Vegetation Responses to A Long-term Grazing Intensity Experiment in Alpine Shrub Grassland on Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

在青藏高原中国科学院海北高寒草甸生态系统定位研究站对金露梅高寒灌丛草场植被开展了长期不同放 牧强度试验,分别在短期(4 年) 、中期(11 年) 和长期(18 年) 放牧阶段研究不同放牧干扰强度对草地植物物种多样 性、群落结构、地上生物量和草场质量的影响。研究表明,在不同放牧阶段,随着放牧强度增加植物群落的高度和 盖度都降低。在中期放牧干扰阶段,物种多样性指数和均匀度指数随着放牧强度增加呈现典型的单峰曲线模式; 在长期放牧干扰阶段,随着放牧强度增加,占优势地位的灌木和禾草被典型杂类草替代,其中的重度放牧干扰简化 了高寒灌丛植被群落结构,减少了地上现存生物量,特别是可食优良牧草生物量。植被对放牧的响应除了与放牧 强度和放牧时间阶段密切相关外,还与该地区水热条件的变化有一定的相关性。针对长期放牧干扰的反应特性可 将金露梅灌丛草场中植物划分为增加型、敏感型、忍耐型和无反应型4 种类型。除了丰富度指数、多样性指数和均 匀度指数外,其它一些特征参数并不支持著名的中度干扰假说。本研究发现,长期重度放牧促进了青藏高原高寒 草地退化,适度放牧有利于高寒灌丛草场的生物多样性保护和牧草利用;“取半留半”的放牧原则在青藏高原草场 放牧管理实践中值得推荐,它将有利于防止草场退化,提高牧草利用率和维持较高的生物多样性。

Response of Polygonum viviparum species and community level to long-term livestock grazing in alpine shrub meadow in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Grazing by domestic herbivores is generally recognized as a major ecological factor and an important evolutionary force in grasslands. Grazing has both extensive and profound effects on individual plants and communities. We investigated the response patterns of Polygonum viviparum species and the species diversity of an alpine shrub meadow in response to long-term livestock grazing by a field manipulative experiment controlling livestock numbers on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China. Here, we hypothesize that within a range of grazing pressure, grazing can alter relative allocation to different plant parts without changing total biomass for some plant species if there is life history trade-offs between plant traits. The same type of communities exposed to different grazing pressures may only alter relative species' abundances or species composition and not vary species diversity because plant species differ in resistant capability to herbivory. The results show that plant height and biomass of different organs differed among grazing treatments but total biomass remained constant. Biomass allocation and absolute investments to both reproduction and growth decreased and to belowground storage increased with increased grazing pressure, indicating the increasing in storage function was attained at a cost of reducing reproduction of bulbils and represented an optimal allocation and an adaptive response of the species to long-term aboveground damage. Moreover, our results showed multiform response types for either species groups or single species along the gradient of grazing intensity. Heavy grazing caused a 13.2% increase in species richness. There was difference in species composition of about 18%-20% among grazing treatment. Shannon-Wiener (H') diversity index and species evenness (E) index did not differ among grazing treatments. These results support our hypothesis.

Determination of long-chain fatty acids in bryophyte plants extracts by HPLC with fluorescence detection and identification with MS

A sensitive method for the determination of long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs) (>C20) using 1-[2-(p-toluenesulfonate)-ethyl]-2-phenylimidazole-[4.5-f]-9,10-phenanthrene (TSPP) as tagging reagent with fluorescence detection and identification with post-column APCI/MS has been developed. The LCFAs in bryophyte plant samples were obtained based on distillation extraction with 1: 1 (v/v) chloroform/methanol as extracting solvent. TSPP could easily and quickly label LCFAs at 90 degrees C in the presence of K2CO3 catalyst in DMF. Eleven free LCFAs from the extracts of bryophyte plants were sensitively determined. Maximal labeling yields close to 100% were observed with a five-fold excess of molar reagent. Separation of the derivatized fatty acids exhibited a good baseline resolution in combination with a gradient elution on a reversed-phase Eclipse XDB-C-8 column. Calculated detection limits from 1.0 pmol injection, at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3, were 26.19-76.67 fmol. Excellent linear responses were observed with coefficients of >0.9996. Good compositional data were obtained from the analysis of the extracted LCFAs containing as little as 0.2 g of bryophyte plant samples. Therefore, the facile TSPP derivatization coupled with HPLC/APCI/MS analysis allowed the development of a highly sensitive method for the quantitation of trace levels of LCFAs from biological and natural environmental samples. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Long-term grazing alters species composition and biomass of a shrub meadow on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Livestock grazing has long been the most widespread land use on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, one of the world's highest ecosystems. However, there has been increasing concern during recent decades because of the rapid increase in livestock numbers. To assess the possible influences of grazing on the vast grassland, a long-term grazing experiment in a shrub meadow on the northern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau was carried out. The experiment included five treatments with different stocking rates and one non-grazing (N) treatment. After 17 years of grazing, treatment differences were clear. The species composition differed markedly between grazing intensities, with a decrease in palatable grass species and an increase in unpalatable forbs at higher grazing intensities. The species richness and species diversity, however, were not significantly different between treatments. Vegetation height decreased significantly at higher grazing intensities. Total above,ground biomass declined considerably and the biomass of forbs increased significantly under the higher grazing intensities. The amount of litter was significantly lower under the higher grazing intensities. The results suggest that long-term grazing alters the species composition, vegetation height and biomass production of the alpine grassland ecosystem without significantly changing species richness.

Effect of long-term grazing on soil organic carbon content in semiarid steppes in Inner Mongolia

To clarify the response of soil organic carbon (SOC) content to season-long grazing in the semiarid typical steppes of Inner Mongolia, we examined the aboveground biomass and SOC in both grazing (G-site) and no grazing (NG-site) sites in two typical steppes dominated by Leymus chinensis and Stipa grandis, as well as one seriously degraded L. chinensis grassland dominated by Artemisia frigida. The NG-sites had been fenced for 20 years in L. chinensis and S. grandis grasslands and for 10 years in A. frigida grassland. Above-ground biomass at G-sites was 21-35% of that at NG-sites in L. chinensis and S. grandis grasslands. The SOC, however, showed no significant difference between G-site and NG-site in both grasslands. In the NG-sites, aboveground biomass was significantly lower in A. frigida grassland than in the other two grasslands. The SOC in A. frigida grassland was about 70% of that in L. chinensis grassland. In A. frigida grassland, aboveground biomass in the G-site was 68-82% of that in the NG-site, whereas SOC was significantly lower in the G-site than in the NG-site. Grazing elevated the surface soil pH in L. chinensis and A. frigida communities. A spatial heterogeneity in SOC and pH in the topsoil was not detected the G-site within the minimal sampling distance of 10 m. The results suggested that compensatory growth may account for the relative stability of SOC in G-sites in typical steppes. The SOC was sensitive to heavy grazing and difficult to recover after a significant decline caused by overgrazing in semiarid steppes.

Photosynthesis of Saussurea superba and Gentiana straminea is not reduced after long-term enhancement of UV-B radiation

Experiments were conducted in an alpine Kobresia humilis meadow near Haibei Alpine Meadow Ecosystem Research Station (37degrees29'-37degrees45'N, 101degrees12'-101degrees33'E; altitude 3200 m). Effects of enhanced ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation on photosynthesis of the alpine plants of Saussurea superba and Gentiana straminea were investigated. Both species were exposed to a UV-B-BE density at 15.80 kJ m(-2) per day, simulating nearly 14% ozone (O-3) reduction during the plant growing season. Neither photosynthetic CO2 uptake rate nor photosynthetic O-2 evolution rate were decreased after a long period of enhanced UV-B radiation treatment. On the contrary, there was a tendency to increase of both parameters in both species. The photosynthetic pigments were also increased, when expressed on a leaf area basis. UV-B absorbing compounds, detected by the absorbance values at 300 mm, had a tendency to increase in both species after enhanced UV-B radiation. After long-term exposure of plants to enhanced UV-B radiation, leaf morphology was also affected. Leaf thickness in both S. superba and G. straminea were increased significantly (P < 0.001). This supports our hypothesis that the increase of leaf thickness in both species after long-term exposure of enhanced UV-B radiation could compensate for the photodestruction of photosynthetic pigments when light passes through the leaf. Therefore, photosynthesis is not reduced in either species when expressed on leaf area basis. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hydroisomerization of long-chain alkane over Pt/SAPO-11 catalysts synthesized from nonaqueous media

SAPO-11 molecular sieves were synthesized from nonaqueous media. The effects of Si and Al sources as well as solvents on the catalytic performance of SAPO-11 were investigated by the hydroisomerization reaction of n-dodecane. The samples were characterized by XRD, XRF, N-2-adsorption, SEM, NH3-TPD, IR-NH3 and Si-29 CP MAS NMR. The SAPO-11 samples synthesized with tetraethoxysilane as the Si source showed higher Si incorporation contents than the SAPO molecular sieves prepared with polymeric Si sources (fumed silica and Si colloidal gel). The reaction results showed that Pt/SAPO-11 catalysts synthesized from ethylene glycol and glycerol media with the monomeric Si and Al sources (tetraethoxysilane, aluminum isopropoxide) exhibited higher catalytic activities than those catalysts with the polymeric Si or Al (pseudo-boehmite) sources, due to the larger external surface area and higher acidity of the former ones. Especially, the catalyst synthesized in an ethylene glycol medium possessed the highest catalytic activity. Over this catalyst, 88% conversion of n-dodecane was achieved at a low temperature of 250 degrees C.