Effects of management intensity on land snails in Swiss nutrient-poor pastures

The influence of management intensity on the richness, abundance and composition of land snail species was examined in 21 calcareous, nutrient-poor cattle pastures in the northwestern Jura mountains, Switzerland. Grazing intensity was positively correlated with the extent of fertilization of the pastures. Pastures without fertilizer application and with low grazing intensity harboured more snail species and more threatened snails than pastures with annual addition of manure or pastures with manure and nitrogen fertilizer and higher grazing intensity. Fewer snail individuals, open-land species and open-land individuals were found on pastures with high than on pastures with low management intensity. To preserve the threatened snail species in dry, nutrient-poor grasslands, a network of pastures should be managed without fertilization and grazing intensity should not exceed 180 LU ha⁻¹ d (product of livestock units per hectare and grazing days).     

The influence of grassland management on ground beetles (Carabidae, Coleoptera) in Swiss montane meadows

Effects of grassland management type and intensity on carabid species richness, number of individuals and species composition were studied in the Swiss Prealps. Carabids were censused in 2001 and 2002 in 21 mown and 20 grazed meadows by means of pitfall traps.Mean species richness was significantly higher in mown plots than in grazed plots and species composition was significantly different between these two management types. Additionally, different species characteristic for mown and grazed plots were found. These results suggest that mown meadows and grazed meadows represent two habitat types for carabid beetles.Within both habitats, management intensity was quantified by fertilizing intensity, the number of cuts, cattle density and/or grazing intensity. The relationship between management intensity and the number of individuals and species was positive. Higher fertilizing intensity was the most important factor for higher species richness and had a significant influence on species composition in both habitats. Other variables positively related to the number of individuals, were the number of cuts in mown meadows and grazing intensity and altitude in grazed meadows. Additionally to fertilizing intensity, cattle density was positively related to the number of species in grazed meadows. These results illustrate that in the extensive management systems found in the Swiss Alps and Prealps, even intensively managed meadows can sustain high carabid diversity and abundance.     

Positive long-term effect of mulching on species and functional trait diversity in a nutrient-poor mountain meadow in Central Europe

Oligotrophic mountain meadows are threatened biodiversity hotspots throughout Europe. The traditional summer hay-making followed by autumn grazing is no longer economic and question is whether alternative managements can maintain both plant species and functional diversity typical of these habitats. In the Bohemian Forest Mts., we applied three treatments (mowing once a year - i.e., cutting and removing the biomass, mulching once a year - cutting and leaving the crushed biomass to decompose in situ, fallowing - no cutting) in order to assess temporal changes in meadow vegetation, plant trait composition and biomass production in a 13-year experiment. We recorded for each species twenty-five traits as to be most informative of plant strategies related to growth, resource acquisition and carbon-water economy. We compared different components of trait composition (community averages that mostly reflect traits of dominant species vs. the Rao index of functional diversity that reflects trait dissimilarity among species) and their impact on biomass production. We show that mulching promotes species and functional diversity by facilitating heliophilous forbs and legumes with more acquisitive strategies in resource use and release, e.g., higher foliar N and P content. This occurs at the expense of tall grasses (with resource-retentive strategies, e.g., high leaf dry matter content) which dominate the mown and fallow plots. The divergence in most quantitative traits indicates that niche complementarity is the dominant assembly process in mulched plots, which can prevent competitive exclusion and enable species coexistence. The divergent development was detected only after 5-6 years. This slow floristic and functional response is caused by acidity of soil and severe mountain climate that preclude rapid responses of vegetation to land-use changes. We conclude that mulching represents a good compromise maintaining both plant species and functional diversity as well as a relatively high biomass production. Mowing without grazing leads to gradual nutrient loss and thus reduces the productivity and diversity in these oligotrophic ecosystems. Fallowing causes gradual loss in diversity by increased grass competition and litter accumulation.     

Effect of dung deposition on small-scale patch structure and seasonal vegetation dynamics in mountain pastures

Cattle activity greatly influences plant species composition and biomass production of grassland ecosystems. Dung deposition by cattle together with grazing and trampling can be considered as one of the important factors driving vegetation dynamics in pastures. The objective of this study was to investigate at 10-cm and 1-month resolution the plant community dynamics induced by dung deposition in two plant communities (a mesotrophic and an oligotrophic grassland) in a pasture of the Swiss Jura Mountains. Vegetation was sampled four or three times during the vegetation period in contiguous 10 cm × 10 cm quadrats from the centre of the dung pat to a distance of 60 cm. A lower grazing intensity near the dung pat was recorded for all observation periods. In the mesotrophic grassland the canopy was higher near the dung pat already one week after dung deposition. Vegetation around dung pats was submitted to two opposite fertilizing and grazing gradients, which induced changes in vegetation texture and structure at fine scale and short term. We observed a positive rank correlation between species turnover and distance to the dung for both communities, suggesting a seasonal stabilizing effect of dung on the plant composition of their direct surroundings (0–10 cm) likely due to cattle avoidance. Since dung pats are dropped every year in different locations, they create in the pasture a shifting mosaic of nutrient availability and grazing intensity inducing at seasonal scale micro-successions in plant communities.     

The role of plant leaf attributes in linking land use to ecosystem function in temperate grassy vegetation

We tested predictions of the relative changes in plant leaf traits in response to land uses in Australian eucalypt grassy ecosystems. Predictions were determined from responses observed in European landscapes in relation to disturbances associated with agricultural land uses. We measured specific leaf area (SLA) and leaf dry matter content (LDMC) across five land uses: reference sites (closest to pre-European state), native pastures (unfertilized), fertilized pastures, sown pastures (cultivated and fertilized) and enriched grassland (previously fertilized, no longer grazed). Leaves were expected to have higher SLA and lower LMDC at sites with increasing fertility and/or disturbance.The predictions were confirmed, with SLA increasing progressively in land uses associated with (1) grazing; (2) grazing and fertilization; (3) grazing, fertilization and cultivation. Values for LDMC were closely (but inversely) correlated with those of SLA. For both traits, there were relationships with available soil phosphorus but not with soil total nitrogen. The positive correlation of SLA with phosphorus was not evident above 30 mg kg⁻¹, the recommended level of phosphorus for improved pastures.Results confirm patterns of leaf-trait response to disturbance that reflect fundamental constraints to plant survival in habitats with different levels of resources and disturbances. A conservative strategy for low productivity undisturbed habitats is associated with low SLA and high dry matter content in contrast to fertile disturbed habitats which select for high SLA and low dry matter content. The changes in leaf traits across land uses resulted from species substitution rather than variation within species across sites, and most notably the replacement of native by annual exotic species as land use intensifies.Recommended fertilization rates for pasture production convert the ground layer to plants with soft, digestible leaves, that are responsive to fertilizer and desirable for livestock production. However, fertilization also drastically reduces the diversity of native plants and annual plants tend to dominate. The trade-off associated with high production includes increased vulnerability to soil erosion, due to reduced plant cover and low persistence of cover. If alternative ecosystem values such as erosion control, water quality, salinity control and biodiversity persistence are required, incentives may be needed to offset the loss of production that can be gained from fertilizer application.     

Comparison of biomass production and biological nitrogen fixation of multi-species pastures (mixed herb leys) with perennial ryegrass-white clover pasture with and without irrigation in Canterbury, New Zealand

Legume-based pastures in Australasia are predominantly perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) and white clover (Trifolium repens L.). These pastures have disadvantages such as limitations in the production and persistence of white clover and ryegrass in drought prone regions. With the increasing interest in organic agriculture, more complex pasture mixtures are seen as an alternative to the standard ryegrass-white clover (RWC) pasture. Although anecdotal evidence exists to support the benefits of alternative pastures, there is insufficient scientific evidence to support or refute these claims. The present study was conducted to compare three different alternative multi-species (mixed herb leys) (MSP) pastures with the standard RWC pasture with and without irrigation, in terms of biomass and biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) over a period of 1 year under field conditions in Canterbury, New Zealand. Isotopic dilution technique involving field ¹⁵N-microplots were used to measure BNF. Irrigation doubled dry matter yields (DMY) of all pastures compared with those under dryland. There was no significant difference between DMY of all pastures under dryland. However, under irrigation, MSP pastures out-yield RWC pasture in total and legume DMY. Red clover MSP produced significantly lower DMY than the comprehensive or lucerne MSP treatment, probably due to the ability of lucerne in extracting water from deeper soil depth. Seasonal changes in plant composition varied according to the species sown, soil moisture status and temperature. Total and seasonal amounts of N₂ fixed followed the same trend as the DMY and were related to the DMY of legumes. On average, about 26–34 kg N was fixed per tonne of legume DMY, showing a uniformity across all pastures. Overall, based on the present results of 1-year study, the MSP pastures tend to result in higher DMY, BNF and legume growth compared with that of the RWC pasture, provided irrigation is available. With increased BNF, these irrigated MSP pastures may provide high quality feed to grazing animals.     

Urbanization reduces resource use efficiency of phytoplankton community by altering the environment and decreasing biodiversity

Urbanization often exerts multiple effects on aquatic and terrestrial organisms, including changes in biodiversity, species composition and ecosystem functions. However, the impacts of urbanization on river phytoplankton in subtropical urbanizing watersheds remain largely unknown. Here, we explored the effects of urbanization on phytoplankton community structure（i.e., biomass, community composition and diversity） and function（i.e., resource use efficiency） in a subtropical river at watershed sca...     

水体及沉积物氮磷水平对附植藻类的影响

为了探讨湖泊富营养化过程中沉积物及水体氮、磷浓度对附植藻类的影响,通过室内模拟实验,研究了水体及沉积物氮、磷升高对苦草(Vallisnerianatans(Lour.) Hara)上附植藻类生长、群落组成及其体内氮、磷含量的影响.结果表明,在实验条件下,随着水中氮、磷含量升高,附植藻类生物量及附植藻类氮、磷含量均呈极显著增加(p0.01).随着水体可获得的氮、磷浓度升高,附植藻类的相对丰度有所变化,舟形藻(Navicula)、小球藻(Chlorella)及微囊藻(Microcystis)相对丰度随着氮、磷水平的升高而下降,直链藻(Melosira)则相反,但舟形藻、直链藻、微囊藻、小环藻(Cyclotella)和小球藻均为群落的优势属种.沉积物氮、磷含量升高对附植藻类生物量、优势种丰度及群落氮、磷含量影响较小,均未达到显著水平(p0.05).在实验条件下,沉积物氮、磷含量对附植藻类影响不大,而水体氮、磷浓度升高显著地促进了附植藻类生长.研究结果也为解释富营养化湖泊沉水植物衰退及消亡提供了一定的科学依据.     

不同放牧强度对红三叶、黑麦草草地植被和土壤养分的影响

对不同放牧强度下草地植物和土壤的变化规律进行了研究，结果表明：３年强度放牧使土壤的全氮含量和草地的组成和结构发生了较大的变化，使牧草产量下降１７．１％，草地主要种红三叶的重要值降低了３３．８％，均质度系数增加５１．１％，土壤的氮磷比升高１．３。轻度放牧使草地全氮含量降低０．０９６％，红三叶的均质度系数增加２１．０％。中度放牧并未使草地牧草产量和红三叶的重要值降低，同时使草地红三叶均质度系数保持在远低于１．０水平以下，但使土壤全氮含量下降０．０８５％。根据以上结果，中度放牧是保持草地持续高产的最好的放牧管理选择。     

不同放牧强度对红三叶、黑麦草草地植被和土壤养分的影响

对不同放牧强度下草地植物和土壤的变化规律进行了研究，结果表明：３年强度放牧使土壤的全氮含量和草地的组成和结构发生了较大的变化，使牧草产量下降１７．１％，草地主要种红三叶的重要值降低了３３．８％，均质度系数增加５１．１％，土壤的氮磷比升高１．３。轻度放牧使草地全氮含量降低０．０９６％，红三叶的均质度系数增加２１．０％。中度放牧并未使草地牧草产量和红三叶的重要值降低，同时使草地红三叶均质度系数保持在远低于１．０水平以下，但使土壤全氮含量下降０．０８５％。根据以上结果，中度放牧是保持草地持续高产的最好的放牧管理选择。     

Subhumid pasture plant communities entrained by management

Many annual cropping lands are being converted to perennial pasture in humid and subhumid areas of the USA as the economic, social, and environmental benefits of managed grazing become evident. Recent evidence about the positive effects of plant diversity on productivity is driving farmers towards management for more complex species mixes than were promoted historically for grazed pastures, but this emphasis has highlighted a lack of understanding about plant community management in pastures. To better understand this system we examined sources of variability in the plant community of a subhumid grassland that was subjected to combinations of disturbance (graze or burn), and amendment (nitrogen, carbon, or ambient), and native grass seeding treatments over 3 years (2004 to 2006). We estimated species cover five times during the study period and ordinated these data with nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMS). The ordination explained 80% of the variation in the plant community data set. Variance in ordination site scores was ascribed to management (disturbance, soil amendment, and native grass seeding time), the environment (year, season within year, and block), or unexplained (residual) realms with a linear mixed-effects model. The overwhelming source of variability in the plant community (62–99%) was attributed to management. Ordination results illustrated that plant groups sorted out along management gradients: burned plots were shifted towards grasses while forbs and clovers were associated with grazed plots. We demonstrate how a community-level approach can be used to evaluate management regimes in agroecosystems. Our results indicate that disturbance and soil amendments can be used to shape plant communities in subhumid grasslands for specific agronomic and conservation goals.     

近40年深圳大鹏湾海域赤潮发生规律及其演变机制分析

对我国典型赤潮高发区深圳大鹏湾海域自1980至2018年的赤潮发生记录进行统计和分析,并对1991－2018年间大鹏湾盐田附近海域氮、磷及可溶性硅的年际变化和月变化进行了分析。分析结果表明,大鹏湾海域赤潮次数分布、赤潮生物演变均与营养盐变化直接相关,2000年以后,氮、磷降低是赤潮减少的主要原因;大鹏湾海域春季赤潮频发也与该季节营养盐较高有关;且硅藻几乎从大鹏湾海域赤潮生物中消失,无机氮、磷酸盐及可溶性硅的降低是导致海域赤潮生物演变的主要原因,甲藻由于可以在营养限制的条件下采用各种应对机制,故而成为海域占主导地位的赤潮优势种。     

Small-scale response of plant species to land-use intensification

Plant communities are affected by land-use and landscape heterogeneity and can be used as indicators of environmental change. At small-scale, species composition and species richness of plant communities are influenced by local environment and by diaspores from the surroundings. Thus, they reflect the influence of both land-use type and land-use diversity. Plant community composition was studied along a gradient of agricultural disturbance in the Morvan Regional Natural Park (Burgundy, France). Six landscape units of 1 km² were selected along a range of increasing land-use intensity. Sixteen 0.2 m² sampling plots per unit were selected according to a grid-based design to estimate the percent cover of all plant species. Pattern analysis showed that local species richness increased from woodland to crop to grassland, and also increased with land-use diversity. Local plant biodiversity was maximized under intermediate disturbance intensity and minimized at low (woodland) and high (crop) disturbance levels.     

Comparison of riparian plant communities under four land management systems in southwestern Wisconsin

Riparian plant community composition is influenced by moisture, erosion, original native plant communities, and current and past land use. This study compared riparian plant communities under four types of management: woody buffer strip, grassy buffer strip, rotational grazing, and continuous grazing. Study sites were located along spring-fed streams in the unglaciated region of southwestern Wisconsin, USA. At each site, plant community surveys were conducted using a point transect method. Among the treatments, woody buffer strips, rotationally grazed and continuously grazed riparian areas had greater plant species richness than grassy buffer strips, and woody buffer strips had the greatest native plant species richness. Reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) was prevalent in grassy buffer strips (44% of all observations), common in woody buffer strips (15%), and rare in sites that were rotationally or continuously grazed (3 and 5%, respectively). Pasture sites had greater proportions of native grasses and grass relatives and moderate levels of overall native species richness. Considered a water quality best management practice, well-managed rotational grazing may be a reasonable alternative to buffer strips which can contribute to protection and enhancement of native vegetation biodiversity.     

Overstorey tree density and understorey regrowth effects on plant composition,stand structure and floristic richness in grazed temperate woodlands in eastern Australia

As natural woodlands decline in both extent and quality worldwide, there is an increasing recognition of the biodiversity conservation value of production landscapes. In low-input, low-productivity grazing systems in Australia, the modification of natural woodlands through overstorey tree and woody regrowth removal are vegetation management options used by landholders to increase native grass production for livestock grazing; however, there is little empirical evidence to indicate at what tree densities biodiversity attributes are compromised. We examined the effects of overstorey tree density and understorey regowth on the floristic composition, stand structure and species richness of eucalypt woodlands in a grazing landscape in the Traprock region of southern Queensland, Australia. We sampled 47 sites stratified according to vegetation type (Eucalyptus crebra/Eucalyptus dealbata woodland; Eucalyptus melliodora/Eucalyptus microcarpa grassy woodland), density of mature trees (<6 trees/ha; 6–20 trees/ha; >20 trees/ha), and presence/absence of regrowth. Distinct patterns in composition were detected using indicator species analysis and non-metric multidimensional scaling, with low density areas compositionally indistinguishable, although distinct from other land management units. Within vegetation type, medium tree density woodlands were compositionally similar to high density and reference woodlands. Species richness ranged from 18 to 67 species per 500 m² across all sites. No differences in total or native species richness were detected across management units; however, some differences in exotic species richness were detected. Differences in grass cover existed between low and high density management units, yet no difference in grass cover was evident between low and medium density management units. Our results suggest that medium tree densities may provide biodiversity benefits concordant with more natural areas, yet not adversely impact on pasture production. Retaining trees in grazing landscapes provides significant landscape heterogeneity and important refuges for species that may be largely excluded from open grassland habitats. Maintaining a medium density of overstorey trees in grazed paddocks can provide both production and biodiversity benefits.     

Adaptation of plant functional group composition to management changes in calcareous grassland

It is the aim of plant functional research to generate general rules of species assembly and species reactions based on plant functional traits. Here we determined plant functional groups that are important with regard to land use types (grazing, mowing, mulching, burning, abandonment) and looked for mechanisms leading to changes in species composition after management changes in calcareous grasslands.To filter out the set of traits which best described the variation in plant composition along the studied land use gradient and to identify functional groups we chose an iterative three-table ordination method. We included traits related to persistence as well as traits describing the germination niche of a plant. To gain insight into underlying mechanisms which led to differing importance of these plant functional groups at different management regimes we investigated shifts in dominance of the identified functional groups at eight management regimes using long-term vegetation data of a site which was grazed before the onset of different management regimes in 1974. Ongoing unidirectional changes in cover of the four determined functional groups at most of the treatments indicated that even after almost 30 years new equilibria of functional group composition were still not reached.The study showed that other management treatments but grazing and mowing led to changes in functional group composition, which were mainly driven by increasing dominance of a highly competitive species group.     

长期开垦与放牧对内蒙古典型草原地下碳截存的影响

以围封26 a草地(E26)为对照,研究了内蒙古典型草原区长期开垦与放牧对土壤-植物根系系统碳截存的影响.结果表明,0～40 cm土壤和根系中的C贮量, E26(7 307.59和950.32 g·m-2)≈连续放牧草地(LG)(7834.01和843.43 g·m-2)>开垦35 a耕地(LC)(4537.04和277.35 g·m-2). E26、LG和LC中,0～40 cm土壤贮存的C分别占各自土壤-根系系统C总贮量的88.49%、90.28%和94.24%.长期开垦完全破坏了草地原生的植被-土壤系统,造成严重的土壤风蚀:相对于E26,比中O～10 cm和10～20 cm砂粒含量分别增加了81%和39%,0～40 cm土层中根系生物量减少了71%;长期开垦导致草地土壤及根系碳截存分别降低了37.9%和70.8%.因此,在草原地区,若将长期开垦的耕地恢复为天然草地,土壤和植物根系将会有较大的固碳潜力.放牧对该区土壤有机碳含量及根系生长的影响较小;但长期放牧样地土壤表层容重显著增加,预示目前放牧压力已达到或接近草地的承载阈值,应及时减小放牧压力以避免草地的进一步退化.     

太湖微囊藻毒素年变化及其与浮游生物的关系

应用酶联免疫吸附法,对太湖 6 个样点进行了为期 1 年的微囊藻毒素(MC)的监测,探讨了微囊藻毒素随时间变化的趋势及其与浮游生物的关系.结果表明,微囊藻毒素在湖体中的全年变化趋势和藻类生长繁殖的全年变化趋势有共同之处,均表现为夏、秋季高.但微囊藻毒素含量的峰值比藻类生物量的峰值略有滞后,并且在夏、秋季藻毒素含量总体水平较高的时期内,有明显的起伏;微囊藻毒素含量与蓝藻生物量呈高度相关,如果该样点藻类优势种为蓝藻,则微囊藻毒素含量与藻类总生物量亦相关;和浮游植物存在捕食关系的浮游动物(轮虫和原生动物)与藻毒素含量也存在相关性.     

Sown species richness and realized diversity can influence functioning of plant communities differently

Biodiversity–ecosystem functioning experiments (BEF) typically manipulate sown species richness and composition of experimental communities to study ecosystem functioning as a response to changes in diversity. If sown species richness is taken as a measure of diversity and aboveground biomass production as a measure of community functioning, then this relationship is usually found to be positive. The sown species richness can be considered the equivalent of a local species pool in natural communities. However, in addition to species richness, realized diversity is also an important community diversity component. Realized diversity is affected by environmental filtering and biotic interactions operating within a community. As both sown species richness and the realized diversity in BEF studies (as well as local species pool vs observed realized richness in natural communities) can differ markedly, so can their effects on the community functioning. We tested this assumption using two data sets: data from a short-term pot experiment and data from the long-term Jena biodiversity plot experiment. We considered three possible predictors of community functioning (aboveground biomass production): sown species richness, realized diversity (defined as inverse of Simpson dominance index), and survivor species richness. Sown species richness affected biomass production positively in all cases. Realized diversity as well as survivor species richness had positive effects on biomass in approximately half of cases. When realized diversity or survivor species richness was tested together with sown species richness, their partial effects were none or negative. Our results suggest that we can expect positive diversity–productivity relationship when the local species pool size is the decisive factor determining realized observed diversity; in other cases, the shape of the diversity–functioning relationship may be quite opposite.     

雅江河谷防沙治沙工程近地表特性——林下植被特性、生物结皮及土壤养分变化特征

采用对比分析和时空互代法,从植被配置模式（杨树+砂生槐、砂生槐、花棒、藏沙蒿）、工程年限（6,10,30a）2个方面,研究了雅鲁藏布江（简称雅江）河谷防沙治沙生态工程实施过程中林下植被特性、地表生物结皮及土壤养分等变化特征.结果表明,工程年限为10a的乔灌（杨树+砂生槐）、灌木（砂生槐、花棒）型样地较草本（藏沙蒿）更有利于提高林下植物多样性,且杨树+砂生槐样地的林下植被地上生物量、枯落物量、地下生物量、土壤有机质、全氮与全磷含量均显著高于其他3种样地.藏沙蒿样地的生物结皮最为发育,花棒样地次之,杨树+砂生槐样地无结皮.随年限延长,杨树+砂生槐样地林下植物多样性、枯落物量、地下生物量、土壤有机质、全氮及全磷含量呈增加趋势,生物结皮仅在6a样地中有发育;砂生槐样地地上生物量、地下生物量、生物结皮逐渐增加,但植物多样性、全氮含量呈下降趋势,枯落物量、有机碳及全氮含量呈先增加后减小规律.不同配置模式中,杨树+砂生槐乔灌型样地各项指标综合表现最佳,并随工程年限延长,对促进河谷沙地植被演替、提高植被生产力、提升沙地肥力等作用愈强.建议该区防沙治沙工程中应推广杨树+砂生槐乔灌型模式为主.