The effect of grazing exclusion over time on structure, biodiversity, and regeneration of high nature value farmland ecosystems in Europe

Listopad, Claudia M.C.S.; Köbel, Melanie; Príncipe, Adriana; Gonçalves, Paula; Branquinho, Cristina

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.08.018

Cited by 50 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…In addition, our results highlight that the increase in pasture (detected by dung fungi indicator) promoted high plant diversity ( Figure 6). These results agree with another recent study from the Mediterranean region (Portugal; Listopad et al, 2018). They showed that a grazing exclusion shorter than 5 years promotes a high diversity of herbs and shrubs, whereas a longer period will promote a higher diversity and height of trees, which in turn, will allow them to be protected from further grazing (i.e.…”

Section: Did Fire and Human Activities Control Or Affect Biodiversity?supporting

confidence: 93%

Fires and human activities as key factors in the high diversity of Corsican vegetation

et al. 2019

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In the Mediterranean region, Corsica represents one of the most important hotspots of biodiversity, partly due to the high number of endemics species. This region is also one of the most affected by forest fires worldwide. The present vegetation is adapted to a wide range of disturbance regimes, but a change in fire frequency or intensity in the future may severely affect ecological resources and other socio-economical aspects. Here, we study the dynamics of vegetation–human–fire interactions for the past 12,000 years as recorded by Lake Bastani (Corsica, France). We used well-dated sedimentary records of charcoal, pollen and fungal spores to infer past fire regime, land cover and pastoral activities, respectively, and we compared our results with charcoal records from two other Corsican lakes (Nino and Creno, respectively). Our results suggest that climate and natural fires were the main factors shaping the landscape before 5000 cal. BP. Then, the extraordinary diversity of the current Corsican vegetation has been mainly promoted by human activities on the island (i.e. deforestation and pastoralism) at least from the Bronze Age (3500 cal. BP). The top of our record shows a sharp decrease in fungal remains ( Sporormiella-type), usually associated with pastoral activities, which could be attributed to the land abandonment occurring since a few decades.

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Section: Did Fire and Human Activities Control Or Affect Biodiversity?supporting

confidence: 93%

Fires and human activities as key factors in the high diversity of Corsican vegetation

et al. 2019

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“…Mediterranean wooded grasslands ungrazed results in a loss of economic value of these ecosystems without any significant conservation benefit, at least for birds that forage on the ground. In the long term, eliminating grazing results in scrub encroachment which changes bird assemblages substantially, as shown in previous studies (Rabaça, 1990;Nikolov et al, 2011;Santana et al, 2012;Listopad et al, 2018).…”

Section: Conclusion and Management Implicationssupporting

confidence: 63%

Grazing improves habitat suitability for many ground foraging birds in Mediterranean wooded grasslands

Leal

Acácio

Meyer

et al. 2019

Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment

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“…In our study, individual L. chinensis leaf and stem mass accumulation exponentially increased during the peak-growth season with the increase of grazing exclusion time. This is consistent with results from previous studies conducted in a variety of grassland habitats ( Courtois et al, 2004 ; Shrestha and Stahl, 2008 ). However, there was a slight decrease in biomass accumulation after long-term grazing exclusion (plot from 1979) compared to the medium-term plot (established in 1999).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Nutrient Characteristics in Relation to Plant Size of a Perennial Grass Under Grazing Exclusion in Degraded Grassland

et al. 2018

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Identifying the linkages between nutrient properties and plant size is important for reducing uncertainty in understanding the mechanisms of plant phenotypic plasticity. Although the positive effects of grazing exclusion on plant morphological plasticity has been well documented, surprisingly little is known about the relationship of nutrient strategies with plant shoot size after long-term grazing exclusion. We experimentally investigated the impacts of grazing exclusion over time (0, 9, 15, and 35 years) on the relationships of nutrient traits (nutrient concentration, allocation, and stoichiometry) of with morphological plasticity in Leymus chinensis, which is a dominant species in grasslands of Inner Mongolia, China. Our results showed that there was a significantly negative correlation between the degrees of plasticity and stability of various morphological traits. Increases in plant size by 126.41, 164.17, and 247.47% were observed with the increase of grazing exclusion time of 9, 15, and 35 years, respectively. Plant size was negatively correlated with nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentrations, but was positively correlated with carbon (C) concentration. Biomass partitioning and leaf to stem ratios of nutrient concentrations contributed more than 95% of the changes in N, P, and C allocation in L. chinensis leaves and stems induced by grazing exclusions. Nine years’ grazing exclusion rapidly changed the nutrient concentrations (averaged by -34.84%), leaf to stem nutrient allocations (averaged by -86.75%), and ecological stoichiometry (averaged by +46.54%) compared to free-grazing, whereas there was no significant trend of these nutrient traits across the 9, 15, and 35 years’ grazing exclusion in L. chinensis individuals. Our findings suggest that with the increase of the duration of the grazing exclusion, time effects on plant performances gradually weakened both in plant morphological plasticity and nutrient properties. There is a significant negative effect between plant sizes and nutrient traits under long-term grazing exclusion.

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The effect of grazing exclusion over time on structure, biodiversity, and regeneration of high nature value farmland ecosystems in Europe

Cited by 50 publications

References 49 publications

Fires and human activities as key factors in the high diversity of Corsican vegetation

Fires and human activities as key factors in the high diversity of Corsican vegetation

Grazing improves habitat suitability for many ground foraging birds in Mediterranean wooded grasslands

Nutrient Characteristics in Relation to Plant Size of a Perennial Grass Under Grazing Exclusion in Degraded Grassland

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