首页 | 本学科首页   官方微博 | 高级检索  
相似文献
 共查询到20条相似文献，搜索用时 31 毫秒
1.
Grassland of Inner Mongolia, the main grassland region of China and part of the Eurasia Steppe that stretches from East China to Hungary, is among the most seriously degraded grasslands in China. Previous studies on causes of grassland degradation in this region focused primarily on anthropogenic activities, such as rapid development, ranching, agricultural activities, and mining for mineral resources. Few studies have examined plant interactions during the processes of grassland degradation. In this study, using the thermal-desorption cold trap/gas chromatography/mass spectrometer technique (TCT/GC/MS) we examined the effects of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of Artemisia frigida on the seed germination and seedling growth of 4 common grass species, Melitotus suaveolens, Sorghum sudanense, Elymus dahuricus and Agropyron cristatum, in the Inner Mongolian pastures. We found that the major constituents of the VOCs from natural A. frigida were 1,8-cineole, camphene, (E)-3-hexen-1-ol acetate, α-terpineol, β-Terpineol, (R)-(−)-p-Menth-1-en-4-ol, p-cymene, and camphor, whose relative content accounted for 96.0% of the 22 compounds identified for natural A. frigida. The content and amount of these VOCs varied when A. frigida was damaged artificially. The VOCs from A. frigida significantly decreased the seed germination and seedling growth of all the tested plant species. Our finding that artificially damaged plants of A. frigida released different types and amount of VOCs from undamaged ones under laboratory conditions indicate that grazing activity on natural pastures may influence the type and amount of VOCs released from A. frigida. However, more research is needed under field conditions to draw a conclusion if grazing activity has similar impacts on release of VOCs as under laboratory conditions.  相似文献   

2.
In arid lands, food resources and predation risk become major decision factors in mule deer habitat use. We examined variables related to these two factors that might determine mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) habitat use in a warm desert at two spatial scales: the macro-habitat scale, which relates to home range decisions, and the micro-habitat scale, which relates to decisions made during foraging. Our prediction was that habitat use should primarily be explained by food variables and, to a lesser degree, by variables related to predation risk by pumas (Puma concolor). We mapped all deer pellet groups in 72, 1 ha quadrats in the Mapimí Biosphere Reserve and measured food and habitat variables over two years with different precipitation amounts. The area was used more intensively during the dry year. Under drier conditions, deer habitat use was explained primarily by food resource variables and secondarily by variables related with predation risk. During the wetter year, food resources became unimportant while cover and visibility explained deer habitat use. The data suggest that the tradeoffs deer are willing to make between food resources and predation risk in an arid environment are strongly affected by food resource levels, as influenced by precipitation.  相似文献   

3.
Botanical composition of cattle seasonal diets (faecal sampling with microhistological analysis) was determined in a four-pasture, one-herd grazing system during a 3-year period. Diets were classified using cluster analysis. Three diet groups were identified: beginning of rainy season (spring), peak of rainy season (summer) and dry season (fall and winter). Contribution of grasses and woody species to these diet groups was significantly different (p< 0·001). Grasses were the most important component of cattle diets throughout the rainy season, while shrubs and trees were important in the dry season. The major shifts in diets occurred in response to changes in grass phenology.  相似文献   

4.
We evaluated growth, abandonment, decay and emergence of new nests of the Neotropical termite Constrictotermes cyphergaster (Termitidae) and its association with the supporting vegetation in an area of caatinga (arid thorn scrub in the state of Paraíba, northeastern Brazil). In an area of 1 ha, a total of 272 nests were observed monthly, from March 2005 to March 2007. Of these, 245 nests were small, 9 were of medium size, and 18 were large nests. During the rainy season (from June to February), nests grew 94.2 L, whereas during the dry season (March–May), their total growth was 23 L. The number of abandoned nests was positively correlated with rainfall. Decomposition of nests was greater during the rainy season. The pattern of nest distribution was associated with the distribution of the primary supporting plants. Rainfall appears to be one of the most important factors in the dynamics of growth of nests of C. cyphergaster in the caatinga.  相似文献   

5.
Monitoring cattle inflows and outflows over time is a good indicator of herd productivity. In this study, ninety households were monitored for a year to determine the effect of season, rangeland type and herd size on births, purchases, sales, deaths, off-take, cattle production potential (CPP) and cattle production efficiency (CPE) in the sweet and sour rangelands of South Africa. Most births were recorded in large herds in the sour rangelands during the hot-wet season (P < 0.05). Farmers with large herd sizes purchased significantly more cattle compared to those with small herd sizes. Cattle sales were significantly high in the large herds in the cool-dry season. Mortality was significantly high in the hot-wet season in the sour rangeland and was mainly caused by gall-sickness (24%) and redwater (20%). The highest mortalities were observed in cows (45%). Households owning small herds in the sweet rangeland had the lowest CPP in the cool-dry season (P < 0.05). The CPE was significantly high in the households owning large herds in the sweet rangeland. It was concluded that, although the CPP was low in the sweet rangeland, households in these areas had higher CPE compared to those in the sour rangelands.  相似文献   

6.
Artificial water sources have been used for decades to enhance and restore wildlife habitat but the benefits of their use have been subject to debate. During the past century, the number of natural springs in Joshua Tree National Park, California, USA, has declined. In response to concerns about the viability of the bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni) population, a number of water developments were constructed throughout the park. We modeled potential historical and present-day summer habitat of female bighorn sheep to evaluate the effectiveness of the artificial and remaining natural water sources in maintaining habitat and to determine how loss of artificial sources might affect future habitat availability. Prior to 1950, 583.5 km2 of summer habitat was potentially available. Presently, only 170.6 km2 of habitat is available around natural water sources and 153.5 km2 is available around guzzlers. When all perennial water sources are included in the habitat model (minus overlap), 302.3 km2 of summer habitat is potentially available. This represents only 51.7% of summer habitat available prior to 1950. Without artificial water developments, 47.7% of present-day summer habitat would be lost, which raises important management questions regarding the debate about what is natural or artificial within otherwise protected areas.  相似文献   

7.
Using microhistological analysis of faeces, we studied the diets of the wild Chacoan Brown brocket deer (Mazama gouazoubira) and the exotic European hare (Lepus europaeus) by comparing plant species frequency in faeces with plant species availability. Research was conducted in the dry southern portion of South American Chaco, in forests subjected to livestock ranching in the north of Córdoba province, Argentina. The diet of the Brown brocket deer was more closely related to forage availability (C=0.82195) than the diet of the European hare (C=0.38565). Dicots comprised 90% of the Brown brocket deer diet and were preferred throughout the year, while gramineous species were consumed in low amount. In the diet of the European hare, gramineous species were frequent (65 to 87%) and preferred in every season but in winter, when dicots were consumed in higher proportions (92%). Differences in feeding habits and in habitat use would allow both herbivores to coexist; however, probable competition for food with the European hare during the dry period, in addition to habitat loss, threatens survival of the Brown brocket deer.  相似文献   

8.
Droughts have become widespread in the Northern Hemisphere, including in China, where they have affected farmland resources on the Loess Plateau. Given this background, we proposed a new index, the Normalized Day-Night Surface Temperature Index (NTDI), to estimate moisture availability (ma), defined as the ratio of actual to reference evapotranspiration. The NTDI is defined as the ratio of the difference between the maximum daytime surface temperature and the minimum nighttime surface temperature, to the difference between the maximum and minimum surface temperatures estimated from meteorological data by applying energy balance equations.To calculate the index, we used data of 20 clear-sky meteorological observations made during the 2005 growing season at a natural grassland station in the Liudaogou River basin on the Loess Plateau. The NTDI showed a significant inverse exponential correlation with ma (R2 = 0.97, p < 0.001), whereas the numerator of the index (the maximum daytime surface temperature minus the minimum nighttime surface temperature) was only weakly correlated with ma (R2 = 0.24, p = 0.03). This result indicates that normalization relative to the index denominator (maximum surface temperature − minimum surface temperature) dramatically improved the accuracy of the estimate.  相似文献   

9.
Present-day Sahelian vegetation in a highly anthropized semi-arid region is assessed from local to regional scales, through the joint analysis of MODIS LAI (1 km2 and 8-day resolutions), daily rainfall, morphopedological and land cover datasets covering the period 2000–2008. The study area is located in northwest Senegal and consists of the “Niayes” and the northwestern “Peanut Basin” eco-regions, characterized by market gardening and rain-fed cultivated crops, respectively. The objectives are i) to analyse at pixel scale LAI time series and their relation to vegetation and soil types, ii) the estimation of phenological metrics (start of season SOS, end of season EOS, growing season length GSL) and their inter-annual variability, iii) to recognize the vegetation responses to rainfall trends (mean annual precipitation, MAP; frequency of rainy events, K; combination of MAP and K, called F).Pixel-scale analyses show that LAI time series 1) describe the actual phenology (agreeing with ground-truth AGHRYMET data), and thus can be used as a proxy for Sahelian vegetation dynamics, 2) are strongly dependent on soil types. Median maps of SOS and EOS suggest an increase of the GSL from Saint-Louis to Dakar, in agreement with both the North-South rainfall gradient and the intensification of agricultural practices around Dakar. Significant correlations (R: 0.64) between annual variation coefficient of LAI and MAP for both herbaceous crops and natural vegetation are highlighted; this correlation is reinforced (R: 0.7) using the rainfall distribution factors K and F. Rainfall thresholds allowing the SOS can be defined for each type of vegetation. These thresholds are estimated at 0–5 mm, 20 mm and 40 mm for natural herbs, herbaceous crops and shrublands, respectively.If previous works revealed the close link between the MAP and the SOS, our results highlight that LAI dynamics are also controlled by rainfall distribution during the Monsoon season. In this study, climatic indicators are proposed for estimating vegetation dynamics and monitoring SOS. Coupling Earth Observation data, such as MODIS LAI, with rainfall data, vegetation and soil information is found to be a reliable method for vegetation monitoring and for assessing the impact of human pressure on vegetation degradation.  相似文献   

10.
In Mediterranean ecosystems, fire influences plant population dynamics and changes plant community structure by affecting germination and establishment of seeder shrubs. Fabiana imbricata is a long-lived seeder shrub with a broad distribution in South America. In Northwestern Patagonia grasslands there are many records of F. imbricata recruitment after fires. We hypothesized that recruitment is promoted by: 1) soil erosion that exposes deeply buried seeds; 2) direct fire effects such as heat that could break seed dormancy; 3) indirect fire effects (i.e. increase of light availability and elimination of allelopathic substances) and 4) water availability in spring. In field conditions, we tested the effects of shading and soil disturbance on F. imbricata recruitment and seed availability and distribution in the soil profile. Under controlled conditions, we investigated the influence of leaf leachate, light, heat and water on seed germination and seedling emergence. Seed germination was inhibited by leachate, and seedling emergence was inhibited by seed heated to 80 °C and 120° for 5 min. F. imbricata seedlings only emerged in germination treatments that simulated wet and very wet spring conditions. Fire and postfire wind that favor seed exposure, combined with high precipitation early in the growing season, would be necessary for successful shrub recruitment. When F. imbricata shrubland colonizes the grassland, it strongly modifies local vegetation structure, reduces species richness and increases fuel loads. F. imbricata is a key species in the ecosystem specially related to fire regime. Information on the postfire regeneration of this species would provide valuable knowledge of the changes in biomass accumulation in a fire-prone Mediterranean ecosystem.  相似文献   

11.
Esophageally fistulated goats were released in a microphyll desert scrub habitat with 14.6% or 46.2% aerial cover of Atriplex canescens (induced by removal of all shrubs except A. canescens, with livestock grazing exclusion for 10 years) to determine the seasonal forage species selected by the goats. The shrub removal strongly influenced the goats’ feeding habits. The goats grazing the Atriplex-dominated site consumed 4.5 times more A. canescens than the goats on the untreated (control) pasture during all seasons. Shrubs were used heavily during all seasons by goats in both pastures, with higher percentages (75.5–82.8%) in the diets of goats grazing the control pasture than in the diets of goats grazing the Atriplex-dominated area (62.5–68.5%). No differences were found between seasons. The goats in the Atriplex-dominated pasture ate more grass than the goats grazing the control area and used more perennial graminoids during the summer (15.0%) and spring (18.3%) than the goats on the control area (6.0–7.0%). Forbs were an important component of diets. It was concluded that the successful revegetation of the treated pasture affected the goats’ feeding strategy, with an increase in the use of A. canescens, forbs and grasses in all seasons.  相似文献   

12.
In hot, arid environments, non-burrowing mammals are at risk of overheating and dehydration, so human-induced reduction in thermal cover may constitute a threat for their survival. We studied the daytime activity rhythm, habitat use, and space use of the beira (Dorcatragus megalotis), a threatened antelope living in arid hills of the Horn of Africa, where tree cover is shrinking because of logging, and overgrazing by livestock. During the cool season (Nov.–Mar.; mean midday temperature: 28.5 °C), beira did not particularly seek shade, and alternated in the course of the day between short phases of activity and rest (median duration in Dec.–Feb.: 57.5 and 42.5 min, respectively). In contrast, during the hot season (May–Sep.; mean midday temperature: 39.1 °C), beira often foraged in a hill's shade, and midday resting phases were especially long (median duration in May–Jul.: 280 min) and spent in the shade of trees, or of rock shelters when available in the home range. Because of reduced diurnal movements when temperature was high, beira home ranges were smaller during the hot than during the cool season (mean ± SE: 0.25 ± 0.05 km2 in May–Jul. vs 0.42 ± 0.10 km2 in Dec.–Feb.). Whatever the season, beira mainly used areas supporting trees. The obtained results suggest that the decrease of tree cover in the areas inhabited by the beira constitutes a threat for the species survival.  相似文献   

13.
Studies of breeding birds and small mammals were conducted at a series of sites that form a gradient of severity of desertification. Desert grassland sites represented the least changed landscape units and mesquite coppice dunes represented the most severe degradation, an irreversibly degraded landscape unit. The hypothesis that desertification reduces species diversity was not supported by the data. Species richness and diversities (Shannon-Weaver H′) of breeding birds were higher in the desertified areas than in the grassland with one exception. Data from a site dominated by the exotic African grass,Eragrostis lehmanniana, in south-eastern Arizona showed that breeding bird diversity was lower at that site than at a site in the same region that was dominated by native grasses. Species richness, diversity (H′), and abundance of small mammals were also higher in desertified areas than in desert grassland. Most grassland species of birds and mammals persist in the desertified habitats and species that are characteristic of shrublands colonize desertified desert grasslands. This accounts for the increases in species richness. However some species such as the banner-tailed kangaroo rat,Dipodomys spectabilis, are eliminated when grassland degrades to mesquite coppice dune or eroded creosotebush communities. These data suggest that other measures of faunal biodiversity such askeystone speciesmay be better measures of the impact of desertification on animal biodiversity.  相似文献   

14.
We studied in Opuntia tomentosa the effect of plant shade (orientation and distance), and the place where the seeds remained before germination. Seeds were collected in 1998 and a) sown immediately on soil (non-buried seeds), b) stored in the laboratory and sown on soil during the 1999 rainy season (control) or c) buried after collection (under the shade of a tree, a rock and in an open space), exhumed 7 months later and sown in 1999 (exhumed seeds). Seeds were sown under or outside the shade of several trees; or on the northern, eastern and western sides of a 14-m-tall tree. In 1999, germination was high in all samples, but the control seeds had delayed germination. After two rainy seasons, non-buried seeds had the lowest germination rate. Germination was not affected by the distance from the tree. Outside of the plant's shade, germination was low. Germination was affected more by the environmental heterogeneity than by the individual plant shade. Germination probabilities were the highest at 16–19 °C; field germination was zero at 20.6 °C. Seed polymorphism and microenvironmental heterogeneity spread germination across two rainy seasons creating a permanent seed bank.  相似文献   

15.
This article reviews and analyzes the available information on range and livestock production in the Monte Desert. Cow–calf operations, goats for meat, and sheep for wool are the dominant production systems under continuous grazing. Rest-rotational grazing systems improved the efficiency of the current cow–calf production. Forage resources are primarily composed of perennial grasses and woody species. Rain-use efficiency for the total vegetation ranged from 3.9 to 4.8 kg DM ha?1 year?1 mm?1. Carrying capacity showed a broad range: 18.7, 4.5–64.5, and 21.6–89.3 ha AU?1 in the north, central, and south portions of the Monte, respectively. Mean crude protein (CP) content of grasses varied from 8.4 to 10.3 (wet season) and 7.1–3.7% DM (dry season) in the central west and Patagonia, respectively. Grasses predominated in the cattle diet, while the sheep diet was highly diverse because they ate most of the available plant species, and there was no unanimity as to the fact that goats are strictly browsers. Livestock diseases have lower prevalence indices than those recorded in other areas of the country. The high variability in carrying capacity values could be attributed to differences in rangeland condition and to the different methods used for its estimation. The CP levels in forage could meet cattle requirements provided that a proper-stocking rate were used. The most promising species for land rehabilitation are Opuntia, Atriplex spp., Eragrostis curvula and Cenchrus ciliaris. Priorities for future research should include topics such as assessment of the carrying capacity for most of the areas and nutrient content of the components of livestock diet, the livestock intake values, the economic feasibility of the use of complementary feeds and the development of seeding technology for valuable forage resources as Trichloris crinita, among others.  相似文献   

16.
Elkhorn and staghorn corals (Acropora palmata, Acropora cervicornis) were listed as threatened species under the Endangered Species Act in 2005. The decline of these species beginning in the late 1970s is unprecedented given the vital role they historically played as major builders of western Atlantic and Caribbean coral reefs. The goal of this study was to create potential-habitat maps for A. palmata and A. cervicornis that would show areas in which these species currently exist, as well as areas that would be suitable for their (re)establishment, using a database of reported in situ observations and existing mapped data. Using the mapped coral reef and hardbottom classifications throughout the Florida reef tract, potential-habitat maps were generated using buffers that incorporated 95% and 99% of reported observations of colonies of Acropora spp. The potential-habitat maps were produced based on benthic substrates throughout the Florida reef tract using GIS software. Locations of 99% of A. palmata observations and 84% of A. cervicornis observations coincided with previously mapped coral reef or hardbottom habitat. These results indicate that potential habitat for A. palmata is currently well defined and that potential habitat for A. cervicornis is more variable and has a wider range than that for A. palmata. This study provides a novel method of combining datasets at various geographic spatial scales and may be used to inform the current NOAA critical habitat map. One of the most important differences between the current NOAA critical habitat map and the new potential-habitat map is observed in the southeast Florida region, where A. cervicornis appears to be thriving outside of mapped reef areas and at latitudes considered marginal for hermatypic corals. Thus, the potential habitat extends further north than the previous critical habitat - and encompasses additional habitat for A. cervicornis and potentially for A. palmata.  相似文献   

17.
The ecological consequences of grassland afforestation in arid/semiarid sandy regions are not well known with respect to tree species and stand age. The present study quantifies the changes in above- and belowground carbon (C) stocks following afforestation in the southeastern Keerqin Sandy Lands with species of Mongolian pine and poplar. We studied 15-, 24-, and 30-year-old Mongolian pine plantations, 7-, 11-, and 15-year-old poplar plantations, and adjacent grasslands. The results show that total ecosystem C stocks increased following grassland afforestation. Aboveground C stocks increased at a rate of 2.75 Mg C ha−1 yr−1 in the poplar plantations, and 1.06 Mg C ha−1 yr−1 in the Mongolian pine plantations. Mineral soil C stocks decreased during the early stage of forest establishment, but recovered with increasing stand age. Root C stock increased significantly in the Mongolian pine plantations, but the poplar plantations showed no such increase relative to the grassland. Our results indicate that afforestation of the grassland in the southeastern Keerqin Sandy Lands would sequester more C than would continuous grassland. Tree species selection and stand developmental age should be considered in planning future afforestation projects.  相似文献   

18.
We investigated the impact of African elephants (Loxodonta africana) on the structure and composition of Acacia tortilis woodland in northern Gonarezhou National Park, southeast Zimbabwe. A. tortilis woodland was stratified into high, medium and low elephant utilisation categories based on evidence of elephant habitat use as determined through dung-count surveys in relation to distance of woodland patches from perennial and natural surface water sources. The following variables were recorded in each study plot: tree height, species name, number of species, plant damage, basal circumference and number of stems per plant. A total of 824 woody plants and 26 woody species were recorded from the sampled A. tortilis woodland patches. Mean tree densities, basal areas, tree heights and species diversity were lower in areas with medium and high elephant utilisation as compared to low elephant utilisation areas. Plants damaged by elephants increased with increasing elephant utilisation. The study findings suggest that A. tortilis woodland is gradually being transformed into an open woodland. We recommended that protected area management in arid and semi-arid areas should consider (i) formulating clear thresholds of potential concern to allow for the conservation of sensitive woodlands such as A. tortilis woodlands and (ii) establishing long-term vegetation monitoring programmes.  相似文献   

19.
Throughout the western United States, the invasive annual grass, medusahead (Taeniatherum caput-medusae L. Nevski), is rapidly invading grasslands once dominated by native perennial grasses, such as bluebunch wheatgrass (Pseudoroegneria spicata (Pursh) A). It is also invading grasslands dominated by less undesirable invasive annual grasses, especially cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.). Understanding medusahead growth dynamics relative to native perennial grasses and cheatgrass is central to predicting and managing medusahead invasion. We hypothesized that medusahead would have a higher relative growth rate (RGR), a longer period of growth, and as a consequence, more total biomass at the end of the growing season than the native perennial grass and cheatgrass. In 2008 (dry conditions), 250 seeds and in 2009 (wet conditions), 250 and 100 seeds of each species were sown in 1 m2 plots with 5 replicates. Shoots were harvested on 3-25 day intervals throughout the growing season. The native perennial grass had more biomass and higher RGR than medusahead in the dry year, but the relationship was reversed in the wet year. Precipitation in 2008 was well-below average and this level of drought is very infrequent based on historical weather data. Medusahead had a longer period of growth and more total biomass than cheatgrass for both years. We expect that medusahead will continue to invade both native perennial and less undesirable invasive annual grasslands because of its higher RGR and extended period of growth.  相似文献   

20.
Following the southward shift of rainfall isolines in the Sahel at the end of the 1960s, Gerbillus nigeriae appeared in northern Senegal in the mid-1990s, and two resident Gerbillidae (Taterillus pygargus and Taterillus gracilis) subsequently declined. We investigated the causal role of the capacity to conserve water in such climate-related shifts in the distribution of these Gerbillidae by comparing the effects of a water-poor diet on the water-efflux rate (W−out) of freshly trapped adults pre-acclimatized to a water-rich diet. During the 12-day period of water restriction in all species, 30-50% of individuals became hyperactive and showed greater weight loss and higher W−out than the remaining inactive individuals. Such emergence of migratory strategists within populations could accelerate the expansion of G. nigeriae. On a water-poor diet, T. gracilis showed a lower capacity to conserve water (higher W−out) than T. pygargus and G. nigeriae, in both inactive (W−out = 44.5 ± 1.8 vs 29.6 ± 0.8 vs 27.4 ± 0.7 ml kg−0.82.day−1, respectively) and hyperactive individuals (W−out = 60.4 ± 1 vs 45.4 ± 0.7 vs 44 ± 0.8 ml kg−0.82.day−1, respectively). We propose that the capacity to conserve water accounted for both expansion of G. nigeriae and decline of T. gracilis, whereas competition between T. pygargus and G. nigeriae could account for the decline of T. pygargus.  相似文献   

设为首页 | 免责声明 | 关于勤云 | 加入收藏

Copyright©北京勤云科技发展有限公司  京ICP备09084417号