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1.
Soil disturbance is a wildlife habitat management tool that retards succession and promotes early seral vegetation. Our objective was to determine responses of two invasive herbaceous species (Pennisetum ciliare and Salsola iberica) and native perennial grasses to disking on different soils. Two 10 ×40 m plots were delineated within each of 4 blocks on Ramadero loams and 4 blocks on Delmita fine sandy loams. On Delmita soils, canopy cover of P. ciliare, S. iberica, and native perennial grasses averaged across all years was not affected by disking (ANOVA, P>0.05). On Ramadero soils, P. ciliare canopy cover was similar (Tukey's, P>0.05) on control and disked plots for the first 4 years post-disturbance, but P. ciliare cover was 10-fold greater (Tukey's, P=0.02) the 5th year after disking on disked versus control plots. On Ramadero soils, S. iberica canopy cover averaged across all years was 221 times greater (ANOVA, P=0.05) on disked plots than on control plots. Disking did not affect native perennial grass canopy cover. Land managers should consider soil series when disking for wildlife management, as disking disturbance may exacerbate exotic plant ingress and establishment on certain soils.  相似文献   

2.
Impacts of six initial treatments and rainfall on maximum above-ground herbaceous standing crop were assessed in 1978 and annually from 1984 to 1992 in rangelands of east-central semi-arid Argentina. Treatments applied in 1977–1978 were: (1) untreated control; (2) burning; (3) herbicide application (shrub control); (4) Old Field 1 or (5) Old Field 2 (areas previously exposed to different degrees of mechanical soil disturbance for 25 years); and (6) overgrazing. Domestic herbivores were excluded thereafter from all treatments until 1993.During 1984–1992, total above-ground herbaceous standing crop often remained greater in both Old Fields than in the other treatments; highest mean values were 2336 and 1640 kg ha−1for Old Field 1 and Old Field 2 treatments, respectively. Lowest total above-ground standing crops in all treatments (M = 296–475 kg ha−1) occurred in 1989, the year with the lowest annual rainfall (257·5 mm). Desirable perennial grasses contributed most (44–100%) to total herbaceous standing crop in all treatments during the study period. Most of this standing crop was made up of the cool-season grassesPiptochaetium napostaense, Poa ligularis, Stipa clarazii, S. papposaandS. tenuis. Annual rainfall was closely related (p< 0·05) to total herbaceous and desirable perennial grass standing crops in most treatments, and accounted for most of the variation in herbage production between years.  相似文献   

3.
This study assessed the nutritive value of the most important forage species of the Calden forest (central semi-arid La Pampa, Argentina), for samples collected in fall, winter and spring, under grazing conditions and during two successive years, for ranges of good and fair conditions. The crude protein concentration (CP) of short-winter grasses (Piptochaetium napostaense, Poa ligularis, Stipa clarazii and Hordeum stenostachys) was about 10%. Mid-winter grasses (S. tenuissima and S. gynerioides) never reached 6% CP. Summer grasses (Digitaria californica and Trichloris crinita) ranged from 7% to 9% CP. In vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) was similar among short-winter and summer grasses (40–50%). Mid-winter grasses had the lowest IVDMD for all seasons (<40%). Effects of sampling year and range condition on CP were consistently significant only for short-winter grasses. Good condition ranges provide a more acceptable forage supply than fair condition ranges.  相似文献   

4.
In the semi-arid steppe rangelands of Central Turkey, Festuca valesiaca and Thymus sipyleus ssp rosulans have become the dominant species on degraded pastures. We hypothesized that decreases in species richness and abundance are correlated with increasing prevalence of these two species. Therefore, our objectives were to determine whether there are patterns in examined vegetation; how dominant species contribute to these patterns; and how patterns differ between grazed and ungrazed vegetation. We determined that protection from grazing increased species richness. Grazing significantly changed composition through decreasing total plant, forb, grass and F. valesiaca covers, while substantially increasing T. sipyleus cover. Topography, soil and grazing appear to impact the dominance of plant communities where F. valesiaca and T. sipyleus prevail. These two dominant species had a significant effect in shaping vegetation patterns. Based on regression analysis, alterations in species richness with changes in cover of forbs and shrubs were evident, and spatial heterogeneity of F. valesiaca and T. sipyleus indicated unstable vegetative patterns in heavily grazed pastures and successional changes in protected pastures. Our study results identify F. valesiaca and T. sipyleus as indicator species of vegetation suppression in condition assessments of degraded steppe rangelands.  相似文献   

5.
The effect of both a non-prescribed summer fire and grazing at high stocking rate following fire on plant community composition, the frequency of occurrence of bare soil, grasses and shrubs, species diversity and biomass of herbaceous forage were evaluated for three growing seasons after fire. Changes in community composition occurred as a consequence of both fire and grazing. Communities were dominated by unpalatable shrubs and grasses in unburned sites as a result of a long history of overgrazing. Fire contributed to a conversion of those shrublands to communities with a more favourable balance between woody and herbaceous species. The frequency of palatable grasses and herbaceous forage biomass increased by a factor ofc. 3 at the expense of woody vegetation. Grazing after fire had significant positive (i.e. decrease in undesirable grasses) and negative (i.e. increase in bare soil) effects.  相似文献   

6.
The effect of fire on growth of Piptochaetium napostaense, Stipa tenuis, and Stipa gynerioides, three important native perennial grasses in the semi-arid region of central Argentina, was evaluated under different fire temperature regimes: 300–400°C (low temperature regime), 500–600°C (high temperature regime) and no fire (control). Fire treatments were applied with a portable propane plant burner in April and December 1994, May 1995, and January 1996. Overall results indicate that during the first months after fire occurrence, average total green length of S. tenuis, P. napostaense and S. gynerioides tillers was severely reduced (p<0.05) by fire. This effect was more pronounced in plants burned with the high temperature treatment. The observed patterns of response to fire for height of tillers were very similar to those already reported for total green length of tillers. Towards the end of each growth cycle, the number of green leaves per tiller of burned plants of P. napostaense, S. tenuis, and S. gynerioides were similar or greater (p<0.05) than the number of green leaves on tillers of control plants. Relative growth rates for total green length and for height in tillers of burned plants of S. tenuis, P. napostaense and S. gynerioides were greater than in tillers of control plants. Our results indicate that fire affected differentially the growth of the studied species; S. gynerioides was more affected by fire than P. napostaense and S. tenuis. The species most tolerant to fire was P. napostaense.  相似文献   

7.
Restoration treatments are based on the largely untested notion that desired recovery of plant communities following disturbance wouldn’t occur in the absence of active intervention. We identified rate of short-term (10 year) floristic changes following removal of plant functional groups in Wyoming big sagebrush plant communities in 1999-2005 and 2008. Treatments imposed on 6 × 6 m plots were: 1) removal of all plant functional groups, 2) perennial grass removal, 3) shrub removal and 4) control. Our data suggest recovery of the shrub component on shrub removal plots could take decades. Similarly, perennial grass cover and density on perennial grass removal plots was less than half that of unaltered plots 10 years after treatment. When all functional groups were removed, cover of annual forbs, annual grasses, and shrubs returned to unaltered levels within ten years or less. Perennial forbs were unaffected (p > 0.05) by treatment. The fact that natural recovery of some components occurred within a relatively short post-disturbance time interval (i.e. <10 years) suggests that intervention may not be necessary for some functional groups. Restoring shrubs in areas dominated by perennial grasses may require targeted reductions of competing perennial grasses. Conversely, shrub dominance may limit perennial grass re-establishment.  相似文献   

8.
The selective use by cattle of range resources in the Sahel was assessed in terms of quantity and nutritional quality of the herbage grazed and diet selected. Peak standing crop was 1951 kg ha−1dry matter (DM) with 47·9 kg nitrogen (N) ha−1and 7·4 kg phosphorus (P) ha−1. Esophageally fistulated cattle diets were consistently (p<0·05) higher in N, P and organic matter digestibility (OMD) than the herbage grazed. Cattle consumed 48% of the mean annual herbage production. The results indicate grazing ruminants select a higher quality diet from Sahelian rangelands than can be predicted on the basis of pasture evaluation alone. Therefore, the foraging behaviour of the animals needs to be considered in the evaluation of Sahelian rangelands for animal production.  相似文献   

9.
Analysis of raudhas vegetation in central Saudi Arabia   总被引：2，自引：0，他引：2  
The present study analyses the vegetation of three raudhas in central Saudi Arabia (Kharj, Khuraim and Binban). Seventy-five stands were examined and the martrix of 68 species × 75 stands, based on species cover data, was classified using TWINSPAN and ordinated using DECORANA. Eleven vegetation groups were generated: one dominated byHammada elegansand five dominated byAcaciaspp. (A. iraquensis, A. elatior, A. seyal, A. tortilis-Ziziphus spina-christi-Rhazya strictaandA. abyssinica). TheAcaciaspp. communities represent the climax stage of the xerophytic vegetation in Saudi Arabia and have, in most cases, high species cover and low species diversity. Another five groups are dominated, fully or partly, by species that often inhabit disturbed areas (Prosopis juliflora, Heliotropium bacciferum-Tamarix arabica-Prosopis juliflora-Pulicaria crispa, Ziziphus spinsa-christi-Lagonychium farctum-Alhagi maurorum-Cynodon dactylon, Salsola imbricataandBassia eriophoria-Chloris virgata-Zygophyllum coccineum-Seidlitzia rosmarinus). Many of these groups have low species cover and relatively high species diversity. The effects of environmental factors and human impact on species diversity and abundance of these communities were assessed.  相似文献   

10.
A prescribed burn resulted in significant decreases in canopy cover of the grasses: Bouteloua eriopoda, Sporobolus flexuosus, and Aristida purpurea. One year post-burn, basal cover of B. eriopoda remained significantly lower in burned patches than in unburned areas but there were no differences in basal cover of the other perennial grasses. Only one species of the 14 summer annual species occurred in both burned and unburned plots. There were six species of spring annuals in burned patches but no spring annuals in the unburned grassland ten months post-burn. Fire killed 100% of the snakeweed shrubs (Gutierrezia sarothrae), 77% of the Ephedra torreyana shrubs, and 36% of the Yucca elata. All mesquite shrubs that were top-killed by fire, resprouted one month post-burn. Fire had no effect on abundance and species richness of rodents. There were fewer wolf spider, Geolycosa spp. burrows in burned areas than in unburned grassland. The area and volume of soil in termite galleries and sheeting were significantly larger in the unburned grassland than in the burned areas.  相似文献   

11.
In-stream macrophytes are typically abundant in nutrient-rich chalk streams during the spring and summer months and modify the in-stream environment by altering river flows and trapping sediments. We present results from an inter-disciplinary study of two river reaches in the River Frome catchment, Dorset (UK). The investigation focused on how Ranunculus (water crowfoot), the dominant submerged macrophyte in the study reaches, modified patterns of flow and sediment deposition. Measurements were taken on a monthly basis throughout 2003 to determine seasonal patterns in macrophyte cover, associated changes in the distributions of flow velocities and the character and amount of accumulated fine sediment within stands of Ranunculus.Maximum in-stream cover of macrophytes exceeded 70% at both sites. Flow velocities were less than 0.1 m s− 1 within the stands of Ranunculus and accelerated to 0.8 m s− 1 outside the stands. During the early stages of the growth of Ranunculus, fine sediment mostly accumulated within the upstream section of the plant but the area of fine sediment accumulation extended into the downstream trailing section of the plant later in the growing season. The fine sediment accumulations were dominated by sand (63–1000 μm) with silts and clays (0.37–63 μm) comprising < 10% by volume. The content of organic matter in the accumulated sediments varied within stands, between reaches and through the growing season with values ranging between 9 and 105 mg g− 1 dry weight. At the reach scale the two sites exhibited different growth forms of Ranunculus which created distinctive patterns of flow and fine sediment deposition.  相似文献   

12.
Responses of herbaceous and suffrutescent species to fire, grazing, and presence of Prosopis glandulosa were examined in a Chihuahuan desert grassland in south-central New Mexico. Treatments were assigned randomly to eight 12×8 m plots within each of two blocks. Following fires in June 1995, unfenced plots were exposed to livestock grazing over 4 years. Plots were established that either included or excluded P. glandulosa. Perennial grass cover, primarilyBouteloua eriopoda , decreased by 13% in burned plots but increased 5% in unburned areas. Conversely, perennial forb cover was 4% greater after fire. Perennial grass frequency decreased 30% more and perennial forb frequency increased 10% more following burning. Further, increases in evenness after fire resulted in a 225% increase in species diversity. Grazing also resulted in a decrease in perennial grass cover while frequency decreased 22% more in grazed than ungrazed plots. Only frequency and not cover of perennial forbs and annual grasses increased more following grazing. Presence of P. glandulosa had no differential effect on responses of non-shrub species. Fires were conducted during near drought conditions while grazing occurred during years of precipitation equivalent to the long-term average. Precipitation immediately following fire may be critical for recovery of B. eriopoda -dominated desert grasslands; relationships between fire and post-fire precipitation patterns require future investigation.  相似文献   

13.
Native grass species are being considered in the restoration of degraded rangelands in Tunisia due to the failure of introduced species to adapt to the ecological constraints of the region. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of seed age and seedling depth on emergence and seedling vigor of Stipa lagascae, a perennial bunchgrass that is native to the region and shows promise as a species for restoration purposes. Total emergence percentage of seedlings and the coefficient of rate of emergence (CRE), the seedling vigour as well as above and below-ground biomass were measured. Younger seeds had higher emergence rates than older seeds. However, seed age did not affect variables associated with seedling vigour. Seeding depth significantly affected all parameters tested. A seeding depth of 4–6 cm was found to be optimal.  相似文献   

14.
After-ripening of Cenchrus ciliaris L. spikelets was modelled during storage at various temperatures and equilibrium relative humidities (e.r.h.). At 40 and 50% e.r.h., the rate of after-ripening increased linearly with increase of storage temperature. The highest after-ripening rate was achieved by storing the seeds in 40°C and 50% e.r.h. At 70% e.r.h., however, seeds remained viable at 20 and 30°C but largely failed to after-ripen. Use of the model to predict the storage period required for decreasing dormancy to any desired level is described. The application to re-seeding degraded rangelands in arid areas is discussed.  相似文献   

15.
The aim of this work was to study the effect of controlling jarilla (Larreaspp.), nonforage shrubs for livestock, on two plant communities with different forage production in the arid mid-west of Argentina. Total vegetation cover, forage species cover and carrying capacity were determined during three growing seasons, for cleared and uncleared plots. At the end of the study, significant differences were found in theLarrea cuneifoliacommunity, where average forage species cover increased by 156% over the control, and greater carrying capacity (129%) was also obtained from the cleared treatment. No significant differences were found in theLarrea divaricatacommunity. Data lead us to recommend shrub control as an improvement practice only in areas with low forage species cover and poor carrying capacity.  相似文献   

16.
The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of post-fire defoliation on axillary bud viability and mortality of Piptochaetium napostaense (Speg.) Hack. and Poa ligularis Nees. at different phenological stages. Both species are cool-season perennial native grasses highly preferred by cattle in the semi-arid region of central Argentina. The following treatments were established for each species: no defoliation (control), early-season defoliation (vegetative stage) and late-season defoliation (internode elongation stage). Ten plants were assigned randomly to each treatment. Fire treatment was applied at the end of the annual growing cycle of both species.Our results would suggest that early-season defoliation during the first year after fire might reduce axillary bud viability in P. napostaense and P. ligularis. In addition, P. napostaense was more susceptible to early-season defoliation than P. ligularis. Post-fire defoliation, principally early-season defoliation, might increase plant mortality in P. napostaense, but it does not seem to affect P. ligularis. Therefore, a period with no grazing after fire might be the key factor to protect axillary buds, and subsequently permit the re-establishment of the photosynthetic canopy through the production of new tillers, favouring mainly the persistence of P. napostaense in the community.  相似文献   

17.
We tested the hypothesis that herbivores contribute to feedbacks maintaining arid ecosystems in a degraded state. We studied small mammal herbivory on a subshrub, broom snakeweed (Gutierrezia sarothrae), and perennial grasses at three sites: (1) ungrazed black grama (Bouteloua eriopoda) grassland; (2) grassland degraded by intense short-duration grazing; and (3) mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) coppice dunes. Snakeweed was browsed by herbivores primarily during dry winter months.The average percent of G. sarothrae standing crop biomass removed by browsing was 9.2 in ungrazed grassland, 7.4 in intensely grazed grassland, and 4.1 in the dunes. In ungrazed grassland, an average of 12% of grass cover was harvested by herbivores; in the intensely grazed plots – 80%. Herbivore exclusion plots showed that jackrabbits (Lepus californicus) were the primary browsers on snakeweed and rodents on grasses and G. sarothrae inflorescences. Rodent removal of G. sarothrae inflorescences allows wind dispersal of seeds in disturbed and desertified areas, thereby increasing abundance of this poisonous shrub. Grass-tiller cutting by rodents provides a strong feedback that may be responsible for keeping the grass cover low on the intensely grazed areas. Jackrabbit pruning has little effect on G. sarothrae abundance at any stage of desertification.  相似文献   

18.
As an approach to understand how diurnal and seasonal plant water potentials (Ψ) are related to soil water-content and evaporative demand components, the responses of six thornscrub shrubs species (Havardia pallens, Acacia rigidula, Eysenhardtia texana, Diospyros texana, Randia rhagocarpa, and Bernardia myricaefolia) of the north-eastern region of Mexico to drought stress were investigated during the course of 1 year. All study species showed the typical diurnal pattern of variation in Ψ. That is, Ψ decreased gradually from predawn (Ψpd) maximal values to reach minima at midday (Ψmd) and began to recover in the late afternoon. On a diurnal basis and with adequate soil water-content (>0.20 kg kg−1), diurnal Ψ values differed among shrub species and were negatively and significantly (p<0.001) correlated with air temperature (r=−0.741 to −0.883) and vapor pressure deficit (r=−0.750 to −0.817); in contrast, a positive and significant (p<0.001) relationship was found to exist with relative humidity (r=0.758–0.842). On a seasonal basis, during the wettest period (soil water-content>0.20 kg kg−1), higher Ψpd (−0.10 MPa) and Ψmd (−1.16 MPa) values were observed in R. rhagocarpa, whereas lower figures (−0.26 and −2.73 MPa, respectively) were detected in A. rigidula. On the other hand, during the driest period (soil water-content<0.15 kg kg−1), Ψpd and Ψmd values were below −7.3 MPa; i.e. when shrubs species faced severe water deficit. Soil water-content at different soil layers, monthly mean relative humidity and monthly precipitation were significantly correlated with both Ψpd (r=0.538–0.953; p<0.01) and Ψmd (r=0.431–0.906; p<0.05). Average soil water-content in the 0–50 cm soil depth profile explained between 70% and 87% of the variation in Ψpd. Results have shown that when gravimetric soil water-content values were above 0.15 kg kg−1, Ψpd values were high and constant; below this threshold value, Ψ declined gradually. Among all shrub species, A. rigidula appeared to be the most drought tolerant of the six species since during dry periods it tends to sustain significantly higher Ψpd in relation to B. myricaefolia. The remaining species showed an intermediate pattern. It is concluded that the ability of shrub species to cope with drought stress depends on the pattern of water uptake and the extent to control water loss through the transpirational flux.  相似文献   

19.
A portable wind tunnel was used to test the contribution of biological and physical elements to overall soil aggregation on a soil dominated by biological soil crusts in south-eastern Australia. After moderate disturbance and simulated wind erosion, 90% of surface aggregates on the loamy soil and 76% on the sandy soil were dominated by biological elements (cryptogams). Lower levels of biological bonding were observed on the severely disturbed treatment. Linear regression indicated a significant positive relationship (r2=0·72) between biological soil crust cover and dry aggregation levels greater than 0·85mm. To maintain sediment transport below an erosion control target of 5gm−1s−1 for a 65kmh−1 wind at 10m height, a crust cover of approximately 20% is required. When a multiple regression model which sequentially fitted biological crust cover and dry aggregation greater than 0·85mm was applied to the data, dry aggregation accounted for more of the variation in sediment transport rate than biological crust cover. These data were used to develop a conceptual model which integrates crust cover and dry aggregation, and provides a useful framework within which to predict the likely impacts of changes in soil crust cover and aggregation.  相似文献   

20.
退化沙质草地土壤种子库和地上植被对封育的响应机理   总被引：3，自引：3，他引：0  
从植物种和植物功能类群两个水平系统探讨退化沙质草地土壤种子库和地上植被对短期封育管理响应机理的研究尚不多。以内蒙古东部的科尔沁沙地退化沙质草地为研究对象,采取随机样方法对禁牧6 a的封育区及与其相邻的自由放牧草地的土壤种子库和地上植物群落的物种密度进行了比较研究,草本植物群落被区分为一年生禾本科植物、非禾本科一年生植物和多年生植物3个主要功能类群。利用测定数据,分析研究了短期禁牧封育对土壤种子库和地上群落不同植物种和各植物功能类群的生态恢复作用机理。主要研究结果是：①短期封育显著促进了退化沙质草地植被的生态恢复,但发现土壤种子库和地上植被对禁牧的响应模式和机理存在明显差异,短期禁牧使土壤种子库中所有3个植物功能类群的密度均得到显著提高,而仅提高了地上植被一年生禾本科植物和多年生植物两个类群的密度;相反,禁牧显著提高了地上植被所有3个功能类群的物种丰富度和多样性,仅提高了土壤种子库中多年生植物类群的物种多样性。②短期禁牧显著增加了地上植物群落组成中可食和优良牧草的比例,提高了草地的经济利用价值。主要结论是：短期禁牧封育是一种经济有效的提高退化沙质草地植被多样性、生产力及对植物群落物种组成和草地品质进行优化调控和改良的重要草地管理手段。研究建议,今后应重点开展不同禁牧时间下对退化沙质草地土壤种子库和地上植被多样性、生产力及其物种组成变化影响的长期生态学控制实验研究。  相似文献   

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