Abstract
The effect of grazing on patterns of reproduction in trees has been little reported. We explored the effects of grazing intensities on reproductive growth, allocation patterns, and duration in elm trees (Ulmus pumila L.) at the Horqin Sandy Land, a degraded area in northern China. Current-year shoots were selected from branches and harvested from individual elm trees subjected to one of four grazing intensities (heavy, moderate, light, and no grazing). Shoots, flower buds, flowers, seeds, leaf buds, and leaves were collected, dried, and weighed. Results showed that the biomass in heavy, moderate and light grazing treatments is significantly higher than in no grazing treatment (P < 0.05). The reproductive allocation of U. pumila in heavy grazing treatment was significantly higher from that in the no grazing treatment (P < 0.05). Additionally, we found that reproduction of U. pumila ended later in grazed plots, suggesting the duration of reproduction is extended with grazing disturbance. Our findings suggest that U. pumila may prolong it s duration of reproduction and alter its reproductive biomass in response to grazing. It is not clear whether these effects are related to damage to U. pumila trees by grazers or whether they are due to grazers affecting soil properties or plant competitors around U. pumila trees.
Highlights
Livestock grazing in sandy lands can impact vegetation and soils, leading to desertification in arid and semi-arid lands (Kraaij & Ward, 2006; Wang et al, 2015)
Reproductive allocation in the no grazing plots ended before May 15th, which was earlier than all grazed plots. supporting our hypothesis that grazing treatment could extend the duration of reproduction in U. pumila in the Horqin Sandy Land
It suggests that the response of U. pumila seems to be related to grazing intensities, with later season peaks in reproductive allocation observed with heavier grazing intensity (Fig. 3)
Summary
Livestock grazing in sandy lands can impact vegetation and soils, leading to desertification in arid and semi-arid lands (Kraaij & Ward, 2006; Wang et al, 2015). Effects of grazing on plants in sandy lands are reported in seedlings, recruitment and species diversity (Lv et al, 2016; Tang, Jiang & Lv, 2014; Wang et al, 2018). Grazing could influence the reproduction of plants by altering sex ratio, reproductive biomass, and biomass allocation (Graff, Rositano & Aguiar, 2013; Niu et al, 2009; Niu et al, 2012; Ren, Zheng & Bai, 2009). Most of these studies focus on grass species
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