DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12866
论文题名: Testing the limits of resistance: A 19-year study of Mediterranean grassland response to grazing regimes
作者: Sternberg M. ; Golodets C. ; Gutman M. ; Perevolotsky A. ; Ungar E.D. ; Kigel J. ; Henkin Z.
刊名: Global Change Biology
ISSN: 13541013
出版年: 2015
卷: 21, 期: 5 起始页码: 1939
结束页码: 1950
语种: 英语
英文关键词: Cattle grazing
; Climate change
; Long-term monitoring
; Mediterranean grassland
; Persistence
; Plant community dynamics
; Resistance
; Species diversity
; Stability
Scopus关键词: cattle
; climate effect
; ecosystem response
; grassland
; grazing pressure
; land use change
; plant community
; rainfall
; stocking density
; Israel
; Bos
; Poaceae
; rain
; analysis of variance
; animal
; biodiversity
; bovine
; grassland
; herbivory
; Israel
; longitudinal study
; population density
; statistical model
; time
; Analysis of Variance
; Animals
; Biodiversity
; Cattle
; Grassland
; Herbivory
; Israel
; Longitudinal Studies
; Models, Statistical
; Population Density
; Rain
; Time Factors
英文摘要: A synthesis of a long-term (19 years) study assessing the effects of cattle grazing on the structure and composition of a Mediterranean grassland in north-eastern Israel is presented, with new insights into the response of the vegetation to grazing management and rainfall. We hypothesized that the plant community studied would be resistant to high grazing intensities and rainfall variability considering the combined long history of land-use and unpredictable climatic conditions where this community evolved. Treatments included manipulations of stocking densities (moderate, heavy, and very heavy) and of grazing regimes (continuous vs. seasonal), in a factorial design. The effect of interannual rainfall variation on the expression of grazing impacts on the plant community was minor. The main effects of grazing on relative cover of plant functional groups were related to early vs. late seasonal grazing. Species diversity and equitability were remarkably stable across all grazing treatments. A reduction in tall grass cover at higher stocking densities was correlated with increased cover of less palatable groups such as annual and perennial thistles, as well as shorter and prostrate groups such as short annual grasses. This long-term study shows that interannual fluctuations in plant functional group composition could be partly accounted for by grazing pressure and timing, but not by the measured rainfall variables. Grazing affected the dominance of tall annual grasses. However, the persistence of tall grasses and more palatable species over time, despite large differences in grazing pressure and timing, supports the idea that Mediterranean grasslands are highly resistant to prolonged grazing. Indeed, even under the most extreme grazing conditions applied, there were no signs of deterioration or collapse of the ecosystem. This high resistance to grazing intensity and interannual fluctuation in climatic conditions should favor the persistence of the plant community under forecasted increasing unpredictability due to climate change. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Citation statistics:
资源类型: 期刊论文
标识符: http://119.78.100.158/handle/2HF3EXSE/61707
Appears in Collections: 影响、适应和脆弱性
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作者单位: Department of Molecular Biology and Ecology of Plants, Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Department of Natural Resources, Agricultural Research Organization, Bet Dagan, Israel; Institute for Plant Sciences and Genetics, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel; Beef Cattle Section, Newe Ya'ar Research Center, Department of Natural Resources, Agricultural Research Organization, Ramat Yishay, Israel
Recommended Citation:
Sternberg M.,Golodets C.,Gutman M.,et al. Testing the limits of resistance: A 19-year study of Mediterranean grassland response to grazing regimes[J]. Global Change Biology,2015-01-01,21(5)