Aboveground plant mass and mass available to grazing goats in a mountainous shrubland in subtropical China

Abstract

Vegetation in the northwestern mountainous region of Guangdong Province, China is a mosaic of forests and shrubs. Shrubs in this area are evergreen with heights <2.5 m and have been left unused for at least 50 years. Recently, light grazing by a local breed of goats was started in a mountainous region near Lechang City under local government guidance. We conducted a survey over 4 years to estimate plant mass as a feed resource for goats in a sharply undulating mountainous shrubland. Two permanent plots (50 × 50 m) were set in a 76‐ha site; shrub‐dominated downward slopes and valleys (S plot), and a mountain ridge and an adjacent slope dominated by herbaceous species on slightly poorer soil (G plot). The plant mass, including herbaceous plants, and leaf and xylem parts of shrubs, which were determined through allometric equations based on measurements of breast height diameter of shrubs, was estimated at 15.9 t dry matter (DM) ha−1 in the S plot and 7.7 t DM ha−1 in the G plot. The total mass of herbaceous plants and shrub leaves, available to grazing goats, was estimated at 3.9 and 3.1 t DM ha−1 in the S plot and G plot, respectively. We conclude that 4.9 adults and 2.4 kids ha−1 can be stocked throughout a year on this mountainous shrubland.

Distribution of Antibiotics in Wastewater-Irrigated Soils and Their Accumulation in Vegetable Crops in the Pearl River Delta, Southern China

“…NOR was frequently found at concentrations as high as 66.7 μg/kg in the irrigated soils. NOR is one of the most frequently detected antibiotics in various environmental media including water, soil, and plants, 17,38 which could be related to its extensive medical and veterinary use. It may also come from animal manure, 39 which was commonly applied in these areas.…”

Spatiotemporal variation in aboveground biomass in a tropical grass pasture over a 22‐year period

“…However, limited information is available on the long‐term spatiotemporal variation in aboveground biomass in pastures. Although Jones et al (1995) and Yiruhan et al (2001) reported temporal variation in aboveground biomass in sown pastures under cattle grazing over a 21‐year period, they did not quantitatively show the effects of climate and management in the form of a model for aboveground biomass. Although Vázquez‐de‐Aldana et al (2008) conducted 20‐year monitoring of aboveground biomass in a native pasture grazed mainly by cattle and developed models to relate aboveground biomass to climatic variables, they focused only on interannual variation without incorporating seasonal variation into the models.…”

Occurrences of Three Classes of Antibiotics in a Natural River Basin: Association with Antibiotic-Resistant Escherichia coli

“…18 Annual worldwide antibiotic usage is estimated at 100 000− 200 000 tons, and annual consumption in China of more than 25 000 tons. 19 A quantity of antibiotics are excreted in urine and then released into the aquatic environment via a sewage treatment plants (STP) due to limited removal efficiencies [e.g., moxifloxacin (MOXI, 40%), gatifloxacin (GATI, 43%), ofloxacin (OFL, 33−66%), lomefloxacin (LOME, 21−72%), 20 trimethoprim (TMP, 3%), 21 and oxytetracycline (OTC, 38%) 22 ]. Some antibiotics, such as sulfamethoxazole (SMX), show increased concentrations in STP effluent.…”