The effects of defoliation on plant community, root biomass and nutrient allocation and soil chemical properties on semi-arid steppes in northern China
Article
Article Title | The effects of defoliation on plant community, root biomass and nutrient allocation and soil chemical properties on semi-arid steppes in northern China |
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ERA Journal ID | 3268 |
Article Category | Article |
Authors | Guo, Y-J. (Author), Han, L. (Author), Li, G-D. (Author), Han, J-G. (Author), Wang, G-L. (Author), Li, Z-Y. (Author) and Wilson, B. (Author) |
Journal Title | Journal of Arid Environments |
Journal Citation | 78, pp. 128-134 |
Number of Pages | 7 |
Year | 2012 |
Place of Publication | United Kingdom |
ISSN | 0140-1963 |
1095-922X | |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2011.11.003 |
Web Address (URL) | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140196311003375 |
Abstract | Semi-arid steppes in northern China have severely deteriorated over the past 50 years, mostly due to improper grazing management. A defoliation experiment was conducted on a Leymus chinensis-dominated semi-arid steppe to provide guidelines of grazing management and favor long-term restoration of degraded grasslands. There were five defoliation treatments: non-defoliation (no cutting during growing season) as control; light defoliation (cut 15 cm above ground level); medium defoliation (10 cm); hard defoliation (5 cm) and severe defoliation (2 cm). Results showed that hard and severe defoliation significantly reduced the concentrations of soluble carbohydrates in rhizomes and fibrous roots and decreased the belowground biomass and the ratio of below/aboveground biomass. Defoliation increased plant species diversity, but decreased biomass of L. chinensis significantly. The biomass of L. chinensis under light defoliation was lower than that in control, indicating L. chinensis was highly sensitive to defoliation. Defoliation intensity in general had no significant effect on soil chemical properties during the experimental period, suggesting that soil chemical properties might have a greater tolerance to short-term heavy defoliation compared to plant community. However, prolonged intensive defoliation would result in severe ecological consequences. Further studies are required to investigate the response of soil chemical properties to long-term defoliation. |
Keywords | agro-pastoral transitional zones; cutting; degradation; Leymus chinensis; management |
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020 | 300409. Crop and pasture protection (incl. pests, diseases and weeds) |
Public Notes | Files associated with this item cannot be displayed due to copyright restrictions. |
Byline Affiliations | Southwest China Normal University, China |
Southwest University, China | |
Charles Sturt University | |
China Agricultural University, China | |
Sustainable Agricultural Development Institute of Shandong, China | |
Institution of Origin | University of Southern Queensland |
https://research.usq.edu.au/item/q3q70/the-effects-of-defoliation-on-plant-community-root-biomass-and-nutrient-allocation-and-soil-chemical-properties-on-semi-arid-steppes-in-northern-china
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