Enhancing Semi-Arid Ecosystem Resilience in Jordan Using Controlled Grazing–A Short and Long-Term Assessment

• Autorzy: Sawalhah Mohammad N. , Alshdaifat Mustafa F. , Al-Kofahi Salman D. , Almasaeid Oday M.

Identyfikatory

DOI

10.12911/22998993/185354

• Języki publikacji: EN

Abstrakty

EN

Grazing management strategies in arid ecosystems are of critical importance to regulate plant regeneration, improve forage quality, and ensure sustainable utilization of rangelands. This study examined the impacts of controlled grazing management on vegetation dynamics (gain/loss) and land cover changes over a 17-year period (2006–2022) at the Royal Botanic Garden, Jordan. Climatic factors, including precipitation and temperature, were analyzed alongside the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) to assess vegetation health and greenness. Autoregression models were used to investigate annual temporal trends between vegetation biodiversity indices and climatic factors. To assess the impact of controlled grazing on vegetation biodiversity, the study period was divided into four periods: the initial period (period 0: 2006–2007) which represented the pre-dating-controlled grazing period, followed by three subsequent periods: period 1 (2008–2012), period 2 (2013–2017), and period 3 (2018–2022). Land cover analysis using yearly averaged NDVI values was assessed, including five distinct classes: water body, barren soil, herbaceous and shrub, open forest, and closed forest. The study identified short-term changes during period 1 and long-term changes during periods 2 and 3. The results revealed a significant annual temporal trend only in NDVI (P<0.001), indicating dynamic changes in vegetation health over the whole study period. A positive influence of controlled grazing on vegetation dynamics and biomass production was observed. During period 3, controlled grazing has led to a significant (P<0.05) increase in vegetation biomass compared to earlier periods (214.4 ton in period 3 compared to 97.1 and 106.8 ton in periods 1 and 2, respectively). NDVI also showed significantly higher values during the later periods of controlled grazing, emphasizing its positive impact on long-term vegetation health. Furthermore, the study showed interesting trends in plant groups and species, with short-term controlled grazing leading to increased species richness and significant changes in vegetation indices. Over the study period, controlled grazing influenced land cover dynamics, with significant decreases in barren soil (from 66.7% to 9.8%) and increases in herbaceous and shrubland areas (33.2% to 89.6%). The study concluded that controlled grazing significantly shapes plant communities, fostering dynamic changes in species and groups over time. The study provides valuable insights into the ecological impact of controlled grazing management. The obtained f indings revealed vegetation resilience to short-term climate variations, with sustained vegetation health under grazing. Grazing management strategies in arid ecosystems are of critical importance to regulate plant regeneration, improve forage quality, and ensure sustainable utilization of rangelands. This study examined the impacts of controlled grazing management on vegetation dynamics (gain/loss) and land cover changes over a 17-year period (2006–2022) at the Royal Botanic Garden, Jordan. Climatic factors, including precipitation and temperature, were analyzed alongside the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) to assess vegetation health and greenness. Autoregression models were used to investigate annual temporal trends between vegetation biodiversity indices and climatic factors. To assess the impact of controlled grazing on vegetation biodiversity, the study period was divided into four periods: the initial period (period 0: 2006–2007) which represented the pre-dating-controlled grazing period, followed by three subsequent periods: period 1 (2008–2012), period 2 (2013–2017), and period 3 (2018–2022). Land cover analysis using yearly averaged NDVI values was assessed, including five distinct classes: water body, barren soil, herbaceous and shrub, open forest, and closed forest. The study identified short-term changes during period 1 and long-term changes during periods 2 and 3. The results revealed a significant annual temporal trend only in NDVI (P<0.001), indicating dynamic changes in vegetation health over the whole study period. A positive influence of controlled grazing on vegetation dynamics and biomass production was observed. During period 3, controlled grazing has led to a significant (P<0.05) increase in vegetation biomass compared to earlier periods (214.4 ton in period 3 compared to 97.1 and 106.8 ton in periods 1 and 2, respectively). NDVI also showed significantly higher values during the later periods of controlled grazing, emphasizing its positive impact on long-term vegetation health. Furthermore, the study showed interesting trends in plant groups and species, with short-term controlled grazing leading to increased species richness and significant changes in vegetation indices. Over the study period, controlled grazing influenced land cover dynamics, with significant decreases in barren soil (from 66.7% to 9.8%) and increases in herbaceous and shrubland areas (33.2% to 89.6%). The study concluded that controlled grazing significantly shapes plant communities, fostering dynamic changes in species and groups over time. The study provides valuable insights into the ecological impact of controlled grazing management. The obtained f indings revealed vegetation resilience to short-term climate variations, with sustained vegetation health under grazing.

Słowa kluczowe

EN

plant biodiversity index; NDVI; vegetation cover; vegetation health

• Wydawca: Polskie Towarzystwo Inżynierii Ekologicznej ; Lublin University of Technology
• Czasopismo: Journal of Ecological Engineering
• Rocznik: 2024
• Tom: Vol. 25, nr 5
• Strony: 29--42
• Opis fizyczny: Bibliogr. 61 poz., rys., tab.

Twórcy

autor

Sawalhah Mohammad N.

• Department of Land Management and Environment, Prince El-Hassan Bin Talal Faculty for Natural Resources and Environment, The Hashemite University, P.O. Box 330127, Zarqa 13133, Jordan

• https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1128-7847

autor

Alshdaifat Mustafa F.

• Royal Botanic Garden, Department of Projects and Programs, P.O. Box 99, Amman 11910, Jordan

autor

Al-Kofahi Salman D.

• Department of Land Management and Environment, Prince El-Hassan Bin Talal Faculty for Natural Resources and Environment, The Hashemite University, P.O. Box 330127, Zarqa 13133, Jordan

• https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2141-6350

autor

Almasaeid Oday M.

• Ministry of Education, P.O. Box 1646, Amman 11118, Jordan

Bibliografia

• 1. Al-Karadsheh, E., Akroush, S., Mazahreh, S. 2012. Land degradation in Jordan – Review of knowledge resources. Aleppo, Syria: International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA). [online] Available at: https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PBAAF671.pdf
• 2. Al-Tabini, R.J. 2001. An evaluation of the potential of Atriplex nummularia for sheep production in arid Jordanian rangelands: the effects of defoliation management (Doctoral dissertation), University of Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom: Newcastle University.
• 3. Al-Tabini, R., Al-Khalidi, K. 2022. Rangeland management between science, local knowledge and application, Royal Botanic Garden of Jordan, Amman, Jordan.
• 4. Al-Tabini, R., Al-Khalidi, K., Al-Shudiefat, M. 2012. Livestock, medicinal plants and rangeland viability in Jordan’s Badia: through the lens of traditional and local knowledge. Pastoralism: Research, Policy and Practice, 2(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1186/2041-7136-2-4.
• 5. Anderson, L.K., Blanco‐Canqui, H., Drewnoski, M.E., MacDonald, J.C., Carlson, Z., Hansen, B.H., Brinton, Mc.M., Ulmer, K.M., Calus, K.J. 2022. Cover crop grazing impacts on soil properties and crop yields under irrigated no‐till corn–soybean management. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 86(1), 118–133. https://doi.org/10.1002/saj2.20358.
• 6. Anim, D.O., Kabo-Bah, A.T., Nkrumah, P.N., Murava, R.T. 2013. Evaluation of NDVI using Spot-5 satellite data for northern Ghana. Environmental Management and Sustainable Development, 2(1), 167. https://doi.org/10.5296/emsd.v2i1.3709.
• 7. Apfelbaum, S.I., Thompson, R., Wang, F., Mosier, S., Teague, R., Byck, P. 2022. Vegetation, water inf iltration, and soil carbon response to adaptive multipaddock and conventional grazing in Southeastern USA ranches. Journal of Environmental Management, 308, 114576. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.114576.
• 8. Asner, G.P., Elmore, A.J., Olander, L.P., Martin, R.E., Harris, A.T. 2004. Grazing systems, ecosystem responses, and global change. Annual Review of Environment and Resources, 29(1), 261-299. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.energy.29.062403.102142.
• 9. Bollerslev, T. 1986. Generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity. Journal of Econometrics, 31(3), 307–327. https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-4076(86)90063-1.
• 10. Bonet, A. 2004. Secondary succession of semi-arid Mediterranean old fields in south-eastern Spain: insights for conservation and restoration of degraded lands. Journal of Arid Environments, 56(2), 213–233. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-1963(03)00048-X.
• 11. Borer, E.T., Seabloom, E.W., Gruner, D.S., Harpole, W.S., Hillebrand, H., Lind, E.M., … Yang, L.H. 2014. Herbivores and nutrients control grassland plant diversity via light limitation. Nature, 508(7497), 517520. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature13144.
• 12. Chesson, P. 2018. Updates on mechanisms of maintenance of species diversity. Journal of Ecology, 106(5), 1773–1794. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.13035.
• 13. Davies, J., Ogali, C., Laban, P., Metternicht, G. 2015. Homing in on the range: enabling investments for sustainable land management. Technical Brief, 29(01).
• 14. Derner, J.D., Budd, B., Grissom, G., Kachergis, E.J., Augustine, D.J., Wilmer, H., Scasta-Derek J., Ritten, J.P. 2022. Adaptive grazing management in semiarid rangelands: An outcome-driven focus. Rangelands, 44(1), 111–118.
• 15. Dregne, H.E. 2002. Land degradation in the Drylands. Arid Land Research and Management, 16, 99–132. https://doi.org/10.1080/153249802317304422.
• 16. Dubeux, J.C., Sollenberger, L.E. 2020. Nutrient cycling in grazed pastures. In Management strategies for sustainable cattle production in southern pastures. Academic Press, 59–75.
• 17. EarthExplorer. 2016. USGS EarthExplorer—US Geological Survey. Availabele online: http://earthexplorer.usgs.gov.
• 18. Ghahramani, A., Howden, S.M., del Prado, A., Thomas, D.T., Moore, A.D., Ji, B., Ates, S. 2019. Climate change impact, adaptation, and mitigation in temperate grazing systems: a review. Sustainability, 11(24), 7224. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11247224.
• 19. Gibson, M., Maron, M., Taws, N., Simmonds, J.S., Walsh, J.C. 2022. Use of citizen science datasets to test effects of grazing exclusion and replanting on Australian woodland birds. Restoration Ecology, 30(7), e13610. https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.13610.
• 20. Giralt-Rueda, J.M., Santamaria, L. 2021. Complementary differences in primary production and phenology among vegetation types increase ecosystem resilience to climate change and grazing pressure in an iconic Mediterranean ecosystem. Remote Sensing, 13(19), 3920. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs13193920.
• 21. Guo, N., Degen, A.A., Deng, B., Shi, F., Bai, Y., Zhang, T., Long R., Shang, Z. 2019. Changes in vegetation parameters and soil nutrients along degradation and recovery successions on alpine grasslands of the Tibetan plateau. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 284, 106593. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.15361.
• 22. He, S., Xiong, K., Song, S., Chi, Y., Fang, J., He, C. 2023. Research progress of grassland ecosystem structure and stability and inspiration for improving its service capacity in the Karst desertification control. Plants, 12(4), 770. https://doi.org/10.3390/ plants12040770.
• 23. Herrera, P.M., Davies, J., Baena, P.M. 2014. 14 rebuilding pastoral governance. The Governance of Rangelands: Collective Action for Sustainable Pastoralism, 236. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315768014.
• 24. Holechek, J.L., Geli, H.M., Cibils, A.F., Sawalhah, M.N. 2020. Climate change, rangelands, and sustainability of ranching in the Western United States. Sustainability, 12(12), 4942. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12124942.
• 25. Holechek, J.L., R.D. Pieper, C.H. Herbel. 2011. Range management principles and practices. 4th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ, USA Prentice Hall.
• 26. JMP®, Version 11. SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, 1989–2023.
• 27. Juneidi, J.M., Abu-Zanat, M. 1993. Jordan agricultural sector review: low rainfall zone. International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas, Aleppo, Syria
• 28. Kaarlejärvi, E., Salemaa, M., Tonteri, T., Merilä, P., Laine, A.L. 2021. Temporal biodiversity change following disturbance varies along an environmental gradient. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 30(2), 476–489. https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.13233.
• 29. Kelemen, E., Nguyen, G., Gomiero, T., Kovács, E., Choisis, J.P., Choisis, N., Paoletti, M.G., Podmaniczky, L., Raschawy J., Sarthou P.J., Herzog F., Dennis. P., Balázs, K. 2013. Farmers’ perceptions of biodiversity: lessons from a discourse-based deliberative valuation study. Land Use Policy, 35, 318–328. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2013.06.005.
• 30. Kenkel, N.C. 1988. Pattern of self‐thinning in jack pine: testing the random mortality hypothesis. Ecology, 69(4), 1017–1024. https://doi.org/10.2307/1941257.
• 31. Lawrence, R., Whalley, R.D.B., Reid, N., Rader, R. 2019. Short-duration rotational grazing leads to improvements in landscape functionality and increased perennial herbaceous plant cover. Agriculture, Ecosystems Environment, 281, 134–144. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2019.04.031.
• 32. Liu, Y., Zhu, G., Hai, X., Li, J., Shangguan, Z., Peng, C., Deng, L. 2020. Long-term forest succession improves plant diversity and soil quality but not significantly increase soil microbial diversity: Evidence from the Loess Plateau. Ecological Engineering, 142, 105631. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2019.105631.
• 33. Lund, H. 2007. Accounting for the World’s Rangelands, Rangelands, 29(1), 3–10. http://doi.org/10.2458/azu_rangelands_v29i1_lund.
• 34. Ma, M., Zhou, X., Du, G. 2013. Effects of disturbance intensity on seasonal dynamics of alpine meadow soil seed banks on the Tibetan Plateau. Plant and Soil, 369, 283–295. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-012-1560-5.
• 35. Meneses-Tovar, C.L. 2011. NDVI as an indicator of degradation. Unasylva, 62(238), 39–46.
• 36. Miao, L., Sun, Z., Ren, Y., Schierhorn, F., Müller, D. 2021. Grassland greening on the Mongolian Plateau despite higher grazing intensity. Land Degradation and Development, 32(2), 792–802. https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.3767.
• 37. Ministry of Agriculture, Directorate of Rangelands and Badia Development 2013, Updated Rangeland Strategy for Jordan 2013/2014. Amman, Jordan.
• 38. Msadek, J., Tlili, A., Moumni, M., Louhaichi, M., Tarhouni, M. 2022. Impact of grazing regimes, landscape aspect, and elevation on plant life form types in Managed Arid Montane Rangelands. Rangeland Ecology and Management, 83, 10–19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rama.2022.02.013.
• 39. Oba, G., Vetaas, O.R., Stenseth, N.C. 2001. Relationships between biomass and plant species richness in arid zone grazing lands. Journal of Applied Ecology, 836–845. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2664.2001.00638.x.
• 40. Pent, G.J., Fike, J.H. 2021. Enhanced ecosystem services provided by silvopastures. Agroforestry and Ecosystem Services, 141–171. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-80060-4_7.
• 41. Sacha, V. 2020. Move the fences. Science, 368, 962963. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.368.6494.962-f.
• 42. Sándor, R., Ehrhardt, F., Brilli, L., Carozzi, M., Recous, S., Smith, P., Snow, V., Soussana, J.F., Dorich, C.D., Fuchs, K., Fitton, N., 2018. The use of biogeochemical models to evaluate mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions from managed grasslands. Science of the Total Environment, 642, pp.292-306. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.06.020.
• 43. SAS, 2013. SAS Version 9.4. SAS Institute, Inc, Cary, NC, USA.
• 44. Sawalhah, M.N., Al-Kofahi, S.D., Othman, Y.A., Cibils, A.F. 2018. Assessing rangeland cover conversion in Jordan after the Arab spring using a remote sensing approach. Journal of Arid Environments, 157, 97–102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2018.07.003
• 45. Smith, A.P., Moore, A.D., Boschma, S.P., Hayes, R.C., Nie, Z., Pembleton, K.G., 2017. Modelling of lucerne (Medicago Sativa L.) for livestock production in diverse environments. Crop Pasture Science., 68, 74–91. https://doi.org/10.1071/CP16176.
• 46. Society for Range Management. 1989. Glossary of terms used in range management, 3rd Ed. Denver, CO, USA.
• 47. Sollenberger, L.E., Aiken, G.E., Wallau, M.O. 2020. Managing grazing in forage–livestock systems. In: Management Strategies for Sustainable Cattle Production in Southern Pastures, Academic Press, Cambridge, 77–100. https://doi.org/10.1016/ B978-0-12-814474-9.00005-0.
• 48. Strohmeier, S., Haddad, M., De Vries, J., Nouwakpo, S., Al-Hamdan, O., Weltz, M., 2017. Restoring degraded rangelands in Jordan: optimizing mechanized micro water harvesting using rangeland hydrology and erosion model (RHEM). Simo and Poch (Eds). Book of Abstracts of the 1st World Conference on Soil and Water Conservation under Global Change-CONSOWA Lleida. June 12-16, 2017. Departament de Medi Ambient iCiencies del Sol (Udl), Lleida, Spain.
• 49. Taifour, H. 2017. Jordan Plant Red List. Royal Botanic Garden, Jordan.
• 50. Taifour, H., El-Oqlah, A. 2015. Jordan Plant Red List. Royal Botanic Garden, Jordan.
• 51. Taifour, H., El-Oqlah, A. 2017. Plants of Jordan – An annotated checklist. KEW Royal Botanic Gardens, UK.
• 52. Tang, J., Davy, A.J., Jiang, D., Musa, A., Wu, D., Wang, Y., Miao, C. 2016. Effects of excluding grazing on the vegetation and soils of degraded sparse-elm grassland in the Horqin Sandy Land, China. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 235, 340–348. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2016.11.005.
• 53. United Nations. 201. Transforming our world: The 2030 agenda for sustainable development. United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Knowledge Platform. Retrieved from https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/post20.
• 54. Van Der Wal, R., Bardgett, R.D., Harrison, K.A., Stien, A. 2004. Vertebrate herbivores and ecosystem control: cascading effects of faeces on tundra ecosystems. Ecography, 27(2), 242–252. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0906-7590.2004.03688.x.
• 55. Wang, B., Yan, H., Wen, X., Niu, Z. 2022. SatelliteBased Monitoring on Green-Up Date for Optimizing the Rest-Grazing Period in Xilin Gol Grassland. Remote Sensing, 14(14), 3443. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs14143443.
• 56. Wang, J., Rich, P.M., Price, K.P. 2003. Temporal responses of NDVI to precipitation and temperature in the central Great Plains, USA. International Journal of Remote Sensing, 24(11), 2345–2364. https://doi.org/10.1080/01431160210154812.
• 57. Wu, G.L., Du, G.Z., Liu, Z.H., Thirgood, S. 2009. Effect of fencing and grazing on a Kobresia-dominated meadow in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Plant and Soil, 319, 115–126. https://doi.org/10.1007/ s11104-008-9854-3.
• 58. Yan, L., Zhou, G., Zhang, F. 2013. Effects of different grazing intensities on grassland production in China: a meta-analysis. PloS One, 8(12), e81466. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0081466.
• 59. Zhang, Y., Zhao, J., Xin, X., Wang, M., Pan, F., Yan, R., Li, L. 2022. Effects of stocking rate on the interannual patterns of ecosystem biomass and soil nitrogen mineralization in a meadow steppe of northeast China. Plant and Soil, 1–23.
• 60. Zhao, W., Luo, T., Wei, H., Zhang, L. 2022. Relative impact of climate change and grazing on NDVI changes in grassland in the Mt. Qomolangma nature reserve and adjacent regions during 2000–2018. Diversity, 14(3), 171. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-021-04901-4.
• 61. Zilverberg, C.J., Angerer, J., Williams, J., Metz, L. J., Harmoney, K. 2018. Sensitivity of diet choices and environmental outcomes to a selective grazing algorithm. Ecological Modelling, 390,10–22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2018.10.007.