Livestock Type is More Crucial Than Grazing Intensity: Traditional Cattle and Sheep Grazing in Short‐Grass Steppes

Tóth, Edina; Deák, Balázs; Valkó, Orsolya; Kelemen, András; Miglécz, Tamás; Tóthmérész, Béla; Török, Péter

doi:10.1002/ldr.2514

Cited by 136 publications

(113 citation statements)

References 57 publications

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“…By hand mowing, it was also possible to give an advantage to introduced species by avoiding cutting them before seed ripening. Grazing is usually associated with a higher trampling disturbance than hand mowing (Tälle et al 2016, Tóth et al 2016 resulting in the failure of germination of the sown species on the grazed Görbeszék kurgan. Based on these findings, for the effective introduction of target species by seed sowing, either hand mowing or soil preparation by raking or smooth harrowing is necessary (Klaus et al 2017).…”

Section: Seed Sowingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cultural heritage and biodiversity conservation – plant introduction and practical restoration on ancient burial mounds

Valkó¹,

Tóth²,

Kelemen³

et al. 2018

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Linking the conservation of cultural heritage and natural values provides a unique opportunity for preserving traditional landscapes and receives an increased awareness from stakeholders and society. Ancient burial mounds are proper objects of such projects as they are iconic landscape elements of the Eurasian steppes and often act as refugia for grassland specialist species. The aim of this project was to reintroduce grassland plant species to burial mounds for representing them as cultural monuments with the associated biodiversity for the public. The effectiveness of seed sowing, transplanting greenhouse-grown plants and individuals from threatened populations on burial mounds in Hortobágy National Park, Hungary was tested. The following questions were answered: (1) which method is the most effective for species introduction? (2) which species can establish most successfully? (3) how does management affect the species establishment rates? It was found advisable to use a combination of seed sowing and transplanting greenhouse-grown plants. Sowing was found as a cost-effective method for introducing large-seeded species, whilst introduction of greenhouse-grown transplants warranted higher establishment rates for a larger set of species. Transplanting adult individuals was more reliable regardless of management regimes, however this method is labour-intensive and expensive. Intensive management, like mowing with heavy machinery and intensive grazing, should be avoided in the first few years after introduction. The authors CONSERVATION IN PRACTICE Launched to accelerate biodiversity conservation A peer-reviewed open-access journalOrsolya Valkó et al. / Nature Conservation 24: 65-80 (2018) 66 highlighted the fact that introducing characteristic grassland species on cultural monuments offers a great opportunity to link issues of landscape and biodiversity conservation. This project demonstrated that, by the revitalisation of cultural monuments, cultural ecosystem services can also be restored.

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Section: Seed Sowingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cultural heritage and biodiversity conservation – plant introduction and practical restoration on ancient burial mounds

Valkó¹,

Tóth²,

Kelemen³

et al. 2018

Self Cite

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“…Livestock trampling increases as grazing duration and intensity increase, which can compact soil and increase soil bulk density, as what occurred in the current study. Increased soil bulk density is an important indicator of land degradation in grasslands, and it can alter other soil traits, including rainfall infiltration and water retention and thereby affect plant establishment and growth (Li, Zhou, et al, ; Orgill et al, ; Tóth et al, ). Exclusion of grazing can overcome effects of livestock trampling and restore vegetation, in particular restore plant roots, thus decreasing soil bulk density (Table ; Li, Zhou, et al, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Soil respiration versus vegetation degradation under the influence of three grazing regimes in the Songnen Plain

Zhou

2018

Land Degrad Dev

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Understanding the effects of ongoing vegetation degradation (due to grazing pressure) on soil respiration provides a basis for managing grazing to improve sustainability of grassland ecosystems in the context of climate change. In a 2‐year field experiment in a meadow ecosystem, vegetation, soil properties, and root and microbial respiration of 2 dominant communities (Leymus chinensis and Chloris virgata) were examined along a vegetation degradation sequence caused by varying grazing pressures. Aboveground biomass, belowground net primary productivity, litter mass, and microbial biomass carbon significantly decreased as ground cover was reduced. For 2 community types, from light degradation to severe degradation (SD), soil organic carbon (SOC), soil total nitrogen, and total phosphorus concentrations decreased by 14.1–15.4%, 10.9–12.3%, and 10.7–11.9%, respectively; and soil bulk density and pH increased by 9.1–9.3% and 4.6–5.2%, respectively. Over 2 years, from light degradation to SD in 2 communities, annual mean root and microbial respiration rate significantly decreased by 35.9–43.5% and 28–34.4%, respectively. Root respiration was more sensitive to vegetation degradation in C. virgata communities compared with L. chinensis communities. However, temperature sensitivity (Q10) for root and microbial respiration did not significantly change as vegetation degraded. These results indicated that (a) vegetation degradation could drive significant soil degradation in this meadow; (b) vegetation degradation restrained soil CO2 efflux, but more largely decreased biomass carbon input into soil, which finally reduced SOC concentration; and (c) vegetation degradation would not change the response of soil CO2 efflux to climate change. To increase SOC storage and maintain grassland sustainability, grazing exclusion was suggested for restoring vegetation in SD sites, with a stocking rate < 2 sheep·ha−1 or rotational grazing recommended. Finally, overseeding with L. chinensis and legumes should enhance forage and livestock production, and soil carbon and nitrogen sequestration, thus preserving grassland sustainability in this meadow ecosystem.

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“…Even when done only by domestic animals, grazing is still important for the maintenance of grasslands [19,20], and thus important for most arthropod species, with focus also being given to grazing intensity [32,34,61], with occasional exceptions [62]. The concern is that some of the specialist insect species have been lost from these systems due to the lack of habitats created by wild grazers.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wild Herbivore Grazing Enhances Insect Diversity over Livestock Grazing in an African Grassland System

2016

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Southern Africa’s grassland biodiversity is threatened by habitat transformation such as commercial forestry. Ecological networks (ENs) have been instigated to alleviate the pressure of habitat transformation on local biodiversity. ENs are large scale webs of corridors and patches of natural vegetation criss-crossing production landscapes that can simulate conditions in protected areas (PAs). Many ENs have lost many native large mammal species, which have been replaced by domestic livestock to retain natural grazing dynamics, which could have an impact on the long-term value of ENs for insects. Here we compared dung beetle, butterfly and grasshopper diversity in ENs across a landscape mosaic of timber plantations, where 1) wild megaherbivores were maintained, 2) in ENs where these herbivores were replaced by livestock and, 3) in a nearby World Heritage PA which retained its natural complement of megaherbivores. Sites in the PA far from any plantation were similar in composition to those in the wild grazed EN. Presence of the wild grazers improved the alpha- and beta-diversity of all focal insect taxa when compared to domestic grazing. Furthermore, species composition shows significant differences between the two grazing systems indicating that an assemblage of native large mammals facilitates insect diversity conservation. We support the maintenance or introduction of large native mammals in ENs or similar conservation areas in production landscapes to simulate the ecological conditions and natural heterogeneity in nearby PAs.

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Livestock Type is More Crucial Than Grazing Intensity: Traditional Cattle and Sheep Grazing in Short‐Grass Steppes

Cited by 136 publications

References 57 publications

Cultural heritage and biodiversity conservation – plant introduction and practical restoration on ancient burial mounds

Cultural heritage and biodiversity conservation – plant introduction and practical restoration on ancient burial mounds

Soil respiration versus vegetation degradation under the influence of three grazing regimes in the Songnen Plain

Wild Herbivore Grazing Enhances Insect Diversity over Livestock Grazing in an African Grassland System

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