Effect of Feeding Adaptation of Italian Simmental Cows before Summer Grazing on Animal Behavior and Milk Characteristics

According to the alpine transhumance system, dairy cows are moved from indoor feeding with conserved forage to fresh herbage feeding on pasture. The aim of this study was to assess, as a feeding adaptation technique, the effect of a gradual inclusion of fresh herbage in the diet of Italian Simmental dairy cows before their transfer to alpine pasture on performance, behavior, and milk characteristics. Eighteen cows were assigned to three groups: animals transferred to alpine pasture with a 10-d feeding adaptation period consisting in gradual access to a pasture close to the valley farm (GT), animals transferred to alpine pasture without a feeding adaptation period (AT), and animals kept in the valley farm (IND). During the first two weeks of summer grazing, GT and AT showed higher rumination time and different concentrations of ketones, hydrocarbons, organic acids, toluene, alcohols, phenols, and dimethyl sulfone in milk as compared to IND, whereas no differences were found in milk yield, composition, or coagulation properties. No differences between GT and AT were evident for the studied variables. The feeding adaptation technique used in this study did not influence the performance and milk characteristics of Italian Simmental dairy cows grazing on alpine pasture.

Reconciling the multiple impacts of land use change on soil carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulphur cycles

<p>Predicted changes in land use in mountain ecosystems due to agricultural and climatic pressure have the potential to change the abiotic controls of soil organic matter storage (i.e. temperature, and humidity). Yet an integrated assessment of the impact of land use change on site abiotic varibles (temperature, humidity) and its relation to the molecular composition of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), sulphur (S) and phosphorus (P) is lacking. In this study, we used a natural land use gradient (forest [F], degraded forest [DF] and alpine pasture [AP]) within the Karwendel mountain range as a model system to  analyse the C, N,S and P dynamics. At these sites, we measured climatic variables (air temperature and humidity and soil temperature at three depths) through a whole year and determined significant changes in soil temperature after conversion to alpine pasture. Soils were sampled at the organic and mineral horizons of each site and thereafter analysed for its C, N, S and P total concentrations, pH and sugar and amino sugars content. Thereafter, the molecular composition of C,N,S and P in the soils  was analysed combining synchrotron-based X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy and liquid state <sup>31</sup>P-NMR spectroscopy. Our results show that although forest to alpine pasture conversion led to losses of C no changes of N, P or S concentrations where observed. These analyses show that with conversion to alpine pasture the SOM changes to a more decomposed state (increase of Alkyl:O-Alkyl ratio), which is accompanied by an increase of Amidic and Pyrrolic-N and an increase of sulfate-S. Moreover, the nominal oxidation state (NOS) of each analysed element, calculated from the spectral data shows a decrease, which might be due to higher decomposition rates in alpine pasture.  This shows that molecular changes in C,N,S and P occur after land use change in the topsoil, and are majorly depended on the soil temperature.  Moreover, this indicates changes that soil microorganisms were affected by land use change, which will be explored further by aminosugar analysis and PLFA. Our results show the rapid molecular changes of soil C,N,S and P after to land use.</p>

Phytosociological Studies in Alpine Pasture of Tikkagahar, District Mandi, Himachal Pradesh

A study was carried out to know the status of plant diversity in the alpine pasture of Tikkagahar, district Mandi, Himachal Pradesh during the year, 2017. A total of 75 plant species belonging to 31 families and 66 genera were recorded from the study area. Out of 59 medicinal plant species recorded from the pasture, two species viz; Roscoea alpina and Selinum vaginatum fall in the category of threatened plants. The distribution pattern of most of plant species was contiguous.

GENTIANA ARUNII SP. NOV.: TINY REMARKABLE GENTIANA FROM SIKKIM HIMALAYA

A new species, Gentiana arunii D.Maity, S.K.Dey, J.Ghosh & Midday, from alpine pasture in Sikkim Himalaya is described and illustrated, and placed in Gentiana section Chondrophyllae Bunge. The new species is compared morphologically with two related taxa, Gentiana glabriuscula T.N.Ho and Gentiana pluviarum W.W.Sm. subsp. subtilis (Harry Sm.) T.N.Ho.

Nutrient Loss from the Major Ecosystems of Cold Desert of Himachal Pradesh, India

The present investigation was conducted in village Goshal, located in Lahaul and Spiti cold desert district of Himachal Pradesh, India during 2010 to 2013 to assess nutrient status and nutrient flow in two major ecosystems viz; Agro Ecosystem, and Alpine Pasture Ecosystem. In Alpine Pasture Ecosystem of the 70 percent aboveground biomass which is grazed by the animals 50 percent decomposed after penning and returned back to the system, and rest 50% goes to the yard and in the form of FYM goes to the agricultural fields thus removed out of the system. In Agro Ecosystem, Since 90 percent of aboveground biomass is harvested for fodder and winter stall feeding and in the form of FYM it returns back to agricultural fields and 100 percent of belowground and 10 percent of aboveground nutrient remains as such in the field, which get decomposed and the nutrients are returned back to the system.