Effects of livestock exclusion on vegetation and soil properties under two topographic habitats in an alpine meadow on the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

• Autorzy: Shi F. , Chen H. , Wu Y. , Wu N.
• Języki publikacji: EN

Abstrakty

EN

Long-term overgrazing has resulted in grassland deterioration and even desertification on the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. In this paper, we examined the characteristics of vegetation and soil properties in the livestock-excluded pastures and the adjacent grazed pastures under two topographic habitats (the flat valley and the south-facing slope). Seven-year exclusion of livestock has enhanced aboveground live biomass, root biomass and litter accumulation. Livestock exclusion has also increased soil bulk density and soil water content, soil organic C concentration, total N concentration and its transformation rate, and soil microbial activity. The results showed that livestock exclusion has facilitated vegetation recovery and improved physical, chemical and biological properties of soil. However, livestock exclusion has significantly decreased graminoid biomass accumulation, especially on the flat valley, the biodiversity also significantly decreased there. The results suggested that long-term livestock exclusion was disadvantageous for palatable forage production and biodiversity protection on the flat valley. Compared to the flat valley, the grassland on the south-facing slope was under more severe degradation, and the reversion was in a slower process. Thus, the optimal grassland management in the livestock-excluded pasture on the flat valley should include a low or moderate grazing intensity or adopt an alternate grazing system, but more effective and even longer livestock exclusion practice should be taken on the south-facing slope.

Słowa kluczowe

EN

biodiversity; livestock-excluded pasture; Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau; soil properties; vegetation recovery

PL

bioróżnorodność; pastwisko dla zwierząt gospodarskich; regeneracja roślinności; właściwości gleby; Wyżyna Tybetańska

• Wydawca: Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences
• Czasopismo: Polish Journal of Ecology
• Rocznik: 2010
• Tom: Vol. 58, nr 1
• Strony: 125--133
• Opis fizyczny: Bibliogr. 44 poz.,

Twórcy

autor

Shi F.

autor

Chen H.

autor

Wu Y.

autor

Wu N.

• Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P. O. Box 416, Chengdu 610041, China ; Graduate University, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China,

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