Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment最新文献

{"title":"Vegetation restoration changed the soil aggregate stability and aggregate carbon stabilization pathway according to δ13C signatures","authors":"Zhuoxia Su ,&nbsp;Shu Zhu ,&nbsp;Zhenhao Wei ,&nbsp;Yanxing He ,&nbsp;Bingqian Su ,&nbsp;Kang Zhang ,&nbsp;Xing Ma ,&nbsp;Zhouping Shangguan","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2024.109317","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2024.109317","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Vegetation restoration can increase soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration through the physical protection of soil aggregates. However, the soil aggregate stability and C flow pathway associated with long-term plantation restoration have not yet been fully characterized. Here, we conducted a study on <em>Robinia pseudoacacia</em> plantations at different recovery stages, studied the distribution and stability of aggregates, analysed the aggregate-associated organic carbon (OC) content and δ¹³C value, and quantified the aggregate C flow pathway. The results revealed that vegetation restoration increased the proportion of large macroaggregates (LMAs) and decreased the proportion of small macroaggregates (SMAs), with no changes observed in the proportion of microaggregates (MIAs) or silt + clay (SC) at 0–20 cm. The indices of aggregate stability, namely, the mean weight diameter (MWD), geometric mean diameter (GMD) and structural stability index (SSI), increased under vegetation restoration at 0–20 cm, with maximum values of 3.83 mm, 2.88 mm, and 2.00 %, respectively, at 35 years of age (35Y). The OC content of the LMAs increased from 10.96 to 21.64 g kg⁻¹ and from 7.27 to 10.05 g kg⁻¹ in the 0–20 cm and 20–40 cm layers, respectively. LMAs and SMAs had the greatest contributions to SOC accumulation in the 0–20 cm and 20–40 cm layers, respectively. The δ¹³C value increased with decreasing aggregate size. The C flow pathway was from macroaggregates to MIAs or SC. Compared with abandoned farmland, vegetation restoration decreased the aggregate C flow intensity in the 0–20 cm layer. The soil aggregate stability and aggregate-associated OC content decreased with increasing soil depth, but the soil δ¹³C value exhibited the opposite trend. Vegetation restoration regulated soil aggregate stability by influencing the fine root biomass (FRB) and SOC content. In summary, our analysis offers a valuable reference for the controlling effect of aggregation on C stability influenced by vegetation restoration.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"378 ","pages":"Article 109317"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142418032","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Water-saving irrigation practices in rice paddies reverse the impact of root aerenchyma on methane emissions","authors":"Siyu Li ,&nbsp;Yajun Zhang ,&nbsp;Jiamei Zhao ,&nbsp;Kees Jan van Groenigen ,&nbsp;Xinya Shen ,&nbsp;Hao Zhang ,&nbsp;Junfei Gu ,&nbsp;Weiyang Zhang ,&nbsp;Dafeng Hui ,&nbsp;Yun Chen ,&nbsp;Lijun Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2024.109309","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2024.109309","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rice root aerenchyma (RA) and irrigation practices influence key physiological processes in rice paddies, affecting both yield and methane (CH₄) emissions. However, the interaction between RA and irrigation practices, and its implications for CH₄ mitigation, remains unclear, making it difficult to identify rice cultivars for CH₄ mitigation purposes. Here, we conducted a series of field and pot experiments to evaluate how RA affects grain yield and CH₄ emissions under two common irrigation regimes: continuous flooding (CF) and alternate wetting and drying (AWD). Our results show that the interaction between RA and irrigation regime significantly influenced both rice yield and CH₄ emissions. Under CF, increased RA formation was associated with higher rice yield and lower CH₄ emissions across a wide range of cultivars. These results could be explained by cultivars with well-developed RA increasing root oxygen loss, thereby stimulating CH₄ oxidation and promoting N availability to support plant growth. In AWD systems, no significant differences in rice yield, methanogenesis or methanotrophy were observed between cultivars with varying RA development. However, cultivars with well-developed RA increased CH₄ emissions by 28 %−32 % compared to those with less-developed RA, likely due to enhanced CH₄ transport from anaerobic deep soil layers to the atmosphere. Consistent with these findings, CH₄ emissions under AWD decreased when we inhibited RA development through root irrigation with brassinosteroids. In conclusion, we demonstrate that AWD in paddies can reverse the impact of RA on CH₄ emissions, highlighting the need for CH₄ mitigation strategies involving cultivar selection to account for variations in irrigation practices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"378 ","pages":"Article 109309"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142417611","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evidence at the landscape level links high predator/pest ratios to biocontrol services against aphids","authors":"Bing Liu ,&nbsp;Yanhui Lu","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2024.109319","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2024.109319","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Compared with external environment interferences, the interaction between arthropod natural enemies and pests is the key inherent driver determining the strength of biocontrol services. However, the extent to which this effect can suppress pests is still inconclusive. We combined two complementary experiments to determine how variation in an assemblage of generalist arthropod predators modified the level of biocontrol services for suppression of a key aphid pest in cotton fields. Using generalized linear mixed effect models (GLMM) and path analysis, we clarified the causal relationship between predator/aphid ratios (PAR) and (1) the resulting biocontrol services index (BSI) and (2) the aphid population growth index (APGI) as seen in field predator exclusion trials. We also measured the effect of PAR on APGI in more commercial cotton fields. Our results, at landscape level, indicate that when PAR values increased one unit, BSI values improved 34.1 %, and reduced aphid population growth 28.3 % (the standardized effect coefficient in path analysis) during two weeks in field cage-exclusion trials. The effect of high predator/aphid ratios on reducing the aphid population growth rates was also significant in more commercial cotton fields, which were sampled over a longer time interval (4 weeks). Our study confirmed that there was a causal relationship between the natural enemy/pest ratio and the level of biological pest control services for predators and aphid population growth in crop fields. PAR values (predator/aphid ratios) can, therefore, be used to predict the level of biocontrol services in this context instead of relying on more labor-intensive cage exclusion studies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"378 ","pages":"Article 109319"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142417609","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cropland-scale interaction between maize evapotranspiration and groundwater in a well-irrigation district in Mu Us Sandy Land, Northwest China","authors":"Lizhu Hou ,&nbsp;Xu-Sheng Wang ,&nbsp;Yangxiao Zhou ,&nbsp;Guibing Zhu ,&nbsp;Yuesheng Gao ,&nbsp;Jiangyi Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2024.109282","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2024.109282","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The knowledge of the water fluxes and groundwater contributions to plant water use under fluctuating groundwater levels is crucial for the sustainable utilization of groundwater resources and the preservation of healthy ecosystems in semi-arid regions, such as the desert oasis croplands in the Mu Us Sandy Land (MUSL), Northwest China. A 3-year field trial was conducted in an oasis cropland within MUSL, involving five treatments with surface irrigation depths ranging from 5 mm to 60 mm per application and 5 to 11 irrigation applications per year. The major physical characteristics of the soils at the site were ascertained through laboratory measurements. Hydrogen and oxygen isotopes (deuterium and oxygen 18) in different water sources for the treatment with an irrigation depth of 45 mm per application (I₄₅) in the maize field were analyzed from in situ samples, and root water uptake (<em>RWU</em>) was further identified using the IsoSource model. A numerical model based on HYDRUS-1D for soil water fluxes was calibrated and validated using observation data to estimate the actual evapotranspiration (<em>ET</em>_a) and water productivity (<em>WP</em>) under various irrigation treatments. The isotope analysis indicated that maize water uptake in the I₄₅ treatment incorporated both groundwater and soil water during the growing stage. The large negative d-excess values in groundwater suggested a secondary evaporation effect of recharge water due to irrigation return flow. According to simulations with Hydrus-1D, groundwater use contributed 9 % to 37 % of the maize <em>ET</em>_a for the I₄₅ treatment between 2014 and 2016 when the depth to the water table varied between 0.81 m and 1.13 m. With an optimal irrigation depth of 37 mm per application, the maximum yield and <em>WP</em> can be achieved in oasis cropland. Even in dry years, with a 16 % probability of rainfall occurrence, maize production was not affected due to the capillary rise of groundwater and the pumping of groundwater for irrigation. These results offer potential scientific insights for agricultural water management of spring maize under irrigation in desert oasis farmlands of the MUSL and other regions with similar soil texture, climatic conditions, and cropping practices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"378 ","pages":"Article 109282"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142417903","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Divergent responses of soil aggregation and aggregate-carbon to fertilization regimes jointly explain soil organic carbon accrual in agroecosystems: A meta-analysis","authors":"Liwen Lin,&nbsp;Hao Chen,&nbsp;Yutao Peng,&nbsp;Junhui Yin,&nbsp;Junjie Guo,&nbsp;Chuntao He,&nbsp;Xiaochen Huang,&nbsp;Guorong Xin","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2024.109314","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2024.109314","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil aggregation can be substantially affected by fertilizers and contributes to soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration in agroecosystems. However, the mass and C distributions in different aggregates in responses to fertilization regimes are not often synchronous, which may largely affect soil C storage and stability. We conducted a meta-analysis of 2440 paired observations from 63 publications to assess the fertilization effects (i.e. inorganic, organic, and their combinations) on soil aggregation and aggregate-associated OC, as well as their linkages to the stimulated bulk soil C. Overall, fertilizer application significantly increased the mean weight diameter of soil aggregates by 27.8 %. The proportion of large (&gt; 2 mm) and small (0.25–2 mm) macroaggregates were significantly increased by 19.8 % and 17.2 %, and that of microaggregate (0.053–0.25 mm) and silt-clay fraction (&lt; 0.053 mm) were significantly decreased by 6.0 % and 18.4 %, respectively. In contrast, fertilization significantly increased C concentration in all aggregates. Organic fertilizer applications had remarkably greater effects than inorganic fertilizer applications on soil C concentration but the effects declined with decreasing aggregate size (from 36.5 % to 13.2 %), while that of inorganic application changed very little among aggregates (from 14.1 % to 10.0 %). The fertilizer effects on soil aggregation and aggregate-associated OC divergently responded to the gradients of major agronomic conditions (i.e. climate, soil properties, and duration). Organic fertilizer applications tended to have distinctly greater promotion effect than solely inorganic fertilizer applications with temperate climate, neutral-to-alkaline pH and more sand-like texture of soil. The importance of mineral- rather than larger size aggregate-associated OC in contributing to the bulk SOC pool tended to increase in the long term. The inorganic-organic combinations exhibited the most lasting effect on SOC accrual. In conclusion, the responses of bulk soil C to fertilizer applications were not always in accordance with those of soil aggregation, but can be well explained when jointly considering soil aggregate C. Our findings highlight the varying contributions of aggregates to the soil C pool in diverse and complicated agronomic situations, which are important to the agricultural C sink stability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"378 ","pages":"Article 109314"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142359115","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Grazing legacy mediates the diverse responses of grassland multidimensional stability to resource enrichment","authors":"Fengwei Xu ,&nbsp;Jianjun Li ,&nbsp;Liji Wu ,&nbsp;Biao Zhu ,&nbsp;Dima Chen ,&nbsp;Yongfei Bai","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2024.109313","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2024.109313","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Long-term grazing and resource enrichment are known to affect grassland ecosystem stability independently. However, the interactive effects of grazing legacy and resource enrichment on ecosystem multidimensional stability (e.g., temporal stability (TS): the degree of constancy of ecosystem components over time and temporal resistance (TR): the ability of ecosystem components to withstand the environmental change) in grassland ecosystems remain underexplored. In this study, we conducted a field manipulation experiment to assess the impact of 4-yr of resource addition (water and nitrogen) on multidimensional stability of multiple ecosystem components and underlying drivers in Inner Mongolia steppe with 7-yr different experimental grazing history. We found that the positive effects of water + nitrogen addition on multifunctional TS increased with increasing grazing intensity and an opposing trend was observed for multifunctional TR response. However, neither grazing legacy nor resource addition had an effect on community compositional stability. Resource addition enhanced the stability of species evenness, CWM (community weighted mean) species biomass and CWM-traits. Furthermore, water + nitrogen additions stimulated soil temperature TS but reduced its TR in heavy grazing intensity, with high grazing intensity bolstering soil moisture stability. Multifunctional stability was primarily governed by species asynchrony, while stability of species evenness fostered compositional stability. In particular, TS of functional diversity enhanced multifunctional TS in light grazing intensity, while TS of CWM-traits promoted multifunctional TS in heavy grazing intensity. Our study underscores the decoupling responses of functional stability and compositional stability to grazing legacy combined with resource enrichment. These findings highlight that the significance of concurrently considering multiple stability dimensions and components for a comprehensive understanding of grassland ecosystem stability under intensifying land use and global change scenarios.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"378 ","pages":"Article 109313"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142326598","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Management and rhizosphere microbial associations modulate genetic-driven nitrogen fate","authors":"Mitra Ghotbi ,&nbsp;Marjan Ghotbi ,&nbsp;Yakov Kuzyakov ,&nbsp;William R. Horwath","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2024.109308","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2024.109308","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The interplay between plant genotype and nutrient management affects rhizodeposition, which in turn modulates the rhizosphere-microbiome and microbe-mediated functions. Substituting mineral nitrogen (N) with an N-fixing inoculant reduces reliance on N fertilizer while supplying N to crops. We evaluated the effectiveness of integrating maize near-isogenic lines (NIL 1 and NIL 2) with the biological nitrification inhibition (BNI) trait into management practices aimed at optimizing N provisioning. Management strategies included mineral N inputs (0 and 67 kg ha⁻¹) with and without an N-fixing inoculant. Our approach synthesized insights from amplicon sequencing data and evaluated nitrification rates, rhizosphere N content, maize N uptake, and N use efficiency (NUE). Genotypes and management structured prokaryotic communities, while the developmental stages of genotypes further refined both fungal and prokaryotic communities. The N-fixing inoculant increased N availability, triggering the BNI capacity without increasing the nitrification rate. This was reflected in lower NO₃⁻ and higher NH₄⁺ levels in BNI-NIL leachate compared to B73, suggesting improved N retention. NIL2, characterized by distinct fungal biomarkers, exhibited higher N content (72.3 kg ha⁻¹) and superior NUE compared to NIL1 (65.0 kg ha⁻¹). NIL2’s enhanced N uptake was associated with a robust microbial network, featuring <em>Archangium</em> (prokaryote) and <em>Trichoderma</em> (eukaryote) as keystone taxa. Notably, <em>Archangium</em> was linked to rhizosphere N dynamics Synergizing BNI with diazotroph inoculants reduces N fertilizer reliance and increases maize N supply for sustainable agroecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"378 ","pages":"Article 109308"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142322560","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Warming, elevated CO2 and drought in combination amplify shifts in canopy greenness dynamics in managed grassland","authors":"Lumnesh Swaroop Kumar Joseph ,&nbsp;Edoardo Cremonese ,&nbsp;Mirco Migliavacca ,&nbsp;Andreas Schaumberger ,&nbsp;Michael Bahn","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2024.109304","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2024.109304","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Grasslands are strongly exposed to multiple global changes, including elevated CO₂, warming, and severe drought events. While the individual effects of these global change drivers on the greenness dynamics of grasslands have been comparatively well studied, their combined effects are so far poorly understood. In an <em>in situ</em> multifactor experiment we tested the individual and combined effects of warming (+3° C), elevated CO₂ atmospheric concentration (+300 ppm) and summer drought on the spring phenology and regrowth dynamics following defoliation during summer and late summer of a managed grassland typical for many parts of the Alps. We derived the dynamics of canopy greenness from the time series of green chromatic coordinates using digital repeat photography imagery (phenocams) spanning a period of three years. Among the individual drivers tested, we found that warming strongly advanced spring phenology and accelerated growth, elevated CO₂ accelerated growth, and summer drought had no immediate effects on shifts in canopy greenness but accelerated growth in the subsequent spring. The combination of the three global change drivers caused the most pronounced spring phenological and regrowth dynamics among all treatments, triggering an earlier reduction in canopy greenness during summer and advancing the onset of growth in the successive spring due to a drought legacy effect, which decreased the cumulative growing degree days required for initiating growth. Our findings suggest that in a future climate the combined effects of the three global change drivers will exacerbate shifts in canopy greenness dynamics in managed grassland, which cannot be predicted from the responses from the individual effects of these drivers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"378 ","pages":"Article 109304"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142322562","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Optimizing phosphate application to improve soil quality and reduce phosphorus loss in rice-wheat rotation","authors":"Guanglei Chen ,&nbsp;Liang Xiao ,&nbsp;Ke Yue ,&nbsp;Yu Wang ,&nbsp;Shenqiang Wang ,&nbsp;Yiyong Zhu ,&nbsp;Lei Kai","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2024.109310","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2024.109310","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>How to determine the optimal dosage of phosphorus (P) fertilizer input for an agricultural field is important to maintain soil quality and crop production while minimizing environmental impact. In this study, we set up a 5-year rice-wheat rotation with contrasting P fertilization treatments (0, 25, 50, 75, 100, and 150 kg P₂O₅ ha⁻¹, hereafter, P₀, P₂₅, P₅₀, P₇₅, P₁₀₀, and P₁₅₀, respectively) per season to explore the relationship between the amount of P input and crop yield, P use efficiency (PUE), balance of P accumulation and loss, ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF), and soil quality. Our results indicate that increased P amounts significantly boosted rice and wheat production of both straw and grain, but the tendency slowed down when the input was over 75 kg P₂O₅ ha⁻¹. The PUE declined with increased P input and soil P balance of 50 kg P₂O₅ ha⁻¹ for wheat and 100 kg P₂O₅ ha⁻¹ for rice. Runoff emerges as the main pathway for soil P loss and escalates with higher P application rates. We emphasize increasing ridge height and controlling water input for basal fertilizer to minimize P loss. The application of P fertilizer increased the soil P pool, with labile P (L-P) and moderately labile P (M-P) increasing by 13–114 % and 23–111 %, respectively, compared to P₀. The transformation of M-P to L-P in paddy soil is associated with an increased abundance of Actinobacteria. Low P applications (P₂₅ and P₅₀) increased EMF by 3.27 and 3.58 times, while high P applications (P₇₅, P₁₀₀, and P₁₅₀) decreased EMF. Furthermore, P application significantly improved the soil quality index (SQI) compared to P₀. The impact of abiotic factors on yield and P loss is more significant than that of biotic elements, with the SQI serving as a dependable indicator for predicting yield. Central to minimizing P loss while maximizing yield is the reduction of Resin-P content and the maintenance of NaOH-P_i levels, suggesting that organic materials may be a good alternative strategy. These findings provide valuable data and theoretical support for optimizing P application in rice-wheat cropping systems, promoting a mutually beneficial scenario for agricultural production and ecological protection.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"378 ","pages":"Article 109310"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142322563","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Grazing intensity by sheep affects spatial diversity in botanical composition of Inner Mongolian grassland","authors":"Xu Han ,&nbsp;Raúl Ochoa-Hueso ,&nbsp;Yong Ding ,&nbsp;Xiliang Li ,&nbsp;Ke Jin ,&nbsp;Wim H. van der Putten ,&nbsp;Paul C. Struik","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2024.109311","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2024.109311","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Overgrazing by sheep causes degradation of grasslands in the Inner Mongolian steppe, yet our understanding of its impact on grassland plant communities is limited by lack of observations at high spatial resolution. Employing a nested experimental design in a long-term grazing experiment provides insights into effects of increasing sheep grazing intensity on community composition, diversity, and spatial patterns in the grassland vegetation. Effects of observed changes in the plant community are discussed based on monthly weight gain of sheep during grazing. The design of the long-term experiment included four triplicated grazing intensities applied during an 8-year period. At the end of that period, we evaluated vegetation coverage, categorized plant species by functional groups, and analyzed the data using a mixed linear model. Moreover, spatial autocorrelation methods were employed to investigate spatial patterns, visualized via a kriging model. We found that the plant community composition differed among grazing treatments, with high grazing intensity showing higher plant species richness and stronger clustering of plants at our fine scale of observation. These fine-grained spatial scale observations are usually not recorded in larger spatial scale analyses of grassland responses to overgrazing. While the grazing intensities used in our study did not influence individual sheep weight gain, total sheep weight gain per hectare increased with an increase in grazing intensity. Our study shows that in a sheep grazing intensity experiment in Inner Mongolia grasslands total sheep weight gain may increase at the expense of fine-scale species composition and spatial dynamics of the grassland vegetation. These insights may be used for determining trade-offs of sheep meat production with original composition and structure of grassland plant communities. Effects on other ecosystem properties and functions, such as on belowground biodiversity, remain to be assessed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"378 ","pages":"Article 109311"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142322561","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}