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56 results for “grazing intensity”
MCR LTER: Coral Reef Resilience: Algae, Coral, and Sediment data from Grazing Intensity Experiment, 2010 - 2012
These data describe the percent cover of benthic space holders (primarily algae), the biomass of algae and sediment, and the number of corals recruiting on 15 cm X 15 cm terra cota tiles experimentally manipulated on the forereef on the north shore of Moorea. The experiment was established to test whether and how different levels of grazing influence benthic community development. Five treatments were initially established to create a gradient in grazing pressure with a sixth treatment established shortly thereafter. Each treatment was replicated ten times using a randomized block design. Each cage initially contained four tiles, and one tile from each cage has been photographed and destructively sampled for biomass at regular intervals. In addition to the original tiles deployed in July 2010, tiles were subsequently deployed in March 2011, August 2011, and March 2012 to test whether community development varies among seasons. This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation under Grant No. OCE 16-37396 (and earlier awards) as well as a generous gift from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Research was completed under permits issued by the French Polynesian Government (Délégation à la Recherche) and the Haut-commissariat de la République en Polynésie Francaise (DTRT) (Protocole d'Accueil 2005-2018). This work represents a contribution of the Moorea Coral Reef (MCR) LTER Site.
Long-term response of wetland plant communities to management intensity, grazing abandonment, and prescribed fire
Isolated, seasonal wetlands within agricultural landscapes are important ecosystems. However, they are currently experiencing direct and indirect effects of agricultural management surrounding them. Because wetlands provide important ecosystem services, it is crucial to determine how these factors affect ecological communities. Here, we studied the long-term effects of land use intensification, cattle grazing, prescribed fires, and their interactions on wetland plant diversity, community dynamics, and functional diversity. To do this, we used vegetation and trait data from a 14-year-old experiment on 40 seasonal wetlands located within semi-natural and intensively managed pastures in Florida. These wetlands were allocated different grazing and prescribed fire treatments (grazed vs. ungrazed; burned vs. unburned). Our results showed that wetlands within intensively managed pastures have lower native plant diversity, floristic quality, evenness, higher non-native species diversity, and exhibited the most resource-acquisitive traits. Wetlands embedded in intensively managed pastures were also characterized by lower species turnover over time. We found that 14 years of cattle exclusion reduced species diversity in both pasture management intensities and had no effect on floristic quality. Fenced wetlands exhibited lower functional diversity and experienced a higher rate of community change both due to an increase in tall, clonal, and palatable grasses. The effects of prescribed fires were often dependent on grazing treatment. For instance, prescribed fires increased functional diversity in fenced wetlands but not in grazed wetlands. Our study suggests that cattle exclusion and prescribed fires are not enough to restore wetlands in intensively managed pastures and further highlights the importance of not converting semi-natural pastures to intensively managed pastures. Our study also suggests that grazing levels applied in semi-natural pastures maintained high plant dive
Phenotypic trait variation of Herminium monorchis in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau with grazing intensity and climatic conditions
This data set contains raw data supporting the research entitled “Livestock grazing outweighs climate in driving trait variation of a widespread alpine plant” (currently under peer review), which documents how phenotypic traits of a widespread herbaceous plant in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Herminium monorchis, vary with grazing intensity and environmental conditions.
Fig. 1 in Relationship Between Grazing Intensity, Vegetation Structure And Survival Of Nests In Semi-Natural Grasslands
Fig. 1. Daily nest survival rate (±SE) for artificial ground nests according to edge vs. interior and grazing intensity in three grassland regions of Hungary
Fig. 2 in Relationship Between Grazing Intensity, Vegetation Structure And Survival Of Nests In Semi-Natural Grasslands
Fig. 2. Grass height and vegetation cover (mean±SE) around predated and not predated (intact) artificial ground nests in Hungarian grasslands. (**: P <0.01; ***: P <0.001)
Ammonia emission measurements of an intensively grazed pasture - Dataset
<p>Dataset presented and referenced in the corresponding Biogeosciences publication by Voglmeier et al. (2018) [see Related identifiers]. The dataset results from a field experiment in Posieux, Switzerland. During that experiment ammonia emissions of two pasture systems were measured over an entire grazing season in 2016. The spreadsheet file contains half-hourly values of measured ammonia concentration data, computed ammonia emissions, weather and turbulence data. Additionally the calculated nitrogen in the excretion of the cows and the grazing management is given. Detailed information on the measurement methods and the data evaluation is presented in Voglmeier et al. (2018).</p>
Grazing intensity significantly changes the C:N:P stoichiometry in grassland ecosystems
<p> </p> <p>Aim: Livestock grazing can alter carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) cycles, thereby affecting the C:N:P stoichiometry in grasslands. In this study, we aimed to examine the underlying mechanisms for the impacts of grazing intensity on grassland C:N:P stoichiometry, especially for the belowground processes and their linkages with aboveground vegetation properties.<br> Location: Global.<br> Time period: 1900-2018.<br> Major taxa studied: Grassland ecosystems.<br> Methods: Here, we conducted a meta-analysis based on 129 published studies to synthesize the effects of grazing on the C:N:P stoichiometry of leaves, stems, litter, roots, microbial biomass, and soil in grassland ecosystems.<br> Results: Grazing significantly affected the C, N and P pools, and then the C:N:P stoichiometry in grassland ecosystems. Grazing effects on C:N:P stoichiometry varied strongly with grazing intensity. Specifically, heavy grazing decreased all C:N:P stoichiometry except litter N:P and root C:N ratios, while light and moderate grazing exhibited the less negative or positive effects. Grazing effects on litter C:N ratio were negatively correlated with grazing effects on soil C:N ratios under light and moderate grazing, but this relationship was positive under heavy grazing. In contrast, the correlation between grazing effect on root C:P and soil C:P was positive under light and moderate grazing but negative under heavy grazing. Importantly, grazing significantly decreased soil N pool by 10.0% but increased P pools by 3.6%, indicating differential mechanisms for grazing impact on N and P cycles in grasslands.<br> Main conclusions: The divergent effects of light, moderate, and heavy grazing on the C:N:P stoichiometry highlight the importance of grazing intensity in regulating the biogeochemical cycles of C, N, and P by accelerating plant nutrient use efficiency and inducing changes in soil physicochemical processes in grassland ecosystems. Therefore, incorporating grazing intensity into Earth system models may improve predictions of climate-grassland feedbacks in the Anthropocene.</p>
Legacy effect of grazing intensity mediates the bottom-up controls of resource addition on soil food webs
<p>1. Large-scale studies have demonstrated that nitrogen (N) and water (W) availability greatly affect terrestrial ecosystems worldwide, and this is especially true for the resource-poor semi-arid grasslands. Yet, experimental evidence is lacking for how N and W availability affect soil food webs across historical grazing intensity-altered environments at a local scale.</p> <p>2. Here, we included N- and W-addition treatments in an 8-year grazing experiment (with four grazing intensities) to determine how the legacy effects of grazing intensity mediate the responses of key components of soil food webs (plants, microorganisms, and nematodes) to resource addition in a semi-arid grassland.</p> <p>3. After 4 years of N- and W-addition treatments (with no grazing during that 4-year period), we found that a legacy of grazing, even light grazing, had significant negative effects on the components of plant community and soil food webs. Both N and W addition increased above- and below-ground plant biomass, especially under moderate and heavy grazing. N addition had negative effects on the biomass of bacteria under no grazing, while W addition increased the biomass of actinomycetes under light grazing. N addition decreased the abundance of omnivorous + carnivorous nematodes under light and heavy grazing, while W addition increased their abundance under heavy grazing. Overall, the effects of resource addition on soil food webs progressively decreased from the lowest trophic level (primary producers, i.e., plants), to intermediate tropic levels (microorganisms and root-feeding nematodes), to higher trophic levels (microbial-feeding nematodes and omnivorous + carnivorous nematodes).</p> <p>4. Synthesis and applications. Our results, which are the first data concerning the effects of resource addition on key components of soil food webs across a historical grazing-induced environmental gradient, show that the strong bottom-up controls of resource addition on soil food webs are mediated by the legacy of grazing intensity. These finding should be useful for predicting the responses of grassland ecosystems to future climate change and suggest that the recovery of degraded grasslands will require more than restoration measure of resource inputs alone.</p>
Data from: Cascading effects of earthworm invasion in tundra increase graminoid density and rodent grazing intensities
<p>Earthworms are being introduced to numerous ecosystems through human activities. Some non-native earthworm species have the potential to 'geoengineer' soils and increase plant nitrogen (N) uptake, but if the increased plant N concentrations can cause increased rodent grazing is not well known. In this study, we present findings from a common garden experiment with two tundra communities, meadow (forb dominated) and heath (shrub dominated), half of them subjected to four years of earthworm presence (<em>Lumbricus</em> spp. and <em>Aporrectodea</em> spp.). Within four summers, our earthworm treatment changed plant community composition by increasing graminoid density by on average 94 % in the heath vegetation and by 49 % in the meadow. Rodent winter grazing were more intense on plants growing in soils with earthworms, an effect that coincided with higher nitrogen concentrations in plants indicating a higher palatability. Moreover, although the earthworms decreased soil moisture, our proxy for plant community photosynthesis (greenness) was not negatively affected. We conclude that earthworm-induced changes in plant composition and trophic interactions may radically alter the functioning of tundra ecosystems.</p>
A meta-analysis of the effects of habitat aridity, evolutionary history of grazing, and grazing intensity on bee and butterfly communities worldwide
<p>A variety of habitat-associated factors moderate effects of grazing on insect biodiversity. Here, we examine how aridity, evolutionary history of grazing, and grazing intensity individually and interactively mediate the effect of livestock grazing on pollinator diversity (native bees and butterflies).</p> <p>Using a meta-analysis of 59 studies published in the primary literature we characterized the response of pollinator communities to grazing across several continents.</p> <p>In very humid habitats high grazing intensities generally had negative impacts on pollinator abundance and richness, but these effects were not found in semi-arid habitats, where livestock grazing intensity did not interact with aridity to impact pollinator abundance or richness. However, within semi-arid habitats livestock grazing was associated with reduced pollinator richness in areas with short evolutionary histories grazing.</p> <p>Pollinator life history mediated effects of livestock grazing on pollinator communities: livestock grazing had negative impacts on richness of social bees and butterflies but not solitary bees, though abundances of all three pollinator categories were consistently reduced under livestock grazing.</p> <p>Our synthesis suggests that effects of cattle on pollinators may be driven by impacts on nesting habitats (e.g., soil compaction), rather than consumption or alteration of forb cover. Our collective findings have importance for coordinating grazing management and pollinator conservation efforts and help to distinguish how grazing practices could impact pollinator biodiversity across ecoclimatic regions.</p>
Low-intensity cattle grazing is better than cattle exclusion to drive secondary savannas towards the features of native Cerrado vegetation
<p><span>Although livestock have been historically associated with land conversion and biodiversity loss, well-managed cattle grazing has been reported to contribute to conservation of open ecosystems. Knowing the balance between positive and negative effects of livestock (presence or exclusion) on different ecosystems is, therefore, crucial to support management decisions. </span><span>We conducted an experiment </span><span>in a secondary savanna with exotic grasses, used as pasture, to assess the effect of cattle presence in low density and cattle exclusion (in paired plots) on the trajectory of these ecosystems. Richness, composition and structure of the woody community, and exotic grass cover and biomass were compared between treatments in the beginning of the experiment and after seven years. At the end of the experiment, we also compared composition, richness, and density of the native ground layer. We verified that (a) cattle exclusion accelerates the undesirable woody encroachment, changes the species composition and leads to huge grass fuel accumulation, while (b) cattle grazing/browsing hinders changes in savanna structure and composition and reduces the exotic grass cover and biomass, thus favoring native herbaceous plants. By decreasing the grass biomass, cattle grazing also reduces the system flammability and, therefore, the risk and intensity of wildfires. Together, the positive effects of cattle presence and the negative effects of cattle exclusion lead to the conclusion that cattle should be maintained in these systems. Low-intensity cattle grazing limits woody and exotic grass invasion, improves native forb biodiversity, and help maintain </span><span>composition and structural features of secondary savannas of the Cerrado.</span></p>
Avian species richness and abundance shows stronger response to bison grazing intensity than to ecosystem productivity
Temperate grassland ecosystems are one of the most threatened ecosystems worldwide, and their loss endangers the grassland songbirds that rely upon them. This guild of birds has shown long-term declines in North America. At the same time, American bison (Bison bison) are becoming more common through reintroductions, and they may make significant modifications to grassland songbird habitat. To support conservation for this guild, we sought to understand the importance of bison grazing and ecosystem productivity to the species richness, occupancy, and abundance of this avian community. We conducted dependent double-observer bird counts, measured bison grazing intensity with patty counts, and used remote-sensed Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data to measure ecosystem productivity. Our work took place in the National Bison Range near Moiese, Montana and in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. We found that species richness was positively correlated with patty counts, and had a weak negative correlation with NDVI. Occupancy probability for six of seven grassland songbird species was positively correlated with patty counts, and for six of seven species was negatively correlated with NDVI. Abundance of vesper sparrow (Pooecetes graminueus) and western meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) were positively correlated with patty counts, although for western meadowlark, this trend became less positive with increasing patty counts. Our work suggests that managers may want to encourage a broad range of bison grazing intensities to ensure that vegetative conditions related to bison grazing are present for all species.
Does the intensive grazing and aridity change the relations between the dominant shrub Artemisia kopetdaghensis and plants under its canopies?
<p><span>The inter-specific plant interactions along grazing and aridity stress gradients represent a major research issue in plant ecology. However, the combined effects of these two factors on plant-plant interactions have been poorly studied in the northeast of Iran. To fill this knowledge gap, 144 plots were established in 12 study sites with different grazing intensity (high vs. low) and climatic characteristics (arid vs. semi-arid) in northeastern Iran. A dominant shrub, <i>Artemisia kopetdaghensis</i>, was selected as the model species. Further, we studied changes in plant life strategies along the combined grazing and aridity stress gradients. In this study, we used relative interaction indices calculated for species richness, Shannon diversity and species cover to determine plant-plant interactions using linear mixed-effect models (LMM). The indicator species analysis was used to identify the indicator species for the under-canopy of shrub and for the adjacent open areas. The combined effects of grazing and aridity affected the plant-plant interactions and plant life strategies (CSR) of indicator species. <i>Artemisia kopetdaghensis</i> showed the highest facilitation effect under high stress conditions (high grazing, high aridity), which turned into competition under the low stress conditions (low grazing, low aridity). In the arid region, the canopy of the shrub protected ruderals, annual forbs and grasses in both high and low grazing intensity. In the semi-arid region and high grazing intensity (low aridity/high grazing), the shrubs protected mostly perennial forbs with C-strategy. Our findings highlight the importance of context-dependent shrub management to restore the vegetation damaged by the intensive grazing.</span></p>
Data from: Long-term grazing intensity by reindeer alters the response of the soil micro-food web to simulated climate change in subarctic tundra
<p><span>Top-down control by nematodes over soil microorganisms – considered stronger over bacteria than fungi - may dampen microbial responses to global changes in tundra. To test whether large grazers alter the responses of belowground trophic networks to global changes, we employed factorial warming and nitrogen fertilization treatments in adjacent sites with different reindeer grazing intensities for the past 50 years. Lightly grazed tundra is dominated by dwarf shrubs and a more fungal-based microbial community, while in heavily grazed tundra, high reindeer densities during autumn migration have induced shift into graminoids and more bacterial-based microbial community. We analysed the soil micro-food web, <em>i.e.</em>, the nematode density, trophic structure, and species composition as well as fungal, bacterial and total phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) after four growing seasons of warming and fertilization both before and during reindeer migration. We predicted that bacterivore densities are higher and fungivore densities lower under heavy than light grazing (<em>i.e.</em>, nematode populations before migration reflect grazing effects via the base of food web), whereas reindeer migration induces negative impact on nematode densities under heavy grazing (<em>i.e</em>., disturbance by trampling is the driving factor). We further predicted that nematodes negate treatment effects on microbial biomass to a stronger extent in the bacterial-based heavily grazed than the fungal-based lightly grazed tundra. Fungivore densities were higher under light than heavy grazing, but nematodes did not respond to trampling. Warming increased fungivores and the fungal PLFAs irrespective of grazing and timing, but under heavy grazing, increased bacterivores while the bacterial PLFAs remained steady. Fertilization increased carnivores and influenced nematode species composition, diversity and maturity interactively with warming. Our data suggest that large grazers affect tundra soil nematodes via bottom-up effects through microbial community composition and biomass, which in turn may alter the strength of their top-down control soil bacteria under climate warming. </span></p>
Grazing in a megagrazer-dominated savanna does not reduce soil carbon stocks, even at high intensities
<p>Recent studies suggest that wild animals can promote ecosystem carbon sinks through their impacts on vegetation and soils. However, livestock studies show that intense levels of grazing reduce soil organic carbon (SOC), leading to concerns that rewilding with large grazers may compromise ecosystem carbon storage. Furthermore, wild grazers can both limit and promote woody plant recruitment and survival on savanna grasslands, with both positive and negative impacts on SOC, depending on the rainfall and soil texture contexts. We used grazing lawns in one of the few African protected savannas that are still dominated by megagrazers (>1000 kg), namely white rhinoceros (<em>Ceratotherium simum</em>), as a model to study the impact of prolonged and intense wild grazing on SOC stocks. We contrasted SOC stocks between patches of varying grazing intensity and woody plant encroachment in sites across different rhino habitat types. We found no differences in SOC stocks between the most- and least-grazed plots in any of the habitats. Intermediately grazed plots, however, had higher SOC stocks in the top 5 cm compared to most and least grazed plots, but only in the closed-canopy woodland habitat and not in the open habitats. Importantly, we found no evidence to support the hypothesis that wild grazing reduces SOC, even at high grazing intensities by the world's largest megagrazer. Compared to the non-encroached reference plots, woody encroached plots had higher SOC stocks in soils with low clay content and lower SOC stocks in soils with high clay content, although only in the top 5 cm. Accordingly, our study highlights that wild grazers may influence SOC indirectly through their impact on tree-grass ratios in grassy ecosystems. Our study thus provides important insights for future nature-based climate solutions that focus on wild grazer conservation and restoration.</p>
Relationships between plant species richness and grazing intensity in a semiarid ecosystem
<p>Plant species richness is an important property of ecosystems that is altered by grazing. In a semiarid environment, we tested the hypotheses that (1) small-scale herbaceous plant species richness declines linearly with increasing grazing intensity by large ungulates, (2) precipitation and percent sand interact with grazing intensity, and (3) response of herbaceous plant species richness to increasing intensity of ungulate grazing varies with patch productivity. During January to March 2012, we randomly allocated 50, 1.5-m x 1.5-m grazing exclosures within each of six 2,500 ha study sites across South Texas, USA. We counted the number of herbaceous plant species and harvested vegetation in 0.25-m<sup>2</sup> plots within exclosures (ungrazed control plots) and in the grazed area outside the exclosures (grazed treatment plots) during October and November 2012–2019. We estimated percent use (grazing intensity) based on the difference in herbaceous plant standing crop between control plots and treatment plots. We selected the negative binomial regression model that best explained the relationship between grazing intensity and herbaceous plant species richness using the Schwarz Bayesian Information Criterion. After accounting for the positive effect of precipitation and percent sand on herbaceous plant species richness, species richness/0.25 m<sup>2</sup> increased slightly from 0 to ~ 30% grazing intensity and then declined with increasing grazing intensity. Linear and quadratic responses of herbaceous plant species richness to increasing grazing intensity were greater for the least productive patches (<15.7 g/0.25 m<sup>2</sup>) than for productive patches (≥15.7 g/0.25 m<sup>2</sup>). Our results followed the pattern predicted by the intermediate disturbance hypothesis model for the effect of grazing intensity on small-scale herbaceous plant species richness.</p>
Relationships between plant species richness and grazing intensity in a semiarid ecosystem
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Low-intensity cattle grazing is better than cattle exclusion to drive secondary savannas towards the features of native Cerrado vegetation
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Andean grassland stability across spatial scales increases with camelid grazing intensity despite biotic homogenization
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Does the intensive grazing and aridity change the relations between the dominant shrub Artemisia kopetdaghensis and plants under its canopies?
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