Grassland Protection Research Articles

The mechanism underlying grazing shaping stoichiometry of plant community on a grassland of Guizhou subtropical plateau

Livestock grazing is a traditional and major use of grassland in China subtropics. However, plant stoichiometry and how it was affected by grazing in these ecosystems have been poorly explored. Here, the responses in plant nutrition and stoichiometry as well as soil nutrition and stoichiometry under representative grazing intensities (i.e., moderate grazing and heavy grazing) compared with no-grazing were characterized, the drivers of plant stoichiometry were explored in a subtropical artificial grassland, SW China. Wilcoxon test showed that grazing intensity significantly changed the response of soil OC, TN, AN, AP, AK, pH, OC: TN, AN: AP, AN: AK, AP: AK, and AP: AK. Grazing intensity changed the response in N, ASH, EE, ADF, P, N: P, N: P, N: Ca and P: Ca of plant. Path analysis showed the effect of grazing intensity on the stoichiometric ratio of nitrogen and phosphorus in plant community was achieved through the removal of herbivores. Our research provides some mechanistic understanding of grazing management of subtropical grassland, and also provides new insights and useful reference for the protection and utilization of grassland in Guizhou Plateau.

The Characteristics of Runoff Process Structure Changes under the Influence of Climate Change and Human Activities and the Decomposition of Contribution Rate of Impact Factors

The research of the runoff structure and its influencing factors in the Xilinhe River Basin not only provides indispensable basic data for the economic development, but also has long-term significance for the protection of grasslands. Based on the runoff data of Xilinhot Hydrological Station from 1960 to 2010 and the daily meteorological data of three surrounding weather stations from 1960 to 2010, the paper calculated the potential evapotranspiration with Penman’s formula and used the combination of Mann-Kendall and Pettitt to diagnose the variation points of characteristic value of runoff distribution during the year. The cumulant slope change rate method is used to quantitatively analyze the contribution rate of climate change and human activities to the uneven distribution coefficient and the complete adjustment coefficient of runoff during the year. The results show that (1) the monthly distribution of runoff in the Xilinhe River Basin is obviously “bimodal” during the year, and the uneven coefficient, complete adjustment coefficient, and concentration in the 2000s are significantly higher than those of 60s-90s. (2) In 1998, the coefficient of uneven distribution of runoff in the Xilinhe River Basin and the coefficient of complete adjustment both showed abrupt changes. (3) Climate change and human activities contributed 11.48% and 88.52% and 9.35% and 90.65% to the uneven distribution coefficient and the complete adjustment coefficient, respectively, of the runoff in the Xilinhe River Basin. Human activities are the main driving factors for changes in the distribution of runoff in the Xilinhe River Basin during the year.

Nesting biology and nest survival of the Grassland Sparrow (Ammodramus humeralis) in grazed grasslands of central-eastern Argentina

ABSTRACT Knowledge of the breeding biology of grassland birds is important given the accelerated rate of transformation of their habitats, which has led to noticeable population declines of many species. Although several species in South America are of conservation concern due to habitat alteration, information on their nesting biology is generally sparse. During three seasons we studied a breeding population of a poorly studied ground-nesting bird, the Grassland Sparrow (Ammodramus humeralis), in grasslands used for cattle grazing in central-eastern Argentina. We described its breeding parameters, estimated nestling growth curves, and analyzed daily nest survival rates (DSR) as a function of grassland characteristics, including grass density, grass height, and distance to forest edges. We found 34 nests placed among low and sparse vegetation and made exclusively of grass. The modal clutch size was three eggs. Incubation and nestling periods lasted 11 and 10.5 days, respectively. Nestlings had a fast-growing tarsus, which could be advantageous to escape from predators early. Only seven nests (20.6%) were successful and predation was the principal cause of nest failure (78% of the failures). DSR was 0.91, resulting in a cumulative survival of 11% for the 23.5 day nesting period. We found no effects of habitat features on DSR, which may be a consequence of the high predation rate and a very diverse predator community in the area. Studies at a broader scale could help to elucidate which habitats favor the reproduction of these species. We emphasize the importance of knowing basic ecological aspects of native grassland birds to develop management plans, especially given the lack of protected grassland areas in the Pampas Grassland ecoregion.

Spatio-Temporal Dynamics of Landscape Connectivity and Ecological Network Construction in Long Yangxia Basin at the Upper Yellow River

Analyzing multi-scale changes in landscape connectivity is an important way to study landscape ecological processes and also an important method to maintain regional biodiversity. In this study, graph-based connectivity was used to analyze the dynamics of the connectivity of natural habitats in the Long Yangxia basin of upper Yellow River valley from 1995 to 2015. We used the core areas of the nature reserves as the source regions to construct ecological networks under different thresholds, so as to identify key areas that can maintain overall landscape connectivity. The results showed that, from 1995 to 2015, the landscape connectivity in the study area increased for the first 10 years, and, since 2005, has declined. On a spatial scale, we found that both the connectivity of the ecological network and the length of the corridor increased with landscape resistance. Our analysis demonstrates the importance of the natural habitat in the southern part of the study area where connectivity was higher, as well as the sensitivity of connectivity of the northern area to human activities. Both large and medium patches contribute greatly to the overall landscape connectivity, while attention needs to be paid to the protection and management of small patches as they played “stepping stone” roles in maintaining and improving landscape connectivity. The proportions of landscape types that served as corridors, listed in order of their contribution to connectivity, were grassland, forestland, wetland and cultivated land. This suggests that, in addition to focusing on the protection of grassland and forest land, the reasonable planning and utilization of wetland and cultivated land will also have an impact on landscape connectivity. In addition, the protection of and improvement in habitats in the Sanjiangyuan Nature Reserve is of great significance to enhance landscape connectivity. Our study provides a scientific basis to support and improve regional landscape connectivity and biodiversity conservation over the next decade.

What grass characteristics drive large herbivore feeding patch selection? A case study from a South African grassland protected area

The coexistence of a large herbivore community depends on the degree of overlap in the resource used by the different species composing it. We investigated the role of grass greenness, height, biomass and feeding patch status on feeding patch selection by ruminant black and blue wildebeest (Connochaetes gnou, Connochaetes taurinus), red hartebeest (Alcelaphus buselaphus) and non-ruminant plains zebra (Equus quagga) in a protected grassland in South Africa. Selection by ruminants was associated with grass greenness and grass height, <10 cm for black and blue wildebeest, and >11 cm for red hartebeest. The non-ruminant zebra were more generalist, but selected for wetlands in all seasons, as did red hartebeest and blue wildebeest. Each species modified its behaviour during the late dry season by searching more for biomass or accepting grass that was less green or longer. The presence of burnt patches did not affect patch selection by any study species. Accordingly, large herbivore resource use showed strong seasonal adaptations, wetlands were important for sustaining sympatric species in the study area, and none of the species used the exact same combination of resources.

Variations of Forage Yield and Nutrients with Altitude Gradients and Their Influencing Factors in Alpine Meadow of Sanjiangyuan, China

This study aimed to investigate the forage yield and quality and extract factors affecting them and provide scientific support for ecological protection of alpine grassland and sustainable development of animal husbandry in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Samples were collected in late August (peak of the growing season) 2014 in two mountain transects (Laji mountain, 36° 21′ N, 101° 27′ E, 3389–3876 m a.s.l. and Heitu mountain, 34° 22′ N, 100° 30′ E, 4121–4268 m a.s.l.) of Sanjiangyuan. Forage biomass and nutrients were measured by the national standard method, and influencing factors were extracted by RDA. Results showed that the forage yield decreased significantly with the increasing altitude, no matter in the mountain > 4000 m a.s.l. or 4000 m a.s.l., fiber and lignin were mainly affected by soil pH and SOC and crude protein (CP) by soil pH (p < 0.05) and total phosphorus (TP). Overall, with the increasing altitude, forage CP and fat (CF) increased, while neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber decreased, implying that warming may lead to the decline of forage quality and then affect the safety of animal husbandry. Moreover, forage CP and CF were also affected by soil inorganic nitrogen and TP rather than SOC and soil total nitrogen.

Assessing restoration benefit of grassland ecosystem incorporating preference heterogeneity empirical data from Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region

The evaluation of grassland ecosystem restoration benefit considering herdsmen's preference is an important reference for the formulation of grassland protection policy. This study aims to evaluate the marginal benefits of grassland ecosystem services by using choice experiment and mixed logit (ML) model, and a latent class model (LCM) is estimated to identify and explain the heterogeneity of herdsmen's preference for the various functions of the grassland ecosystem, so as to estimate the benefits of grassland ecosystem restoration in Siziwang Banner and Damao Banner of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The results reveal that the restoration benefit of the grassland ecosystem in the two banners is nearly 341.1 million RMB per year. The application of latent class model highlights three potential segments of the herdsmen with different preferences. The social, economic and environmental attitudinal characteristics of herdsmen have significant impacts on their preferences. Thus, to improve the universality of grassland ecological restoration policy, herdsmen's preferences should be thoroughly investigated before policy formulation and implementation. Meanwhile, it is important to publicize the grassland ecosystem services, to popularize the role of wildlife in the ecosystem, and to realize the benign interaction between wildlife protection and animal husbandry development.

Short-term effects of experimental trampling on alpine grasslands in Shangri-la, China

Alpine grasslands provide essential ecosystem functions and services, yet they are increasingly subject to anthropogenic perturbations. Northwest Yunnan (NWY) is one of the most popular tourist destinations in China, and alpine grasslands of NWY are particularly susceptible to human recreational activities such as hiker trampling. However, studies that explicitly evaluate the effects of trampling disturbance on alpine communities of NWY are very limited, let alone research testing the responses of these communities to trampling from a functional trait perspective. The present research is performed in alpine grasslands within and outside of a core nature conservation area of Shangri-La, NWY of China, to study species- and community-level responses of alpine communities to simulated trampling through a functional trait-based approach. The results showed that although species-specific differences existed, alpine plants generally showed rapid morphological changes in response to trampling disturbance. At the community level, trampling disturbance caused strong shifts in taxonomy-based diversity metrics (e.g., species richness, Simpson’s index and Shannon’s index) and functional trait-based diversity metrics (e.g., functional richness, functional evenness, functional divergence, and community-weighted mean trait values). Specifically, increased trampling intensity led to a decrease in taxonomic diversity. Meanwhile, functional richness decreased, while functional evenness and functional divergence increased with an increase in trampling intensity. Also, characteristics of alpine community traits had changed towards those with shorter height, reduced leaf size and lower LDMC, and such strong shifts in taxonomic and functional diversity might further affect the functioning and value of alpine grasslands. Therefore, the protection of high-altitude natural grasslands with high sensitivity and vulnerability is urgent, especially as they are increasingly experiencing multiple environmental and climatic stressors nowadays.

Spatial-temporal changes in ecosystem services and the trade-off relationship in mountain regions: A case study of Hengduan Mountain region in Southwest China

Mountain regions are usually regarded as important ecological functional areas that provide various ecosystem services to the people living in the mountains and surrounding areas. However, mountain regions are also fragile areas for both climate change and land use change. Over the past two decades, China’s mountain regions have experienced climate change and dramatic land use changes that have been driven by policy. It is unknown how mountainous ecosystem services change under the drive of these two factors, or what management strategies should be adopted. This study focuses on the Hengduan Mountain region in southwest China as the study area. Based on the various simulated ecosystem services from 1990 to 2015, we identified the main influencing factors for the spatial and temporal changes of ecosystem services, the trade-off relationship, and the ecosystem service bundles by the use of correlation and cluster analysis. The results showed that: (1) Water yield and soil erosion were mainly affected by precipitation, while habitat quality and carbon storage were more affected by land use changes. The implementation of ecological projects significantly enhanced the habitat quality and carbon storage. (2) Synergy relationship existed between habitat quality and some of regulating services, indicating that current institutional reforms of China’s management of protected areas aimed at protecting intact habitat quality will promote local regulating services. (3) Three bundles were determined on the county scale, and different management strategies should be taken. Agriculture, carbon, and water bundles should focus on cultivated land protection, grassland protection, and rational utilization of water resources, respectively. This study will enrich the research of mountain ecosystem services and provide important support for local ecosystem management.

Grazing of Native Livestock Breeds as a Method of Grassland Protection in Roztocze National Park, Eastern Poland

Grazing of Native Livestock Breeds as a Method of Grassland Protection in Roztocze National Park, Eastern Poland

A new method for grassland degradation monitoring by vegetation species composition using hyperspectral remote sensing

Grassland degradation is an important research topic on a global scale, since it can severely restrict the development of animal husbandry and threaten ecological security. The proper monitoring of regional grassland degradation is the basis for strengthening grassland protection and restoration, as well as improving grassland ecology. In this study, the standards for monitoring grassland degradation at the regional level were established based on the field data measured in the study area and the data of a grazing-controlled experimental plot. We extracted the spectral characteristic parameters and carried out the spectral dimensionality reduction and accuracy evaluation using principal component analysis (PCA) and the multilayer perceptron neural network (MLPNN). Based on the EO-1 Hyperion images, multiple endmember spectral mixture analysis (MESMA) and the fully constrained least squares method pixel un-mixing (FCLS) were used to identify typical vegetation species and assess the degree of grassland degradation at the regional level per the established grassland degradation monitoring standards. This new method of monitoring grassland degradation from the perspective of the vegetation species composition not only makes grassland degradation monitoring more accurate, but also provides a reference for relevant studies.

Assessment of the vulnerability of alpine grasslands on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

Assessing ecosystem vulnerability to climate change is critical for sustainable and adaptive ecosystem management. Alpine grasslands on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau are considered to be vulnerable to climate change, yet the ecosystem tends to maintain stability by increasing resilience and decreasing sensitivity. To date, the spatial pattern of grassland vulnerability to climate change and the mechanisms that vegetation applies to mitigate the impacts of climate change on grasslands by altering relevant ecosystem characteristics, especially sensitivity and resilience, remain unknown. In this study, we first assessed the spatial pattern of grassland vulnerability to climate change by integrating exposure, sensitivity, and resilience simultaneously, and then identified its driving forces. The results show that grasslands with high vulnerability were mainly located on the edges of the plateau, whereas alpine grasslands in the hinterlands of the plateau showed a low vulnerability. This spatial pattern of alpine grassland vulnerability was controlled by climatic exposure, and grassland sensitivity and resilience to climate change might also exacerbate or alleviate the degree of vulnerability. Climate change had variable impacts on different grassland types. Desert steppes were more vulnerable to climate change than alpine meadows and alpine steppes because of the high variability in environmental factors and their low ability to recover from perturbations. Our findings also confirm that grazing intensity, a quantitative index of the most important human disturbance on alpine grasslands in this plateau, was significantly correlated with ecosystem vulnerability. Moderate grazing intensity was of benefit for increasing grassland resilience and then subsequently reducing grassland vulnerability. Thus, this study suggests that future assessments of ecosystem vulnerability should not ignore anthropogenic disturbances, which might benefit environmental protection and sustainable management of grasslands on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

Modeling Alpine Grassland Above Ground Biomass Based on Remote Sensing Data and Machine Learning Algorithm: A Case Study in East of the Tibetan Plateau, China

Effective and accurate assessment of grassland above-ground biomass (AGB) especially via remote sensing (RS), is crucial for forage-livestock balance and ecological environment protection of alpine grasslands. Because of complexity and extensive spatial distribution of natural grassland resources, the RS estimation models based on moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) data exhibited low accuracy and poor stability. In this study, various methods for estimating the AGB of alpine grassland vegetation using MODIS vegetation indices were evaluated by combining with meteorology, soil, topography geography and in situ measured AGB data (during grassland growing season from 2011 to 2016) in Gannan region. Results show that 1) five out of ten factors (elevation, slope, aspect, topographic position, temperature, precipitation and the concentration of clay and sand in the soil) exert significant effects on grassland AGB, with R 2 0.04–0.39, and RMSE 859.68–1075.09 kg/ha, respectively; 2) the accuracy and stability of AGB estimation model can be improved by constructing multivariate models, especially using multivariate nonparameter models; 3) the optimum estimation model is constructed on the basis of random forest algorithm (RF). Compared with univariate/multivariate parameter models, RMSE of RF model decreased 26.45%–44.27%. Meanwhile, RF models can explain 89.41% variation in AGB during grass growing season. This study presented a more suitable RS inversion model integrated MODIS vegetation indices and other effect factors. Besides, the accuracy based on MODIS data was greatly improved. Thus, our study provides a scientific basis for effective and accurate estimating alpine grassland AGB.

The Valuation of Grassland Ecosystem Services in Inner Mongolia of China and Its Spatial Differences

Economic valuation of grassland ecosystem services is important for protecting and restoring grassland ecosystems. This study aims to investigate Chinese netizens’ willingness-to-pay (WTP) for protecting grassland ecosystem services in Inner Mongolia by using the contingent valuation method. The results indicate that 61.55% of respondents expressed a positive WTP. The mean WTP was estimated to be CNY 170.76 (USD 25.11) per person per year. We found that there is a significant spatial difference in respondent’s WTP. Factors such as respondent age, education, household income and concern about grassland protection significantly affected their WTP. Younger, more educated and wealthier respondents have a higher probability of willingness to pay, and those who are concerned about grassland protection present a higher WTP. The regression results also show that distance from the grassland negatively affects the probability and values of people’s WTP. Findings of this research provide useful policy implications for decision-makers involved in grassland protection and management.

Quantifying Degradation Classifications on Alpine Grassland in the Lhasa River Basin, Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) has the world’s largest alpine grassland ecosystem. The QTP ecosystem is extremely fragile and suffers continuous degradation. An accurate determination of the status of alpine grassland is the first crucial step in monitoring its degradation. A novel method combining field survey with remote sensing information based on ecological indicators is proposed. The degradation classification of alpine grassland was identified by multivariate hierarchical analysis based on 270 field plots. The spatial pattern of alpine grassland degradation was mapped by determining remote sensing variables that corresponded to field indicators of the degradation classification system. The results showed that clustering analysis divided the degradation classification of alpine grassland into five classes: Non-Degraded (ND), Slightly Degraded (SLD), Moderately Degraded (MD), Severely Degraded (SD), and Extremely Degraded (ED). The most significant factors for alpine grassland degradation included the dominance of Cyperaceae plants, soil total nitrogen content, soil organic carbon content, soil total carbon content, soil bulk density, soil pH, dominance of miscellaneous plants, and elevation among all 17 variables. The assessment and mapping of alpine grassland degradation provide an important basis for alpine grassland protection and management, particularly at a large scale.

A factor-income approach to estimating grassland protection subsidy payments to livestock herders in Inner Mongolia, China

This paper contributes to the growing literature on land use policies designed to prevent livestock overgrazing. It offers a straightforward factor-income approach to calculating payments for ecosystem services (PES) to livestock producers who reduce or suspend grazing for the purpose of grassland restoration. Our approach requires only cross-sectional farm-level accounting data and is thus feasible where policies have either not yet been applied or specialized data is sparse, as is common in many developing regions. We apply and validate this approach with empirical analysis of sheep and goat herders in the Ulanqab prefecture in Inner Mongolia, China where herders currently receive payments in exchange for reduced grazing intensity on vulnerable land. However, observed stocking rates are still commonly higher than recommended. Our results suggest payments are currently insufficient to offset the financial loss incurred by herders who reduce their grazing intensity, a finding consistent with previous studies. Using an approach we refer to as the factor-income method, we estimate and validate new levels of recommended payments. This demonstrates how future payments could be tailored to meet the financial needs of individual herding communities using basic farm-level data.

Traditional utilization and management of wild Allium plants in Inner Mongolia

Background: In Inner Mongolia, Allium plants are rich in variety and widely distributed. They are often concentrated and distributed in a contiguous manner, so they are of great significance to the ecological environment protection of grasslands and forests. In addition, Inner Mongolia Allium species have a high utilization value. The Mongolian people have accumulated rich traditional knowledge of the utilization of Allium resources during the history of their nomadic lifestyle, including uses for food, forage, medicine and culture. At present, due to the unreasonable use of Allium resources by humans, it has caused serious damage to its resources and vegetation. Therefore, in order to change the utilization status of Allium resources and reasonably protect their resources, find out the local ethnic group's traditional utilization methods and management of Allium plants and understand the interaction mechanism between grassland and grassland plants play an important role in the sustainable use and protection of plant resources. Methods: This research mainly uses literature research, key person interviews, semi-structured interviews, field surveys, data collation and catalog analysis. Results: In this paper, 38 species of Allium plants distributed in Inner Mongolia were sorted out, and the Chinese names, scientific names, Mongolian names and utilization parts of each species were catalogued and sorted. The Mongolian people in Inner Mongolia are rich in knowledge about the edible, medicinal, forage, and cultural utilization of Allium plants. Conclusion: Mongolian people in Inner Mongolia have a variety of traditional uses of wild Allium plants, which has reference value for the research and research of Allium plants. However, at present, the resources of Allium plants in Inner Mongolia are gradually decreasing, and related traditional knowledge is being lost. The article puts forward three related suggestions: (1) Pay attention to the resource protection of wild Allium plants. (2) The traditional knowledge related to the use and ecology of Allium plants needs to be documented, preserved, and promoted. (3) To strengthen the Mongolian people's awareness of the importance and protection of their own culture. Keywords: Inner Mongolia, Allium , Traditional use of knowledge

Assessing preferences for growth on the rural-urban fringe using a stated choice analysis

Increasing the capacity of communities on the rural-urban fringe to accommodate sustainable growth is a key concern among resource management agencies. Decisions about the future of these landscapes involve difficult tradeoffs that underscore the importance of incorporating diverse stakeholder values and preferences into planning efforts. We assessed residents’ preferences for exurban growth alternatives in two Midwestern U.S. counties – Jasper County, IA and Will County, IL – that have strong agrarian roots and lie at the fringe of rapidly-expanding metropolitan areas. Using a choice model, we identified how six landscape characteristics influenced respondents’ stated choices for growth scenarios. Informed by previous research, focus groups, and pilot testing, our final model evaluated preferences for residential growth, protected grasslands, recreation, agriculture, bison reintroduction, and unemployment. Results from a county-wide survey mailed to 3000 residents (final N = 889) indicated that five of the six landscape-scale attributes significantly influenced residents’ choices. Increased residential growth, more protected grasslands and agricultural lands, and greater access to recreation positively predicted choices for hypothetical growth scenarios while residents preferred future scenarios with low levels of unemployment. Further, the strength of preferences for these land use and economic conditions differed between Jasper and Will County residents. The study findings aid decision makers who face growth and urbanization pressures and provide insight on how to integrate preferences of current residents into planning decisions at a regional scale.

Xerothermic Grassland Protection by Means of Sheep Grazing: What is the Short-Term Effect on Ants?

Livestock grazing is a common management practice recommended to protect biodiversity of semi-natural grasslands. However, the effects of specific management regimes on species diversity can differ considerably among taxonomic groups. We studied short-term effects of sheep grazing on species diversity of ants. We investigated whether one season of sheep grazing affects the species richness of ants and causes a compositional change in species occurrence. We conducted our study in southern Poland at five Natura 2000 sites that create favourable habitats for thermo- and xerophilic ants. The average number of ant species detected in grazed plots was slightly but insignificantly higher as compared with that in ungrazed ones. Three species were detected only in ungrazed plots. Our results are in accordance with other reports, leading to the conclusion that the variation in ant diversity may be primarily driven by site-specific conditions rather than grazing per se.

Estimating non-market environmental values for grassland protection in inner Mongolia

AbstractThe non-market values of changes in grassland management stimulated by changes in policies were estimated by choice modeling. Four-hundred twenty-seven residents of Hohhot city in Inner Mongolia were selected using the popular mobile phone application WeChat. Conditional logit (CL) and random parameter logit (RPL) models were estimated to analyze the preference of respondents for environmental and social attributes. Based on the preferred RPL model, the average per household willingness to pay over 10 years for the best policy outcome scenarios was estimated to be CNY892 (US$141). The total willingness to pay for this policy change, extrapolated to the population of Hohhot, was CNY208 million (US$33 million). The findings suggest that environmental and social outcomes are valuable to Chinese residents of a regional urban center. Such values should be viewed as a public financial base for market-based mechanisms for grassland protection both in China and internationally. WeChat proved to be convenient but required the application of extrapolation caveats relating to sample representation.