Northeast China as one of important agricultural production bases is an area under reclamation and returning cultivated land to forests or pastures. Therefore, it is of great practical significance in guaranteeing the...Northeast China as one of important agricultural production bases is an area under reclamation and returning cultivated land to forests or pastures. Therefore, it is of great practical significance in guaranteeing the sustainable development and national food security to study the spatial and temporal variation of cultivated land in Northeast China under future climate scenarios. In this study, based on data of land use, natural environment and social-economy, dynamics of land system（DLS） model was used to to simulate the spatial distribution and changing trends of cultivated land in the typical areas of reclamation and returning cultivated land to forest or pastures in Northeast China during 2010-2030 under land use planning scenario and representative concentration pathways（RCPs） scenarios quantitatively.The results showed that the area of cultivated land had an overall decreasing trend under the land use planning scenario, but the area of upland field increased slightly from 2000 to 2010 and then declined greatly, while the area of paddy field continuously declined from 2000 to 2030. Under the Asia-Pacific Integrated model（AIM）scenario, the total area of cultivated land had a tendency to increase considerably,with the upland field expanding more obviously and the paddy field declining slightly.In addition, the cultivated land showed a greater decreasing trend under the model for energy supply strategy alternatives and their general environmental impact（MESSAGE） scenario compared to the land use planning scenario. Moreover, analysis on the conversion between different land use types indicated that the reclamation and returning cultivated land to forests or pastures was likely to continue under future scenarios, but the frequency of occurrence could decrease as the time goes by. The conclusions can provide significant decision-making information for the rational agricultural planning and cultivated land protection in Northeast China to adapt to the climate change.展开更多
The article gives a brief description of the vegetation cover of the Western Pamir-Alai range, as well as a method of describing the phytocenosis of the vegetation of the studied region.
This article describes the development of human potential interaction between society and nature. The environment, sustainable use of natural resources, prevention of adverse effects of human activities on the environ...This article describes the development of human potential interaction between society and nature. The environment, sustainable use of natural resources, prevention of adverse effects of human activities on the environment, and disturbances of dynamical ecological balance of the existing natural systems have received increased attention. The heed is introduced both on the state scale and in broad circles of science and society in The Azerbaijan Republic.展开更多
In Central Yakutia of the Russian Federation 21 species and subspecies of horseflies of two genera are revealed:Chrysops(6 species)and Hybomitra(15 species and 1 subspecies).There are two marked species(dark forms):H....In Central Yakutia of the Russian Federation 21 species and subspecies of horseflies of two genera are revealed:Chrysops(6 species)and Hybomitra(15 species and 1 subspecies).There are two marked species(dark forms):H.bimaculata var.bisignata and H.montana var.flaviceps.The most numerous species being the main center of population on pastures are 6:Hybomitra montana montana,H.lundbecki lundbecki,H.ciureai,H.arpadi,H.nitidifrons nitidifrons,H.nigricornis(in the amount of 81.46%fees).On the plain pastures Chrysops divaricatus is specified for the first time.展开更多
There are about 5 million ha of strongly acid soils (pH < 4.8 in 0.01 mol·L -1 CaCl 2 ) in Victoria and about 11 million ha of mildly acid soils (pH 4.8～5.5) that are considered susceptible to furthe...There are about 5 million ha of strongly acid soils (pH < 4.8 in 0.01 mol·L -1 CaCl 2 ) in Victoria and about 11 million ha of mildly acid soils (pH 4.8～5.5) that are considered susceptible to further acidification under current agricultural use. However, there appear to be differences in the rate of acidification, as measured by soil pH change, between soils under perennial pastures in the higher rainfall areas of southern Victoria and soils under annual pastures in the sheep-wheat areas of the north-east. Measurements made on representative soils from both regions showed that the southern soils generally had a higher pH buffer capacity, which was primarily determined by the organic carbon content. There was a consistent relationship between the short-term buffer capacity (measured by titration) and the long-term buffer capacity (measured by incubation), irrespective of the origin of the soils. Exchangeable Al, measured in 0.01 mol·L -1 CaCl 2 , was strongly negatively correlated with pH and the relationship for all soils suggested that Al was adsorbed as a cation with an average charge of 1.2展开更多
Vast grasslands are found in the walnut-fruit forest region of southern Kyrgyzstan,Middle Asia.Located above the worldwide unique walnutfruit forests and used for grazing,they play a pivotal role in the mixed mountain...Vast grasslands are found in the walnut-fruit forest region of southern Kyrgyzstan,Middle Asia.Located above the worldwide unique walnutfruit forests and used for grazing,they play a pivotal role in the mixed mountain agriculture of local farmers.Accordingly,these pastures are subject to an increasing utilization pressure reflecting the changing political and social conditions in the transformation process from a Soviet republic to an independent state.A first detailed analysis of mountain pasture vegetation in the Ferghana Range answers the following questions:What are the main plant community types among Kyrgyzstan's mountain pastures? What are the main environmental gradients that shape their species composition? Which phytogeographical distribution types are predominant? How does grazing affect community composition and species richness in these grasslands? Species composition was classified by cluster analysis;underlying environmental gradients were explored using DCA.A dataset of 395 relevés was used for classification,and a subset of 79 relevés was used in a DCA to analyze the correlation between vegetation,environment,and grazing impact.The investigated pastures were classified into four distinctive plant communities.The site factors altitude,heat load,inclination and grazing impact were found to be the major determinants of the vegetation pattern.A significant overlap between floristic composition and structural and spatial properties was shown.The majority of the species pool consisted of Middle Asian endemics and Eurosiberian species.However,disturbance-tolerant species played a significant role with respect to species composition and coverage of the herbaceous layer in vast areas of southern Kyrgyzstan's mountain pastures.In general,an intense grazing impact is clearly reflected by both species composition and structural variables of plant communities.The highly diverse and unique ecosystem is modified by an increasing utilization pressure.In order to maintain vital processes and functioning of this valuable ecosystem-in both economical and ecological terms-,it is indispensable to adopt appropriate pasture management strategies.展开更多
Hyperspectral sensors provide the potential for direct estimation of pasture feed quality attributes. However, remote sensing retrieval of digestibility and fibre (lignin and cellulose) content of vegetation has prove...Hyperspectral sensors provide the potential for direct estimation of pasture feed quality attributes. However, remote sensing retrieval of digestibility and fibre (lignin and cellulose) content of vegetation has proven to be challenging since tissue optical properties may not be propagated to the canopy level in mixed cover types. In this study, partial least squares regression on spectra from HyMap and Hyperion imagery were used to construct predictive models for estimation of crude protein, digestibility, lignin and cellulose concentration in temperate pastures. HyMap and Hyperion imagery and field spectra were collected over four pasture sites in southern Victoria, Australia. Co-incident field samples were analyzed with wet chemistry methods for crude protein, lignin and cellulose concentration, and digestibility was calculated from fiber determinations. Spectral data were subset based on sites and time of year of collection. Reflectance spectra were extracted from the hyperspectral imagery and collated for analysis. Six different transformations including derivatives and continuum removal were applied to the spectra to enhance absorption features sensitive to the quality attributes. The transformed reflectance spectra were then subjected to partial least squares regression, with full cross-validation “leave-one-out” technique, against the quality attributes to assess effects of the spectral transformations and post-atmospheric smoothing techniques to construct predictive models. Model performance between spectrometers, subsets and attributes were assessed using a coefficient of variation (CV), —the interquantile (IQ) range of the attribute values divided by the root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) from the models. The predictive models with the highest CVs were obtained for digestibility for all spectra types, with HyMap the highest. However, models with slightly lower CVs were obtained for crude protein, lignin and cellulose. The spectral regions for diagnostic wavelengths fell within the chlorophyll well, red edge, and 2000-2300 nm ligno-cellulose-protein regions, with some wavelengths selected between the 1600 and 1800 nm region sensitive to nitrogen, protein, lignin and cellulose. The digestibility models with the highest CV’s had confidence intervals corresponding to ±5% digestibility, which constitutes approximately 30% of the measured range. The cellulose and lignin models with the highest CV’s also had similar confidence intervals but the slopes of the prediction lines were substantially less than 1:1 indicating reduced sensitivity. The predictive relationships established here could be applied to categorizing pasture quality into range classes and to determine whether pastures are above or below for example threshold values for livestock productivity benchmarks.展开更多
[Objective]The paper was to study the effect of different grazing intensities on vegetation characteristics of artificial pasture by plot rota- tion grazing experiment. [Method]Grazing intensity was divided into 2 tre...[Objective]The paper was to study the effect of different grazing intensities on vegetation characteristics of artificial pasture by plot rota- tion grazing experiment. [Method]Grazing intensity was divided into 2 treatments of heavy grazing and light grazing,and each treatment contained 6 plots,with randomized complete block design. A blank control was set near test plot. Ninety disease-free and healthy 2-year-old Yunling Black Goats with consistent body condition were selected and divided into 2 groups： heavy grazing （ 55） and light grazing （ 35） . The goats were conduc- ted rotation grazing in 6 plots,and the average stocking rates were 12. 6 and 8 goat /hm 2 . The plant height,coverage,underground biomass and pasture plant nutrition of 2 treatments were measured,respectively. [Result]The cocksfoot height had significant difference with control under graz- ing conditions （ P 〈0. 05） ,while the heights of ryegrass and white clover in control plot had no significant difference with that in grazing plot （ P 〉 0. 05） . Grazing intensity had different effects on coverage of different plants; grazing utilization reduced the coverage of cocksfoot and ryegrass, which had little impact on coverage of white clover; viewed from the whole plant communities,the coverage in control plot was greater than that in grazing plot. The underground biomass in 0 -20 cm soil depth in grazing plot accounted for about 90%; with the increase of grazing intensity,un- derground biomass was decreased. The crude protein （ CP） and crude fat （ EE） content of forage decreased,while acid detergent fiber （ ADF） and neutral detergent fiber （ NDF） increased. [Conclusion]The research provided scientific basis for determination of suitable grazing system and sus- tainable utilization of pasture resources.展开更多
In December of 3 years, 87 beef cows with nursing calves （.594 ± 9.8 kg; calving season, September to November） at side were stratified by body condition score, body weight, cow age, and calf gender and divided...In December of 3 years, 87 beef cows with nursing calves （.594 ± 9.8 kg; calving season, September to November） at side were stratified by body condition score, body weight, cow age, and calf gender and divided randomly into 6 groups assigned to 1 of 6 cool-season annual pastures （0.45 ha/cow） that had been interseeded into a dormant common bermudagrass （Cynodon dactylon [L.] Pers.）/bahiagrass （Paspalum notatum Flugge） sod. Pastures contained 1 of the following 3 seeding mixtures （2 pastures/mixture）： 1） wheat （Triticum aestivurn L.） and ryegrass （Lofium multiflorum Lain., WRG）, 2） wheat and ryegrass plus red clover （Trifolium pretense L, WRR）, or 3） wheat and ryegrass plus white （Trifofium repens L.） and crimson clovers （Trifolium incarnatum L., WRW）. All groups had ad libitum access to grass hay （12% crude protein; 58% total digestible nutrients）. The second week in December, cow estrous cycles were synchronized and artificially inseminated. In late December, a bull was placed with each group for 60-d. Data were analyzed with an analysis of variance using a mixed model containing treatment as the fixed effect and year as the random effect. Body weight and condition scores did not differ （P ≥ 0.27） among cows between February and June. Calf birth weights or average daily gain did not differ （P≥ 0.17） among treatments; however, calves grazing pastures with clovers did tend （P= 0.06） to weigh more than calves grazing grass only. Weaning weight per cow exposed to a bull was greater （P= 0.02） for WRR and WRW than WRG. Cows grazing winter-annual pastures containing clovers tended to wean more calf body weight per cow exposed to a bull than cows grazing the grass only pastures.展开更多
Wetland grasslands are important ecosystems for raising beef cattle, because they are highly productive and present forages with high quality. Most of these ecosystems are threatened by overgrazing or by being replace...Wetland grasslands are important ecosystems for raising beef cattle, because they are highly productive and present forages with high quality. Most of these ecosystems are threatened by overgrazing or by being replaced by exotic pastures. Emergy synthesis approach was used to assess and value the services provided by native pastures wetland under three conservation status and also to compare them to exotic pastures on wetlands. The ecosystem service that was assessed included forage provision for calves production estimated from grazing capacity of cow with calf at the foot. Habitat maintenance to plant diversity and wild herbivores were also evaluated. The results showed that natural wetland pastures with better conservation status provided valuable ecosystem services and are highly renewable. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) showed that regardless of the conservation state of the natural pastures, wet native grasslands were more efficient than wet exotic grasslands. Replacing native pastures by exotic ones may reduce plant diversity and the renewability of the system. The proposed method has a holistic approach to pasture ecosystems and is able to help decision-makers to define sustainable management practices and to subsidise public policies when it comes to payments regarding ecosystem services.展开更多
Natural hay pastures in semi-arid pastoral areas produce the highest yields of hay in northern China.However, long-term continuous hay harvesting with no rest interval has resulted in severe degradation across widespr...Natural hay pastures in semi-arid pastoral areas produce the highest yields of hay in northern China.However, long-term continuous hay harvesting with no rest interval has resulted in severe degradation across widespread areas of these natural hay pastures. In addition, no clear data exist on the spatial distribution or degree of degradation occurring in natural hay pastures primarily because a nationally unified and normative evaluation standard is lacking. In view of the above problems, we employed an analytic hierarchy process to carry out screening and accuracy validation of evaluation indicators for natural hay pastures in north China grasslands(temperate meadow steppes, temperate steppes, mountain meadows, and lowland meadows). Our study identified seven easily measured indicators that reflect the state of natural hay pastures(average height, aboveground biomass, coverage, proportion of medium grasses, litter biomass, proportion of degradation-indicative plants, and proportion of bare spots and saline-alkali spots). A five-level scoring method was employed to delineate the threshold range for these indicators, The results of this study show that this method effectively solved the technical bottleneck for graded evaluation of degradation in natural hay pastures. This provides a theoretical basis for the scientific assessment of natural hay pasture degradation as well as important technical support for sustainable use of natural hay pastures and livestock production.展开更多
The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China(CPC)will be held in Beijing on October 18.Led by the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at the core,China has made extraordinary a...The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China(CPC)will be held in Beijing on October 18.Led by the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at the core,China has made extraordinary achievements both at home and on the world stage since the 18th CPC National Congress was held in November 2012.展开更多
Background:Perennial ryegrass(Lolium perenne)in New Zealand pastures is typically infected with the mutualist Epichloëfungal endophyte.This endophyte assists the plant in resisting biotic and abiotic stresses,but...Background:Perennial ryegrass(Lolium perenne)in New Zealand pastures is typically infected with the mutualist Epichloëfungal endophyte.This endophyte assists the plant in resisting biotic and abiotic stresses,but the standard strain of endophyte is toxic to livestock.Elite ryegrasses with selected endophytes have been developed to provide protective properties to the grass plant and lessen or eliminate the negative impacts on livestock.Methods:Using immunology and molecular techniques,the presence of endophyte infection and endophyte strain in ryegrass tillers was determined for 24 dairy pastures sampled for up to 7 years in regions of the North and South Islands.Results:In general,infection levels were high and showed small increases over time.Some pastures failed to reach 70%infection.The sown,selected endophytes were the dominant endophyte strains present and these were stable over time.Standard endophyte was the primary nonsown endophyte,and while generally low and so of little importance,it increased over time and for some pastures,this would have been detrimental to livestock.Pasture establishment technique influenced the level of contamination.Conclusions:Results reinforce the importance of following best practice procedures in the seed industry and on-farm.Researchers should monitor trials for contaminating nonsown standard endophyte.展开更多
In mid-June,the vast,rolling meadow steppe grasslands of Bayanwenduer Sumu in Ar Horqin Banner,Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region,once again stretched into the horizon like green waves with herds of cattle and sheep sca...In mid-June,the vast,rolling meadow steppe grasslands of Bayanwenduer Sumu in Ar Horqin Banner,Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region,once again stretched into the horizon like green waves with herds of cattle and sheep scattered across them like pearls in a green ocean.This flock was driven by herders on horseback,motorcycles,and agricultural vehicles,leading the animals to summer pastures in one of the most important migrations of the year.展开更多
The abandonment of rural activities in the Mediterranean mid-mountains has led to the activation of revegetation processes,as well as the subsequent implementation of various management measures to mitigate the associ...The abandonment of rural activities in the Mediterranean mid-mountains has led to the activation of revegetation processes,as well as the subsequent implementation of various management measures to mitigate the associated ecosystem disservices.Focusing on soil environment and its growing importance in a climate change scenario,it is of great interest to study how land management and landscape changes can affect,not only the soil carbon storage process,but also its dynamics.A study was conducted in La Rioja(Iberian System,Spain),comparing three post-abandonment management strategies:secondary succession,forest management,and shrub clearing and extensive grazing.These strategies were analysed in two types of soil environments(acid and alkaline)and for two depth ranges(0–20 cm and 20–40 cm).Laboratory analyses were performed on aggregate stability and soil organic carbon fractionation with regard to three aggregate sizes(<2 mm,2–5 mm,>5 mm)and three density fractions(free labile,occluded,and heavy fraction).The results showed that:1)SOC content in aggregates<2 mm(relative to total SOC)increases with shrub clearing and grazing strategy in acid environments;2)aggregate stability benefits from the implementation of afforestation in acid environments and from all three study strategies in alkaline ones;3)in acid environments,the percentage of labile fractions(free and occluded)in afforested sites is significantly higher compared with shrubland,while in alkaline environments,recalcitrant SOC is significantly higher in shrub clearing sites.Thus,land management should be focused on SOC storage after land abandonment in Mediterranean mountainous environments.展开更多
Over the last century,the Mediterranean basin has been widely affected by the abandonment of farming activities,leading to a natural succession towards forested ecosystems.This process is resulting in a carbon(C)stock...Over the last century,the Mediterranean basin has been widely affected by the abandonment of farming activities,leading to a natural succession towards forested ecosystems.This process is resulting in a carbon(C)stock increase at an ecosystem level,often assessed through the measurement of aboveground biomass,while the contribution of soil organic carbon(SOC)remains unclear.We investigated C changes caused by secondary succession on previously grazed areas in central Italy,specifically focusing on the SOC pool.The natural succession is described through a chronosequence approach over four successional stages:pastures,shrublands,young and mature forests.Eight replicates per stage were studied,and C stock was estimated in the mineral soil down to a 30-cm depth,and in all other ecosystem C pools:aboveground and belowground biomass,deadwood and litter.In the mature forests,SOC stock was significantly higher(p<0.05)than in pastures by 40±8 Mg ha^(-1),corresponding to 28%of the total ecosystem C stock gain.The same trend was observed for aboveground biomass,the pool that increased the most(62±23 Mg ha^(-1)),with a 43%contribution to total ecosystem gain.Our results point to a substantial contribution of SOC to overall C stock during secondary succession in Mediterranean ecosystems.展开更多
The results of the 2022-2025 study conducted for the vulnerability assessment of pastures and for the development of improvement measures on the degraded land sections in the arid and semi-arid provinces of the Caucas...The results of the 2022-2025 study conducted for the vulnerability assessment of pastures and for the development of improvement measures on the degraded land sections in the arid and semi-arid provinces of the Caucasus under the global climate change conditions are introduced in the current article.The main goal of our scientific work is to study and assess the current ecological and resource state of natural phytocenoses,pastures and hayfields in the arid and semi-arid landscapes under climate change.The paper presents the results of determining the areas and levels of degradation of the natural biogeocenoses and biogeocenoses of the pastures and hayfields in the mountain and highland landscapes.The results were obtained using remote sensing,field and laboratory studies and analyses.The conducted studies have revealed that along 34,174.5 ha pasture and 1342.0 meadows areas of the pastures at the Areni,Yeghegis,Yeghegnadzor and Vayq consolidated administrative territories situated in the arid and semi-arid zones of the Vayots Dzor Region high degradation was recorded in about 6508 hectares of pasture and 407 hectares of meadows areas,which is related to irregular and uncontrolled economic mismanagement of the local population and global climate change.To improve the ecological condition,accessibility and quality of ecosystem services of the pastures,hayfields and natural meadows,comprehensive restoration bioecological and agrotechnical measures have been proposed.They are aimed at improving the air,water and nutrient regimes of soils,at their bioprotection,as well as at the general increase in area and at improving the economic characteristics of the vegetation cover.Such measures on the ecosystem basis are appropriate in the context of enriching the qualitative composition of plants with useful ecological and economic bioecological characteristics,taking into account the characteristics of landscapes,weather and climatic conditions,and agricultural opportunities.展开更多
The presence of a thatch layer in established pastures could reduce the contact between broiler litter and soil, thus increasing the potential for surface runoff contamination with litter P. We conducted a laboratory ...The presence of a thatch layer in established pastures could reduce the contact between broiler litter and soil, thus increasing the potential for surface runoff contamination with litter P. We conducted a laboratory study to evaluate the effect of a thatch layer on the dynamics of water-soluble P in undisturbed cores taken from a pasture. Cores with and without a thatch layer received a surface application of broiler litter (5 thm-2) and were incubated at 25 oC for 56 d. The result showed that on the soil surface the contents of water soluble-P (39 kghm-2) of the cores with the thatch layer was higher than that (20 kghm-2) of the cores without the thatch layer. Therefore on well-established pastures fertilized with broiler litter, the presence of a thatch layer might lead to high concentrations of water-soluble P on the soil surface.展开更多
An important indicator of the rangeland health, associated with land degradation, is the ability of semi-natural rangelands to provide forage of sufficient quality for livestock production. In Qilian Mountains(Gansu P...An important indicator of the rangeland health, associated with land degradation, is the ability of semi-natural rangelands to provide forage of sufficient quality for livestock production. In Qilian Mountains(Gansu Province, NW China) biomass production and forage quality are dependent on the seasonality of precipitation and temperature; most of the precipitation falls during summer season, when sheep, goats and yaks graze mountain rangelands. To sustain the rangelands and to improve the management strategies, the assessment of the forage quality should be implemented. The purpose of this research was to study the response of biomass, forage quality and macronutrient content different levels of grazing intensity in Qilian rangelands. We sampled aboveground biomass in the growing seasons in 2012 and 2013 within spring/autumn or summer grazing regimes in two altitudinal zones below and above 3000 m a.s.l.(montane-subalpine and subalpine-alpine respectively). In order to estimate forage quality, biomass was sampled in 1 m × 1 m plots, assigned to the center of 10 ×10 m sites, fromwhich we collected different indicator parameters of rangeland health. Mineral and fiber content of forage biomass was estimated under different levels of grazing intensity with regard to the growing period. It was found that an increase in grazing intensity led to a decrease in dry matter weight. No linearity was observed in the relationship between nutritive value and grazing intensity. The highest fiber content(59.20 %) was found in plots mostly disturbed by grazing. The highest protein(16.30 %) and the lowest fiber(51.30 %) contents were associated with slightly grazing intensity. Concentrations of the mineral elements, such as Zn, P, K and S varied significantly and showed maximum values under low grazing intensity.展开更多
Nimblewill (Muhlenbergia schreberi) is a warm-season perennial grass (weed) native to the United States and Canada with low palatability. This species is dominant in many horse pastures in which bluegrass (Poa pratens...Nimblewill (Muhlenbergia schreberi) is a warm-season perennial grass (weed) native to the United States and Canada with low palatability. This species is dominant in many horse pastures in which bluegrass (Poa pratensis) is the primary forage. Tall fescues infected with endophyte fungae gives tall fescue plants greater competitividade ability and enviromental stress tolerance than their noninfected counterparts. The purpose of this study was to compare the relative competitiveness of nimblewill with bluegrass and tall fescues (Lolium arundinaceum) with or without endophytic fungi (strain AR584) through experiments using a replacement series design. Replacement series experiments were conducted in pots to evaluate the growth of species in a pure stand and in a mix stand with variables rates. Species competitiveness was evaluated based on the relative yield and relative yield total (and competitiveness index) of the dry weight of shoots from species grown together. Nimblewill was found to be more competitive than bluegrass, and all tall fescues were more competitive than nimblewill. Our results demonstrated that the presence of endophytes in three different tall fescues did not alter the competitiveness of these fescues with nimblewill, but the tall fescue Kentucky 31 was more competitive between tall fescues. Based on our finding, we concluded that fescues are recommended, especially without the endophytic fungi to suppress nimblewill in implantation of pastures to horses.展开更多
基金Supported by the Major Research Project of National Natural Science Foundation Committee(91325302)China Postdoctoral Foundation(2014M560110)Hebei Social Science Foundation(HB15GL087)~~
文摘Northeast China as one of important agricultural production bases is an area under reclamation and returning cultivated land to forests or pastures. Therefore, it is of great practical significance in guaranteeing the sustainable development and national food security to study the spatial and temporal variation of cultivated land in Northeast China under future climate scenarios. In this study, based on data of land use, natural environment and social-economy, dynamics of land system（DLS） model was used to to simulate the spatial distribution and changing trends of cultivated land in the typical areas of reclamation and returning cultivated land to forest or pastures in Northeast China during 2010-2030 under land use planning scenario and representative concentration pathways（RCPs） scenarios quantitatively.The results showed that the area of cultivated land had an overall decreasing trend under the land use planning scenario, but the area of upland field increased slightly from 2000 to 2010 and then declined greatly, while the area of paddy field continuously declined from 2000 to 2030. Under the Asia-Pacific Integrated model（AIM）scenario, the total area of cultivated land had a tendency to increase considerably,with the upland field expanding more obviously and the paddy field declining slightly.In addition, the cultivated land showed a greater decreasing trend under the model for energy supply strategy alternatives and their general environmental impact（MESSAGE） scenario compared to the land use planning scenario. Moreover, analysis on the conversion between different land use types indicated that the reclamation and returning cultivated land to forests or pastures was likely to continue under future scenarios, but the frequency of occurrence could decrease as the time goes by. The conclusions can provide significant decision-making information for the rational agricultural planning and cultivated land protection in Northeast China to adapt to the climate change.
文摘The article gives a brief description of the vegetation cover of the Western Pamir-Alai range, as well as a method of describing the phytocenosis of the vegetation of the studied region.
文摘This article describes the development of human potential interaction between society and nature. The environment, sustainable use of natural resources, prevention of adverse effects of human activities on the environment, and disturbances of dynamical ecological balance of the existing natural systems have received increased attention. The heed is introduced both on the state scale and in broad circles of science and society in The Azerbaijan Republic.
文摘In Central Yakutia of the Russian Federation 21 species and subspecies of horseflies of two genera are revealed:Chrysops(6 species)and Hybomitra(15 species and 1 subspecies).There are two marked species(dark forms):H.bimaculata var.bisignata and H.montana var.flaviceps.The most numerous species being the main center of population on pastures are 6:Hybomitra montana montana,H.lundbecki lundbecki,H.ciureai,H.arpadi,H.nitidifrons nitidifrons,H.nigricornis(in the amount of 81.46%fees).On the plain pastures Chrysops divaricatus is specified for the first time.
文摘There are about 5 million ha of strongly acid soils (pH < 4.8 in 0.01 mol·L -1 CaCl 2 ) in Victoria and about 11 million ha of mildly acid soils (pH 4.8～5.5) that are considered susceptible to further acidification under current agricultural use. However, there appear to be differences in the rate of acidification, as measured by soil pH change, between soils under perennial pastures in the higher rainfall areas of southern Victoria and soils under annual pastures in the sheep-wheat areas of the north-east. Measurements made on representative soils from both regions showed that the southern soils generally had a higher pH buffer capacity, which was primarily determined by the organic carbon content. There was a consistent relationship between the short-term buffer capacity (measured by titration) and the long-term buffer capacity (measured by incubation), irrespective of the origin of the soils. Exchangeable Al, measured in 0.01 mol·L -1 CaCl 2 , was strongly negatively correlated with pH and the relationship for all soils suggested that Al was adsorbed as a cation with an average charge of 1.2
基金the joint project "The Impact of the Transformation Process on Human-Environmental Interactions in Southern Kyrgyzstan" supported by the Volkswagen Foundation
文摘Vast grasslands are found in the walnut-fruit forest region of southern Kyrgyzstan,Middle Asia.Located above the worldwide unique walnutfruit forests and used for grazing,they play a pivotal role in the mixed mountain agriculture of local farmers.Accordingly,these pastures are subject to an increasing utilization pressure reflecting the changing political and social conditions in the transformation process from a Soviet republic to an independent state.A first detailed analysis of mountain pasture vegetation in the Ferghana Range answers the following questions:What are the main plant community types among Kyrgyzstan's mountain pastures? What are the main environmental gradients that shape their species composition? Which phytogeographical distribution types are predominant? How does grazing affect community composition and species richness in these grasslands? Species composition was classified by cluster analysis;underlying environmental gradients were explored using DCA.A dataset of 395 relevés was used for classification,and a subset of 79 relevés was used in a DCA to analyze the correlation between vegetation,environment,and grazing impact.The investigated pastures were classified into four distinctive plant communities.The site factors altitude,heat load,inclination and grazing impact were found to be the major determinants of the vegetation pattern.A significant overlap between floristic composition and structural and spatial properties was shown.The majority of the species pool consisted of Middle Asian endemics and Eurosiberian species.However,disturbance-tolerant species played a significant role with respect to species composition and coverage of the herbaceous layer in vast areas of southern Kyrgyzstan's mountain pastures.In general,an intense grazing impact is clearly reflected by both species composition and structural variables of plant communities.The highly diverse and unique ecosystem is modified by an increasing utilization pressure.In order to maintain vital processes and functioning of this valuable ecosystem-in both economical and ecological terms-,it is indispensable to adopt appropriate pasture management strategies.
文摘Hyperspectral sensors provide the potential for direct estimation of pasture feed quality attributes. However, remote sensing retrieval of digestibility and fibre (lignin and cellulose) content of vegetation has proven to be challenging since tissue optical properties may not be propagated to the canopy level in mixed cover types. In this study, partial least squares regression on spectra from HyMap and Hyperion imagery were used to construct predictive models for estimation of crude protein, digestibility, lignin and cellulose concentration in temperate pastures. HyMap and Hyperion imagery and field spectra were collected over four pasture sites in southern Victoria, Australia. Co-incident field samples were analyzed with wet chemistry methods for crude protein, lignin and cellulose concentration, and digestibility was calculated from fiber determinations. Spectral data were subset based on sites and time of year of collection. Reflectance spectra were extracted from the hyperspectral imagery and collated for analysis. Six different transformations including derivatives and continuum removal were applied to the spectra to enhance absorption features sensitive to the quality attributes. The transformed reflectance spectra were then subjected to partial least squares regression, with full cross-validation “leave-one-out” technique, against the quality attributes to assess effects of the spectral transformations and post-atmospheric smoothing techniques to construct predictive models. Model performance between spectrometers, subsets and attributes were assessed using a coefficient of variation (CV), —the interquantile (IQ) range of the attribute values divided by the root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) from the models. The predictive models with the highest CVs were obtained for digestibility for all spectra types, with HyMap the highest. However, models with slightly lower CVs were obtained for crude protein, lignin and cellulose. The spectral regions for diagnostic wavelengths fell within the chlorophyll well, red edge, and 2000-2300 nm ligno-cellulose-protein regions, with some wavelengths selected between the 1600 and 1800 nm region sensitive to nitrogen, protein, lignin and cellulose. The digestibility models with the highest CV’s had confidence intervals corresponding to ±5% digestibility, which constitutes approximately 30% of the measured range. The cellulose and lignin models with the highest CV’s also had similar confidence intervals but the slopes of the prediction lines were substantially less than 1:1 indicating reduced sensitivity. The predictive relationships established here could be applied to categorizing pasture quality into range classes and to determine whether pastures are above or below for example threshold values for livestock productivity benchmarks.
基金funded by Scientific Research Project of Public Service Industry " Bearing Capacity and Livestock Configuration of Pasture in Different Regions (200903060)
文摘[Objective]The paper was to study the effect of different grazing intensities on vegetation characteristics of artificial pasture by plot rota- tion grazing experiment. [Method]Grazing intensity was divided into 2 treatments of heavy grazing and light grazing,and each treatment contained 6 plots,with randomized complete block design. A blank control was set near test plot. Ninety disease-free and healthy 2-year-old Yunling Black Goats with consistent body condition were selected and divided into 2 groups： heavy grazing （ 55） and light grazing （ 35） . The goats were conduc- ted rotation grazing in 6 plots,and the average stocking rates were 12. 6 and 8 goat /hm 2 . The plant height,coverage,underground biomass and pasture plant nutrition of 2 treatments were measured,respectively. [Result]The cocksfoot height had significant difference with control under graz- ing conditions （ P 〈0. 05） ,while the heights of ryegrass and white clover in control plot had no significant difference with that in grazing plot （ P 〉 0. 05） . Grazing intensity had different effects on coverage of different plants; grazing utilization reduced the coverage of cocksfoot and ryegrass, which had little impact on coverage of white clover; viewed from the whole plant communities,the coverage in control plot was greater than that in grazing plot. The underground biomass in 0 -20 cm soil depth in grazing plot accounted for about 90%; with the increase of grazing intensity,un- derground biomass was decreased. The crude protein （ CP） and crude fat （ EE） content of forage decreased,while acid detergent fiber （ ADF） and neutral detergent fiber （ NDF） increased. [Conclusion]The research provided scientific basis for determination of suitable grazing system and sus- tainable utilization of pasture resources.
文摘In December of 3 years, 87 beef cows with nursing calves （.594 ± 9.8 kg; calving season, September to November） at side were stratified by body condition score, body weight, cow age, and calf gender and divided randomly into 6 groups assigned to 1 of 6 cool-season annual pastures （0.45 ha/cow） that had been interseeded into a dormant common bermudagrass （Cynodon dactylon [L.] Pers.）/bahiagrass （Paspalum notatum Flugge） sod. Pastures contained 1 of the following 3 seeding mixtures （2 pastures/mixture）： 1） wheat （Triticum aestivurn L.） and ryegrass （Lofium multiflorum Lain., WRG）, 2） wheat and ryegrass plus red clover （Trifolium pretense L, WRR）, or 3） wheat and ryegrass plus white （Trifofium repens L.） and crimson clovers （Trifolium incarnatum L., WRW）. All groups had ad libitum access to grass hay （12% crude protein; 58% total digestible nutrients）. The second week in December, cow estrous cycles were synchronized and artificially inseminated. In late December, a bull was placed with each group for 60-d. Data were analyzed with an analysis of variance using a mixed model containing treatment as the fixed effect and year as the random effect. Body weight and condition scores did not differ （P ≥ 0.27） among cows between February and June. Calf birth weights or average daily gain did not differ （P≥ 0.17） among treatments; however, calves grazing pastures with clovers did tend （P= 0.06） to weigh more than calves grazing grass only. Weaning weight per cow exposed to a bull was greater （P= 0.02） for WRR and WRW than WRG. Cows grazing winter-annual pastures containing clovers tended to wean more calf body weight per cow exposed to a bull than cows grazing the grass only pastures.
基金CNPq(474323/2013-7)Fundect(091/2015 SIAFEM 024370)Embrapa for the financial support
文摘Wetland grasslands are important ecosystems for raising beef cattle, because they are highly productive and present forages with high quality. Most of these ecosystems are threatened by overgrazing or by being replaced by exotic pastures. Emergy synthesis approach was used to assess and value the services provided by native pastures wetland under three conservation status and also to compare them to exotic pastures on wetlands. The ecosystem service that was assessed included forage provision for calves production estimated from grazing capacity of cow with calf at the foot. Habitat maintenance to plant diversity and wild herbivores were also evaluated. The results showed that natural wetland pastures with better conservation status provided valuable ecosystem services and are highly renewable. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) showed that regardless of the conservation state of the natural pastures, wet native grasslands were more efficient than wet exotic grasslands. Replacing native pastures by exotic ones may reduce plant diversity and the renewability of the system. The proposed method has a holistic approach to pasture ecosystems and is able to help decision-makers to define sustainable management practices and to subsidise public policies when it comes to payments regarding ecosystem services.
基金National Key Research and Development Program of China(2017YFC0503805,2016YFC0500603,2017YFE0104500)China Agriculture Research System(CARS-34)National Nonprofit Institute Research Grant of CAAS(821-32)
文摘Natural hay pastures in semi-arid pastoral areas produce the highest yields of hay in northern China.However, long-term continuous hay harvesting with no rest interval has resulted in severe degradation across widespread areas of these natural hay pastures. In addition, no clear data exist on the spatial distribution or degree of degradation occurring in natural hay pastures primarily because a nationally unified and normative evaluation standard is lacking. In view of the above problems, we employed an analytic hierarchy process to carry out screening and accuracy validation of evaluation indicators for natural hay pastures in north China grasslands(temperate meadow steppes, temperate steppes, mountain meadows, and lowland meadows). Our study identified seven easily measured indicators that reflect the state of natural hay pastures(average height, aboveground biomass, coverage, proportion of medium grasses, litter biomass, proportion of degradation-indicative plants, and proportion of bare spots and saline-alkali spots). A five-level scoring method was employed to delineate the threshold range for these indicators, The results of this study show that this method effectively solved the technical bottleneck for graded evaluation of degradation in natural hay pastures. This provides a theoretical basis for the scientific assessment of natural hay pasture degradation as well as important technical support for sustainable use of natural hay pastures and livestock production.
文摘The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China(CPC)will be held in Beijing on October 18.Led by the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at the core,China has made extraordinary achievements both at home and on the world stage since the 18th CPC National Congress was held in November 2012.
基金DairyNZNew Zealand Ministry for Agriculture and Forestry(MAF),Grant/Award Number:“Sustainable Farming Fund project 08/019–Best-Practice Pasture Renewal for Forage Production and Sustainability”AgResearch,Grant/Award Number:Strategic Science Investment Fund。
文摘Background:Perennial ryegrass(Lolium perenne)in New Zealand pastures is typically infected with the mutualist Epichloëfungal endophyte.This endophyte assists the plant in resisting biotic and abiotic stresses,but the standard strain of endophyte is toxic to livestock.Elite ryegrasses with selected endophytes have been developed to provide protective properties to the grass plant and lessen or eliminate the negative impacts on livestock.Methods:Using immunology and molecular techniques,the presence of endophyte infection and endophyte strain in ryegrass tillers was determined for 24 dairy pastures sampled for up to 7 years in regions of the North and South Islands.Results:In general,infection levels were high and showed small increases over time.Some pastures failed to reach 70%infection.The sown,selected endophytes were the dominant endophyte strains present and these were stable over time.Standard endophyte was the primary nonsown endophyte,and while generally low and so of little importance,it increased over time and for some pastures,this would have been detrimental to livestock.Pasture establishment technique influenced the level of contamination.Conclusions:Results reinforce the importance of following best practice procedures in the seed industry and on-farm.Researchers should monitor trials for contaminating nonsown standard endophyte.
文摘In mid-June,the vast,rolling meadow steppe grasslands of Bayanwenduer Sumu in Ar Horqin Banner,Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region,once again stretched into the horizon like green waves with herds of cattle and sheep scattered across them like pearls in a green ocean.This flock was driven by herders on horseback,motorcycles,and agricultural vehicles,leading the animals to summer pastures in one of the most important migrations of the year.
基金supported by the MANMOUNT project(PID2019-105983RB-100)funded by the MICINN-FEDER(MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033)the 570 PRX21/00375 project funded by the Ministry of Universities of Spain from the“Salvador de Madariaga”programme+1 种基金The‘Geoenvironmental Processes and Global Change’(E02_23R)research group is financed by the Aragon Government and the European Social Fund(ESF-FSE)The first author is working with an FPI contract(PRE2020-094509)from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness associated to the MANMOUNT project.
文摘The abandonment of rural activities in the Mediterranean mid-mountains has led to the activation of revegetation processes,as well as the subsequent implementation of various management measures to mitigate the associated ecosystem disservices.Focusing on soil environment and its growing importance in a climate change scenario,it is of great interest to study how land management and landscape changes can affect,not only the soil carbon storage process,but also its dynamics.A study was conducted in La Rioja(Iberian System,Spain),comparing three post-abandonment management strategies:secondary succession,forest management,and shrub clearing and extensive grazing.These strategies were analysed in two types of soil environments(acid and alkaline)and for two depth ranges(0–20 cm and 20–40 cm).Laboratory analyses were performed on aggregate stability and soil organic carbon fractionation with regard to three aggregate sizes(<2 mm,2–5 mm,>5 mm)and three density fractions(free labile,occluded,and heavy fraction).The results showed that:1)SOC content in aggregates<2 mm(relative to total SOC)increases with shrub clearing and grazing strategy in acid environments;2)aggregate stability benefits from the implementation of afforestation in acid environments and from all three study strategies in alkaline ones;3)in acid environments,the percentage of labile fractions(free and occluded)in afforested sites is significantly higher compared with shrubland,while in alkaline environments,recalcitrant SOC is significantly higher in shrub clearing sites.Thus,land management should be focused on SOC storage after land abandonment in Mediterranean mountainous environments.
基金supported by the European Union-Next Generation EU,Mission 4 Component 2 CUP J83 C22000860007.
文摘Over the last century,the Mediterranean basin has been widely affected by the abandonment of farming activities,leading to a natural succession towards forested ecosystems.This process is resulting in a carbon(C)stock increase at an ecosystem level,often assessed through the measurement of aboveground biomass,while the contribution of soil organic carbon(SOC)remains unclear.We investigated C changes caused by secondary succession on previously grazed areas in central Italy,specifically focusing on the SOC pool.The natural succession is described through a chronosequence approach over four successional stages:pastures,shrublands,young and mature forests.Eight replicates per stage were studied,and C stock was estimated in the mineral soil down to a 30-cm depth,and in all other ecosystem C pools:aboveground and belowground biomass,deadwood and litter.In the mature forests,SOC stock was significantly higher(p<0.05)than in pastures by 40±8 Mg ha^(-1),corresponding to 28%of the total ecosystem C stock gain.The same trend was observed for aboveground biomass,the pool that increased the most(62±23 Mg ha^(-1)),with a 43%contribution to total ecosystem gain.Our results point to a substantial contribution of SOC to overall C stock during secondary succession in Mediterranean ecosystems.
基金the framework of the Project 21T-4C045 of the Higher Education and Science Committee(RA)。
文摘The results of the 2022-2025 study conducted for the vulnerability assessment of pastures and for the development of improvement measures on the degraded land sections in the arid and semi-arid provinces of the Caucasus under the global climate change conditions are introduced in the current article.The main goal of our scientific work is to study and assess the current ecological and resource state of natural phytocenoses,pastures and hayfields in the arid and semi-arid landscapes under climate change.The paper presents the results of determining the areas and levels of degradation of the natural biogeocenoses and biogeocenoses of the pastures and hayfields in the mountain and highland landscapes.The results were obtained using remote sensing,field and laboratory studies and analyses.The conducted studies have revealed that along 34,174.5 ha pasture and 1342.0 meadows areas of the pastures at the Areni,Yeghegis,Yeghegnadzor and Vayq consolidated administrative territories situated in the arid and semi-arid zones of the Vayots Dzor Region high degradation was recorded in about 6508 hectares of pasture and 407 hectares of meadows areas,which is related to irregular and uncontrolled economic mismanagement of the local population and global climate change.To improve the ecological condition,accessibility and quality of ecosystem services of the pastures,hayfields and natural meadows,comprehensive restoration bioecological and agrotechnical measures have been proposed.They are aimed at improving the air,water and nutrient regimes of soils,at their bioprotection,as well as at the general increase in area and at improving the economic characteristics of the vegetation cover.Such measures on the ecosystem basis are appropriate in the context of enriching the qualitative composition of plants with useful ecological and economic bioecological characteristics,taking into account the characteristics of landscapes,weather and climatic conditions,and agricultural opportunities.
文摘The presence of a thatch layer in established pastures could reduce the contact between broiler litter and soil, thus increasing the potential for surface runoff contamination with litter P. We conducted a laboratory study to evaluate the effect of a thatch layer on the dynamics of water-soluble P in undisturbed cores taken from a pasture. Cores with and without a thatch layer received a surface application of broiler litter (5 thm-2) and were incubated at 25 oC for 56 d. The result showed that on the soil surface the contents of water soluble-P (39 kghm-2) of the cores with the thatch layer was higher than that (20 kghm-2) of the cores without the thatch layer. Therefore on well-established pastures fertilized with broiler litter, the presence of a thatch layer might lead to high concentrations of water-soluble P on the soil surface.
基金the Robert Bosch Foundation (No.070610) for financial support of this joint international projectFinancial support of the PhD research project was provided by University of Hamburg’s Doctoral Funding Program (HmbNFG)merit scholarship program
文摘An important indicator of the rangeland health, associated with land degradation, is the ability of semi-natural rangelands to provide forage of sufficient quality for livestock production. In Qilian Mountains(Gansu Province, NW China) biomass production and forage quality are dependent on the seasonality of precipitation and temperature; most of the precipitation falls during summer season, when sheep, goats and yaks graze mountain rangelands. To sustain the rangelands and to improve the management strategies, the assessment of the forage quality should be implemented. The purpose of this research was to study the response of biomass, forage quality and macronutrient content different levels of grazing intensity in Qilian rangelands. We sampled aboveground biomass in the growing seasons in 2012 and 2013 within spring/autumn or summer grazing regimes in two altitudinal zones below and above 3000 m a.s.l.(montane-subalpine and subalpine-alpine respectively). In order to estimate forage quality, biomass was sampled in 1 m × 1 m plots, assigned to the center of 10 ×10 m sites, fromwhich we collected different indicator parameters of rangeland health. Mineral and fiber content of forage biomass was estimated under different levels of grazing intensity with regard to the growing period. It was found that an increase in grazing intensity led to a decrease in dry matter weight. No linearity was observed in the relationship between nutritive value and grazing intensity. The highest fiber content(59.20 %) was found in plots mostly disturbed by grazing. The highest protein(16.30 %) and the lowest fiber(51.30 %) contents were associated with slightly grazing intensity. Concentrations of the mineral elements, such as Zn, P, K and S varied significantly and showed maximum values under low grazing intensity.
文摘Nimblewill (Muhlenbergia schreberi) is a warm-season perennial grass (weed) native to the United States and Canada with low palatability. This species is dominant in many horse pastures in which bluegrass (Poa pratensis) is the primary forage. Tall fescues infected with endophyte fungae gives tall fescue plants greater competitividade ability and enviromental stress tolerance than their noninfected counterparts. The purpose of this study was to compare the relative competitiveness of nimblewill with bluegrass and tall fescues (Lolium arundinaceum) with or without endophytic fungi (strain AR584) through experiments using a replacement series design. Replacement series experiments were conducted in pots to evaluate the growth of species in a pure stand and in a mix stand with variables rates. Species competitiveness was evaluated based on the relative yield and relative yield total (and competitiveness index) of the dry weight of shoots from species grown together. Nimblewill was found to be more competitive than bluegrass, and all tall fescues were more competitive than nimblewill. Our results demonstrated that the presence of endophytes in three different tall fescues did not alter the competitiveness of these fescues with nimblewill, but the tall fescue Kentucky 31 was more competitive between tall fescues. Based on our finding, we concluded that fescues are recommended, especially without the endophytic fungi to suppress nimblewill in implantation of pastures to horses.
