Effects of past and present livestock grazing on herpetofauna in a landscape‐scale experiment

Livestock grazing is the most widespread land use on Earth and can have negative effects on biodiversity. Yet, many of the mechanisms by which grazing leads to changes in biodiversity remain unresolved. One reason is that conventional grazing studies often target broad treatments rather than specific parameters of grazing (e.g., intensity, duration, and frequency) or fail to account for historical grazing effects. We conducted a landscape‐scale replicated grazing experiment (15,000 km², 97 sites) to examine the impact of past grazing management and current grazing regimes (intensity, duration, and frequency) on a community of ground‐dwelling herpetofauna (39 species). We analyzed community variables (species richness and composition) for all species and built multiseason patch‐occupancy models to predict local colonization and extinction for the 7 most abundant species. Past grazing practices did not influence community richness but did affect community composition and patch colonization and extinction for 4 of 7 species. Present grazing parameters did not influence community richness or composition, but 6 of the 7 target species were affected by at least one grazing parameter. Grazing frequency had the most consistent influence, positively affecting 3 of 7 species (increased colonization or decreased extinction). Past grazing practice affected community composition and population dynamics in some species in different ways, which suggests that conservation planners should examine the different grazing histories of an area. Species responded differently to specific current grazing practices; thus, incentive programs that apply a diversity of approaches rather than focusing on a change such as reduced grazing intensity should be considered. Based on our findings, we suggest that determining fine‐scale grazing attributes is essential for advancing grazing as a conservation strategy.     

围封6年对温带典型草原坡地物种多样性及其与地上生物量的关系的影响

以内蒙古太仆寺旗地区典型克氏针茅-羊草草原为研究对象,通过调查围封6年后围栏内外典型草原群落特征,分析围封、放牧处理下典型草原植物群落结构及地上生物量的动态变化,揭示围封放牧对植被群落结构、物种丰富度和地上生物量的影响。结果发现,在围封6年后,各功能群物种丰富度与盖度围栏内外的空间变化趋势基本一致。群落物种丰富度和地上生物量均随坡位下降而显著增加,初步显示了物种多样性与生态系统功能的空间变化的一致性。围栏内物种丰富度显著低于围栏外,而地上生物量却显著大于围栏外。围栏内多年生禾草、一年生植物物种丰富度显著低于围栏外,而半灌木盖度、生物量显著高于围栏外。围栏内外在禁牧和放牧不同处理下,表现出不同的草原退化方式：在禁牧条件下,尽管生物量有所恢复,但灌木和半灌木的增加却代表了草原的退化;放牧、刈割等人类活动增加了耐牧物种和不适口植物生长的可能,表现为草原退化指示物种增加,同样是草原退化的表现。围栏外一年生植物盖度和生物量显著高于围栏内,而一年生植物的频数也远远大于围栏内（围栏内外频数比13：71）,且独行菜、猪毛菜等仅出现于围栏外。同时,地上生物量随着物种丰富度的增加而增加,但只有围栏外的关系达到统计显著程度,说明围封调制了生物多样性与生态系统功能的关系。本研究表明,对于干旱半干旱典型草原的恢复,不能简单地采用长期完全禁牧措施,应当根据区域环境、植被以及社会经济情况,制定季节性放牧或者间歇性禁牧的恢复措施,从而保证草场的可持续性恢复利用。     

Examining the relationship between ecosystem structure and function using structural equation modelling: A case study examining denitrification potential in restored wetland soils

An ongoing debate in ecology is the relationship between community or ecosystem structure and function. This relationship is particularly important in restored ecosystems because it is often assumed that restoring ecosystem structure will restore ecosystem functioning, but this assumption is frequently not tested. In this study, we used a novel application of structural equation modelling (SEM) to examine the relationship between ecosystem structure and function. To exemplify how to apply SEM to explore this relationship, we used a case study examining soil controls on denitrification potential (DNP) in two restored wetlands. Our objectives were to examine (1) whether both restored wetland soil ecosystems had similar relationships among soils variables (i.e. similar soil ecosystem structure) and (2) whether the soil variables driving denitrification potential (DNP) were similar at both sites (i.e. the soil ecosystems were functioning in a similar manner). Using the unique ability of SEM to test model structure, we proposed a SEM to represent the soil ecosystem and tested this structure with field data. We determined that the same model structure was supported by data from both systems suggesting that the two restored wetland systems had similar soil ecosystem structure. To test whether both ecosystems were functioning in a similar way, we examined the parameters of each model. We determined that the drivers of DNP function were not the same at both sites. Higher soil organic matter was the most important predictor of higher DNP at both sites. However, the other significant relationships among soils variables were different at each system indicating that the soils were not functioning in exactly the same way at each site. Overall, these results suggest that the restoration of ecosystem structure may not necessarily ensure the restoration of ecosystem functioning. In this study we capitalize on an inherent feature of SEM, the ability to test model structure, to test a fundamental ecological question. This novel approach is widely applicable to other systems and improves our understanding of the general relationship between ecosystem structure and function.