nutritional quality of the forage, the Tibetan sheep showed enhanced forage degradation and fermentation though increased counts of important bacteria in the rumen, such as Bacteroidetes, Prevotella_1, Prevotellaceae_UCG-003, Ruminococcus_1, Saccharofermentans, and Ruminococcaceae_UCG-014, to improve the growth performance and increase serum immunity and antioxidant status. In the winter, owing to the low nutritional quality of the forage, the Tibetan sheep presented low values of forage degradation and fermentation indicators. The relative abundance of Firmicutes, the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, microbial diversity, interactive activity between microorganisms, and metabolism were significantly increased, implying that the rumen microbiota could promote the decomposition of forage biomass and the maintenance of energy when forage nutritional value was insufficient in the winter. Our study helps in elucidating the mechanism by which Tibetan sheep adapt to the high-altitude harsh environments, from the perspective of the rumen microbiota.

scholarly journals Rumen Fermentation—Microbiota—Host Gene Expression Interactions to Reveal the Adaptability of Tibetan Sheep in Different Periods

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 3529
Author(s):  
Weibing Lv ◽  
Xiu Liu ◽  
Yuzhu Sha ◽  
Hao Shi ◽  
Hong Wei ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Rumen Fermentation ◽  
Host Gene ◽  
Energy Utilization ◽  
Tibet Plateau ◽  
Reproduction Rate ◽  
Host Gene Expression ◽  
Metabolism Pathway ◽  
Tibetan Sheep ◽  
Qinghai Tibet Plateau

As an important ruminant on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Tibetan sheep can maintain their population reproduction rate in the harsh high-altitude environment of low temperature and low oxygen, which relies on their special plateau adaptations mechanism that they have formed for a long time. Microbiomes (known as “second genomes”) are closely related to the nutrient absorption, adaptability, and health of the host. In this study, rumen fermentation characteristics, the microbiota, and rumen epithelial gene expression of Tibetan sheep in various months were analyzed. The results show that the rumen fermentation characteristics of Tibetan sheep differed in different months. The total SCFAs (short-chain fatty acids), acetate, propionate, and butyrate concentrations were highest in October and lowest in June. The CL (cellulase) activity was highest in February, while the ACX (acid xylanase) activity was highest in April. In addition, the diversity and abundance of rumen microbes differed in different months. Bacteroidetes (53.4%) and Firmicutes (27.4%) were the dominant phyla. Prevotella_1 and Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group were the dominant genera. The abundance of Prevotella_1 was highest in June (27.8%) and lowest in December (17.8%). In addition, the expression of CLAUDIN4 (Claudin-4) and ZO1 (Zonula occludens 1) was significantly higher in April than in August and December, while the expression of SGLT1 (Sodium glucose linked transporter 1) was highest in August. Correlation analysis showed that there were interactions among rumen fermentation characteristics, the microbiota, and host gene expression, mainly by adjusting the amino acid metabolism pathway and energy metabolism pathway to improve energy utilization. At the same time, we adjusted the balance of the rumen “core microbiota” to promote the development of rumen and maintain the homeostasis of rumen environment, which makes Tibetan sheep better able to adapt to the harsh environment in different periods of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

scholarly journals Effects of Dietary Protein Levels on Growth Performance, Carcass Traits, Serum Metabolites, and Meat Composition of Tibetan Sheep during the Cold Season on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 801
Author(s):  
Xungang Wang ◽  
Tianwei Xu ◽  
Xiaoling Zhang ◽  
Yuanyue Geng ◽  
Shengping Kang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Growth Performance ◽  
Dietary Protein ◽  
Carcass Traits ◽  
Cold Season ◽  
Serum Metabolites ◽  
Protein Levels ◽  
Meat Composition ◽  
Tibetan Sheep ◽  
Body Weights

Dietary protein is a critical nutrient that directly influences the health and production of livestock. Recent studies showed that protein supplements could enhance the growth performance of Tibetan sheep. However, there is a lack of information regarding the influence of dietary protein levels on carcass traits and meat composition. This study investigated the effects of dietary protein levels on growth performance, carcass traits, serum metabolites, and meat composition in Tibetan sheep during the cold season on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. A total of eighteen 1-year-old, healthy, castrated Tibetan sheep with similar initial body weights (31.7 ± 0.72 kg) were randomly divided into three treatment groups with different dietary protein level (low protein (LP, 10.1%); medium protein (MP, 12.1%); high protein (HP, 14.1%)) diets. The results indicated that the Tibetan sheep fed with the MP and HP diets had greater final body weights (BWs), average daily gains (ADGs), and average daily feed intakes (ADFIs) (p < 0.05). The MP and HP diets also improved the hot carcass weight, net meat (including the fat) weight, and bone weight of the sheep significantly (p < 0.05). Besides, the dietary protein levels could significantly affect the serum concentrations of growth hormone (p < 0.05). The diameter of muscle fibers in the MP group was significantly greater than that in the LP group (p < 0.05), while the density of muscle fibers showed the opposite trend. The dietary protein levels only significantly (p < 0.05) influenced the ether extract content and profile content of the longissimus dorsi muscle but had no effect on other parameters of meat composition. In summary, our results indicate that dietary protein levels affect growth performance, carcass traits, and meat composition and that diets containing 12.1% and 14.1% protein are recommended to obtain better production performance and meat products in Tibetan sheep, rather than a diet containing 10.1% protein, during the cold season on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

Different levels of rainfall and trampling change the reproductive strategy of Kobresia humilis in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 143
Author(s):  
Zhen Peng ◽  
Hong Xiao ◽  
Xiang He ◽  
Changlin Xu ◽  
Taotao Pan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Reproduction ◽  
Reproductive Strategy ◽  
Vegetative Reproduction ◽  
Tibet Plateau ◽  
Single Leaf ◽  
Tibetan Sheep ◽  
Average Rainfall ◽  
Regulation Function ◽  
Qinghai Tibet Plateau ◽  
Different Levels

The sedge Kobresia humilis (C.A. Mey. ex Trautv.) Serg. is the dominant plant in the alpine meadows of China’s Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, which has experienced substantial grassland degradation due to reduced rainfall and overgrazing. In this study we sought to determine the reproductive strategy of K. humilis under three levels of rainfall and seven levels of trampling by Tibetan sheep and yaks with a two year simulation trial on the Plateau. With a reduction in rainfall and an increase in trampling intensity, there was a decrease in sexual reproduction indices, plant height and single leaf number. The highest rainfall promoted sexual reproduction, whereas average rainfall was conducive to vegetative reproduction, and the lowest rainfall inhibited reproduction. The reproductive strategy of K. humilis could be judged according to the average rainfall from July to August. Notably, after two years of low rainfall and a heavy trampling treatment, K. humilis produced more seeds with smaller size. The rainfall presented a two-way regulation function in the trampling effect on K. humilis reproductive characteristics.

scholarly journals Supplementary feeding of cattle-yak in the cold season alters rumen microbes, volatile fatty acids, and expression of SGLT1 in the rumen epithelium

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e11048
Author(s):  
Yuzhu Sha ◽  
Jiang Hu ◽  
Bingang Shi ◽  
Renqing Dingkao ◽  
Jiqing Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Community Structure ◽  
Microbial Community ◽  
Microbial Community Structure ◽  
Volatile Fatty Acids ◽  
Cold Season ◽  
Supplementary Feeding ◽  
Production Performance ◽  
Tibet Plateau ◽  
Qinghai Tibet Plateau

Cattle-yak, a hybrid offspring of yak (Bos grunniens) and cattle (Bos taurus), inhabit the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau at an altitude of more than 3,000 m and obtain nutrients predominantly through grazing on natural pastures. Severe shortages of pasture in the cold season leads to reductions in the weight and disease resistance of grazing cattle-yak, which then affects their production performance. This study aimed to investigate the effect of supplementary feeding during the cold season on the rumen microbial community of cattle-yak. Six cattle-yak (bulls) were randomly divided into two groups—“grazing + supplementary feeding” (G+S) (n = 3) and grazing (G) (n = 3)—and rumen microbial community structure (based on 16S rRNA sequencing), volatile fatty acids (VFAs), and ruminal epithelial sodium ion-dependent glucose transporter 1 (SGLT1) expression were assessed. There were significant differences in the flora of the two groups at various taxonomic classification levels. For example, Bacteroidetes, Rikenellaceae, and Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group were significantly higher in the G+S group than in the G group (P < 0.05), while Firmicutes and Christensenellaceae_R-7_group were significantly lower in the G+S group than in the G group (P < 0.05). Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Clusters of Orthologous Groups (COG) analyses revealed that functions related to carbohydrate metabolism and energy production were significantly enriched in the G+S group (P < 0.05). In addition, the concentration of total VFAs, along with concentrations of acetate, propionate, and butyrate, were significantly higher in the G+S group than in the G group (P < 0.05). Furthermore, SGLT1 expression in ruminal epithelial tissue was significantly lower in the G+S group (P < 0.01). Supplementary feeding of cattle-yak after grazing in the cold season altered the microbial community structure and VFA contents in the rumen of the animals, and decreased ruminal epithelial SGLT1 expression. This indicated that supplementary feeding after grazing aids rumen function, improves adaptability of cattle-yak to the harsh environment of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and enhances ability of the animals to overwinter.

scholarly journals Hydrological connectivity from glaciers to rivers in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau: roles of suprapermafrost and subpermafrost groundwater

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rui Ma ◽  
Ziyong Sun ◽  
Yalu Hu ◽  
Qixing Chang ◽  
Shuo Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Groundwater Flow ◽  
Stream Flow ◽  
Cold Season ◽  
Tibet Plateau ◽  
High Mountain ◽  
High Mountains ◽  
Piedmont Plain ◽  
Quaternary Aquifer ◽  
Water Conduction ◽  
Qinghai Tibet Plateau

Abstract. The roles of subsurface groundwater flow in the hydrological cycle within the alpine area characterized by permafrost and/or seasonal frost are poorly known. We studied the role of permafrost in controlling groundwater flow and the hydrological connections between glaciers in high mountain and river in the low plain with hydraulic head, temperature, geochemical, and isotopic data. The study area was a catchment in the headwater region of the Heihe River in the northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The groundwater in the high mountains mainly occurs as suprapermafrost groundwater, and in the moraine and fluvio-glacial deposits on the planation surfaces of higher hills suprapermafrost, intrapermafrost, and subpermafrost groundwater co-occur. Glacier and snow-meltwater are transported from the high mountains to the plain through stream channels, slope surfaces, and supra- and subpermafrost aquifers. Groundwater in the Quaternary aquifer under the piedmont plain is recharged by the lateral inflow from permafrost groundwaters and the infiltration of streams, and is discharged as baseflow to the stream in the north. Groundwater maintained stream flow over the cold season and significantly contributed to the stream flow during the rainy season. 3H and 14C data indicated that the age of supra- and sub-permafrost groundwater, and groundwater in Quaternary aquifer of seasonal frost zone, ranges from 30–60 years. Two proposed mechanisms contribute to seasonal variation of the aquifer water-conduction capacity: (1) surface drainage through the stream channel during the high-flow period, and (2) subsurface drainage to an artesian aquifer confined by stream icing and seasonal frost during the cold season.

scholarly journals Socio-Environmental Dynamics of Alpine Grasslands, Steppes and Meadows of the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau, China: A Commentary

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (18) ◽  
pp. 6488 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haiying Feng ◽  
Victor R. Squires
Keyword(s):  
Alpine Meadow ◽  
Tibet Plateau ◽  
South East Asia ◽  
Alpine Grasslands ◽  
Growing Seasons ◽  
Alpine Steppe ◽  
Tibetan Sheep ◽  
Low Humidity ◽  
Bactrian Camels ◽  
Qinghai Tibet Plateau

Alpine grasslands are a common feature on the extensive (2.6 million km2) Qinghai–Tibet plateau in western and southwestern China. These grasslands are characterized by their ability to thrive at high altitudes and in areas with short growing seasons and low humidity. Alpine steppe and alpine meadow are the principal plant Formations supporting a rich species mix of grass and forb species, many of them endemic. Alpine grasslands are the mainstay of pastoralism where yaks and hardy Tibetan sheep and Bactrian camels are the favored livestock in the cold arid region. It is not only their importance to local semi nomadic herders, but their role as headwaters of nine major rivers that provide water to more than one billion people in China and in neighboring countries in south and south-east Asia and beyond. Grasslands in this region were heavily utilized in recent decades and are facing accelerated land degradation. Government and herder responses, although quite different, are being implemented as climate change and the transition to the market economy proceeds apace. Problems and prospects for alpine grasslands and the management regimes being imposed (including sedentarization, resettlement and global warming are briefly discussed.

scholarly journals Assessing the simulated soil thermal regime from Noah-MPLSM v1.1 for near-surface permafrost modeling on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiangfei Li ◽  
Tonghua Wu ◽  
Xiaodong Wu ◽  
Xiaofan Zhu ◽  
Guojie Hu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Soil Temperature ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Stomatal Resistance ◽  
Cold Season ◽  
Canopy Gap ◽  
Tibet Plateau ◽  
Surface Model ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Qinghai Tibet Plateau

Abstract. Land surface models (LSMs) are effective tools for near-surface permafrost modeling. Extensive and rigorous model inter-comparison is of great importance before application due to the uncertainties in current LSMs. This study designed an ensemble of 6912 experiments to evaluate the Noah land surface model with multi-parameterization (Noah-MP) for soil temperature (ST) simulation, and investigate the sensitivity of parameterization schemes at a typical permafrost site on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The results showed that Noah-MP generally underestimates ST, especially that during the cold season. In addition, the simulation uncertainty is greater in the cold season (October-April) and for the deep soil layers. ST is most sensitive to surface layer drag coefficient (SFC) while largely influenced by runoff and groundwater (RUN). By contrast, the influence of canopy stomatal resistance (CRS) and soil moisture factor for stomatal resistance (BTR) on ST is negligible. With limited impacts on ST simulation, vegetation model (VEG), canopy gap for radiation transfer (RAD) and snow/soil temperature time scheme (STC) are more influential on shallow ST, while super-cooled liquid water (FRZ), frozen soil permeability (INF) and lower boundary of soil temperature (TBOT) have greater impacts on deep ST. Furthermore, an optimal configuration of Noah-MP for permafrost modeling were extracted based on the connectivity between schemes, and they are: table leaf area index with calculated vegetation fraction, Jarvis scheme for CRS, Noah scheme for BTR, BATS model for RUN, Chen97 for SFC, zero canopy gap for RAD, variant freezing-point depression for FRZ, hydraulic parameters defined by soil moisture for INF, ST at 8 m for TBOT, and semi-implicit method for STC. The analysis of the model structural uncertainties and characteristics of each scheme would be constructive to a better understanding of the land surface processes on the QTP and further model improvements towards near-surface permafrost modeling using the LSMs.

scholarly journals Ehrlichia chaffeensis and Four Anaplasma Species With Veterinary and Public Health Significance Identified in Tibetan Sheep (Ovis aries) and Yaks (Bos grunniens) in Qinghai, China

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ye Wang ◽  
Qingxun Zhang ◽  
Shuyi Han ◽  
Ying Li ◽  
Bo Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Ovis Aries ◽  
Tibet Plateau ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Ehrlichia Chaffeensis ◽  
Bos Grunniens ◽  
Tibetan Sheep ◽  
Health Significance ◽  
Qinghai Tibet Plateau ◽  
First Time

Tick-borne diseases (TBDs) can cause serious economic losses and are very important to animal and public health. To date, research on TBDs has been limited in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China. This epidemiological investigation was conducted to evaluate the distribution and risk factors of Anaplasma spp. and Ehrlichia chaffeensis in livestock in Qinghai. A total of 566 blood samples, including 330 yaks (Bos grunniens) and 236 Tibetan sheep (Ovis aries) were screened. Results showed that A. bovis (33.3%, 110/330) and A. phagocytophilum (29.4%, 97/330) were most prevalent in yaks, followed by A. ovis (1.2%, 4/330), A. capra (0.6%, 2/330), and E. chaffeensis (0.6%, 2/330). While A. ovis (80.9%, 191/236) and A. bovis (5.1%, 12/236) infection was identified in Tibetan sheep. To our knowledge, it is the first time that A. capra and E. chaffeensis have been detected in yaks in China. Apart from that, we also found that co-infection of A. bovis and A. phagocytophilum is common in yaks (28.2%, 93/330). For triple co-infection, two yaks were infected with A. bovis, A. phagocytophilum, and A. capra, and two yaks were infected with A. bovis, A. phagocytophilum, and E. chaffeensis. Risk analysis shows that infection with A. bovis, A. phagocytophilum, and A. ovis was related to region and altitude. This study provides new data on the prevalence of Anaplasma spp. and E. chaffeensis in Qinghai, China, which may help to develop new strategies for active responding to these pathogens.

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