Quantitative Simulation of Dynamic Changes in Cultivated Land in Areas of Reclamation and Returning Cultivated Land to Forest or Pastures under RCPs Climate Scenarios

Northeast China as one of important agricultural production bases is an area under reclamation and returning cultivated land to forests or pastures. Therefore, it is of great practical significance in guaranteeing the sustainable development and national food security to study the spatial and temporal variation of cultivated land in Northeast China under future climate scenarios. In this study, based on data of land use, natural environment and social-economy, dynamics of land system（DLS） model was used to to simulate the spatial distribution and changing trends of cultivated land in the typical areas of reclamation and returning cultivated land to forest or pastures in Northeast China during 2010-2030 under land use planning scenario and representative concentration pathways（RCPs） scenarios quantitatively.The results showed that the area of cultivated land had an overall decreasing trend under the land use planning scenario, but the area of upland field increased slightly from 2000 to 2010 and then declined greatly, while the area of paddy field continuously declined from 2000 to 2030. Under the Asia-Pacific Integrated model（AIM）scenario, the total area of cultivated land had a tendency to increase considerably,with the upland field expanding more obviously and the paddy field declining slightly.In addition, the cultivated land showed a greater decreasing trend under the model for energy supply strategy alternatives and their general environmental impact（MESSAGE） scenario compared to the land use planning scenario. Moreover, analysis on the conversion between different land use types indicated that the reclamation and returning cultivated land to forests or pastures was likely to continue under future scenarios, but the frequency of occurrence could decrease as the time goes by. The conclusions can provide significant decision-making information for the rational agricultural planning and cultivated land protection in Northeast China to adapt to the climate change.

Status of Mountain Pastures, Including Geobotanical Description of the Main Vegetation Associations in Western Pamir-Alay

The article gives a brief description of the vegetation cover of the Western Pamir-Alai range, as well as a method of describing the phytocenosis of the vegetation of the studied region.

Vegetation Improvement and Rational Use of Winter Pastures of ＂CeyranchoI-Acinohur＂ Arrays

This article describes the development of human potential interaction between society and nature. The environment, sustainable use of natural resources, prevention of adverse effects of human activities on the environment, and disturbances of dynamical ecological balance of the existing natural systems have received increased attention. The heed is introduced both on the state scale and in broad circles of science and society in The Azerbaijan Republic.

Detection of Chrysops divaricatus(Diptera:Tabanidae)in Flat Pastures of the Central Yakutia Russian Federation

In Central Yakutia of the Russian Federation 21 species and subspecies of horseflies of two genera are revealed:Chrysops(6 species)and Hybomitra(15 species and 1 subspecies).There are two marked species(dark forms):H.bimaculata var.bisignata and H.montana var.flaviceps.The most numerous species being the main center of population on pastures are 6:Hybomitra montana montana,H.lundbecki lundbecki,H.ciureai,H.arpadi,H.nitidifrons nitidifrons,H.nigricornis(in the amount of 81.46%fees).On the plain pastures Chrysops divaricatus is specified for the first time.

Comparison of Acidity Parameters for Soils under Perennial and Annual Pastures in Victoria

There are about 5 million ha of strongly acid soils (pH < 4.8 in 0.01 mol·L -1 CaCl 2 ) in Victoria and about 11 million ha of mildly acid soils (pH 4.8～5.5) that are considered susceptible to further acidification under current agricultural use. However, there appear to be differences in the rate of acidification, as measured by soil pH change, between soils under perennial pastures in the higher rainfall areas of southern Victoria and soils under annual pastures in the sheep-wheat areas of the north-east. Measurements made on representative soils from both regions showed that the southern soils generally had a higher pH buffer capacity, which was primarily determined by the organic carbon content. There was a consistent relationship between the short-term buffer capacity (measured by titration) and the long-term buffer capacity (measured by incubation), irrespective of the origin of the soils. Exchangeable Al, measured in 0.01 mol·L -1 CaCl 2 , was strongly negatively correlated with pH and the relationship for all soils suggested that Al was adsorbed as a cation with an average charge of 1.2

Mountain Pastures and Grasslands in the SW Tien Shan,Kyrgyzstan-Floristic Patterns,Environmental Gradients,Phytogeography,and Grazing Impact

Vast grasslands are found in the walnut-fruit forest region of southern Kyrgyzstan,Middle Asia.Located above the worldwide unique walnutfruit forests and used for grazing,they play a pivotal role in the mixed mountain agriculture of local farmers.Accordingly,these pastures are subject to an increasing utilization pressure reflecting the changing political and social conditions in the transformation process from a Soviet republic to an independent state.A first detailed analysis of mountain pasture vegetation in the Ferghana Range answers the following questions:What are the main plant community types among Kyrgyzstan's mountain pastures? What are the main environmental gradients that shape their species composition? Which phytogeographical distribution types are predominant? How does grazing affect community composition and species richness in these grasslands? Species composition was classified by cluster analysis;underlying environmental gradients were explored using DCA.A dataset of 395 relevés was used for classification,and a subset of 79 relevés was used in a DCA to analyze the correlation between vegetation,environment,and grazing impact.The investigated pastures were classified into four distinctive plant communities.The site factors altitude,heat load,inclination and grazing impact were found to be the major determinants of the vegetation pattern.A significant overlap between floristic composition and structural and spatial properties was shown.The majority of the species pool consisted of Middle Asian endemics and Eurosiberian species.However,disturbance-tolerant species played a significant role with respect to species composition and coverage of the herbaceous layer in vast areas of southern Kyrgyzstan's mountain pastures.In general,an intense grazing impact is clearly reflected by both species composition and structural variables of plant communities.The highly diverse and unique ecosystem is modified by an increasing utilization pressure.In order to maintain vital processes and functioning of this valuable ecosystem-in both economical and ecological terms-,it is indispensable to adopt appropriate pasture management strategies.

Predicting Levels of Crude Protein, Digestibility, Lignin and Cellulose in Temperate Pastures Using Hyperspectral Image Data

Hyperspectral sensors provide the potential for direct estimation of pasture feed quality attributes. However, remote sensing retrieval of digestibility and fibre (lignin and cellulose) content of vegetation has proven to be challenging since tissue optical properties may not be propagated to the canopy level in mixed cover types. In this study, partial least squares regression on spectra from HyMap and Hyperion imagery were used to construct predictive models for estimation of crude protein, digestibility, lignin and cellulose concentration in temperate pastures. HyMap and Hyperion imagery and field spectra were collected over four pasture sites in southern Victoria, Australia. Co-incident field samples were analyzed with wet chemistry methods for crude protein, lignin and cellulose concentration, and digestibility was calculated from fiber determinations. Spectral data were subset based on sites and time of year of collection. Reflectance spectra were extracted from the hyperspectral imagery and collated for analysis. Six different transformations including derivatives and continuum removal were applied to the spectra to enhance absorption features sensitive to the quality attributes. The transformed reflectance spectra were then subjected to partial least squares regression, with full cross-validation “leave-one-out” technique, against the quality attributes to assess effects of the spectral transformations and post-atmospheric smoothing techniques to construct predictive models. Model performance between spectrometers, subsets and attributes were assessed using a coefficient of variation (CV), —the interquantile (IQ) range of the attribute values divided by the root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) from the models. The predictive models with the highest CVs were obtained for digestibility for all spectra types, with HyMap the highest. However, models with slightly lower CVs were obtained for crude protein, lignin and cellulose. The spectral regions for diagnostic wavelengths fell within the chlorophyll well, red edge, and 2000-2300 nm ligno-cellulose-protein regions, with some wavelengths selected between the 1600 and 1800 nm region sensitive to nitrogen, protein, lignin and cellulose. The digestibility models with the highest CV’s had confidence intervals corresponding to ±5% digestibility, which constitutes approximately 30% of the measured range. The cellulose and lignin models with the highest CV’s also had similar confidence intervals but the slopes of the prediction lines were substantially less than 1:1 indicating reduced sensitivity. The predictive relationships established here could be applied to categorizing pasture quality into range classes and to determine whether pastures are above or below for example threshold values for livestock productivity benchmarks.

Effects of Different Grazing Intensities on Vegetation Characteristics of Cultivated Pastures in Southern China

[Objective]The paper was to study the effect of different grazing intensities on vegetation characteristics of artificial pasture by plot rota- tion grazing experiment. [Method]Grazing intensity was divided into 2 treatments of heavy grazing and light grazing,and each treatment contained 6 plots,with randomized complete block design. A blank control was set near test plot. Ninety disease-free and healthy 2-year-old Yunling Black Goats with consistent body condition were selected and divided into 2 groups： heavy grazing （ 55） and light grazing （ 35） . The goats were conduc- ted rotation grazing in 6 plots,and the average stocking rates were 12. 6 and 8 goat /hm 2 . The plant height,coverage,underground biomass and pasture plant nutrition of 2 treatments were measured,respectively. [Result]The cocksfoot height had significant difference with control under graz- ing conditions （ P 〈0. 05） ,while the heights of ryegrass and white clover in control plot had no significant difference with that in grazing plot （ P 〉 0. 05） . Grazing intensity had different effects on coverage of different plants; grazing utilization reduced the coverage of cocksfoot and ryegrass, which had little impact on coverage of white clover; viewed from the whole plant communities,the coverage in control plot was greater than that in grazing plot. The underground biomass in 0 -20 cm soil depth in grazing plot accounted for about 90%; with the increase of grazing intensity,un- derground biomass was decreased. The crude protein （ CP） and crude fat （ EE） content of forage decreased,while acid detergent fiber （ ADF） and neutral detergent fiber （ NDF） increased. [Conclusion]The research provided scientific basis for determination of suitable grazing system and sus- tainable utilization of pasture resources.

Cool-season annual pastures with clovers to supplement wintering beef cows nursing calves

In December of 3 years, 87 beef cows with nursing calves （.594 ± 9.8 kg; calving season, September to November） at side were stratified by body condition score, body weight, cow age, and calf gender and divided randomly into 6 groups assigned to 1 of 6 cool-season annual pastures （0.45 ha/cow） that had been interseeded into a dormant common bermudagrass （Cynodon dactylon [L.] Pers.）/bahiagrass （Paspalum notatum Flugge） sod. Pastures contained 1 of the following 3 seeding mixtures （2 pastures/mixture）： 1） wheat （Triticum aestivurn L.） and ryegrass （Lofium multiflorum Lain., WRG）, 2） wheat and ryegrass plus red clover （Trifolium pretense L, WRR）, or 3） wheat and ryegrass plus white （Trifofium repens L.） and crimson clovers （Trifolium incarnatum L., WRW）. All groups had ad libitum access to grass hay （12% crude protein; 58% total digestible nutrients）. The second week in December, cow estrous cycles were synchronized and artificially inseminated. In late December, a bull was placed with each group for 60-d. Data were analyzed with an analysis of variance using a mixed model containing treatment as the fixed effect and year as the random effect. Body weight and condition scores did not differ （P ≥ 0.27） among cows between February and June. Calf birth weights or average daily gain did not differ （P≥ 0.17） among treatments; however, calves grazing pastures with clovers did tend （P= 0.06） to weigh more than calves grazing grass only. Weaning weight per cow exposed to a bull was greater （P= 0.02） for WRR and WRW than WRG. Cows grazing winter-annual pastures containing clovers tended to wean more calf body weight per cow exposed to a bull than cows grazing the grass only pastures.

An Emergy-Based Approach to Assess and Valuate Ecosystem Services of Tropical Wetland Pastures in Brazil

Wetland grasslands are important ecosystems for raising beef cattle, because they are highly productive and present forages with high quality. Most of these ecosystems are threatened by overgrazing or by being replaced by exotic pastures. Emergy synthesis approach was used to assess and value the services provided by native pastures wetland under three conservation status and also to compare them to exotic pastures on wetlands. The ecosystem service that was assessed included forage provision for calves production estimated from grazing capacity of cow with calf at the foot. Habitat maintenance to plant diversity and wild herbivores were also evaluated. The results showed that natural wetland pastures with better conservation status provided valuable ecosystem services and are highly renewable. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) showed that regardless of the conservation state of the natural pastures, wet native grasslands were more efficient than wet exotic grasslands. Replacing native pastures by exotic ones may reduce plant diversity and the renewability of the system. The proposed method has a holistic approach to pasture ecosystems and is able to help decision-makers to define sustainable management practices and to subsidise public policies when it comes to payments regarding ecosystem services.

Stability and purity of selected ryegrass Epichloë endophytes in New Zealand dairy pastures

Background:Perennial ryegrass(Lolium perenne)in New Zealand pastures is typically infected with the mutualist Epichloëfungal endophyte.This endophyte assists the plant in resisting biotic and abiotic stresses,but the standard strain of endophyte is toxic to livestock.Elite ryegrasses with selected endophytes have been developed to provide protective properties to the grass plant and lessen or eliminate the negative impacts on livestock.Methods:Using immunology and molecular techniques,the presence of endophyte infection and endophyte strain in ryegrass tillers was determined for 24 dairy pastures sampled for up to 7 years in regions of the North and South Islands.Results:In general,infection levels were high and showed small increases over time.Some pastures failed to reach 70%infection.The sown,selected endophytes were the dominant endophyte strains present and these were stable over time.Standard endophyte was the primary nonsown endophyte,and while generally low and so of little importance,it increased over time and for some pastures,this would have been detrimental to livestock.Pasture establishment technique influenced the level of contamination.Conclusions:Results reinforce the importance of following best practice procedures in the seed industry and on-farm.Researchers should monitor trials for contaminating nonsown standard endophyte.

Rating the Degradation of Natural Hay Pastures in Northern China

Natural hay pastures in semi-arid pastoral areas produce the highest yields of hay in northern China.However, long-term continuous hay harvesting with no rest interval has resulted in severe degradation across widespread areas of these natural hay pastures. In addition, no clear data exist on the spatial distribution or degree of degradation occurring in natural hay pastures primarily because a nationally unified and normative evaluation standard is lacking. In view of the above problems, we employed an analytic hierarchy process to carry out screening and accuracy validation of evaluation indicators for natural hay pastures in north China grasslands(temperate meadow steppes, temperate steppes, mountain meadows, and lowland meadows). Our study identified seven easily measured indicators that reflect the state of natural hay pastures(average height, aboveground biomass, coverage, proportion of medium grasses, litter biomass, proportion of degradation-indicative plants, and proportion of bare spots and saline-alkali spots). A five-level scoring method was employed to delineate the threshold range for these indicators, The results of this study show that this method effectively solved the technical bottleneck for graded evaluation of degradation in natural hay pastures. This provides a theoretical basis for the scientific assessment of natural hay pasture degradation as well as important technical support for sustainable use of natural hay pastures and livestock production.

Effects of Enclosure on Grassland Ecological and Economic Benefits in Northern China

Grasslands in northern China serve the country as both an ecological barrier and a livestock production base.There,installing enclosures has been becoming the major grassland restoration measure adopted by many local governments.However,the effects of restoration on both ecological and production benefits of grassland remain unclear for implemented grassland restoration policies.Therefore,a representative rangeland in northern China,the Maodeng pasture in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region was selected as the study area,and remote sensing monitoring analyses were carried out to quantify the ecological benefits and economic benefits from 2015 to 2021.The results showed that:1) in terms of ecological benefits,the grassland area with a grassland coverage rate of more than 60% accounts for 32.3% of the regional area,and 86.4% of its grassland grew significantly better than the same period in2015,showing a significant improvement in grassland growth.Using the average amount of carbon per unit area as the ecological benefit evaluation index,it increased by 27.1% to 32.48Tg C/yr from 2015 to 2021.2) In terms of economic benefits,both theoretical grass production and livestock carrying capacity increased from 2015 to 2021.Compared to 2015,the theoretical grass production in 2021 increased by 24.8% to 71 900 t.The livestock carrying capacity reached 52 100 sheep units in 2021,nearly 11 000 sheep units more than that in 2015.During the study period,multiple economic indicators(on a per capita basis of permanent residents) for the pastoral area of Xilinhot City to which the Maodeng pasture belongs,have grown steadily.Per capita total income rose from 29 630 yuan(RMB) in2015 to 62 859 yuan(RMB) in 2021.Relying on grassland resources to develop the pastoral ecology also broadens the potential economic development space.Overall,the establishment of the reserve and the experiment of implanting an enclosure policy have had a significant and positive impact on Maodeng pasture’s development from both an ecological and economic perspective.With the support of scientific evidence,enclosure policy can be extended to more than 110 000 km~2 of grasslands in northern China with similar precipitation and temperature conditions,enhancing the productive and ecological potential of grasslands.The above research results will contribute to the scientific formulation of grassland pasture quality improvement plans in northern China.

Grassland Pasture Composition and Quality in the Communes of Ziguinchor and Kolda, Senegal

In Senegal, natural pasture plays a major role in feeding livestock. During the rainy season, herbaceous plants account for a large proportion of the fodder consumed by ruminants. In Casamance, the composition and quality of these grasses are poorly known and underexploited. In this context, the study aimed to improve the knowledge and valorisation of the herbaceous fodder of the South. Individual interviews were conducted and a questionnaire was sent to farmers living in Ziguinchor and Kolda. A floristic inventory with a phytosociological approach was also carried out. The data collected were processed using Excel and Sphinx software in order to differentiate and classify the herbaceous species eaten by the tail. The majority of respondents were Fulani (55.30%). most of whom ranged in age from 30 to 60. Livestock rearing came second (38.3%) after agriculture (40%) among the principal activities of the people surveyed. The floristic inventory identified 95 species in 68 genera and 22 families. Species of low and medium pastoral value dominate the herbaceous layer. The global rangeland quality index was 48.16% and the brute pastoral value was 54.77%. Thirteen species contributed 54.86% of the pastoral value of the grassland. The floristic composition of community rangelands showed the presence of a varied herbaceous fodder range. The combination of which will help to develop a table of nutritional values for the formation of equilibrated feed rations for farmed livestock.

Socioeconomic Factors Influencing the Adoption of Cenchrus ciliaris among the Pastoralist Communities in South Baringo, Kenya

Land degradation poses significant threats to food and environmental security globally. In arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs), livestock production is an important and significant livelihood. Unfortunately, overstocking and overgrazing have diminished pasture availability, and thus adversely impacting on the sector’s contribution to food security for many ASAL communities. The Global Environment Facility’s Small Grants Program in its quest to combat soil erosion, deforestation, and Prosopis juliflora invasion in the Lake Bogoria Landscape, Baringo County, Kenya has supported the establishment of Cenchrus ciliaris (buffel grass) since 2018. Despite its introduction and establishment, the socioeconomic factors influencing its adoption remain undocumented. This study evaluated these factors in three administrative wards, namely: Ilchamus, Mochongoi, and Marigat of Baringo South Sub-County. Data was collected from 103 households using a semi-structured questionnaire, key informant interviews (KIIs), and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs). Our results revealed that Cenchrus ciliaris adoption has partially reduced soil erosion and deforestation, improved livelihoods and environmental conservation. Nearly 50% of the respondents have established 2 to 5 acres of buffel grass pasturelands on their farms. The level of education of the respondents for had a significant association with the participants’ knowledge regarding the advantages of pasture production for environmental conservation (χ2 = 16.93;p χ2 = 77.71;p χ2 = 18.3;p χ2 = 3.8;p Cenchrus ciliaris value chain are recommended as practical strategies of enhancing livestock production and environmental conservation in Kenya’s ASALs.

Spatio-Temporal Variability of Rainfall and Temperature and Their Effects on Pasture Variability over East Africa: Implication on the Cattle Grazing Areas

Understanding the spatiotemporal variability of climatic parameters and their effects on pasture variability is vital for pasture management interventions over East Africa. The present study aims to assess the spatial-temporal variability of rainfall, temperature and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) (which is being used to assess pasture quality and productivity) over the region, between the period of 1982 and 2019. This study used annual mean values for rainfall, temperature and NDVI which were calculated for the period mentioned above. NDVI was derived from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Global Area Cover (GAC) (NOAA-07-GAC) data. The rainfall data was acquired from the Climate Hazards Group Infrared Precipitation with Station (CHIRPS) while temperature is ERA5 reanalysis data sourced from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). The study utilized the empirical orthogonal function (EOF) to identify patterns and dominant relationships between the climate variables. The correlation was calculated between rainfall, temperature and NDVI to assess the relationship among them. A non-parametric Mann-Kendall trends test was used to determine whether annual precipitation, temperature and NDVI had statistically increasing or decreasing trend. Results revealed a positive correlation between rainfall and NDVI while a negative correlation between NDVI and temperature. Positive correlation between rainfall and NDVI indicates that pasture health (quality and productivity), will improve accordingly. A negative correlation between temperature and NDVI indicates that pasture health will decrease with increase in temperature while improving with decreasing temperature. Outcome from this study suggests that changes in climatic variables influence the distribution of pasture in East Africa’s cattle grazing areas. The study hence recommends prioritisation of climatic (weather) information during pasture management over East Africa.

TOWARD GREENER PASTURES

The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China(CPC)will be held in Beijing on October 18.Led by the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at the core,China has made extraordinary achievements both at home and on the world stage since the 18th CPC National Congress was held in November 2012.

纪念世界第一本RANGE AND PASTURE MANAGEMENT(《草原与放牧地管理学》)教材出版100周年

1923年,美国第一本,也是世界第一本草原管理学方面的教材——RANGE AND PASTURE MANAGEMENT(《草原与放牧地管理学》)出版。本文通过对该书的作者、内容(前言、正文和索引)、对美国草原管理学教育和教材的重要影响、对我国草原管理学同类教材建设的意义进行介绍和论述,以纪念该书出版100周年。

Effect of thatch on water-soluble phosphorus of pasture soil fertilized with broiler litter

The presence of a thatch layer in established pastures could reduce the contact between broiler litter and soil, thus increasing the potential for surface runoff contamination with litter P. We conducted a laboratory study to evaluate the effect of a thatch layer on the dynamics of water-soluble P in undisturbed cores taken from a pasture. Cores with and without a thatch layer received a surface application of broiler litter (5 thm-2) and were incubated at 25 oC for 56 d. The result showed that on the soil surface the contents of water soluble-P (39 kghm-2) of the cores with the thatch layer was higher than that (20 kghm-2) of the cores without the thatch layer. Therefore on well-established pastures fertilized with broiler litter, the presence of a thatch layer might lead to high concentrations of water-soluble P on the soil surface.

Grazing impact on forage quality and macronutrient content of rangelands in Qilian Mountains, NW China

An important indicator of the rangeland health, associated with land degradation, is the ability of semi-natural rangelands to provide forage of sufficient quality for livestock production. In Qilian Mountains(Gansu Province, NW China) biomass production and forage quality are dependent on the seasonality of precipitation and temperature; most of the precipitation falls during summer season, when sheep, goats and yaks graze mountain rangelands. To sustain the rangelands and to improve the management strategies, the assessment of the forage quality should be implemented. The purpose of this research was to study the response of biomass, forage quality and macronutrient content different levels of grazing intensity in Qilian rangelands. We sampled aboveground biomass in the growing seasons in 2012 and 2013 within spring/autumn or summer grazing regimes in two altitudinal zones below and above 3000 m a.s.l.(montane-subalpine and subalpine-alpine respectively). In order to estimate forage quality, biomass was sampled in 1 m × 1 m plots, assigned to the center of 10 ×10 m sites, fromwhich we collected different indicator parameters of rangeland health. Mineral and fiber content of forage biomass was estimated under different levels of grazing intensity with regard to the growing period. It was found that an increase in grazing intensity led to a decrease in dry matter weight. No linearity was observed in the relationship between nutritive value and grazing intensity. The highest fiber content(59.20 %) was found in plots mostly disturbed by grazing. The highest protein(16.30 %) and the lowest fiber(51.30 %) contents were associated with slightly grazing intensity. Concentrations of the mineral elements, such as Zn, P, K and S varied significantly and showed maximum values under low grazing intensity.