Influence of Winter Grazing on Water and Heat Flow in Seasonally Frozen Soil of Inner Mongolia

2013 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. vzj2012.0059 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Zhao ◽  
Mingbin Huang ◽  
Robert Horton ◽  
Feng Liu ◽  
Stephan Peth ◽  
...  
2016 ◽  
Vol 38 (5) ◽  
pp. 479 ◽  
Author(s):  
X. Q. Zhang ◽  
D. Kemp ◽  
X. Y. Hou ◽  
C. M. Langford ◽  
K. Wang ◽  
...  

The effects of warm sheds on the performance of ewes and their lambs in winter are poorly understood. The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of traditional sheds (TS + grazing) and modified warm sheds (WS, no grazing) on the reproductive performance of ewes (as well as their liveweight) and their lambs during the winter–spring period. Cross-bred ewes (n = 120) were randomly assigned to two treatments, either TS (+ grazing) or WS (no grazing), during the winter–spring period of 2011, 2012 and 2013. This study was conducted on two adjacent farms with the two treatments applied on each. The ewes in the TS treatment were grazed continuously on pasture in the day and housed in traditional sheds each evening, whereas the ewes in the WS treatment were not grazed. The animals in each treatment were fed the same amount of feed. Ewes housed in the WS group had a higher liveweight and lower weight loss than ewes in the TS group (P = 0.004 and 0.005 respectively); over the 3 years, the weight loss of the ewes in both groups was worst in the first 2 months (December–January) compared with the later 2 months, and was significantly alleviated after the first year (2011; P < 0.001). Lamb liveweight and gain were higher in the WS than TS treatment group (P < 0.001) and the growth rates of the lambs increased continuously as shed temperatures increased. Lamb weight gain and birthweight increased significantly with increasing years of the experiment (P < 0.001). There were more lambs born in the WS than in the TS groups (P = 0.020), with higher survival and twinning rates (P < 0.05). As shed temperatures increased, lambing, survival and twinning rates increased continuously. Therefore, keeping livestock in warm sheds during the winter and spring period will lift animal productivity, leading to improved household incomes. Elimination of winter grazing will reduce damage to already degraded grasslands and will assist herders to develop more positive attitudes towards animal production enterprises.


2013 ◽  
Vol 56 (5) ◽  
pp. 559-571 ◽  
Author(s):  
ZUO Yin-Hui ◽  
QIU Nan-Sheng ◽  
DENG Yi-Xun ◽  
RAO Song ◽  
XU Shen-Mou ◽  
...  

2012 ◽  
Vol 212-213 ◽  
pp. 260-263
Author(s):  
Ying Hao Wang ◽  
Shuo Li

Hetao irrigation area in Inner Mongolia is one of the four major irrigation areas in China, seasonal frozen soil is widely distributed in this area. Irrigation channel engineering experiences seriously freeze-thaw cycle many times in the long winter, its maintenance is the important and difficult point all long in irrigation channel engineering of Hetao irrigation area. For this, we analyze the moisture migration and law of frost heave characteristics of seasonal frozen soil in Hetao irrigation area.


2007 ◽  
Vol 41 (28) ◽  
pp. 5948-5958 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chunyan Liu ◽  
Jirko Holst ◽  
Nicolas Brüggemann ◽  
Klaus Butterbach-Bahl ◽  
Zhisheng Yao ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
T. Qu ◽  
H. Zhang ◽  
F. Niu ◽  
X. Shi ◽  
Z. Li

Abstract. Global warming in recent years led to significant permafrost degradation worldwide. Accurate monitoring and comprehensive characterization of the deformation process in seasonally frozen soil is of great importance for constructions in cold regions in China. This work concentrates on the deformation laws and spatio-temporal characteristics of frost heave in high latitude and seasonally frozen soil of Inner Mongolia with time series InSAR observations. With 101 Sentinel-1 descending scenes that covered more than three freeze-thaw cycles for the study area along Shiwei-Labudalin Highway, this study realized the characterization of the frost heave deformations in seasonally frozen soil, and the analysis of the influencing factors of the hydrothermal process with the help of temperature and moisture data from in-situ monitoring. Time series InSAR observations show that most parts of the highway show obvious deformation with a displacement rate of around 30–60 mm/yr. Especially, the deformation evolution in this seasonally frozen soil region changes with seasons, demonstrating a notable annual cyclical characteristic and seasonal activity. Moreover, time series in-situ monitoring data in deep underground boreholes not only further explains the deformation kinematics from InSAR observations, but also provide a better supplement for a more comprehensive mechanism understanding of frost heave deformations.


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