Ecosystem structure, function, and composition in rangelands are negatively affected by livestock grazing

Reports of positive or neutral effects of grazing on plant species richness have prompted calls for livestock grazing to be used as a tool for managing land for conservation. Grazing effects, however, are likely to vary among different response variables, types, and intensity of grazing, and across abiotic conditions. We aimed to examine how grazing affects ecosystem structure, function, and composition. We compiled a database of 7615 records reporting an effect of grazing by sheep and cattle on 278 biotic and abiotic response variables for published studies across Australia. Using these data, we derived three ecosystem measures based on structure, function, and composition, which were compared against six contrasts of grazing pressure, ranging from low to heavy, two different herbivores (sheep, cattle), and across three different climatic zones. Grazing reduced structure (by 35%), function (24%), and composition (10%). Structure and function (but not composition) declined more when grazed by sheep and cattle together than sheep alone. Grazing reduced plant biomass (40%), animal richness (15%), and plant and animal abundance, and plant and litter cover (25%), but had no effect on plant richness nor soil function. The negative effects of grazing on plant biomass, plant cover, and soil function were more pronounced in drier environments. Grazing effects on plant and animal richness and composition were constant, or even declined, with increasing aridity. Our study represents a comprehensive continental assessment of the implications of grazing for managing Australian rangelands. Grazing effects were largely negative, even at very low levels of grazing. Overall, our results suggest that livestock grazing in Australia is unlikely to produce positive outcomes for ecosystem structure, function, and composition or even as a blanket conservation tool unless reduction in specific response variables is an explicit management objective.

Dissolved organic carbon in sediments of the central Arctic Ocean collected during POLARSTERN cruise ARK-XXVII/3 from August-September 2012

Marine organic matter (OM) sinks from surface waters to the seafloor via the biological pump. Benthic communities, which use this sedimented OM as energy and carbon source, produce dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the process of remineralization, enriching the sediment porewater with fresh DOM compounds. We hypothesized that in the oligotrophic deep Arctic basin the molecular signal of freshly deposited primary produced OM is restricted to the surface sediment pore waters which should differ from bottom water and deeper sediment pore water in DOM composition. This study focused on: 1) the molecular composition of the DOM in sediment pore waters of the deep Eurasian Arctic basins, 2) whether the signal of marine vs. terrigenous DOM is represented by different compounds preserved in the sediment pore waters and 3) whether there is any relation between Arctic Ocean ice cover and DOM composition. Molecular data, obtained via 15 Tesla Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer, were correlated with environmental parameters by partial least square analysis. The fresher marine detrital OM signal from surface waters was limited to pore waters from < 5 cm sediment depth. The productive ice margin stations showed higher abundances of peptides, unsaturated aliphatics and saturated fatty acids formulae, indicative of fresh OM/pigments deposition, compared to northernmost stations which had stronger aromatic signals. This study contributes to the understanding of the coupling between the Arctic Ocean productivity and its depositional regime, and how it will be altered in response to sea ice retreat and increasing river runoff.

Œuvres théologiques /

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Die reihenfolge der lieder Gottfrieds von Neifen.

Lebenslauf.

El antiguo academico, contra el moderno sceptico, ó dudoso, rigido, ó moderado : defensa de las ciencias, y especialmente de la physica pytagorica, y medica en el conocimiento, y practica de los medicos sabios : tomo primero ... /

Mode of access: Internet.

R.P. Thomae Le Blanc ... Psalmorum Davidicorum analysis ...

Mode of access: Internet.

Sabaudiae respublica et historia.

Caption Ltle: Lamberti vander-Burchii Sabandorum origines, ducum principumque historiae gentilitiae.

Establecimiento de Aguas Minerales de Graena, provincia de Granada : Memoria anual redactada segun las observaciones hechas durante las temporadas oficiales de 1871 /

Incluye cuadro estadístico clínico y metereológico.

Waiting, it's worth it.

"Order No. 1234"--Colophon.

Vita et res gestæ sultani, Almalichi Alnasiri, Saladini, abi modaffiri Josephi f. Jobi, f. Sjadsi.

The "Excerpta ex Abulfeda" and the "Excerpta ex Ispahanensi" are each paged separately.

Georgiou tou Pachymere Michael Palaiologos = Georgii Pachymeris Michael Palaeologus sive Historia rerum a Michaele Palaeologo ante imperium, & in imperio gestarum /

Incluye con portadilla propia: Petri Possini e Societate Jesu Observationum Pachymerianarum ad historiam rerum Michaelis Palaeologi libri tres ; Appendix ad observationes Pachymerianas specimen sapientiae Indorum veterum liber olim ex lingua Indica in Persicam a Perzoe Medico, ex Persica in Arabicam ab Anonymo, ex Arabica in Graecam a Symeone Seth, a Petro Possino Societ. Jesu novissime e Graeca in Latinam translatus.

Der Minnesänger Gottfried von Neifen.

Mode of access: Internet.

Interim technical progress report : technical evaluation services, clean liquid and/or solid fuels from coal : interim report for period October 1972-August 1974 /

"Contract no. 14-32-0001-1234."

Wen shi zhen jing yan wai jing zhi : 3 juan /

Block print.

Close rolls of the reign of Henry III preserved in the [Great Britain] Public Record Office.

v.1. 1227-1231. -- v.2. 1231-1234. -- v.3. 1234-1237. -- v.4. 1237-1242. -- v.5. 1242-1247. -- v.6. 1247-1251. -- v.7. 1251-1253. -- v.8. 1253-1254. -- v.9. 1254-1256. -- v.10. 1256-1259. -- v.11. 1259-1261. -- v.12. 1261-1264. -- v.13. 1264-1268. -- v.14. 1268-1272.