Dynamic of aboveground biomass and soil moisture as affected by short-term grazing exclusion on eastern alpine meadow of Qinghai-Tibet plateau, China

1 CHILEAN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH 76(1) JANUARY-MARCH 2016 3 ULY-SEPTEMBER Short-term grazing exclusion has large impacts on grassland vegetation and nutrition. In order to study the effects of the short-term rest on aboveground biomass, forage quality, and soil moisture on alpine pasture of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau, cages were used to exclude grazing from July to October on summer pasture used by three typical farms with different stocking rates. The results showed that, within the same month during the forage growth period, the dry weights of the edible forage in the cages were significantly higher than that out of the cages (P < 0.05) under heavy grazing pressure (from 2.47 to 2.48 animal unit equivalent AUE ha-1). Within the same soil depth, soil moisture was significantly different in, and out of, the cages (P < 0.05) and it decreased with depth. The crude protein content for forages in cages was significantly higher than that out of the cages for the farm with a heavy stocking rate and the neutral detergent fiber was significantly lower. This shows that short-term rest periods could effectively increase dry weight and crude protein content of the edible forage for farms with heavy stocking rates. This short-term rest management strategy is recommended for farms with a heavy stocking rate.

[1]  Promoting Skills,et al.  Sustainable development. , 2017, Nursing management.

[2]  Xu-yang Lu,et al.  Is grazing exclusion effective in restoring vegetation in degraded alpine grasslands in Tibet, China? , 2015, PeerJ.

[3]  J. Angerer,et al.  Effects of grazing systems on herbage mass and liveweight gain of Tibetan sheep in Eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China , 2015 .

[4]  A. P. Keim,et al.  THE EFFECT OF LAND , 2015 .

[5]  Zhenxi Shen,et al.  Effects of livestock exclusion and climate change on aboveground biomass accumulation in alpine pastures across the Northern Tibetan Plateau , 2014 .

[6]  Karl Lintner,et al.  Impact factors. , 2014, International journal of cosmetic science.

[7]  Y. Yue,et al.  Isoflavone content in red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) as related to nitrogen and phosphorus application rate , 2013 .

[8]  Zhenxi Shen,et al.  Grazing-Exclusion Effects on Aboveground Biomass and Water-Use Efficiency of Alpine Grasslands on the Northern Tibetan Plateau , 2013 .

[9]  J. Arévalo,et al.  Productivity: key factor affecting grazing exclusion effects on vegetation and soil , 2013, Plant Ecology.

[10]  Guozhen Du,et al.  Effects of disturbance intensity on seasonal dynamics of alpine meadow soil seed banks on the Tibetan Plateau , 2013, Plant and Soil.

[11]  Wang Xue-jiao.  Impact of Seasonal Rest Grazing on Plant Community Quantity Characteristics under Different Grazing Intensities , 2013 .

[12]  R. Long,et al.  The effects of three years of fencing enclosure on soil seed banks and the relationship with above-ground vegetation of degraded alpine grasslands of the Tibetan plateau , 2012, Plant and Soil.

[13]  Wen Lu.  Effect of Grassland Enclosure on Vegetation Composition and Production in Headwater of Yellow River , 2012 .

[14]  Feng Ming-ting.  Metabolic energy balance and countermeasures study in the north grassland of China , 2012 .

[15]  Shen Yu-ying.  Influence of enclosure on community characteristics of alpine meadow in the northeastern edge region of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau , 2012 .

[16]  J. Morgan,et al.  Effects of grazing exclusion on plant species richness and phytomass accumulation vary across a regional productivity gradient , 2011 .

[17]  Qi Biao.  Effects of short-term enclose on the community characteristics of three types of degraded alpine grasslands in the north Tibet , 2011 .

[18]  R. Harris.  Rangeland degradation on the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau: A review of the evidence of its magnitude and causes , 2010 .

[19]  R. Kaufmann,et al.  Effects of grazing exclusion on species composition in high-altitude grasslands of the Central Alps , 2009 .

[20]  Wu Haiyan,et al.  Seasonal dynamics of above-ground biomass and nutrients of Kobresia tibetica meadow in Yellow River headwater area. , 2009 .

[21]  G. Du,et al.  Effect of fencing and grazing on a Kobresia-dominated meadow in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau , 2009, Plant and Soil.

[22]  Xue Xiao-juan.  Study on the Soil Water Dynamics of Kobresia Humilis Meadow in Growing Season , 2008 .

[23]  J. Lassoie,et al.  Farmer and professional attitudes to the large-scale ban on livestock grazing of grasslands in China , 2007, Environmental Conservation.

[24]  Mao Yu-shou.  Current situation of grazing ecosystem on alpine meadow , 2007 .

[25]  W. Genxu,et al.  Impact Factors to Soil Moisture of Alpine Meadow and Their Spatial Heterogeneity , 2006 .

[26]  Meng Qing-xiang.  Comparison of Kjeldahl and Dumas Combustion Methods for Determination of Nitrogen Content in Feedstuffs , 2006 .

[27]  Meng Qing-xiang.  A Comparison of Various Techniques for the Determination of NDF,ADF and Lignin in Ruminant Feedstuffs , 2006 .

[28]  Wenying Wang,et al.  The effect of land management on plant community composition, species diversity, and productivity of alpine Kobersia steppe meadow , 2006, Ecological Research.

[29]  J. Cuevas,et al.  Low vegetation recovery after short-term cattle exclusion on Robinson Crusoe Island , 2006, Plant Ecology.

[30]  Zhou Hua-kun.  A study on correlations between vegetation degradation and soil degradation in the ‘Alpine Meadow’ of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau , 2005 .

[31]  MU Feng-hai.  The sustainable development of alpine grassland husbandry in Gannan , 2005 .

[32]  L. Qing,et al.  Effect of Soil Moisture on Biomass of Meadow Steppe , 2005 .

[33]  B. Perryman,et al.  Vegetation Change After 65 Years of Grazing and Grazing Exclusion , 2004 .

[34]  Yuan Jian-li.  Effects of grazing intensity and grazing season on plant species diversity in alpine meadow , 2004 .

[35]  Z. Nan,et al.  [Characteristics of vegetation, soil, and their coupling of degraded grasslands]. , 2002, Ying yong sheng tai xue bao = The journal of applied ecology.

[36]  Dong Quan-min.  Study on rehabilitating and rebuilding technologies for degenerated alpine meadow in the Changjiang and Yellow river source region , 2002 .

[37]  Wei Sun,et al.  The effect of grazing intensity on vegetation characteristics in Leymus chinensis grassland , 2002 .

[38]  J. Black,et al.  Grazing methods and stocking rates for direct-seeded alfalfa pastures: I. Plant productivity and animal performance. , 2000, Journal of animal science.

[39]  Zhao Xin.  THEORY AND PRACTICE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF ANIMAL HUSBANDRY ON THE ALPINE MEADOW PASTURE , 2000 .

[40]  R. Long,et al.  Feed value of native forages of the Tibetan Plateau of China , 1999 .

[41]  M. Jakovljević,et al.  COMPARISON OF THREE METHODS OF MEASURING SOIL MOISTURE. , 1968 .

[42]  H. Lambers.  Plant and Soil , 1947, Nature.