Long-term grazing alters species composition and biomass of a shrub meadow on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

NWIPB OpenIR

	Long-term grazing alters species composition and biomass of a shrub meadow on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
	Zhou, Huakun ; Tang, Yanhong ; Zhao, Xinquan ; Zhou, Li
	2006-12-01
发表期刊	PAKISTAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY ; Zhou Huakun,Tang Yanhong,Zhao Xinquan, Zhou Li.Long-term grazing alters species composition and biomass of a shrub meadow on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.PAKISTAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY,2006,38(4):1055-1069
摘要	Livestock grazing has long been the most widespread land use on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, one of the world's highest ecosystems. However, there has been increasing concern during recent decades because of the rapid increase in livestock numbers. To assess the possible influences of grazing on the vast grassland, a long-term grazing experiment in a shrub meadow on the northern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau was carried out. The experiment included five treatments with different stocking rates and one non-grazing (N) treatment. After 17 years of grazing, treatment differences were clear. The species composition differed markedly between grazing intensities, with a decrease in palatable grass species and an increase in unpalatable forbs at higher grazing intensities. The species richness and species diversity, however, were not significantly different between treatments. Vegetation height decreased significantly at higher grazing intensities. Total above,ground biomass declined considerably and the biomass of forbs increased significantly under the higher grazing intensities. The amount of litter was significantly lower under the higher grazing intensities. The results suggest that long-term grazing alters the species composition, vegetation height and biomass production of the alpine grassland ecosystem without significantly changing species richness.; Livestock grazing has long been the most widespread land use on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, one of the world's highest ecosystems. However, there has been increasing concern during recent decades because of the rapid increase in livestock numbers. To assess the possible influences of grazing on the vast grassland, a long-term grazing experiment in a shrub meadow on the northern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau was carried out. The experiment included five treatments with different stocking rates and one non-grazing (N) treatment. After 17 years of grazing, treatment differences were clear. The species composition differed markedly between grazing intensities, with a decrease in palatable grass species and an increase in unpalatable forbs at higher grazing intensities. The species richness and species diversity, however, were not significantly different between treatments. Vegetation height decreased significantly at higher grazing intensities. Total above,ground biomass declined considerably and the biomass of forbs increased significantly under the higher grazing intensities. The amount of litter was significantly lower under the higher grazing intensities. The results suggest that long-term grazing alters the species composition, vegetation height and biomass production of the alpine grassland ecosystem without significantly changing species richness.
文献类型	期刊论文
条目标识符	http://210.75.249.4/handle/363003/20227
专题	中国科学院西北高原生物研究所
推荐引用方式 GB/T 7714	Zhou, Huakun,Tang, Yanhong,Zhao, Xinquan,et al. Long-term grazing alters species composition and biomass of a shrub meadow on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau[J]. PAKISTAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY, Zhou Huakun,Tang Yanhong,Zhao Xinquan, Zhou Li.Long-term grazing alters species composition and biomass of a shrub meadow on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.PAKISTAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY,2006,38(4):1055-1069,2006.
APA	Zhou, Huakun,Tang, Yanhong,Zhao, Xinquan,&Zhou, Li.(2006).Long-term grazing alters species composition and biomass of a shrub meadow on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.PAKISTAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY.
MLA	Zhou, Huakun,et al."Long-term grazing alters species composition and biomass of a shrub meadow on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau".PAKISTAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY (2006).