scholarly journals Effects of fertilization, burning, and grazing on plant community in the long-term fenced grasslands  

2017 ◽  
Vol 63 (No. 4) ◽  
pp. 171-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Guanghua ◽  
Li Wei ◽  
Yu Kailiang ◽  
Ratajczak Zak ◽  
Kallenbach Robert L ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Plant Community ◽  
Aboveground Biomass ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Functional Group ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Grassland Productivity ◽  
Group Diversity ◽  
Positive Effect

Fencing is the common management practice to restore degraded grasslands. However, long-term fencing decreases grassland productivity and species diversity. The study was therefore conducted as a three-year (2011–2013) experiment with a randomized complete block in a grassland fenced for 20 years in the Loess Plateau of China, and the effects of fertilization, burning and grazing on aboveground biomass, species and functional group composition, species and some functional group diversity were analysed. Our results showed that the functional group of perennial bunchgrasses dominated the grassland regardless of management practices. However, burning altered species composition (i.e. the unpalatable species, Artemisia sacrorum) more significantly than fertilization or grazing, and surprisingly, nearly quadrupled the functional group of shrubs and semi-shrubs. Fertilization had a positive effect on the aboveground biomass (44.0%), while clearly reducing species diversity (21.9%). Grazing decreased aboveground biomass, but increased species diversity by 15.9%. This study indicated that fertilization influenced plant community through its impact on aboveground biomass, while burning changed plant community by altering dominant species. Thus, it was concluded that fertilizer could further improve community biomass while burning reduced the edibility of grass. Grazing could be carried out to enhance the biodiversity in the long-term fenced grasslands.  

scholarly journals Resource enrichment combined with biomass removal maintains plant diversity and community stability in a long-term grazed grassland

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 611-620
Author(s):  
Feng-Wei Xu ◽  
Jian-Jun Li ◽  
Li-Ji Wu ◽  
Xiao-Ming Lu ◽  
Wen Xing ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Species Diversity ◽  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Primary Productivity ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Light Exposure ◽  
Community Stability ◽  
Water Addition ◽  
Biomass Removal

Abstract Aims Long-term heavy grazing reduces plant diversity and ecosystem function by intensifying nitrogen (N) and water limitation. In contrast, the absence of biomass removal can cause species loss by elevating light competition and weakening community stability, which is exacerbated by N and water enrichment. Hence, how to maintain species diversity and community stability is still a huge challenge for sustainable management of worldwide grasslands. Methods We conducted a 4-year manipulated experiment in six long-term grazing blocks to explore combination of resource additions and biomass removal (increased water, N and light availability) on species richness and community stability in semiarid grasslands of Inner Mongolia, China. Important Findings In all blocks treated with the combination of resource additions and biomass removal, primary productivity increased and species richness and community stability were maintained over 4 years of experiment. At both species and plant functional group (PFG) levels, the aboveground biomass of treated plants remained temporally stable in treatments with the combination of N and/or water addition and biomass removal. The maintenance of species richness was primarily caused by the biomass removal, which could increase the amount of light exposure for grasses under resource enrichment. Both species asynchrony and stability of PFGs contributed to the high temporal stability observed in these communities. Our results indicate that management practices of combined resource enrichment with biomass removal, such as grazing or mowing, could not only enhance primary productivity but also maintain plant species diversity, species asynchrony and community stability. Furthermore, as overgrazing-induced degradation and resource enrichment-induced biodiversity loss continue to be major problems worldwide, our findings have important implications for adaptive management in semiarid grasslands and beyond.

scholarly journals Cumulative effects of 20-year exclusion of livestock grazing on above- and belowground biomass of typical steppe communities in arid areas of the Loess Plateau, China

2011 ◽  
Vol 57 (No. 1) ◽  
pp. 40-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Cheng ◽  
G.L. Wu ◽  
L.P. Zhao ◽  
Y. Li ◽  
W. Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Belowground Biomass ◽  
Livestock Grazing ◽  
Cumulative Effects ◽  
The Loess Plateau ◽  
Typical Steppe ◽  
Steppe Communities ◽  
Positive Effect

Overgrazing affects typical steppe community in ways similar to grasslands in other areas. Exclusion of livestock grazing is one of the main management practices used to protect grasslands. However, it is not known if long-term exclusion of livestock grazing has positive effect on above- and belowground community properties in typical steppe of the Loess Plateau. We studied the long-term (20-year) cumulative effects of exclusion of livestock grazing on above- and belowground community properties compared with that before exclusion of livestock grazing in a typical steppe of the Loess Plateau, NW China. Our results show that twenty-year exclusion of livestock grazing significantly increased above- and belowground biomass, species richness, cover and height for five different communities. Most of belowground biomass was in the 0–20 cm horizon and grazing exclusion increased biomass especially at the depth of 0–10 cm. Our study suggests that long-term exclusion of livestock grazing can greatly improve community properties of typical steppe in the Loess Plateau.  

scholarly journals Effects of long-term warming on the aboveground biomass and species diversity in an alpine meadow on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau of China

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 252-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Wen ◽  
Ruimin Qin ◽  
Shixiong Zhang ◽  
Xiaoyan Yang ◽  
Manhou Xu
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Aboveground Biomass ◽  
Alpine Meadow

Relationship of ecosystem primary productivity to species diversity and functional group diversity: evidence from Stipa breviflora grassland in Nei Mongol

2013 ◽  
Vol 37 (7) ◽  
pp. 620-630 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wen-Jing MA ◽  
Qing ZHANG ◽  
Jian-Ming NIU ◽  
Sarula KANG ◽  
Peng-Tao LIU ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Primary Productivity ◽  
Functional Group ◽  
Group Diversity ◽  
Relationship Of

scholarly journals Lean Management Practices’ Effects on Brazilian Firms: A Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 84-108
Author(s):  
Filipe Lage de Sousa ◽  
Mauricio Canêdo-Pinheiro ◽  
Bernardo Pereira Cabral ◽  
Glaucia Estefânia de Sousa Ferreira
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Lean Management ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
Basic Principles ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Innovation Outcomes

One of the key drivers for a firm's productivity growth is management. One lean management practice considered cost-effective is Kaizen. Originally from Japan, the Kaizen basic concept is continuous improvement with the involvement of the full workforce. Using a firm-level dataset from Brazil's innovation and manufacturing surveys, this paper evaluates quantitatively whether Kaizen has impacted the performance of domestic firms. Our initial results suggest a productivity premium on Kaizen adopters, yet when it materializes is not detectable in the short term. Moreover, the impact on innovation is observable after Kaizen implementation. Understanding these outcomes with a qualitative approach, our analysis highlights the importance of Kaizen on innovation, especially by improving worker's time at the production line as well as the long-term vision of Kaizen on productivity. In summary, Kaizen is not a magic wand that improves firms’ performance in a wide array of indicators yet it may boost innovation outcomes in the short term aiming to improve productivity in the long term if it is implemented carefully and persistently, as established by its basic principles.

LONG-TERM PATTERNS IN TROPICAL REFORESTATION: PLANT COMMUNITY COMPOSITION AND ABOVEGROUND BIOMASS ACCUMULATION

2007 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 828-839 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Marín-Spiotta ◽  
W. L. Silver ◽  
R. Ostertag
Keyword(s):  
Community Composition ◽  
Plant Community ◽  
Aboveground Biomass ◽  
Biomass Accumulation ◽  
Plant Community Composition

Livestock grazing management and biodiversity conservation in Australian temperate grassy landscapes

2004 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 279 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Dorrough ◽  
A. Yen ◽  
V. Turner ◽  
S. G. Clark ◽  
J. Crosthwaite ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biodiversity Conservation ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Livestock Grazing ◽  
Grazing Management ◽  
Grazing Strategies

There is an increasing interest in the development of livestock grazing management strategies that achieve environmental sustainability and maintain or improve the long-term production capacity of commercial grazing systems. In temperate Australia, these strategies are generally focussed on reducing perennial pasture decline, soil loss, acidity, and salinity. An additional challenge facing land managers and researchers is developing grazing strategies that also maintain and enhance local and regional biodiversity. However, few studies have assessed the compatibility of management practices for maintaining long-term productivity and biodiversity conservation. We still have only a very basic understanding of the effects of different grazing strategies and pasture management on biodiversity and this is a major impediment to the development of appropriate and compatible best management practice. We argue that although there is an increasing desire to find management strategies that protect and enhance biodiversity without hindering long-term agricultural production, in many cases this may not be possible. Current knowledge suggests that compatibility is most likely to be achieved using low-input systems in low productivity (fragile) landscapes, whereas in highly productive (robust) landscapes there is less opportunity for integration of productive land-use and biodiversity conservation. There is an urgent need for improved communication and collaboration between agronomic and ecological researchers and research agencies to ensure that future programs consider sustainability in terms of biodiversity as well as pasture and livestock productivity and soil and water health.

scholarly journals Long-term effects of soil management practices on selected indicators of chemical soil quality

2016 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alicja Pecio ◽  
Zuzanna Jarosz
Keyword(s):  
Quality Indicators ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Climate Change Mitigation ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Farmyard Manure ◽  
Chemical Quality ◽  
Mineral Fertilization ◽  
Change Mitigation

The study was conducted in scope of Catch-C project “Compatibility of agricultural management practices and types of farming in the EU to enhance climate change mitigation and soil health” (7FP), realized in 2012–2014 by the consortium of partners from 10 European countries (<span>http://www.catch-c.eu</span>). This work reports the effects of soil management practices – under different soil and climatic conditions – on the selected soil chemical quality indicators, based on the analysis of data extracted from literature on long term experiments (LTEs) in Europe, as well as from LTEs held by the Catch-C consortium partners. The dataset related to soil chemical quality indicators consisted of 1044 records and referred to 59 long-term trials. The following indicators of chemical soil quality were analyzed: pH, N total content, N total stock, C:N ratio, N mineral content, P and K availability. They are the most frequently used indicators in the European literature on long-term experiments collected in the Catch-C project database. Soil organic carbon, however, the most important indicator was not presented here, due to it was covered by a separate study on indicators for climate change mitigation. The indicators were analyzed using their response ratio (RR) to a management practice. For a given treatment (management practice), this ratio was calculated as the quotient between the indicator value obtained in the treatment, and the indicator value in the reference treatment. The examples were: rotation (with cereals, with legume crops, with tuber or root crops, with grassland) vs. adequate monoculture, catch/cover crops vs. no catch/cover crops, no-tillage and no-inversion tillage vs. conventional tillage, mineral fertilization vs. no fertilization, organic fertilization (compost, farmyard manure, slurry) vs. mineral fertilization at the same available nitrogen input, crop residue incorporation vs. removal. All tested practices influenced soil chemical quality indicators. Both positive and negative effects were observed. When the RR values of seven soil chemical quality indicators were considered in an overall evaluation – based on their significance level, the number of indicators positively affected, and the size of the effects – the best practices among those tested were: farmyard manure application, no-inversion tillage, compost application, mineral fertilization, and no-tillage.

Plant community responses to long-term fertilization: changes in functional group abundance drive changes in species richness

Oecologia ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 173 (4) ◽  
pp. 1513-1520 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy L. Dickson ◽  
Katherine L. Gross
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Plant Community ◽  
Functional Group ◽  
Community Responses
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