Soil heterogeneity and the distribution of desert and steppe plant species across a desert-grassland ecotone

Bouteloua gracilis (Kunth) Lag. ex Griffiths (blue grama), Bouteloua eriopoda (Torr.) Torr. (black grama), and Larrea tridentata Coville (creosotebush) are dominant plants on the McKenzie Flats portion of the Llano de Manzano landform within Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge in central New Mexico, part of the biome ecotone from the Colorado Shortgrass Steppe to the Chihuahuan Desert. In this study, we examine the hypothesis that soil heterogeneity, determined by variation in surface soil depth, carbonate accumulation, and fine-textured fraction, controls relative dominance of the three species. The area is flat, generally <1% slope; however, abrupt soil differences exist even within the flattest parts of the landscape that correspond to the pattern of buried channels incised in a petrocalcic horizon (caliche) formed in a 0.5–1.2 million year-old paleosol beneath the current surface soil. Multivariate analyses of soil-moisture-related variables suggest that B. gracilis, a Colorado Shortgrass Steppe indicator, dominates the buried paleochannels where Holocene surface deposits are deepest and the argillic (clay-rich) B-horizon is thickest. B. eriopoda, dominant in Chihuahuan Desert grasslands, is most abundant where the buried petrocalcic horizon lies within 40–60 cm of the surface and the argillic horizon is thinner and weakly developed. L. tridentata, an indicator of desertified Chihuahuan Desert shrubland, is dominant where the petrocalcic horizon is exposed or near the surface. This study illustrates the strong relationship between geomorphology, soil development and vegetation patterns in arid and semi-arid environments.     

Seed germination of five mountain steppe species of Central Asia

This paper presents data on the germination traits of five perennials (Allium polyrrhizum, Agropyron cristatum, Arenaria meyeri, Artemisia frigida and Artemisia santolinifolia) widespread in the mountain steppes of southern Mongolia. Germination and seed viability were assessed at three alternate temperatures (8/4 °C, 20/10 °C, 32/20 °C), three levels of osmotic stress (deionized water; −0.5 MPa, −1 MPa Mannitol solution), and under conditions of alternate light/darkness versus complete darkness. The results of a factorial ANOVA with treatments and species as main effects showed that all five species germinated best at higher temperatures, with only Agropyron cristatum showing some seed mortality. Osmotic stress reduced seed viability and total germination in all five species. Darkness had no influence on viability, but positively affected seed germination of Allium polyrrhizum and Agropyron cristatum. We therefore conclude that, in the field, germination of all five species is mainly controlled by ambient temperatures and water availability, both of which drop towards the end of summer when dispersal takes place and effectively delay seedling recruitment until the next vegetation period.     

Effects of fire, grazing, and the presence of shrubs on Chihuahuan desert grasslands

Responses of herbaceous and suffrutescent species to fire, grazing, and presence of Prosopis glandulosa were examined in a Chihuahuan desert grassland in south-central New Mexico. Treatments were assigned randomly to eight 12×8 m plots within each of two blocks. Following fires in June 1995, unfenced plots were exposed to livestock grazing over 4 years. Plots were established that either included or excluded P. glandulosa. Perennial grass cover, primarilyBouteloua eriopoda , decreased by 13% in burned plots but increased 5% in unburned areas. Conversely, perennial forb cover was 4% greater after fire. Perennial grass frequency decreased 30% more and perennial forb frequency increased 10% more following burning. Further, increases in evenness after fire resulted in a 225% increase in species diversity. Grazing also resulted in a decrease in perennial grass cover while frequency decreased 22% more in grazed than ungrazed plots. Only frequency and not cover of perennial forbs and annual grasses increased more following grazing. Presence of P. glandulosa had no differential effect on responses of non-shrub species. Fires were conducted during near drought conditions while grazing occurred during years of precipitation equivalent to the long-term average. Precipitation immediately following fire may be critical for recovery of B. eriopoda -dominated desert grasslands; relationships between fire and post-fire precipitation patterns require future investigation.     

荒漠草原植物群落光合速率对水氮添加的响应

氮沉降和降水格局改变对草原生态系统的结构、功能及关键过程具有重要影响。依托内蒙古乌拉特荒漠草原研究站的全球变化实验平台,研究了氮添加和增减雨(+50%、-50%)及其交互作用对荒漠草原植物群落光合速率和植被特征的影响,分析了荒漠草原植物群落光合速率与植被特征的关系。结果表明:(1)短期氮添加对荒漠草原植物群落光合速率和植被特征没有显著影响(P>0.05);(2)降水格局改变显著影响荒漠植物群落光合速率(P<0.05),减雨50%显著降低了荒漠草原植物群落光合速率和优势种植物高度(P<0.05),而降水增加50%没有改变群落光合速率和植被特征,降水改变下的土壤水分能很好地解释群落光合速率;(3)氮添加和增加降水的交互效应显著提高了群落的光合速率和优势种植物高度(P<0.05),而减少降水与氮添加没有显著影响;(4)荒漠草原植物群落盖度、优势种盖度、优势种平均高度与群落的光合速率呈现出指数增加关系,解释率为40%～58%。干旱极大地抑制荒漠草原植物群落光合速率,而氮沉降则依赖于降水增加来提高群落的光合速率,荒漠草原植物群落光合速率与水肥处理下的植物生长特征具有密切的...     

Effect of fire on growth of three perennial grasses from central semi-arid Argentina

The effect of fire on growth of Piptochaetium napostaense, Stipa tenuis, and Stipa gynerioides, three important native perennial grasses in the semi-arid region of central Argentina, was evaluated under different fire temperature regimes: 300–400°C (low temperature regime), 500–600°C (high temperature regime) and no fire (control). Fire treatments were applied with a portable propane plant burner in April and December 1994, May 1995, and January 1996. Overall results indicate that during the first months after fire occurrence, average total green length of S. tenuis, P. napostaense and S. gynerioides tillers was severely reduced (p<0.05) by fire. This effect was more pronounced in plants burned with the high temperature treatment. The observed patterns of response to fire for height of tillers were very similar to those already reported for total green length of tillers. Towards the end of each growth cycle, the number of green leaves per tiller of burned plants of P. napostaense, S. tenuis, and S. gynerioides were similar or greater (p<0.05) than the number of green leaves on tillers of control plants. Relative growth rates for total green length and for height in tillers of burned plants of S. tenuis, P. napostaense and S. gynerioides were greater than in tillers of control plants. Our results indicate that fire affected differentially the growth of the studied species; S. gynerioides was more affected by fire than P. napostaense and S. tenuis. The species most tolerant to fire was P. napostaense.     

Seasonal timing of N pulses influences N capture in a saltbush scrub community

Limiting resources are generally available in brief temporal pulses in arid systems. We compared the abilities of dominant shrubs in a saltbush scrub community to capture N from pulses and evaluated whether N capture and partitioning within this community is influenced by the seasonal timing of pulses. Based on previous research in agronomic systems we predicted that the ability of a species to capture N following a pulse would depend on when the pulse occurred in relation to plant growth rate and N demand. Supporting this hypothesis, Atriplex confertifolia and Sarcobatus vermiculatus, which had greater growth rates early in the growing season compared to Atriplex parryi, captured more N from early spring pulses than A. parryi. Atriplex parryi, which had higher growth rates later in the growing season, captured more N from mid- and late spring pulses than the other species. These temporal differences in N capture among species, however, also depended on the magnitude of the N pulse. These results suggest that temporal variation in N availability may differentially impact competitive abilities of coexisting species and potentially facilitate species coexistence in arid systems.     

2000—2017年内蒙古荒漠草原植被物候变化及对净初级生产力的影响

荒漠草原分布于干旱区和半干旱区,对气候变化的响应极为敏感,但目前学术界对于荒漠草原物候与生产力变化的研究仍较为薄弱。有鉴于此,论文采用2000—2017年MODIS NDVI数据和气象数据,利用通用数量化方法提取内蒙古荒漠草原植被的生长季始期(start of season, SOS)和生长季末期(end of season, EOS);基于Carnegie-Ames-Stanford Approach (CASA)模型估算了植被净初级生产力(NPP),并分析了植被物候和净初级生产力之间的关系。研究结果表明：① 2000—2017年内蒙古荒漠草原SOS呈显著提前趋势(0.88 d/a,P<0.05),EOS不显著提前(0.13 d/a,P>0.05),生长季长度(length of season, LOS)呈显著延长趋势(0.76 d/a)。81.53%像元的SOS与2—4月平均气温呈负相关(8.21%显著相关,P<0.05),60.80%像元的SOS与4月降水量呈负相关关系(6.12%显著相关,P<0.05);65.16%像元的EOS与9月平均气温呈负相关(5.03%显著相关,P<0.05),78.61%像元的EOS 与7—9月降水量呈正相关关系(10.12%显著相关,P<0.05)。② 内蒙古荒漠草原多年平均NPP为104.71 gC/(m ²·a),有自东向西逐渐降低的区域差异;在研究时段内,春、夏季和生长季的NPP均呈不显著增加趋势,秋季NPP有不显著减少趋势;生长季降水量增加有利于生长季NPP的积累。③ 春季NPP与SOS呈不显著负相关,秋季NPP与EOS呈显著正相关。LOS的延长促进了NPP的累积,其中生长季NPP与EOS的推迟关系更为密切。研究结果揭示气候变化对内蒙古荒漠草原植被物候和生产力有显著影响,对区域生态系统管理和生态建设具有重要参考意义。     

Phytomass and plant functional diversity in early restoration of the degraded, semi-arid grasslands in northern China

We analysed vegetation data recorded in the degraded lowland grasslands in Otindag Sandland during the first 4-years of restoration (2001–2004) to investigate: (1) the contribution of individual plant functional type (PFT) to PFT diversity of community and (2) the relationships between primary productivity and biodiversity both at species and PFT levels. Sixteen PFTs were distinguished based on the following traits: (1) life-span (annual vs. perennial); (2) photosynthetic pathway (C₃ vs. C₄); (3) reproductive mode (clonal vs. non-clonal); and (4) growth form (grass vs. forb). Analysis of data indicates that density, coverage, number of species, phytomass, and relative importance of PFTs depended strongly on life-span, photosynthetic pathway, reproductive mode and growth form. Phytomass was significantly correlated with PFT diversity, but not species diversity. However, the relationship between phytomass and PFT diversity varied greatly with year, with a positive relationship in 2001 and 2004 and a negative one in 2002 and 2003. As the restoration proceeds, the perennial C₃ clonal grass became the greatest contributor to PFT diversity.     

Seedling recruitment in a semi-arid steppe: The role of microsite and post-dispersal seed predation

Grasslands dominated by Stipa tenacissima are important ecosystems in the arid and semiarid climates of western Mediterranean, where they have originated by degradation of open dry forests and shrublands. At present, although the level of exploitation in these ecosystems is very low, succession processes seem to have stopped. In this study, we explore the role of microsite and post-dispersal seed predation on the seedling emergence of two species from advanced successional stages (Rhamnus lycioides, Quercus coccifera), three species from degraded stages (Cistus clusii, Helianthemum violaceum, Anthyllis terniflora), and of the dominant species (Stipa tenacissima). Seeds of these species were sown in plots divided into two microsites: (i) under tussocks of S. tenacissima and (ii) in the bare soil between tussocks. Soil moisture was significantly higher in the tussock microsites. The interaction observed between microsite and time, reflected the slower drying process under tussocks. Seed predation was in general high and differed significantly between species but not between microsites. Q. coccifera was especially affected by predation. The only germination detected in gap areas was that of H. violaceum. The results pointed to a direct facilitative effect of tussock grass on the germination in R. lycioides (20.4±8.0%) and S. tenacissima (41.3±5.7%) while the corresponding figures for bare ground were 0%. These results suggest that the recovery of potential vegetation in this ecosystem is not possible or, at least, is very slow because the residual shrub patches do not generate a sufficient number of seeds able to disperse to favorable germination microsites. S. tenacissima may act as facilitator of seedling recruitment if there is a supply of diaspores.     

Quantitative Assessment of the Effects of Climate Change and Human Activities on Grassland NPP in Altay Prefecture

Grassland degradation in Altay Prefecture is of considerable concern as it is a threat that hinders the sustainable development of the local economy and the stable operation of the livestock industry. Quantitative assessment of the relative contributions of climate change and human activities, which are considered as the dominant triggers of grassland degradation, to grassland variation is crucial for understanding the grassland degradation mechanism and mitigating the degraded grassland in Altay Prefecture. In this paper, the Carnegie-Ames-Stanford Approach model and the Thornthwaite memorial model were adopted to simulate the actual net primary productivity (NPP_A) and potential net primary productivity (NPP_P) in the Altay Prefecture from 2000 to 2019. Meanwhile, the difference between potential NPP and actual NPP was employed to reflect the effects of human activities (NPP_H) on the grassland. On this basis, we validated the viability of the simulated NPP using the Pearson correlation coefficient, investigated the spatiotemporal variability of grassland productivity, and established comprehensive scenarios to quantitatively assess the relative roles of climate change and human activities on grassland in Altay prefecture. The results indicate three main points. (1) The simulated NPP_A was highly consistent with the MOD17A3 dataset in spatial distribution. (2) Regions with an increased NPP_A accounted for 70.53% of the total grassland, whereas 29.47% of the total grassland area experienced a decrease. At the temporal scale, the NPP_A presented a slightly increasing trend (0.83 g C m^?2 yr^?1) over the study period, while the trends of NPP_P and NPP_H were reduced (?1.31 and ?2.15 g C m^?2 yr^?1). (3) Compared with climate change, human activities played a key role in the process of grassland restoration, as 66.98% of restored grassland resulted from it. In contrast, inter-annual climate change is the primary cause of grassland degradation, as it influenced 55.70% of degraded grassland. These results could shed light on the mechanisms of grassland variation caused by climate change and human activities, and they can be applied to further develop efficient measures to combat desertification in Altay Prefecture.     

Modeling net primary productivity of the terrestrial ecosystem in China from 1961 to 2005简

Net primary productivity （NPP） is the structure and function of the ecosystem. NPP can most important index that represents the be simulated by dynamic global vegetation models （DGVM）, which are designed to represent vegetation dynamics relative to environ- mental change. This study simulated the NPP of China＇s ecosystems based on the DGVM Integrated Biosphere Simulator （IBIS） with data on climate, soil, and topography. The appli- cability of IBIS in the NPP simulation of China＇s terrestrial ecosystems was verified first. Comparison with other relevant studies indicates that the range and mean value of simula- tions are generally within the limits of observations; the overall pattern and total annual NPP are close to the simulations conducted with other models. The simulations are also close to the NPP estimations based on remote sensing. Validation proved that IBIS can be utilized in the large-scale simulation of NPP in China＇s natural ecosystem. We then simulated NPP with climate change data from 1961 to 2005, when warming was particularly striking. The following are the results of the simulation. （1） Total NPP varied from 3.61 GtC/yr to 4.24 GtC/yr in the past 45 years and exhibited minimal significant linear increase or decrease. （2） Regional differences in the increase or decrease in NPP were large but exhibited an insignificant overall linear trend. NPP declined in most parts of eastern and central China, especially in the Loess Plateau. （3） Similar to the fluctuation law of annual NPP, seasonal NPP also displayed an insignificant increase or decrease; the trend line was within the general level. （4） The re- gional differences in seasonal NPP changes were large. NPP declined in spring, summer, and autumn in the Loess Plateau but increased in most parts of the Tibetan Plateau.     

Water availability in almond orchards on marl soils in southeast Spain: The role of evaporation and runoff

Clean sweeping (i.e., frequent and shallow tillage in orchards) is a common practice in semi-arid areas. A potential drawback in dry areas is that the tree roots cannot access the water in the plough layer. Our objective was to quantify the loss of water by evaporation and the loss or gain by overland flow in almond (Prunus dulcis Mill.) orchards on loamy soils in southeast Spain. The evaporation from a 15 cm plough layer equals 70–104% of annual precipitation, taking into account losses or gains by overland flow. The large evaporation explains the low canopy cover observed, which averaged 3.2%. The runoff coefficient of the test sites is 1–6%. There is no drainage below 15 cm during dry years, except for an area that receives a net influx of overland flow. The trunk basal area in this depression is 12% larger compared to the rest of the field. The options for increasing the water intake of the trees are to reduce the tillage depth or to switch from clean sweeping to no-tillage combined with chemical weeding.     

Competition as a barrier to establishment of a native perennial grass (Elymus elymoides) in alien annual grass (Bromus tectorum) communities

The alien grass Bromus tectorum dominates stable annual-plant communities that have replaced native shrub-perennial grass communities over much of the semi-arid western United States. We conducted field competition experiments between B. tectorum and a native grass, Elymus elymoides, on two sites to determine the effects of B. tectorum competition on perennial grasses, and the role of B. tectorum competition in the stability of B. tectorum-dominated communities. B. tectorum competition acting on seedling-stage E. elymoides plants greatly reduced first-year relative growth rates and biomass which, in turn, reduced second-year survival, biomass, and flowering. However, B. tectorum competition acting on older E. elymoides plants had much less effect, which may help to explain why intact perennial-plant communities are resistant to B. tectorum invasion. At the drier site, direct effects of B. tectorum competition were less, but competition and drier habitat combined to produce greater E. elymoides mortality.     

Effects of the grazing systems on germinable soil seed bank of desert steppe

We studied a soil seed bank in the Stipa breviflora desert steppe under three grassland management systems, namely continuous grazing, rotational grazing, and no grazing, from 1999 until 2007. The germinable seed bank species in rotational, continuous and no grazing were 11, 9 and 8 species, respectively. Rotational grazing increased the number of seed bank plant species and perennial grasses. The density of germinal soil seed bank was significantly higher in the enclosed area (19,533.33 seeds/m²) than those in rotational (3,233.33 seeds/m²) and continuous grazing areas (2,553.60 seeds/m²). The vertical distribution of the soil seed bank had a similar trend: 75.06%–83.19% of the seeds are distributed in the top 0–5 cm soil layer, 14.16%–21.68% in the 5–10 cm layer, and 2.65%–4.95% in the 10–15 cm layer, which varied between the grazing treatments. Density of the soil seed bank was significantly higher in the enclosed area, and there was no significant difference between rotational and continuous grazing. The Margalef and Shannon-Wiener indices for the soil seed bank were higher for rotational grazing treatment than for continuous grazing. The Sorensen’s similarity index for the soil seed bank between the enclosed and rotational grazing areas reached 0.857.     

Absence of interactions between perennial bunchgrasses in a semi-arid temperate savanna: a 5-year field experiment

There is widespread recognition of the importance of long-term experimental studies of plant interactions, but such experiments are rarely conducted. Pairwise interactions between three species of perennial grasses were assessed and described over a 5-year period. Experimental treatments in which some or all neighbors were removed were maintained and plant basal area was monitored throughout the experiment. In addition, above-ground biomass was collected over a 3-year period. Repeated-measures analysis of variance revealed no evidence of interactions between plants.     

Response to climate change of different tree species and NDVI variation since 1923 in the middle arid region of Ningxia, China

The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) is used extensively to describe vegetation cover and ecological environment change. The purpose of this study was to contrast the response of different tree species growing in the same habitat to climate change and retrieve past NDVI using tree-ring width data from tree cores collected from the transitional zone of Pinus tabulaeformis and Picea crassifolia in the Luoshan Mountains in the middle arid region of Ningxia. Correlation analysis indicated that radial growth of P. tabulaeformis is more sensitive to precipitation and temperature change than that of P. crassifolia. Natural factors such as water availability and heat at this elevation are more suited to the growth of P. crassifolia, and are more advantageous to its renewal and succession. P. crassifolia is probably the better of the two species for protecting the forest ecosystem and conserving water in the Luoshan desertification area. Ring width of P. crassifolia correlates significantly with average NDVI for April–May (r =0.641, p <0.01), and both of them are influenced positively by precipitation in April–May. The reconstructed NDVI for 1923–2007 shows the relatively low vegetation cover occurred in the 1920s–1930s, the 1960s–1970s, and the early 21st century. The reconstructed NDVI better reflected the drought climate in the study area.     

Response to climate change of different tree species and NDVI variation since 1923 in the middle arid region of Ningxia, China

The normalized difference vegetation index （NDVI） is used extensively to describe vegetation cover and ecological environ- ment change. The purpose of this study was to contrast the response of different tree species growing in the same habitat to climate change and retrieve past NDVI using tree-ring width data from tree cores collected from the transitional zone of Pinus tabulaeformis and Picea crassifolia in the Luoshan Mountains in the middle arid region of Ningxia. Correlation analysis indi- cated that radial growth ofP tabulaeJbrmis is more sensitive to precipitation and temperature change than that ofP crassifolia. Natural factors such as water availability and heat at this elevation are more suited to the growth ofP crassifolia, and are more advantageous to its renewal and succession. P. crassifolia is probably the better of the two species for protecting the forest ecosystem and conserving water in the Luoshan desertification area. Ring width of P. crassifolia correlates significantly with average NDVI for April-May （r =0.641, p 〈0.01）, and both of them are influenced positively by precipitation in April-May. The reconstructed NDVI for 1923-2007 shows the relatively low vegetation cover occurred in the 1920s-1930s, the 1960s-1970s, and the early 21 st century. The reconstructed NDVI better reflected the drought climate in the study area.     

Seasonal changes in pasture biomass, production and offtake under the transhumance system in northern Pakistan

An understanding of seasonal changes in pasture biomass, production and offtake of different range types is fundamentally important for the efficient management of livestock grazing. However, few studies have quantified these changes for transhumance systems, despite the fact that transhumance is still the main form of livestock management in several regions of the world and is often critical for the livelihoods of the people. One such area is the Northern Areas of Pakistan, where six villages and their pastures were selected for study. Pastures were categorized within foothill, dry temperate and alpine range types, and seasonal biomass, production and offtake of the vegetation was estimated by clipping paired caged and uncaged quadrats. The alpine range type had by far the highest biomass and offtake; the foothill and dry temperate range types were much more sparsely vegetated. Although alpine pastures were heavily used, particularly in spring, there was no evidence for consistent over-utilization of pasture resources. Within the dry temperate range type, production was highest during spring but significantly under-used. This indicates a potential for increased use of dry temperate pastures during spring, an important period both for early recovery of livestock body condition after winter and to reduce the heavy pressure on the alpine pastures at this time.     

Food habits of the Barn Owl (Tyto alba) in a steppe area of Tunisia

The diet of the Barn Owl (Tyto alba) is well known in different habitats but a lack of data persists for arid and subarid environments. We provide preliminary information on food selection of barn owls in Tunisia by the analysis of the composition of pellets. The diet consists largely of rodents and the three-toed Jerboa (Jaculus jaculus) that accounted for more than 50% of total prey biomass. Results suggest that barn owls show a nonrandom tendency toward rodent species especially small and young individuals.     

Leaf nitrogen productivity as a mechanism driving the success of invasive annual grasses under low and high nitrogen supply

Invasion of the historically perennial-dominated landscapes in the Great Basin by exotic winter annual grasses is one of the most serious plant invasions in North America. Evidence suggests invasive annuals outperform native perennials under N-poor and N-rich conditions. The objective of this study was to identify key traits contributing to the success of invasive annual grasses in these environments. Three invasive annual grasses, two native perennial grasses and one introduced perennial grass were exposed to three levels of N supply. Root biomass, root length, root N uptake rate, root and leaf morphology, leaf nitrogen productivity (leaf NP) as well as biomass and N allocation were quantified over four harvests. Path analysis indicated that leaf NP was the key trait contributing to variation in N capture among the species. Species with a higher leaf NP produced more root length and consequently captured more N under a range of soil N availability. This suggests variation in leaf NP may be one critical trait determining the ability of the resident plant community to resist establishment of these invaders. Restoration programs may be able to increase weed resistance by specifically selecting for this trait in revegetation efforts.