Pasture Grazing Research Articles

PRODUCCIÓN Y ESTIMACIÓN DE LA EMISIÓN DE METANO DE VACAS ALIMENTADAS CON CEREALES DE GRANO PEQUEÑO EN EL ALTIPLANO CENTRAL DE MÉXICO

<p><strong>Background:</strong> Given the demand for meat and milk, it is necessary to increase the productivity of ruminant animals, nevertheless livestock also contributes to climate change due to annual methane (CH<sub>4</sub>) emissions, having a detrimental effect on the atmosphere, due to its effect greenhouse and also represents a loss of dietary energy for ruminant animals. <strong>Objective:</strong> The objective was to evaluate the nutritional quality <em>in vitro</em>, as well as the production and estimation of methane of small grain cereals in small-scale milk production systems, through two experiments. <strong>Methodology:</strong> In experiment 1, twelve dairy cows were compared through continuous grazing (6 h/d) in a 3x3 Latin square design, replicated three times with three 14-d experimental periods and three small-grain cereals: rye (<em>Secale cereale</em>) (CEN), wheat (<em>Triticum aestivum</em>) (TRG) and triticale (<em>Triticosecale</em> Witt.) (TRT), in addition the cows were supplemented with 4.5 kg DM/cow/d of commercial concentrate. In experiment 2, six cows grazing continuously (8 h/d) on a kikuyu grass (<em>Cenchrus clandestinus</em>) pasture were used in a double reversible design with the inclusion of 10 kg DM of rye silage (ECE) or rye silage. triticale (ETR), in addition the cows were supplemented with 3.6 kg DM/cow/d of commercial concentrate; this experiment also had three 14-d experimental periods. Forage (for chemical composition) and milk samples were taken at the end of each experimental period. <strong>Results:</strong> In experiment 1, the nutritional composition presented a high quality (mean of 145 and 740 g/kg DM, for CP and IVDMD, respectively), on the other hand, for experiment 2 the quality was medium-low (mean of 76 and 653 g/kg DM, for CP and IVDMD, respectively) regarding the fermentation parameters obtained through the <em>in vitro</em> gas production technique, as well as the methane production of the forages and the estimation of enteric CH<sub>4</sub> production. No significant differences (P>0.05) were detected between the evaluated treatments. <strong>Implications:</strong> The results of this work provide information on the role that small grain cereals can play in methane emissions, in these production systems according to their nutritional value. <strong>Conclusions:</strong> in Experiment 1, it is concluded that rye, wheat and triticale are viable options to obtain medium-quality forage suitable for grazing, presenting enteric methane emissions, as well as moderate emission intensity, similar to those produced by quality pasture grazing. Regarding Experiment 2, both rye silage and triticale silage are presented as options to be used in these milk production systems in winter, without greatly increasing enteric methane emissions.</p>

Antimicrobial resistance profiles of Escherichia coli derived from an integrated agroforestry-livestock system in Deli Serdang Regency, Indonesia

Background and Aim: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become a significant global concern. Epidemiological data do not provide a robust description of the potential risks associated with AMR in the integrated agroforestry-livestock systems in Indonesia. Thus, the present study investigated the phenotypic and multidrug resistance (MDR) profiles of Escherichia coli strains isolated from the feces of livestock raised in the agro-silvopastoral system in Deli Serdang Regency, North Sumatra Province. Materials and Methods: A standard microbiological culture procedure was followed to isolate the organism and test antibiotic susceptibility using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion protocol. Furthermore, the multiple antibiotic resistance index was determined. Univariate analysis was conducted to identify the risk factors associated with AMR. Results: The vast majority (77.5%) of livestock farmers were aged >30 years. All farmers were men and had no higher education (100% of them). The majority of the animal species managed were cattle and goats (37.5% each) and the livestock grazing pasture system (67.5%). In addition, the majority of farmers reported high antimicrobial use on their farms (87.5%). Of the samples (n = 142) analyzed, n = 70 were positive, with an overall prevalence of 44.4%. The species-specific prevalences of E. coli were 32.5%, 47.8%, and 50% in buffalo, goat, and cattle, respectively. Ampicillin and tetracyclines exhibited high resistance levels among the studied animal species. A relatively lower MDR for E. coli was associated with grazing on the pasture. Conclusion: The findings from the current study provide baseline epidemiological information for future robust studies aimed at elucidating the drivers and patterns of AMR in agro-silvopastoral systems in the study area or elsewhere. Keywords: agro-silvopastoral, antimicrobial Resistance, Escherichia coli,Indonesia, livestock, multidrug resistance.

Unraveling the influence of environmental factors on fireweed (Senecio madagascariensis) germination and its management implications

AbstractFireweed (Senecio madagascariensis Poir.) has invaded and colonized numerous habitats in the coastal areas of southeastern Australia and is a major weed in cultivated lands as well as in poorly grassed, neglected, and highly grazed pastures. To examine the seed germination ecology of two populations (Felton and Gatton) of S. madagascariensis, experiments were conducted in the laboratory and screen house. The germination of both populations increased as the alternating temperatures increased from the coolest temperatures (15/5 C) to warmer temperatures (25/15 C). However, the highest temperature regime (35/25 C) resulted in the lowest germination rates. The Gatton population exhibited greater tolerance to higher temperatures, resulting in significantly higher germination (2.4 times) than the Felton population at the highest alternating temperature of 35/25 C. Compared with the Felton population, the Gatton population demonstrated higher tolerance to salt and water stress. In comparison to alternating light and dark periods (12 h each) (97% to 98%), the germination of both populations of S. madagascariensis was significantly reduced under complete darkness (24 h) (33% to 39%). A screen house seed burial depth experiment revealed similar emergence of S. madagascariensis seedlings between the populations. The maximum emergence (60%) was observed for seeds placed at the soil surface, followed by a dramatic decline in seedling emergence with an increase in depth. No seedlings emerged from a burial depth of 4 cm. With the addition of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) crop residue to the soil surface at rates comparable to 4,000 to 8,000 kg ha−1, seedling emergence of S. madagascariensis decreased significantly. Information acquired from this study could be utilized to manage and develop effective weed management strategies for controlling S. madagascariensis in different agroecological conditions.

Physical and chemical properties, hygienic quality and fatty acid profile in milk of lactating Lacaune dairy sheep

Abstract. In recent years, there has been globally increasing interest in dairy sheep breeding, including Lacaune sheep, which is supported by a high demand for sheep's milk on the market. This paper elaborates on the influence of a sheep's lactation stage on the physical and chemical properties, hygienic quality and content of fatty acids in milk produced by Lacaune sheep kept in intensive breeding. The research was conducted on 30 Lacaune sheep, which were tested in the early (60th day), middle (120th day) and late (180th day) stages of lactation. Density, freezing point and titration acidity were determined by applying the infrared spectrometry method, and indicators of the hygienic quality of milk, such as somatic cell count (SCC), were determined by the fluoro-opto-electronic method, and the total count of aerobic mesophilic bacteria (CFU) was determined by the flow cytometry method. The fatty acid profile of feed and milk was obtained by gas–liquid chromatography. Depending on the stage of lactation, results referring to the chemical composition of Lacaune sheep's milk showed a significant increase in the content of fat, protein, total dry matter and casein together with a significant decrease in the content of lactose in the late stage of lactation. There was also a significant increase confirmed for the concentration of urea and the freezing point in milk along with the lactation progress. Depending on the stage of lactation, milk yield in Lacaune sheep significantly decreased as lactation progressed. Analysis of the fatty acid composition in milk of Lacaune sheep proved a significant decrease in the concentrations of C4 : 0, C6 : 0, C11 : 0, C12 : 0, C13 : 0, C15 : 0, C17 : 1, C18 : 2n6 and C18 : 3n6 as well as the n6 concentrations and the n6 / n3 ratio. The opposite trend was observed for concentrations of C10 : 0, C14 : 1, C16 : 0, C16 : 1, C18 : 0, C20 : 2, C18 : 3n3, C20 : 3n6, C20 : 5n3 and C22 : 6n3 as well as for the n3 concentrations. When compared to the early lactation stage, the C18 : 3n6 and n6 concentrations were significantly lower in the late lactation stage, while the C20 : 2 and C20 : 5n3 concentrations were significantly lower in the middle lactation stage when compared to the late lactation stage. There were many significant positive and negative correlations determined between the researched properties of milk. The research results obtained with Lacaune sheep's milk can be compared to the results of other studies, except for the lower content of milk fat. This confirms the good adaptability of Lacaune sheep to different breeding conditions and the necessity to provide sheep with quality pastures for grazing.

Population decline of the Black-bellied Sandgrouse Pterocles orientalis in continental Spain, a main western Palearctic stronghold

Summary Many European farmland bird populations are rapidly declining because of agricultural intensification and land-use changes. Robust estimates of population sizes and trends, habitat use, and protected area coverage within the distribution range are crucial to inform the conservation and management of threatened species. Here we report on the results of the 2019 Black-bellied Sandgrouse Pterocles orientalis (BBS) survey promoted and coordinated by SEO/BirdLife to update its breeding distribution, population size, and trends in continental Spain. A total of 660 grid cells, 10 × 10 km, Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM), were surveyed (81% of the distribution area), with 2,257 visits to 1,750 walked transects (7,001 km in total; 10.6 km per UTM). BBS was detected in 43% of sampled UTMs. At transect level, occupancy was 11% higher inside protected areas. At UTM level, occupancy was estimated at 0.58 (Bayesian credible interval [BCI] 95%: 0.55–0.61), revealing that BBS occupied about half of its previous breeding range (2003–2005). Using hierarchical distance sampling modelling, we estimated an average density of 1.33 individuals/km2 in occupied areas, and a population of 4,025 individuals (confidence interval: 1,840–7,609) within sampled areas, with an additional 697 individuals (confidence interval 461–1,075) in areas that were not surveyed. Further, the relative abundance of BBS (Kilometric Abundance Index) declined by 63% between 2005 and 2019 (annual decline rate of 4.5%). BBS used agricultural habitats (73%) and unprotected areas (54%) despite a higher occupancy within protected areas. Given the recent decline rate and persistent threats, the BBS conservation status should be upgraded to “Endangered” in peninsular Spain. Its future depends on land-use changes and agricultural practices, in particular the maintenance of fallows, semi-natural habitats, and pastures for extensive grazing. Better protection of important areas and targeted conservation initiatives should be promoted to halt and reverse the population decline in this key western Palearctic stronghold.

Az évjárat hatásának pontosítása feltétlen juhlegelők koratavaszi növényállomány fejlettségére

The feasibility of first grazing of extensive sheep pastures was investigated by monitoring the height of grassland in the spring of 2022 and 2023 at the Karcag Research Institute, focusing on the effect of vintage in this manuscript. For 6 grassland plots with different parameters, potentially suitable for early spring sheep grazing, in a meadow on solonyec soil with no level of inputs due to environmental subsidies, we refined soil temperature, soil moisture and height of grassland vegetation at the same time of year. For both years, it was concluded that it is justified to start grazing sheep on the fallow grassland and the pasture forest.

Study of pasture biomass and grazing intensity using remote sensing data in mountain area

This article introduces a quantitative framework for evaluating remote sensing data analysis in alpine pasture areas to estimate biomass and evaluate grazing intensity. Our paradigm for measuring vegetation biomass and assessing grazing pressure was established through the use of multispectral satellite imagery and ground-based observations. To get precise estimations of biomass and grazing intensity, the system combines field surveys, machine learning algorithms, and vegetation indices. The suggested approach's efficacy in monitoring pasture health and guiding sustainable land management techniques in hilly areas is evident from the results.

Degradation degree evolution under different grassland management

The objective of this manuscript is to clarify the changes in vegetation structure of an extensively managed grassland association under different land use practices. In the grasslands of the Hungarian Great Plain, the westernmost part of the Eurasian steppe, the largely decreasing grazing livestock numbers and the almost disappearing pastoral grazing make the topic very topical. We analysed the last 4 years of the study period 2009-2020 and found that the lowest degradation rates were measured in the meadow utilisation management, with values ranging from 0.277-0.463 in the 11th year of the experiment. And the highest degradation values were measured in the treatment with the overgrazing mode, with degradation degrees 3.43-5.0 in the 11th year of the experiment. In the treatment demonstrating the effect of overgrazing, we measured a high increase in the cover value of the weed Hordenum murinum, which is very dangerous for sheep, between 2017 and 2020, with an average of 107.6%.

Modelling the hydrological impact of afforestation in hill country catchments in New Zealand

Study regionThree hill-country catchments in Waikato region, New Zealand Study focusLand use change (LUC), particularly the conversion of pastoral grazing land to plantation forestry, can significantly impact stream hydrology. Measuring the hydrological impact of LUC is time consuming and expensive. Modelling approaches provide a cost-effective means to determine and understand the mechanisms behind the impact of LUC on stream hydrology. In this study, we assessed the hydrological impact of LUC, mainly in the form of conversion of grazed pasture to plantation forest by using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). The effect of LUC on hydrology was evaluated by comparing model results under two scenarios: with and without LUC. New hydrological insights for the regionSWAT predicted the magnitude, occurrence, and variation of streamflow well at both daily and monthly time steps, before and after LUC periods. SWAT reported a significant reduction in streamflow due to converting pasture to pine plantation, which was mainly caused by increased evapotranspiration and reduced surface runoff. Predicted groundwater flow was affected by LUC but did not have a clear and consistent change. Our results are consistent with previous studies assessing the hydrological impact of afforestation, including one observation-based study from the same study site. This study illustrates the usefulness of dynamic hydrological modelling to evaluate LUC impact on hydrology, which is rarely available in New Zealand.

Constraints Affecting the Welfare of Domestic Sheep Grazing in the Natural Pasture

The sheep like other animals need more and more welfare to produce meat of good quality, Sheep welfare problems primarily arise from mutilations, lameness, transportation, and disease. With proper grazing, breeding, and husbandry practices, most health issues in sheep can be resolved or avoided. Grazing involves seeking and choosing feed as well as grabbing and consuming it. The manner in which ruminants or grazing animals grip and consume forages varies. These variations are connected to the sorts of fodder that various ruminants prefer. Heat stress, cold stress, weariness, prolonged thirst, prolonged hunger, hampered movement, movement restrictions, resting issues, social stress, pain, fear, and distress are the welfare types that sheep may encounter during caged, all issues due to shortage of welfare, this results in sheep inside the body that acts as a substance that cannot be used in the metabolic processes and is difficult to get rid of the animal is able to get rid of these substances accumulated inside the body that are difficult to get rid of the presence of natural toxins can be produced through the accumulation of some chemical substances and elements that the animal gets from the food. They come as residues from deteriorated cells or some vital processes in the body.

Activity budget and movement patterns of Brown Swiss and Alpine Grey lactating cows during summer grazing in alpine pastures

We used GPS tracking to monitor the grazing patterns of Brown Swiss and Alpine grey lactating cows on an alpine summer pasture (2038 m a.s.l.; SD = 146) in the Dolomites. The pasture (171 ha) was managed with a continuous grazing system (0.52 LU/ha) with morning and evening milking in the barn, guided grazing during the ‘day’, and free grazing at ‘night’. GPS positions were collected from 8 Brown Swiss multiparous and 9 Alpine Grey (4 primiparous and 5 multiparous) cows every two minutes. We inferred behaviours (grazing, resting, walking) from movement metrics, activity sensors and direct behavioural observations. After excluding milking periods, the cows grazed for 8 h/d, rested 10–11 h/d, and walked for 1.5/d. Grazing extended into late evening after milking, and resting prevailed throughout the ‘night’ until the morning milking. When grazing and resting, cows mainly used grasslands as the preferred habitat, but forest and sparse shrub were also used remarkably without consistent negative or positive selection. The pasture use was highly heterogeneous, with higher animal loads close to the barn, especially at night, and in areas with gentler slopes. Alpine Grey primiparous cows were less limited by slope and distance from the barn in their movement but were more selective in habitat use than multiparous cows. Differences between multiparous cows of the two breeds were less marked. Further studies should help understand the internal and external drivers of cattle grazing patterns to devise management practices combining animals’ productivity and welfare with the conservation of the grassland ecosystem services.

High-resolution assessment of the carrying capacity and utilization intensity in mountain rangelands with remote sensing and field data

Dry rangelands provide resources for half of the world's livestock, but degradation due to overgrazing is a major threat to system sustainability. Existing carrying capacity assessments are limited by low spatiotemporal resolution and high generalization, which hampers applied ecological management decisions. This paper provides an example for deriving the carrying capacity and utilization levels for cold drylands at a new level of detail by including major parts of the transhumance system. We combined field data on vegetation biomass and communities, forage quality, productivity, livestock species and quantities, grazing areas and their spatiotemporal variations with Sentinel-2 and MODIS snow cover satellite imagery to develop maps of forage requirements and availability. These products were used to calculate carrying capacity and grazing potential in the Pamir-Hindukush Mountains. Results showed high spatial variability of utilization rates between 5% and 77%. About 30% of the area showed unsustainable grazing above the carrying capacity. Utilization rates displayed strong spatial differences with unsustainable grazing in winter pastures and at lower elevations, and low rates at higher altitudes. The forage requirements of wild herbivores (ungulates and marmots) were estimated to be negligible compared to livestock, with one tenth of the biomass consumption and no increase in unsustainably grazed pastures due to the wider distribution of animals. The assessment was sensitive to model parameterization of forage requirements and demand, whereby conservative scenarios, i.e. lower fodder availability or higher fodder requirements of livestock due to climate and altitude effects, increased the area with unsustainable grazing practices to 50%. The presented approach enables an in-depth evaluation of the carrying capacity and corresponding management actions. It includes new variables relevant for transhumance systems, such as the combination of forage quantity and quality or accessibility restrictions due to snow, and shows utilization patterns at high spatial resolutions. Regional maps allow the identification of unsustainable utilization areas, such as winter pastures in this study.

Association Analysis of Tiller-Related Traits with EST-SSR Markers in Psathyrostachys juncea.

Psathyrostachys juncea is a long-lived perennial Gramineae grass with dense basal tillers and soft leaves. It is used widely in cold and dry areas of Eurasia and North America to establish grazing pasture and is even used as an ideal plant for revegetation and ecological restoration. Plant architecture, especially tillering traits, is critical for bunch grasses in breeding programs, and these traits in plants are mostly quantitative traits. In this study, the genetic diversity, population structure, and linkage disequilibrium of 480 individual lines were analyzed using 127 pairs of the EST-SSR marker, and a significant association between ten plant-architecture-related traits of P. juncea and molecular markers was found. The results of the genetic diversity analysis showed that the number of observed alleles was 1.957, the number of effective alleles was 1.682, Shannon's information index was 0.554, observed heterozygosity was 0.353, expected heterozygosity was 0.379, and the polymorphism information content was 0.300. A total of 480 individual lines were clustered into five groups based on population genetic structure, principal coordinate analysis, and unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean analysis (UPGMA). The linkage disequilibrium coefficient (r2) was between 0.00 and 0.68, with an average of 0.04, which indicated a relatively low level of linkage disequilibrium among loci. The results of the association analysis revealed 55 significant marker-trait associations (MTA). Moreover, nine SSR markers were associated with multiple traits. This study provides tools with promising applications in the molecular selection and breeding of P. juncea germplasm.

Long-term grazing improved soil chemical properties and benefited community traits under climatic influence in an alpine typical steppe

Grazing and climate change both contribute to diversity loss and productivity fluctuations. Sensitive climate conditions and long-term grazing activities have a profound influence on community change, particularly in high-altitude mountain grassland ecosystems. However, knowledge about the role of long-term continuous grazing management on diversity, productivity and the regulation mechanisms in fragile grassland ecosystems is still rudimentary. We conducted a long-term grazing experiment on an alpine typical steppe in the Qilian Mountains to assess effects of grazing intensity on soil, diversity, productivity and the regulation mechanisms. Plants and soil were sampled along grazing gradients at different distances from the pasture entrance (0, 0.3, 0.6, 0.9, 1.2 and 1.5 km) under the non-growing (WP) and the growing season grazing pasture (SAP). The results revealed that community diversity and biomass did not change significantly on a time scale, while the concentration of soil organic carbon and total phosphorus increased significantly. Heavy grazing (0–0.3 km) decreased community diversity and biomass. Grazing increased soil chemical properties in heavy grazed areas of WP, while the opposite was recorded in SAP. Soil chemical properties explained the largest variances in community diversity and community biomass. The prediction model indicates that grazing in WP mainly affects community diversity through soil chemical properties, and promotes a positive correlation between community diversity and community biomass; in SAP, the direct effect of grazing gradients on community diversity and biomass is the main pathway, but not eliminating the single positive relationship between diversity and biomass, which means that diversity can still be used as a potential resource to promote productivity improvement. Therefore, we should focus on the regulation of soil chemical properties in WP, such as the health and quality of soil, strengthening its ability to store water, sequester carbon and increase nutrients; focus on the management of livestock in SAP, including providing fertilizer and sowing to increase diversity and production in heavily grazed regions and reducing grazing pressure through regional rotational grazing. Ultimately, we call for strengthening the stability and sustainability of ecosystems through targeted and active human intervention in ecologically sensitive areas to cope with future grazing pressures and climate disturbances.

Responses of community traits and soil characteristics of Achnatherum inebrians-type degraded grassland to grazing systems in alpine meadows on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Scientific grazing management is of great significance for the ecological health and sustainable use of alpine meadows. To explore appropriate management methods of alpine grasslands of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau degraded by Achnatherum inebrians (Hance) Keng ex Tzvele presence, we studied the effects of different grazing systems on the A. inebrians population, grassland vegetation community traits, soil characteristics and soil microbial community structure for cold- season grazing plus supplementary feeding pasture (CSF) and four-season open public pasture (FOP) in Tianzhu County, Gansu Province. Compared with FOP, the CSF site showed significantly inhibited reproduction of A. inebrians, especially the crown width, seed yield and number of reproductive branches per plant were as high as 50%, significantly increased the aboveground biomass of edible forage and soil water content by 57% and 43-55%, better soil nutrients, and significantly reduced soil bulk density by 10- 29%. Different grazing systems affected the composition and diversity of soil microbial communities, with a greater effect on fungi than on bacterial flora. The most abundant phyla of bacteria and fungi were Proteobacteria and Ascomycota for CSF (by 30-38% and 24-28%) and for FOP (by 67-70% and 68-73%), and the relative abundance and species of bacterial and fungal genera were greater for CSF than FOP. The α-diversity indexes of fungi were improved, and the β-diversity of fungi was significant difference between CSF and FOP. However, the grazing utilization time was prolonged in FOP, which reduced the diversity and abundance of soil bacteria and increased soil spatial heterogeneity. The use of A. inebrians-type degraded grassland in the cold season, and as a winter supplementary feeding and resting ground, could effectively inhibit expansion of A. inebrians, promote edible forage growth, enhance grassland productivity and community stability, and improve soil structure. The results guide healthy and sustainable utilization of A. inebrians-type degraded grassland in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Evaluating soil erosion and runoff dynamics in a humid subtropic, low stream order, southern plains watershed from cultivation and solar farm development

Much work has been done to understand and improve soil and water conservation where agriculture has driven land use intensification. Less is known about soil- and water-related impacts from intensification driven by solar farming, especially at watershed-scales. Here we employed Hydrologic Engineering Center's Hydrologic Modeling System (HEC-HMS) to model Pond Creek, a rural watershed in Texas, USA. Land use is primarily crop cultivation and secondarily pasture for cattle grazing. Presently, several industrial-scale projects are planned to convert ≈15–30% of Pond Creek from agriculture to solar farms. The model was parameterized using public data sources and information from local stakeholders, then calibrated to several historical precipitation events. Experiments were conducted by varying precipitation depth, duration, and land uses: native vegetation pre-cultivation (control), cultivation (current), current conditions with 15% solar farm conversion (solar), and current conditions with 30% solar farm conversion (solar x2). Shifting to solar farming led to significant increases in cumulative sediment load (+12%–30%), with no significant differences in peak discharge rate changes (+0.38%–4%). Comparison to soil loss tolerance values showed current and solar treatment erosion rates exceeded tolerance values between 0.17 and 2.29 tons per hectare and all treatments were significantly different than the native treatment. We discuss high leverage strategies applicable to solar farm development sites as well as watersheds where they reside. Accelerating demand for land for renewable energy such as solar farming warrants greater attention from the soil and water conservation community to anticipate and mitigate impacts across landscapes.

Eddy covariance fluxes over managed ecosystems extrapolated to field scales at fine spatial resolutions

To enable an evidence-based management of ecosystems to adapt to the climate crisis, we require fine spatiotemporal resolution estimates of carbon, water, and energy fluxes at the field scale. To overcome the limitations resulting from the coarse spatial resolution of existing flux products, e.g. 500 m (Running et al., 2015), and the challenges in matching eddy covariance (EC) footprints with land use field scales, we for the first time investigate the influence of satellite resolution on flux estimation, which is to support the fine-scale extrapolation of EC fluxes from the tower footprint to the field scale. We validate the extrapolation at 206 FLUXNET2015 tower sites to pave the way for estimating field-scale fluxes extrapolated from three towers in a managed European grazing pasture on a fine-scale, 30 m spatial resolution. The findings suggest that (a) tower-level flux estimates from 30 m satellites were in agreement with fluxes estimated from moderate-resolution satellites, which are extensively employed in literature (R2 difference ≪ 0.1); (b) flux estimates were in reasonable agreement with EC measurements (R2: 0.7 and annual bias < 2 Mg ha−1 yr−1 for carbon fluxes); (c) Sentinel-2 was advantageous in capturing land-use variability over other satellites in European pastures; (d) the machine-learning extrapolation algorithm was resistant to livestock grazing.

DESEMPEÑO PRODUCTIVO DE VACAS LECHERAS ALIMENTADAS CON PRADERAS DE KIKUYO SOBRESEMBRADAS CON CENTENO EN SISTEMAS DE PRODUCCIÓN DE LECHE EN PEQUEÑA ESCALA EN LOS VALLES ALTOS DE MÉXICO

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;Small-scale dairy systems contribute to mitigate rural poverty as they provide a stable source of incomes to farming families, and also contribute with over 30% of national milk production. However, the dependency on external inputs affects their profitability and sustainability, which added to difficult agroclimatic conditions and limiting management factors as high stocking rate in pastures. It is therefore necessary to evaluate feeding strategies better adapted to conditions in these systems to improve cattle diets based on quality forages reducing external dependency and thus, costs. A means to increase herbage yields in pastures is overseeding with annual fast-growing cereals. &lt;strong&gt;Objective: &lt;/strong&gt;The objective was to evaluate the productive performance of dairy cows on two feeding strategies based on grazing, and the analysis of costs in small-scale dairy systems in the highlands of central Mexico. &lt;strong&gt;Methodology: &lt;/strong&gt;Eight Holstein cows were used on continuous day grazing (8 h/day) under on-farm research with a double cross-over design. Treatments ere: continuous intensive grazing of Kikuyu grass pastures (KY) or Kikuyu grass overseeded with rye (KYCEN) from 6:00 to 16:00 h, plus 4.5 kg DM/day of commercial concentrate. Two groups of four cows balanced for days in milk and daily milk yield were formed, and each group randomly assigned to one of the treatment sequences: KY-KYCEN-KY y KYCEN-KY-KYCEN, with three experimental periods of 14-day each, with 10 days for adaptation to diets and four days for sampling. Pastures were assessed with a split-plot design. Records were for milk yield and composition, live weight and body condition. A partial budget analysis was performed to compare income and feeding costs. &lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;There were no statistical differences (P&amp;gt;0.05) in productive performance, with mean 3.5% fat corrected milk yield of 17 kg/cow/day, with 36.6 g/kg, 28.5 g/kg and 43.4 g/kg for milk fat, protein and lactose respectively. There were no significant differences (P&amp;gt;0.05) between treatments for sward height or herbage mass, but there were significant differences (P&amp;lt;0.05) for DM and OM content between treatments, and for CP, NDF, ADF, IVDMD, and EM (P&amp;lt;0.05) between periods. &lt;strong&gt;Implications:&lt;/strong&gt; In the face of complex agroecological scenarios for small-scale dairy systems, it is necessary to assess forages better adapted for these conditions as the inclusion of a fast growing cereal as rye to increase pasture production and increase the forage base in the diets with farm resources as Kikuyo grass, in order to increase the profitability of farms. &lt;strong&gt;Conclusions: &lt;/strong&gt;Since there were no statistical differences in the productive performance of dairy cows, or in economic performance, the conclusion is that treatment KY is the recommended option for this season. Treatment KYCEN requires expenditures in seed and labour, so that it is not a viable option for small-scale dairy systems in this season.&lt;/p&gt;

Summer grazing change fitness in a Tibetan lotus

It is believed that grazing has an effect on the functioning and performance of flowers, as well as their association with pollinator preferences and plant reproduction. However, the effects of grazing time on nectar secretion and pollen removal are still not fully understood. We hypothesized that seasonal grazing influences pollinator visitation and pollen removal by altering above-ground biomass and nectar secretion. In this study, we conducted field experiments to measure above-ground biomass, flower number per capitulum and capitulum number per plant, nectar volume and concentration, pollinator visitation of male- and female-phase flowers, pollen removal (e.g., number of pollens exported and deposition on a pollinator body and stigma), seed set ratio, and seed number between summer and winter grazing pastures of Saussurea stella. Our findings demonstrated that summer grazing reduced the above-ground biomass, nectar secretion, and pollinator visitation of male-phase flowers, thereby decreasing pollen export. There was a positive correlation between nectar secretion and above-ground biomass, as well as between pollinator visitation and nectar secretion, the number of pollens exported, and pollinator visitation of male-phase flowers. Experiments involving the removal of leaves revealed that a decrease in above-ground biomass was associated with a decrease in nectar secretion, pollinator visitation of male-phase flowers, and pollen removal. However, plants growing in summer and winter grazing pastures had comparable nectar secretion, pollinator visitation of female-phase flowers, seed number, and seed set ratio. Our results suggested that seasonal grazing influences nectar rewards, pollinator preferences, pollen removal, and male fitness. These findings would shed new light on the influence of herbivores on plant-pollinator interactions in the Tibetan meadow.

Intensive rotational grazing in pastures reduces the early establishment of an invasive tree species

Intensive rotational grazing in pastures reduces the early establishment of an invasive tree species