Effects of Different Grazing Disturbances on the Plant Diversity and Ecological Functions of Alpine Grassland Ecosystem on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Grazing is one of the main human disturbance factors in alpine grassland on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP), which can directly or indirectly influence the community structures and ecological functions of grassland ecosystems. However, despite extensive field grazing experiments, there is currently no consensus on how different grazing management approaches affect alpine grassland diversity, soil carbon (C), and nitrogen (N). Here, we conducted a meta-analysis of 70 peer-reviewed publications to evaluate the general response of 11 variables related to alpine grassland ecosystems plant diversity and ecological functions to grazing. Overall, the results showed that grazing significantly increased the species richness, Shannon–Wiener index, and Pielou evenness index values by 9.89% (95% CI: 2.75–17.09%), 7.28% (95% CI: 1.68–13.62%), and 3.74% (95% CI: 1.40–6.52%), respectively. Aboveground biomass (AGB) and belowground biomass (BGB) decreased, respectively, by 41.91% (95% CI: −50.91 to −32.88%) and 17.68% (95% CI: −26.94 to −8.52%). Soil organic carbon (SOC), soil total nitrogen (TN), soil C:N ratio, and soil moisture decreased by 13.06% (95% CI: −15.88 to −10.15%), 12.62% (95% CI: −13.35 to −8.61%), 3.27% (95% CI: −4.25 to −2.09%), and 20.75% (95% CI: −27.89 to −13.61%), respectively, whereas, soil bulk density and soil pH increased by 17.46% (95% CI: 11.88–24.53%) and 2.24% (95% CI: 1.01–3.64%), respectively. Specifically, moderate grazing, long-durations (>5 years), and winter grazing contributed to increases in the species richness, Shannon–Wiener index, and Pielou evenness index. However, AGB, BGB, SOC, TN, and soil C:N ratios showed a decrease with enhanced grazing intensity. The response ratio of SOC was positively associated with AGB and BGB but was negatively related to the Shannon–Wiener index and Pielou evenness index. Furthermore, the effects of grazing on plant diversity, AGB, BGB, SOC, and TN in alpine grassland varied with grazing duration, grazing season, livestock type, and grassland type. The findings suggest that grazing should synthesize other appropriate grazing patterns, such as seasonal and rotation grazing, and, furthermore, additional research on grazing management of alpine grassland on the QTP is needed in the future.

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Effect of grazing management strategies on alpine grassland on the northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Ecological Engineering ◽

10.1016/j.ecoleng.2021.106418 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 173 ◽

pp. 106418

Author(s):

Licong Dai ◽

Ruiyu Fu ◽

Xiaowei Guo ◽

Xun Ke ◽

Yangong Du ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Management Strategies ◽

Grazing Management ◽

Alpine Grassland ◽

Tibet Plateau ◽

Qinghai Tibet Plateau

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Tag-encoded pyrosequencing analysis of bacterial diversity within different alpine grassland ecosystems of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China

Environmental Earth Sciences ◽

10.1007/s12665-013-3001-z ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 72 (3) ◽

pp. 779-786 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Wei Zhang ◽

Xiukun Wu ◽

Guangxiu Liu ◽

Zhibao Dong ◽

Gaosen Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bacterial Diversity ◽

Alpine Grassland ◽

Tibet Plateau ◽

Grassland Ecosystems ◽

Qinghai Tibet Plateau ◽

Pyrosequencing Analysis

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A Meta-Analysis of The Effects of Grazing On Plant Diversity, Biomass and Soil Properties of Alpine Grassland On The Tibetan Plateau

10.21203/rs.3.rs-413371/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Wenlong Li ◽

Chenli Liu ◽

Huakun Zhou ◽

Wenying Wang ◽

Jing Xu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Tibetan Plateau ◽

Plant Diversity ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Wiener Index ◽

Belowground Biomass ◽

Alpine Grassland ◽

The Tibetan Plateau ◽

Soil C ◽

Soil C And N ◽

C And N

Abstract Aim As one of the main human disturbance factors in the alpine grassland on the Tibetan Plateau, grazing not only directly affects grassland plant diversity and biomass, but also indirectly changes soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) of grassland. Despite of extensive field grazing experiments, the impacts of grazing on grassland diversity, soil C and N remain uncertain due to different grazing management.Methods We conducted a meta-analysis of 70 peer-reviewed publications to evaluate the general response of 11 variables related to alpine grassland plant-soil ecosystems to grazing.Results The results showed that grazing significantly increased species richness, Shannon-Wiener index and Pielou evenness index by 9.8%, 7.3% and 3.7%, respectively. Aboveground biomass, belowground biomass, soil organic carbon, soil total nitrogen, soil C: N ratio and soil moisture decreased by 41.9%, 17.7%, 13.1%, 12.6%, 3.3% and 20.8%, respectively. Soil bulk density and soil pH increased by 17.5% and 2.2%, respectively. Specifically, moderate grazing, long-duration (>5 years) and winter grazing contributed to the increase in the species richness, Shannon-Wiener index, and Pielou evenness index. Aboveground biomass, belowground biomass, soil organic carbon, soil total nitrogen and soil C: N ratio showed a decreasing trend with enhanced grazing intensity. Furthermore, grazing duration, grazing season, livestock type and grassland type also affected alpine grassland plant diversity, biomass, soil C and N.Conclusions Grazing is beneficial to the maintenance of plant diversity, but negatively affects the storage of soil C and N in alpine grassland on the Tibetan Plateau. We suggest that grazing should follow intermediate grazing practice and synthesize other appropriate grazing patterns, such as seasonal and rotation grazing, thus, further research on grazing management is needed in this regard.

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A Meta-Analysis on Degraded Alpine Grassland Mediated by Climate Factors: Enlightenment for Ecological Restoration

Frontiers in Plant Science ◽

10.3389/fpls.2021.821954 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Jiale Yu ◽

Lingfan Wan ◽

Guohua Liu ◽

Keming Ma ◽

Hao Cheng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ecological Restoration ◽

Large Scale ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Wiener Index ◽

Belowground Biomass ◽

Alpine Grassland ◽

Tibet Plateau ◽

Climate Factors ◽

Available Nitrogen ◽

Precipitation And Temperature

Alpine grassland is the main ecosystem on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP). Degradation and restoration of alpine grassland are related to ecosystem function and production, livelihood, and wellbeing of local people. Although a large number of studies research degraded alpine grassland, there are debates about degradation patterns of alpine grassland in different areas and widely applicable ecological restoration schemes due to the huge area of the QTP. In this study, we used the meta-analysis method to synthesize 80 individual published studies which were conducted to examine aboveground and underground characteristics in non-degradation (ND), light degradation (LD), moderate degradation (MD), heavy degradation (HD), and extreme degradation (ED) of alpine grassland on the QTP. Results showed that aboveground biomass (AGB), belowground biomass (BGB), Shannon-Wiener index (H′), soil moisture (SM), soil organic carbon (SOC), soil total nitrogen (TN), and available nitrogen (AN) gradually decreased along the degradation gradient, whereas soil bulk density (BD) and soil pH gradually increased. In spite of a tendency to soil desertification, losses of other soil nutrients and reduction of enzymes, there was no linear relationship between the variations with degradation gradient. Moreover, the decreasing extent of TN was smaller in areas with higher precipitation and temperature, and the decreasing extent of AGB, SOC, and TN was larger in areas with a higher extent of corresponding variables in the stage of ND during alpine grassland degradation. These findings suggest that in areas with higher precipitation and temperature, reseeding and sward cleavage can be used for restoration on degraded alpine grassland. Fencing and fertilization can be used for alpine grassland restoration in areas with lower precipitation and temperature. Microbial enzymes should not be used to restore degraded alpine grassland on a large scale on the QTP without detailed investigation and analysis. Future studies should pay more attention to the effects of climate factors on degradation processes and specific ecological restoration strategies in different regions of the QTP.

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The role of grazing exclusion by fence in regulating vegetation characteristics and plant diversity in Mongolian rangelands

10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-2131 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Tong Guo

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Plant Diversity ◽

Vegetation Cover ◽

Grazing Management ◽

Grazing Exclusion ◽

Vegetation Characteristics ◽

Mongolian Rangelands ◽

The Impact ◽

Management Effects ◽

Grassland Types

Grazing largely affects vegetation dynamic of grassland communities. An intensified grazing will likely lead to grassland degradation. Therefore, to restore degraded grasslands, grazing exclusion by fence might be very helpful. However, the direction and the strength of grazing management effects on vegetation characteristics and plant diversity are currently disputable. In addition, vegetation cover and species richness are often independently examined under different grazing regimes in typical studies. Diversity-cover relationship is not adequately detected in degraded grasslands.In this study, I aim at understanding effects of grazing exclusion on vegetation characteristics, plant diversity and their relationship. For this, I performed a fencing experiment in three grassland types, namely meadow (since 2009), mountain steppe (since 2013) and dry steppe (since 2013) in Mongolia. Each of three grasslands was set by two treatments: grazing exclusion and freely grazing. Vegetation characteristics were mirrored by vegetation cover and height. Plant diversity was evaluated by indices of species richness, Shannon-Wiener diversity and Pielou evenness.The empirical results show that grazing exclusion by fence generally increases vegetation height regardless of grassland types. On the other hand, the changing direction of vegetation cover caused by grazing exclusion is not consistent in three grasslands. Fencing decreases species richness and Shannon diversity. While Pielou evenness responds slightly to changes in grazing regimes. Greater species richness benefits an increment of vegetation cover independent of grazing treatments and grassland types.This study fills the knowledge gap of grazing management effects on vegetation characteristics and plant diversity in Mongolian rangelands. The results clearly demonstrate that grazing exclusion by fence is not an efficient way to restore degraded grasslands. This will also allow to project the impact of changes in land use on ecosystem functioning.

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Response of soil nutrients and stoichiometry to grazing management in alpine grassland on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Soil and Tillage Research ◽

10.1016/j.still.2020.104822 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 206 ◽

pp. 104822

Author(s):

Chenli Liu ◽

Wenlong Li ◽

Jing Xu ◽

Wei Wei ◽

Pengfei Xue ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Soil Nutrients ◽

Grazing Management ◽

Alpine Grassland ◽

Tibet Plateau ◽

Qinghai Tibet Plateau

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Plant diversity and species richness of Ljubljana marsh grasslands under the influence of different cutting and fertilizing regimes

Acta Agronomica Hungarica ◽

10.1556/aagr.57.2009.2.11 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 57 (2) ◽

pp. 197-203 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

T. Sinkovč

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Plant Diversity ◽

Grassland Management ◽

Botanical Composition ◽

Significant Negative Effect ◽

Negative Effect ◽

Cutting Regimes ◽

N Rates ◽

Exploitation Intensity ◽

Plot Design

The botanical composition of grasslands determines the agronomic and natural values of swards. Good grassland management usually improves herbage value, but on the other hand it frequently decreases the plant diversity and species richness in the swards. In 1999 a field trial in a split-plot design with four replicates was therefore established on the Arrhenatherion type of vegetation in Ljubljana marsh meadows in order to investigate this relationship. Cutting regimes (2 cuts — with normal and delayed first cut, 3 cuts and 4 cuts per year) were allocated to the main plots and fertiliser treatments (zero fertiliser — control, PK and NPK with 2 or 3 N rates) were allocated to the sub-plots. The results at the 1 st cutting in the 5 th trial year were as follows: Fertilising either with PK or NPK had no significant negative effect on plant diversity in any of the cutting regimes. In most treatments the plant number even increased slightly compared to the control. On average, 20 species were listed on both unfertilised and fertilised swards. At this low to moderate level of exploitation intensity, the increased number of cuts had no significant negative effect on plant diversity either (19 species at 2 cuts vs. 20 species at 3 or 4 cuts). PK fertilisation increased the proportion of legumes in the herbage in the case of 2 or 3 cuts. The proportion of grasses in the herbage increased in all the fertilisation treatments with an increased numbers of cuts. Fertiliser treatment considerably reduced the proportion of marsh horsetail ( Equisetum palustre ) in the herbage of the meadows. This effect was even more pronounced at higher cut numbers. The proportion of Equisetum palustre in the herbage was the highest in the unfertilised sward with 2 cuts (26.4 %) and the lowest in the NPK-fertilised sward with 4 cuts (1.4%).

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Assemblage Patterns of Hymenoptera at Different Elevations of Gunung Datuk, Rembau

Scientific Research Journal ◽

10.24191/srj.v14i2.9358 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 14 (2) ◽

pp. 1 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Noor Nasuha Abd Aziz ◽

Siti Khairiyah Mohd Hatta ◽

Idris Abd Ghani ◽

Saiyid Jalaluddin Saiyid Shaifuddin

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Diversity Index ◽

High Elevation ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Index Site ◽

Evenness Index ◽

Abundance And Diversity ◽

Richness Index ◽

Paired T Test ◽

Malaise Traps

A study on abundance and diversity of Hymenoptera was conducted in Gunung Datuk, Rembau. Samplings were conducted from November 2014 to February 2015 using six Malaise traps. Three traps were placed at Site 1 at 700m height for high elevation and the remaining traps were placed at Site 2 at 200m height for low elevation. A total number of 221 Hymenopteran were collected which consist of nine families namely Ichneumonidae, Formicidae, Braconidae, Bethylidae, Evaniidae, Tiphiidae, Vespidae, Pompilidae and Apidae. In this study, 93 individuals were obtained from Site 1, comprising nine families and 43 morphospecies while 127 individuals were obtained from Site 2 with nine families and 45 morphospecies. Formicidae was the most dominant family collected from both sites with a total of 104 individuals while the least family recorded was Apidae with only one individual. Shannon’s Weiner Diversity Index (H’) showed Site 1 had the higher diversity value with H’ = 3.17 compared to Site 2 with value H’ = 3.12. For Evenness Index, Site 1 had higher value compared to Site 2 with E’ = 0.84 and E’ = 0.82 respectively. Moreover, for Margalef Richness Index, Site 1 recorded R’ = 9.24 while site two recorded R’ = 9.08 which concluded that Site 1 had higher species richness compared to Site 2. Paired t-test showed that both sites had no significant difference with p>0.05. Overall study showed that the diversity and abundance of Hymenoptera in Gunung Datuk were low since the value of H’ is less than 3.50.

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Allelopathic and Medicinal plant. 26. Millettia speciosa

Allelopathy Journal ◽

10.26651/allelo.j/2020-51-2-1295 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 51 (2) ◽

pp. 125-146

Author(s):

Nasiruddin Nasiruddin ◽

Yu Zhangxin ◽

Ting Zhao Chen Guangying ◽

Minghui Ji

Keyword(s):

Community Structure ◽

Medicinal Plant ◽

Gel Electrophoresis ◽

Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis ◽

Wiener Index ◽

Pseudomonas Spp ◽

Evenness Index ◽

Gradient Gel Electrophoresis ◽

Rhizosphere Pseudomonas

We grew cucumber in pots in greenhouse for 9-successive cropping cycles and analyzed the rhizosphere Pseudomonas spp. community structure and abundance by PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and quantitative PCR. Results showed that continuous monocropping changed the cucumber rhizosphere Pseudomonas spp. community. The number of DGGE bands, Shannon-Wiener index and Evenness index decreased during the 3rd cropping and thereafter, increased up to the 7th cropping, however, however, afterwards they decreased again. The abundance of Pseudomonas spp. increased up to the 5th successive cropping and then decreased gradually. These findings indicated that the structure and abundance of Pseudomonas spp. community changed with long-term cucumber monocropping, which might be linked to soil sickness caused by its continuous monocropping.

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