Effects of fire and grazing on above-ground biomass and species diversity in recovering grasslands in northeast China

doi:10.1111/jvs.12641

IMR OpenIR

	Effects of fire and grazing on above-ground biomass and species diversity in recovering grasslands in northeast China
	Huang, Yue 1,2; Wang, Kelin 1,2; Deng, Bowen 3; Sun, Xuekai 1,2; Zeng, De-Hui 1,2
通讯作者	Huang, Yue(huangyue@iae.ac.cn)
	2018-07-01
发表期刊	JOURNAL OF VEGETATION SCIENCE
ISSN	1100-9233
卷号	29 期号:4 页码:629-639
摘要	QuestionsFire and grazing can affect plant communities through different pathways in grasslands. However, little is known about how these disturbances affect plant communities in recovered semi-arid grasslands. Here we investigated effects of prescribed fire, sheep grazing and their interactions on above-ground biomass and species diversity in degraded semi-arid grasslands recovered from cropping agriculture. LocationKeerqin grasslands, northeast China. MethodsA short-term grazing and burning experiment with split-plot design was conducted, with burning applied at the main plot level and grazing applied at the subplot level. After 1year of spring burning and 2years of grazing by sheep, the above-ground biomass, species diversity, biomass proportion of plant functional groups and soil resource availability of the grasslands were measured and compared between treatments using a split-plot ANOVA model. ResultsOne-year of spring fire significantly increased above-ground biomass, while 2years of grazing by sheep significantly decreased it. Species diversity was reduced by grazing in the burned plots but enhanced by grazing in the unburned plots. Fire significantly increased the biomass percentage of grasses and reduced that of forbs. Fire also changed soil water content and inorganic N concentration, and grazing enhanced light intensity to the soil surface. Moreover, above-ground biomass was positively related to soil water content and inorganic N concentration under both disturbances. Species diversity had a positive linear relationship with biomass percentage of grasses and a negative relationship with biomass percentage of forbs under sheep grazing. ConclusionsBoth short-term fire and grazing are important in determining the above-ground biomass in degraded semi-arid grasslands, and their effects are opposite. Grazing coupled with fire has negative effects on species diversity. Thus, we advise that fire and grazing should be carefully applied when used in the same management regime to maintain above-ground biomass and species diversity in managing this grassland ecosystem.
关键词	burning disturbance grassland productivity grazing herbivore plant community structure species diversity
资助者	National Natural Science Foundation of China
DOI	10.1111/jvs.12641
收录类别	SCI
语种	英语
资助项目	National Natural Science Foundation of China[31300345] ; National Natural Science Foundation of China[41401262]
WOS研究方向	Plant Sciences ; Environmental Sciences & Ecology ; Forestry
WOS类目	Plant Sciences ; Ecology ; Forestry
WOS记录号	WOS:000443232400006
出版者	WILEY
引用统计	被引频次：13[WOS] [WOS记录] [WOS相关记录]
文献类型	期刊论文
条目标识符	http://ir.imr.ac.cn/handle/321006/129277
专题	中国科学院金属研究所
通讯作者	Huang, Yue
作者单位	1.Chinese Acad Sci, Inst Appl Ecol, Key Lab Forest Ecol & Management, Shenyang, Liaoning, Peoples R China 2.Chinese Acad Sci, Inst Appl Ecol, Daqinggou Ecol Stn, Shenyang, Liaoning, Peoples R China 3.Wako Univ, Dept Social & Cultural Studies, 2160 Kanai Machi, Machida, Tokyo 1958585, Japan
推荐引用方式 GB/T 7714	Huang, Yue,Wang, Kelin,Deng, Bowen,et al. Effects of fire and grazing on above-ground biomass and species diversity in recovering grasslands in northeast China[J]. JOURNAL OF VEGETATION SCIENCE,2018,29(4):629-639.
APA	Huang, Yue,Wang, Kelin,Deng, Bowen,Sun, Xuekai,&Zeng, De-Hui.(2018).Effects of fire and grazing on above-ground biomass and species diversity in recovering grasslands in northeast China.JOURNAL OF VEGETATION SCIENCE,29(4),629-639.
MLA	Huang, Yue,et al."Effects of fire and grazing on above-ground biomass and species diversity in recovering grasslands in northeast China".JOURNAL OF VEGETATION SCIENCE 29.4(2018):629-639.