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71 results for “grassland management”
Data from: Knowledge co-production with traditional herders on cattle grazing behaviour for better management of species-rich grasslands
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Habitat management interventions for a specialist mid- successional grassland butterfly, the Lulworth Skipper
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Inter-seasonal nitrogen loss with drought depends on fertilizer management in a semi-natural Australian grassland
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Plant diversity enhanced yield and mitigated drought impacts in intensively managed grassland communities
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Data from: Upland Sandpipers select for later time since fire and experience high nest survival in grasslands managed with patch-burn grazing
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Data from: Can the soil seed bank of Rumex obtusifolius in productive grasslands be explained by management and soil properties?
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Effects of Sandplain Grassland Management on Spider Richness and Abundance on Nantucket Island
<p>These data were collected for a 2009 Master's Thesis.</p> <p>Sandplain grassland is a globally rare habitat that is found abundantly on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts. It is disturbance dependent and prescribed burning and mowing are management techniques used to impede shrub encroachment and maintain grassland. We used pitfall traps to investigate the effects of one time burning and mowing, annual mowing, and no management on spider richness and abundance in sandplain grasslands located in the Smooth Hummocks Coastal Preserve on Nantucket Island. In 2352 trap nights, we captured 1663 spiders representing 67 species. Burned treatments had significantly higher abundance because the most abundant species, Pardosa saxatilis (Lycosidae) was almost exclusively captured in burned areas. Accounting for P. saxatilis, abundance and richness were similar across all treatments. Guild structure was also very similar. In a correspondence analysis, we identified species that prefer recently managed grassland and those that prefer less recently managed grassland and conclude that maintaining several treatments in the area increases overall spider diversity. Euryopis gertschi (Theridiidae) was the third most abundant species and is an unusual component to the sandplain grassland species composition.</p> <p>File descriptions:</p> <p>allSpiderData.csv - spider counts by species and trap<br> dataDictionary.csv - Description of variable for all data<br> grassHeight.csv - grass height for transects<br> litterMass.csv - Litter mass from each transect<br> plotData.csv - location information for each plot<br> vegetationData.csv - percent cover for each transect</p>
Ant-hill heterogeneity and grassland management
1. In many grasslands, some ants act as ecological engineers to produce long-lasting soil structures which have a considerable influence on the patterns and dynamics of plant, vertebrate and invertebrate species. They promote species richness and diversity. 2. The yellow meadow ant, Lasius flavus, is the most abundant allogenic ecological engineer in grazed European grasslands, producing vegetated long-lasting mounds. Its ratio of influence to biomass is remarkably high. Grassland restoration projects frequently attempt to re-introduce grasslands on abandoned arable fields. When this ant does not colonise naturally it should be introduced. It probably limits the abundance of grasses in a similar manner to hemi-parasitic plant species. 3. Ant-hills make a distinctive contribution to grassland heterogeneity. Measurements on mounds in a single grassland over 45 years document the dynamics of the same 200+ ant-hills in volume, surface area and basal area. As the mounds aged they increased in size and took over a higher proportion of the grassland surface. Occupied mounds continued to grow, abandoned mounds decreased in volume and some disappeared entirely. 4. Four plant species favoured by the soil heaped by the ants were also monitored. Two woody perennials grew up through heaped soil and two short-lived species colonised its surface. As the mounds became occupied some of these species significantly increased, and when they were abandoned some decreased. 5. In a grassland, the ant-hill population provides a fluctuating subset of plant and animal species which are characteristic of temporary habitats. This seems likely to reduce the rate of local extinctions which might otherwise result from fluctuations in grazing pressure. In conservation settings, ant-hills should be introduced or maintained where possible, and considered in planning grassland maintenance and management.Minhyuk Seo
Data from: Earthworm activity and availability for meadow birds is restricted in intensively managed grasslands
1. Earthworms are an important prey for the endangered meadow birds of north-west Europe. Although intensive grassland management with high manure inputs generally promotes earthworm abundance, it may reduce the effective food availability for meadow birds through desiccation of the topsoil, which causes earthworms to remain deeper in the soil. 2. We studied the response of Red Worm Lumbricus rubellus, a detritivore, and Grey Worm Aporrectodea caliginosa, a geophage, to soil moisture profiles in the field and under experimental conditions. Surfacing earthworms were counted weekly in eight intensively managed grasslands (treated with high inputs of slurry by slit injection) with variable groundwater tables in the Netherlands. At each count, soil penetration resistance, soil moisture tension and groundwater level were measured, while air temperature and humidity were obtained from a nearby weather station. The response to variation in the vertical distribution of soil moisture was also experimentally studied in the two earthworm species. 3. In the field, earthworms' surfacing activity at night was negatively associated with soil moisture tension and positively by relative air humidity. Surprisingly, there was no effect of groundwater level; an important management variable in meadow bird conservation. Under experimental conditions, both L. rubellus and A. caliginosa moved to deeper soil layers (>20 cm) in drier soil moisture treatments, avoiding the upper layer when moisture levels dropped below 30%. 4. Synthesis and applications. We propose that in intensively managed grasslands with slurry application, topsoil desiccation reduces earthworm availability for meadow birds. This can be counteracted by keeping soil moisture tensions of the top soil above -15 kPa. We suggest that the late raising of groundwater tables in spring and the disturbance of the soil by slit injection of slurry increase topsoil desiccation. This decreases earthworm availability when it matters most for breeding meadow birds. Meadow bird conservation will benefit from revised manure application strategies that promote earthworm activity near or at the soil surface.
Data from: Diversifying livestock promotes multidiversity and multifunctionality in managed grasslands
Increasing plant diversity can increase ecosystem functioning,stability, and services in both natural and managed grasslands,but the effects of herbivore diversity, and especially of livestock diversity, remain underexplored. Given that managed grazing is the most extensive land use worldwide, and that land managers can readily change livestock diversity, we experimentally tested how livestock diversification (sheep, cattle, or both) influenced multidiversity (the diversity of plants, insects, soil microbes, and nematodes) and ecosystem multifunctionality (including plant biomass production, plant leaf N and P, above-ground insect abundance, nutrient cycling, soil C stocks, water regulation, and plant–microbe symbiosis) in the world's largest remaining grassland. We also considered the potential dependence of ecosystem multifunctionality on multidiversity. We found that livestock diversification substantially increased ecosystem multifunctionality by increasing multidiversity. The link between multidiversity and ecosystem multifunctionality was always stronger than the link between single diversity components and functions. Our work provides insights into the importance of multitrophic diversity to maintain multifunctionality in managed ecosystems and suggests that diversifying livestock could promote both multidiversity and ecosystem multifunctionality in an increasingly managed world.
Using proxies of microbial community‐weighted means traits to explain the cascading effect of management intensity, soil and plant traits on ecosystem resilience in mountain grasslands
<p>1. Trait-based approaches provide a framework to understand the role of functional biodiversity on ecosystem functioning under global change. While plant traits have been reported as potential drivers of soil microbial community composition and resilience, studies directly assessing microbial traits are scarce, limiting our mechanistic understanding of ecosystem functioning.</p> <p>2. We used microbial biomass and enzyme stoichiometry, and mass-specific enzymes activity as proxies of microbial community-weighted mean (CWM) traits, to infer trade-offs in microbial strategies of resource use with cascading effects on ecosystem resilience. We simulated a drought event on intact plant-soil mesocosms extracted from mountain grasslands along a management intensity gradient. Ecosystem processes and properties related to nitrogen cycling were quantified before, during and after drought to characterize ecosystem resilience.</p> <p>3. Soil microbial CWM traits and ecosystem resilience to drought were strongly influenced by grassland type. Structural equation modelling revealed a cascading effect from management to ecosystem resilience through modifications in soil nutrients, and plant and microbial CWM traits. Overall, our results depict a shift from high investment in extracellular enzymes in nutrient poor soils (oligotrophic strategy), to a copiotrophic strategy with low microbial biomass N:P and low investment in extracellular enzymes associated with exploitative plant traits in nutrient rich soils.</p> <p>4. Microbial CWM traits responses to management intensity were highly related to ecosystem resilience. Microbial communities with a copiotrophic strategy had lower resistance but higher recovery to drought, while microbial communities with an oligotrophic strategy showed the opposite responses. The unexpected trade-off between plant and microbial resistance suggested that the lower resistance of copiotrophic microbial communities enabled plant resistance to drought.</p> <p>5. Synthesis Grassland management has cascading effects on ecosystem resilience through its combined effects on soil nutrients and plant traits propagating to microbial traits and resilience. We suggest that intensification of permanent grassland management and associated increases in soil nutrient availability decreased plant-microbe competition for N under drought through the selection of drought-sensitive microbial communities with a copiotrophic strategy that promoted plant resistance. Including proxies of microbial CWM traits into the functional trait framework will strengthen our understanding of soil ecosystem functioning under global change.</p>
Data from: Flower resource and land management drives hoverfly communities and bee abundance in semi-natural and agricultural grasslands
1. Pollination is a key ecosystem service, and appropriate management, particularly in agricultural systems, is essential to maintain a diversity of pollinator guilds. However, management recommendations frequently focus on maintaining plant communities, with the assumption that associated invertebrate populations will be sustained. 2. We tested whether plant community, flower resources and soil moisture would influence hoverfly (Syrphidae) abundance and species richness in floristically-rich semi-natural and floristically-impoverished agricultural grassland communities in Wales (U.K.), and compared these to two Hymenoptera genera, Bombus and Lasioglossum. Interactions between environmental variables were tested using generalised linear modelling, and hoverfly community composition examined using canonical correspondence analysis. 3. There was no difference in hoverfly abundance, species richness, or bee abundance, between grassland types. There was a positive association between hoverfly abundance, species richness and flower abundance in unimproved grasslands. However, this was not evident in agriculturally improved grassland, possibly reflecting intrinsically low flower resource in these habitats, or the presence of plant species with low or relatively inaccessible nectar resources. There was no association between soil moisture content and hoverfly abundance or species richness. 4. Hoverfly community composition was influenced by agricultural improvement and the amount of flower resource. Hoverfly species with semi-aquatic larvae were associated with both semi-natural and agricultural wet grasslands, possibly because of localised larval habitat. Despite the absence of differences in hoverfly abundance and species-richness, distinct hoverfly communities are associated with marshy grasslands, agriculturally improved marshy grasslands and unimproved dry grasslands, but not with improved dry grasslands. 5. Grassland plant community cannot be used as a proxy for pollinator community. Management of grasslands should aim to maximise the pollinator feeding resource, as well as maintain plant communities. Retaining waterlogged ground may enhance the number of hoverflies with semi-aquatic larvae.
Data from: Higher species richness enhances yield stability in intensively managed grasslands with experimental disturbance
Climate models predict increased frequency and severity of drought events. At an Irish and Swiss site, experimental summer droughts were applied over two successive years to grassland plots sown with one, two or four grassland species with contrasting functional traits. Mean yield and plot-to-plot variance of yield were measured across harvests during drought and after a subsequent post-drought recovery period. At both sites, there was a positive relationship between species richness and yield. Under rainfed control conditions, mean yields of four-species communities were 32% (Wexford, Ireland) and 51% (Zürich, Switzerland) higher than in monocultures. This positive relationship was also evident under drought, despite significant average yield reductions (-27% at Wexford; -21% at Zürich). Four-species communities had lower plot-to-plot variance of yield compared to monoculture or two-species communities under both rainfed and drought conditions, which demonstrates higher yield stability in four-species communities. At the Swiss but not the Irish site, a high degree of species asynchrony could be identified as a mechanism underlying increased temporal stability in four-species communities. These results indicate the high potential of multi-species grasslands as an adaptation strategy against drought events and help achieve sustainable intensification under both unperturbed and perturbed environmental conditions.
Data from: Effects of water level and grassland management on alpha and beta diversity of wet grassland birds in restored wetlands
Nearly 60% of European wetlands have been lost to drainage or to the cessation of grassland management. Large amounts of resources are put into wetland restoration with the aim to recover biodiversity. However, few studies have simultaneously evaluated effects of management, wetness and flooding dynamics on biodiversity of restored wetlands such as seasonally flooded wet grasslands. We inventoried bird communities over 4 years at 137 sites (each 3·1 ha) within five restored wet grassland areas in Sweden to investigate whether species richness and occurrence of 12 common wet grassland species were related to (i) local conditions such as management (grazing, mowing and unmanaged areas), basic wetness and spring flooding dynamics. Further, we investigated whether (ii) the composition of the adjacent landscape (20 ha) related to local bird diversity and (iii) species turnover (i.e. beta diversity) differed between sites characterized by their basic wetness, degree of flooding and predominant management regime. Local species richness was positively linked to degree of flooding and basic wetness of grasslands but not to type of grassland management. Species richness tended also to be negatively linked to proportion of forest at the landscape scale. Although variable, the same results were also true concerning the probability of the occurrence of a single species at the local scale. Species turnover between sites, and thus total species richness, was distinctly higher in (i) grazed as compared to mowed grasslands except in dry non-flooded grasslands and (ii) flooded as compared to non-flooded sites. Similar patterns held for the subset of 12 red-listed species. We suggest that the high beta diversity in grazed and flooded grasslands is driven by the heterogeneous vegetation structure, resulting in good conditions for foraging and nesting for several wet grassland bird species. Synthesis and applications. The selection of wetlands for conserving wet grassland birds should prioritize temporary flooded grasslands of moderate wetness, preferably far from forest edges. Restoration and management of wet grasslands should include water level management, removal of shrubs and trees, and low-intensity grazing, whereas mowing could be used in non-flooded grasslands of low basic wetness.
Data from: Finer-scale habitat predicts nest survival in grassland birds more than management and landscape: a multi-scale perspective
1. Birds may respond to habitat at multiple scales, ranging from microhabitat structure to landscape composition. North American grassland bird distributions predominantly reside on private lands, and populations have been consistently declining. Many of these lands are enrolled in U.S. federal conservation programmes, and properly guided management policies could alleviate declines. However, more evaluative research is needed on the effects of management policies juxtaposed with other multi-scale habitat features. Furthermore, research focused on nest survival is arguably more valuable because habitat associations with avian densities can sometimes be deceptive. 2. We investigated nest survival of a grassland facultative (red-winged blackbird, Agelaius phoeniceus) an obligate species (dickcissel, Spiza americana), and two nesting communities (ground and above-ground nesters) relative to management and multi-scale habitat (nest-site characteristics, in-field microhabitat, patch metrics, and landscape context). Our study was conducted on private lands in Illinois (2011-2014) and directly linked to policy-based management (disking, herbicidal spraying, spray/interseeding) and landowner decisions. 3. Multi-scale models explained more variation in nest survival compared to single scales or management in three of four analyses (blackbirds, dickcissels, and above-ground nesters). Finer-scale habitat variables, such as nest-site characteristics, were more often in top and among the competitive models relative to landscape factors. 4. Compared with other management types, disking (i.e. tractor-pulled disc harrows removed approximately 50% of vegetation) displayed distinct effects and positively influenced nest survival in above-ground nesters. Also, greater proportions of a field managed cumulatively and yearly, regardless of type, generally improved nest survival for dickcissels and above-ground nesters. All groups except above-ground nesters had generally higher nest survival in native grass fields. 5. Synthesis and applications. Habitat practitioners can improve nest survival for certain grassland birds by directly affecting infield-microhabitat vegetation and structure. However, characteristics associated with specific nest locations often drive nest survival. We suggest habitat managers and agency staff promote native grass practices and management, such as disking, to enhance nest survival of grassland bird populations. Management will likely be most effective in favourable unfragmented grassland landscapes with less surrounding forested areas, which also promote other important responses (e.g. colonization and persistence) of target species.
Data from: Grassland management regimes alter the coordination of plant functional traits and nutrient resorption in semiarid grasslands
<p>Grazing and enclosure (grazing exclusion) are the main grassland management regimes that affect nutrient cycling and ecosystem function by altering plant traits. However, the coordination among plant functional traits and nutrient resorption under different grassland management regimes remains unclear. We examined the coordination of eight root and four leaf traits along with the nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) resorption efficiencies under four grazing intensities and two enclosure chronosequences in a semiarid steppe ecosystem in China. The principal components analysis (PCA) of root traits and multiple factors analysis of root and leaf traits showed two-dimensional economic spaces at the individual level. Increasing grazing intensity shifts species and community trait composition from conservative to acquisitive with increases in specific root length, specific root area, root alkaline phosphatase activity, and specific leaf area, accelerating nutrient cycling and coordination among traits. Increasing grazing intensity promoted nutrient resorption efficiency. Such adaptations optimize plant nutrient acquisition and nutrient conservation under nutrient-poor conditions. Conversely, long-term enclosure increases plant nutrient and light acquisition by promoting root tissue density, mycorrhizal colonization, and specific leaf area. The conservative (e.g., <em>Stipa grandis</em>) and acquisitive species (e.g., <em>Carex korshinskyi</em>) dominated under grazing, whereas the mid-acquisitive species, including <em>Leymus chinensis</em> and <em>Agropyron cristatum</em>,<em> </em>dominated under enclosure. The observed N and P resorption efficiencies decrease with increasing PC1 score (increase in nutrient acquisition by itself) in root PCA, indicating the trade-off between nutrient-conservative and nutrient-acquisitive strategies. Community-weighted mean traits were primarily driven by intraspecific trait variation, enhancing the adaptability of plants and communities to environmental changes and external stressors. Our study highlights the coordination among above- and below-ground traits, as well as the trade-off between root nutrient acquisition and leaf nutrient resorption under different grassland management regimes in semi-arid grassland ecosystems. From these findings, we conclude that enhancing soil nutrient availability is the most effective approach to the solution to grazing-induced grassland degradation. This knowledge is crucial for devising more effective strategies for sustainable land use and biodiversity conservation in grassland ecosystems.</p>
Data and RCode used in Andraczek et al. 2024: "Weak reciprocal relationships between productivity and plant biodiversity in managed grasslands"
<p>To study the causal effects between biodiversity and productivity we collected seasonal data (in spring and summer 2020 and 2021) of both biodiversity and productivity and potential confounding variables (environmental and land-use related variables) across 150 grassland sites all being part of the Biodiversity Exploratories project (https://www.biodiversity-exploratories.de/en/), specifically, within three regions in Germany (i.e. Schorfheide-Chorin, Swabian Alb and Hainich-Dün). This dataset comprises variables collected by the BEF-Loops project (funded by DFG: Nr. 433266560, Exploratories project phase Nr. PL 891/3-1) and other projects within the Biodiversity Exploratories.</p> <p>This upload contains the following files:</p> <ol> <li>ShortTerm.seasonal_20.10.23.csv: processed data containing temporal data on biodiversity, productivity and additional abiotic and biotic covariates</li> <li>Meta data.xlsx: Meta data file for processed data</li> <li>Andraczek et al. - Processing of seasonal data.Rmd: RCode used to create processed data</li> <li>Andraczek et al. - Calculation of community weighted means of specific leaf area.Rmd: RCode used to calculate community weighted means of specific leaf area (included in processed data)</li> <li>Andraczek et al. - Main analysis.Rmd: RCode use to produce figures and results presented in main publication (including supplementary information)</li> <li>Sensitivity analysis testing the robustness of estimated effects against bias of unobserved confounding variables (using sensemakr in R)</li> </ol>
Soil and environmental data for "Interacting management effects on soil microbial alpha and beta diversity in Swiss agricultural grassland"
<p>This data shows the soil, environmental, and management data of 86 grassland sites that were sampled within the Canton of Solothurn, Switzerland. This data was used in the manuscript by F.J. Richter, R. Feola Conz, A. Lüscher, N. Buchmann, K.H. Valentin and M. Hartmann (2024): Interacting management effects on soil microbial alpha and beta diversity in Swiss agricultural grassland, which is published in the Journal of Applied Soil Ecology. </p>
Data from: Resource-mediated indirect effects of grassland management on arthropod diversity
Intensive land use is a driving force for biodiversity decline in many ecosystems. In semi-natural grasslands, land-use activities such as mowing, grazing and fertilization affect the diversity of plants and arthropods, but the combined effects of different drivers and the chain of effects are largely unknown. In this study we used structural equation modelling to analyse how the arthropod communities in managed grasslands respond to land use and whether these responses are mediated through changes in resource diversity or resource quantity (biomass). Plants were considered resources for herbivores which themselves were considered resources for predators. Plant and arthropod (herbivores and predators) communities were sampled on 141 meadows, pastures and mown pastures within three regions in Germany in 2008 and 2009. Increasing land-use intensity generally increased plant biomass and decreased plant diversity, mainly through increasing fertilization. Herbivore diversity decreased together with plant diversity but showed no response to changes in plant biomass. Hence, landuse effects on herbivore diversity were mediated through resource diversity rather than quantity. Land-use effects on predator diversity were mediated by both herbivore diversity (resource diversity) and herbivore quantity (herbivore biomass), but indirect effects through resource quantity were stronger. Our findings highlight the importance of assessing both direct and indirect effects of land-use intensity and mode on different trophic levels. In addition to the overall effects, there were subtle differences between the different regions, pointing to the importance of regional land-use specificities. Our study underlines the commonly observed strong effect of grassland land use on biodiversity. It also highlights that mechanistic approaches help us to understand how different land-use modes affect biodiversity.
Vegetation characteristics and precipitation jointly influence grassland bird abundance beyond the effects of grazing management
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">Grassland birds have experienced some of the steepest population declines of any guild of birds in North America. The shortgrass steppe contains some of North America's most-intact grasslands, which makes the region particularly important for these species. Grassland birds differentially respond to variation in vegetation structure generated by spatiotemporally-varying disturbance like grazing management. However, understanding how species respond to characteristics beyond vegetation structure or grazing could better inform management for these species in the shortgrass steppe. We analyzed point count data for 5 grassland bird species breeding on the Central Plains Experimental Range in northeastern Colorado from 2013 – 2017 to examine the predictive capacity of models representing fine-scale (~3-ha) vegetation attributes (vegetation structure and cover type) and topography, combined with interannual precipitation variability (i.e. vegetation-abiotic models). We then compared these models to models based on grazing management treatments (applied to whole pastures, ~130 ha) and edaphic conditions (ecological sites), which represented information more generally available to rangeland managers. Precipitation, vegetation structure, and vegetation cover type influenced all species in a manner consistent with, but more nuanced than, vegetation structure alone. These models also explained more variation in abundance for species that responded to grazing management. Thus, while grazing management can be applied adaptively to improve habitat for these species, our more detailed vegetation-abiotic models identified species-specific habitat components that could be targeted for management. For example, not grazing pastures with extensive, homogenous stands of mid-height grasses (e.g, <i>Hesperostipa comata</i>) for an entire growing season during wet years could be one strategy to enhance Grasshopper Sparrow abundance and stockpile residual forage for future utilization by livestock. Our models provide a better understanding of, and reveal nuances in, the suite of environmental conditions to which grassland birds respond in shortgrass-steppe rangelands. </p>
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Allen Brain Atlas
Allen Brain Atlas is an Allen Institute collection of brain map atlases, datasets, APIs, and analysis tools covering mouse, human, and non-human primate brain resources.
Annotated Behaviour and Observability Dataset (ABODe)
ABODe is a University of Edinburgh DataShare dataset for behavior classification in group-housed mice using home-cage video, identities, bounding boxes, ground-plate positions, and annotator labels.
DANDI Archive for NWB datasets
DANDI is a BRAIN Initiative archive for publishing and sharing neurophysiology data, including electrophysiology, optophysiology, and behavioral data packaged as NWB and related standards.
International Brain Laboratory public data
The International Brain Laboratory public data releases expose standardized mouse decision-making experiments, including Neuropixels recordings, widefield calcium imaging, behavior, and session metadata accessed through the ONE API.
OpenNeuro
OpenNeuro is a free, open platform for sharing neuroimaging datasets, with public search, dataset pages, and download paths for web, S3, DataLad, and the OpenNeuro CLI.