scholarly journals Modeling Integrated Impacts of Climate Change and Grazing on Mongolia’s Rangelands

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 397
Author(s):  
Virginia Anne Kowal ◽  
Julian Ahlborn ◽  
Chantsallkham Jamsranjav ◽  
Otgonsuren Avirmed ◽  
Rebecca Chaplin-Kramer
Keyword(s):  
Climatic Factors ◽  
Grazing Intensity ◽  
Grazing Pressure ◽  
Production Model ◽  
Climate Conditions ◽  
Domestic Livestock ◽  
Spatially Varying ◽  
Animal Diet ◽  
Management Changes ◽  
The Impact

Mongolia contains some of the largest intact grasslands in the world, but is vulnerable to future changes in climate and continued increases in the number of domestic livestock. As these are two major drivers of change, it is important to understand interactions between the impact of climate and grazing on productivity of Mongolia’s rangelands and the livelihoods they sustain. We use a gridded, spatially explicit model, the Rangeland Production Model (RPM), to explore the simultaneous and interacting effects of climate and management changes on Mongolia’s rangeland and future livestock production. Comparing the relative impact of temperature, precipitation, and grazing intensity, varied individually and in combination, we find that climatic factors dominate impacts on forage biomass and animal diet sufficiency. Site rainfall strongly mediates the impact of grazing on standing biomass, such that more productive or higher-rainfall sites are more vulnerable to increases in grazing pressure. Gridded simulations covering Mongolia’s Gobi-Steppe ecoregion show that while rangeland biomass is generally predicted to increase under future climate conditions, interactions among spatially varying drivers create strong heterogeneity in the magnitude of change.

Insights on the relationship between total grazing pressure management and sustainable land management: key indicators to verify impacts

2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (6) ◽  
pp. 535 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. M. Waters ◽  
S. E. McDonald ◽  
J. Reseigh ◽  
R. Grant ◽  
D. G. Burnside
Keyword(s):  
Land Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Grazing Intensity ◽  
Grazing Pressure ◽  
Environmental Stewardship ◽  
Grazing Management ◽  
Sustainable Land Management ◽  
Key Indicators ◽  
The Impact

Demonstrating sustainable land management (SLM) requires an understanding of the linkages between grazing management and environmental stewardship. Grazing management practices that incorporate strategic periods of rest are promoted internationally as best practice. However, spatial and temporal trends in unmanaged feral (goat) and native (kangaroo) populations in the southern Australian rangelands can result land managers having, at times, control over less than half the grazing pressure, precluding the ability to rest pastures. Few empirical studies have examined the impacts of total grazing pressure (TGP) on biodiversity and resource condition, while the inability to manage grazing intensity at critical times may result in negative impacts on ground cover, changes in pasture species composition, increased rates of soil loss and reduce the ability for soils to store carbon. The widespread adoption of TGP control through exclusion fencing in the southern Australian rangelands has created unprecedented opportunities to manage total grazing pressure, although there is little direct evidence that this infrastructure leads to more sustainable land management. Here we identify several key indicators that are either outcome- or activity-based that could serve as a basis for verification of the impacts of TGP management. Since TGP is the basic determinant of the impact of herbivory on vegetation it follows that the ability for rangeland pastoral management to demonstrate SLM and environmental stewardship will rely on using evidence-based indicators to support environmental social licence to operate.

scholarly journals Impacts of fire and grazing management on South Africa’s moist highland grasslands: A case study of the Steenkampsberg Plateau, Mpumalanga, South Africa

Bothalia ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian T. Little ◽  
Philip A.R. Hockey† ◽  
Raymond Jansen
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Plant Community ◽  
Vegetation Structure ◽  
Ecological Integrity ◽  
Grazing Intensity ◽  
Large Animal ◽  
Structure Characteristics ◽  
Domestic Livestock ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Detrimental Impact

Background: Grasslands are heavily utilised for livestock agriculture and the resultant degradation through mismanagement contributes to an estimated 60% of this biome being permanently transformed. This study focused on the impact of fire and grazing in moist highland grasslands.Objectives: To determine the contribution of burning frequency and grazing intensity combined (for domestic livestock and indigenous ungulates) on vegetation structure heterogeneity and species diversity.Methods: Eight study sites under different management regimes were sampled over two summers. Vegetation structure characteristics and diversity data were collected monthly within multiple replicates in each study site. A disc pasture meter was used to assess standing biomass. Differences in vegetation structure characteristics, plant community composition and plant species assemblage structure across sites were statistically analysed using analyses of variance, indicator species analyses, multidimensional scaling ordinations and two-way cluster analyses.Results: The combination of heavy grazing and annual burning leads to a distinct plant community dominated by disturbance specialist species. Selective grazing by indigenous herbivores promotes a community of unpalatable species. This study illustrates that fenced indigenous herbivores, even at moderate stocking densities, have a greater detrimental impact on plant diversity and structure than do domestic livestock.Conclusion: Intensive grazing and burning have a detrimental impact on plant species diversity and structure. This also affects resultant palatability for grazing livestock and fenced game. To promote both grazing quality and ecological integrity we recommend a minimum sustainable ‘fodder capacity’ or standing phytomass of 5000 kg per large-animal unit per hectare for domestic livestock in moist highland grasslands.

scholarly journals Improving the reliability of cable lines operation in hot climates

2020 ◽  
Vol 216 ◽  
pp. 01151
Author(s):  
Daniyar Bakhtiyarovich Madrakhimov ◽  
Vera Pavlovna Ivanova ◽  
Victoria Vyacheslavovna Tsypkina
Keyword(s):  
Solar Radiation ◽  
Climatic Factors ◽  
Climate Conditions ◽  
Term Operation ◽  
Asian Region ◽  
Hot Climate ◽  
Central Asian ◽  
Cable Lines ◽  
The Impact

Reliability of cable lines in hot climate is determined by the climatic characteristics of cables and wires, which include: long-term and short-term heat resistance, cold resistance, moisture resistance, resistance to cyclic exposure to temperatures and solar radiation, ozone resistance, etc. This article considers the main impacts of environmental factors: high temperatures, solar radiation, which, as practice shows, lead to irreversible deterioration of the electrical and mechanical properties of cable products. The result of climatic impacts in the Central Asian region, in hot climate conditions, is the aging of both insulation and protective coverings, which leads to irreversible change in the mechanical and electrical properties of the used polymers due to the loss of elasticity of the extruded material and its subsequent cracking, turning into cracks. The assessment of the possibility of long-term operation of the used polymer was carried out according to the polyethylene oxidation period, which determines the time of natural preservation of various types of cables during the period of their operation. The research was carried out on samples of cables stored under a canopy in wooden boxes, protected from sunlight and precipitation, by measuring criterion parameters with strict compliance with the established norms. Thus, the proposed solution for increasing the reliability of cable lines consists of debugging the technological process of applying insulation and sheathing, in which the extrusion of the polymer mass is carried out by technique that minimizes the ingress of contamination. Review of the results showed that extrusion line improvement would provide possibility of increasing reliability in the operation of cable products under the impact of climatic factors of the Central Asian region due to the reduced aging of insulation.

A dental microwear study of pig diet and management in Iron Age, Romano-British, Anglo-Scandinavian, and medieval contexts in England

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom Wilkie ◽  
Ingrid Mainland
Keyword(s):  
Iron Age ◽  
Dental Microwear ◽  
Livestock Farming ◽  
Late Iron Age ◽  
Soft Diet ◽  
Microwear Analysis ◽  
Domestic Livestock ◽  
Animal Diet ◽  
The Impact

Insight into the diet of domestic animals in the archaeological record can elucidate diverse activities pertaining to ancient agricultural systems, including the utilization of the landscape by livestock and their herders (Bocherens et al. 2001; Bentley et al. 2003; Charles & Bogaard 2005), the impact of livestock farming on the environment (Amorosi et al. 1998; Witt et al. 2000; Mainland 2001), seasonality in husbandry practices (Akeret et al. 1999; Akeret & Rentzel 2001; Charles & Bogaard 2005), animal productivity (Amorosi et al. 1998) and the role of animals in society (Moens & Wetterstom 1988; Mainland & Halstead 2004). Research into the diet of domestic livestock has, however, largely focused on cattle, sheep, and goats (see for example all the references cited above) and it is only relatively recently that palaeodietary studies have begun to consider suid diet/nutrition and its potential value for elucidating the socio-economics of pig husbandry (e.g. Ervynck et al. this volume). This article presents one further such study: an analysis of dental microwear patterning in domestic pigs from selected Late Iron Age to medieval contexts in England, undertaken as part of a wider project into the potential application of dental microwear analysis to the question of pig diet and management in the prehistoric and historic past (Mainland et al. in prep.). Dental microwear analysis, although still primarily used within palaeontology (Teaford 1994; Rose & Ungar 1998), is increasingly being applied in archaeology to reconstruct both human (Rose & Ungar 1998; Schmidt 2001) and animal diet (Beuls et al. 2000; Mainland & Halstead 2004). In common with many other palaeodietary techniques (e.g. Schwarcz & Schoeninger 1991), dental microwear will not identify the consumption of individual foodstuffs but rather reflects broad functional and/or dietary adaptations (Rose & Ungar 1998); for example, browsing vs grazing (Solounias & Hayek 1993), folivory vs frugivory (Teaford & Walker 1984), hard vs soft diet (Teaford & Oyen 1989). Preliminary studies in modern suid populations have indicated that one basic axis of variation in pig diet/management is potentially identifiable using dental microwear, namely the separation of indoor-reared/stall-fed and outdoor reared/rooting populations (Ward & Mainland 1999).

Effect of grazing intensity and number of grazings on herbage production and seed yields of Trifolium subterraneum, Medicago murex, and Ornithopus compressus

1994 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 181 ◽  
Author(s):  
DJ Conlan ◽  
BS Dear ◽  
NE Coombes
Keyword(s):  
Seed Production ◽  
Seed Yield ◽  
Grazing Intensity ◽  
Trifolium Subterraneum ◽  
Grazing Pressure ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Pasture Legumes ◽  
Heavy Grazing ◽  
Ornithopus Compressus ◽  
The Impact

The impact of grazing intensity and number of grazings was assessed on the growth and seed production of 5 annual pasture legumes [Trifoliunz subterraneum var. subterraneum cv. Karridale, var. brachycalycinum cv. Clare, var. yanninicum cv. Trikkala; Medicago murex (murex medic) cv. Zodiac; Ornithopus compressus L. (yellow serradella) cv. Avila]. There were 7 grazing treatments: an ungrazed control; and 2 grazing intensities (light and heavy), each for 3 periods of grazing (winter, winter-early spring, winter-late spring). Tethered sheep in small experimental plots were used to provide controlled herbage removal across all cultivars through winter and winter-spring grazing. This grazing system resulted in significantly different levels of herbage being present in the light and heavy grazing treatments following each grazing period. Grazing had variable effects on seed production: <35% increase for Trikkala, and no significant effect for Karridale. Both cultivars continued growth and seed production late in the season after grazing pressure was removed on 8 November. Seed yield of Clare was reduced by 46-49% by heavy grazing treatments. Seed yield of murex medic was not significantly affected by grazing, while that of serradella was reduced by 30-55% by grazing late in the season. The seed yield responses show that cultivar and species responses to grazing may be highly variable. Under favourable spring conditions, Trikkala, Karridale, and murex medic can be grazed heavily until late in the season without adversely affecting seed yield, whilst Clare and Avila cannot.

scholarly journals Carabid (Coleoptera) assemblages in the Scottish uplands: the influence of sheep grazing on ecological structure

2006 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorna Cole ◽  
Meg Pollock ◽  
Duncan Robertson ◽  
John Holland ◽  
David McCracken
Keyword(s):  
Ground Beetle ◽  
Grazing Intensity ◽  
Diversity Indices ◽  
Grazing Pressure ◽  
Assemblage Structure ◽  
Livestock Grazing ◽  
Pitfall Trapping ◽  
Agricultural Policy Reform ◽  
Intensively Managed ◽  
The Impact

As a result of the European Community Common Agricultural Policy reform in 2005 it is predicted that livestock grazing in the Scottish uplands will become less intensive. At each of two upland research centres, two large (>40ha) plots were established to investigate the relationship between grazing intensity in the Scottish uplands and biodiversity. One plot was grazed intensively by sheep while the otherwas grazed extensively. Ground beetleswere sampled by pitfall trapping to determine the influence of grazing pressure on the ecologicalmake-up of ground beetle assemblages. Grazing intensity did not significantly influence carabid diversity. However, grazing intensity, altitude and moisture did influence the carabid ecological assemblage structure at both locations. Large flightless Carabus species were more abundant in extensively managed plots than intensively managed plots at both locations. It is likely that these long-living, relatively immobile beetles were favoured by the greater stability of the vegetation structure in the extensively grazed plots. Monitoring the ecological assemblage structure provides a more sensitive approach than diversity indices when comparing the impact of grazing and agricultural management but is also robust enough to allow direct comparisons between different geographical locations.

The impact of heavy grazing on burrow choice in the pygmy bluetongue lizard, Tiliqua adelaidensis

2011 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 299 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa Pettigrew ◽  
C. Michael Bull
Keyword(s):  
Native Species ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Grazing Intensity ◽  
Grazing Pressure ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
Native Grasslands ◽  
Heavy Grazing ◽  
Microhabitat Structure ◽  
The Impact

Context Grazing pressure has directly altered and indirectly influenced natural ecosystems worldwide, and has affected and displaced many native species. The endangered pygmy bluetongue lizard Tiliqua adelaidensis is endemic to the mid-north of South Australia. It inhabits remnant native grasslands where it is reliant on the presence of natural spider burrows constructed by lycosid and mygalomorph spiders as refuge sites. These lizards spend the majority of the day associated with their burrow either in the burrow itself or basking at its entrance. The remnant native grasslands of South Australia have endured 200 years of agricultural changes and the introduction of domestic stock has meant that grazing pressure has substantially increased. The vegetation around a burrow is considered to be important in providing shelter for the lizard. However, too much vegetation may reduce basking opportunities and visibility of prey. Stock grazing has been maintained on the majority of sites that contain pygmy bluetongue populations and it is presumed that the lizards can tolerate some form of grazing. However, the level of grazing intensity directly influences the vegetation structure that surrounds the lizard burrows. Aims We aimed to investigate the consequences of severe grazing pressure on the choice of burrows by lizards, and on their burrow related behaviour. Methods We simulated heavy grazing pressure by manually removing aboveground vegetation in the field in replicated quadrats that contained artificial burrows, and by providing bare substrate in half of experimental enclosures in the laboratory. Key results In the field, lizards only occupied the artificial burrows in control quadrats, where vegetation had been left intact. In the laboratory, lizards that occupied both burrows basked for longer at the burrow entrance where vegetation was present. Conclusions Heavy grazing management that results in the majority of vegetation being removed could have a negative impact on pygmy bluetongue lizard recruitment and sustainability. Implications Grazing regimes should be carefully monitored to consider the needs of species that rely heavily on microhabitat structure for their persistence. For the endangered pygmy bluetongue lizard, heavy grazing should be avoided to promote amounts of vegetation suitable to sustain viable populations.

scholarly journals The impact of climate change on the corn yield in Serbia

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (50) ◽  
pp. 133-140
Author(s):  
Gordana Petrović ◽  
Darjan Karabašević ◽  
Svetlana Vukotić ◽  
Vuk Mirčetić ◽  
Adriana Radosavac
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climatic Factors ◽  
Vegetation Period ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Corn Yield ◽  
Climate Conditions ◽  
Agricultural Plant ◽  
Temperature And Precipitation ◽  
The Impact

The aim of the paper is to show the impact of climate factors on the corn yield in Serbia. Contemporary climate reports show that climate is changing, and the emission of greenhouse gases is one of the main causes of climate change. In three different locations (West Bačka District, Šumadija District and Nišava District) different climatic conditions and corn yield were analyzed for the period from 1991 to 2011. In the research process, the model of multiple linear regression and Pearson coefficient of correlation was applied. Obtained results has shown that there is a high correlation between parameters of climate conditions and variance of corn yield. A small amount of precipitation quantity and high maximum values of temperatures in the vegetation period influenced the decrease in yield, which was particularly noticed during the period from 2000 to 2007. A lower yield of corn was established compared to the average yield in all three observed districts, in the Šumadija district, the yield was lower 48% in 2000 and 52% in 2007, in the West Bačka District, a yield was lower 40% in 2000 and 20% in 2007, and in the Nišava District, the yield was lower 65% in 2000 and 49% in 2007. There are perennial variations of climatic factors, especially temperature and precipitation quantity, which affect the realization of the economic profitability of growing agricultural plant species. Losses in agriculture can be higher in conditions of an unstable climate. It is necessary to more precisely predict climate change and create new hybrids and varieties for cultivation that will be adaptable to changed climate conditions. Adaptations of plants to climatic conditions changes will contribute to greater economy of agricultural production, and the provision of food for the world's population.

scholarly journals Growth and reproductive characteristics of C4 weeds under climatic conditions of the Czech Republic  

2013 ◽  
Vol 59 (No. 7) ◽  
pp. 309-315 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Satrapová ◽  
T. Hyvönen ◽  
V. Venclová ◽  
J. Soukup
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Czech Republic ◽  
Climatic Factors ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Amaranthus Retroflexus ◽  
Seed Number ◽  
Weed Species ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Climate Conditions ◽  
The Impact

Climate change could promote the altitudinal spread of C4 weed species since they can benefit from warmer climate. The effects of altitude and climatic conditions (the sum of temperatures above 5&deg;C and precipitation) on the biomass and seed production of two annual C4 weeds &ndash; Amaranthus retroflexus L. and Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) P.<br />Beauv. &ndash; were studied in the Czech Republic. We included both temperature and precipitation variables in the study since they both serve as basic indicators of climate change and thus they have the greatest impact on plant development. The experiment was carried out by sowing both weed species on m<sup>2</sup> area with four replicates in seven localities differing in altitude in 2010 and 2011. We found no significant impacts due to altitude on any variables measured. However, climatic factors explained 44.5% of the variation in plant dry biomass and 41.4% of the seed number produced by A. retroflexus. The same variables did not significantly contribute to the variation in above-ground biomass or seed number of E. crus-galli. These results show the impact of climate conditions to vary between species and not to limit reproduction at high altitudes.

Prospects of spring wheat cultivation in the conditions of arid Volga region

2020 ◽  
pp. 28-33
Author(s):  
Valery Genadievich Popov ◽  
Andrey Vladimirovich Panfilov ◽  
Yuriy Vyacheslavovich Bondarenko ◽  
Konstantin Mikhailovich Doronin ◽  
Evgeny Nikolaevih Martynov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spring Wheat ◽  
Soil Layer ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Volga Region ◽  
Mineral Fertilizers ◽  
Climate Conditions ◽  
Wheat Cultivation ◽  
Forest Belts ◽  
Clear Differentiation ◽  
The Impact

The article analyzes the experience of the impact of the system of forest belts and mineral fertilizers on the yield of spring wheat, including on irrigated lands. Vegetation irrigation is designed to maintain the humidity of the active soil layer from germination to maturation at the lower level of the optimum-70-75%, and in the phases of tubulation-earing - flowering - 75-80% NV. However, due to the large differences in zones and microzones of soil and climate conditions and due to the weather conditions of individual years, wheat irrigation regimes require a clear differentiation. In the Volga region in the dry autumn rainfalls give the norm of 800-1000 m3/ha, and in saline soils – 1000-1300 and 3-4 vegetation irrigation at tillering, phases of booting, earing and grain formation the norm 600-650 m3/ha. the impact of the system of forest belts, mineral fertilizers on the yield of spring wheat is closely tied to the formation of microclimate at different distances from forest edges.

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