Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment最新文献

{"title":"Corrigendum to “Sinus management: Meandering mowing as a novel method to improve pollinator biodiversity and habitat heterogeneity in mesic grasslands” [Agric. Ecosyst. Environ. 382 (2025) 109478]","authors":"Laurian Parmentier , Andy Van Kerckvoorde , Jurgen Couckuyt , Hans van Calster , Guy Smagghe , Geert Haesaert","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109588","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109588","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"386 ","pages":"Article 109588"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143682128","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}

{"title":"Contrasting grazing practices alter plant community trajectories across western Canada’s grasslands with implications for ecosystem function","authors":"Timm F. Döbert ,&nbsp;Lysandra A. Pyle ,&nbsp;Carter Case ,&nbsp;Edward W. Bork ,&nbsp;Cameron N. Carlyle ,&nbsp;Scott X. Chang ,&nbsp;Laio Silva Sobrinho ,&nbsp;Majid Iravani ,&nbsp;Mark S. Boyce","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109591","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109591","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Livestock grazing influences grassland biodiversity and ecosystem function. We report on the effects of adaptive multi-paddock (AMP) grazing (characterized by extended recovery periods between pulsed high animal density grazing events) on plant community composition and diversity across western Canada, compared to neighboring properties managed with conventional grazing (n-AMP). We also evaluated the influence of grazing practices, specifically stocking rate, cattle density, and variations in rest-to-grazing ratio at the start of the grazing season on plant community composition and diversity. We further explored the relationship between soil organic carbon (SOC) and plant diversity. Overall, AMP grazing, and specifically the use of high rest-to-grazing ratios early in the growing season, increased the proportion of non-native species. Native grasslands without prior cultivation had greater plant species richness, with fewer non-native species and containing phylogenetically more divergent plant communities, independent of grazing practices. The n-AMP pastures had higher functional trait dispersion, a pattern especially pronounced for tame (previously cultivated and seeded) pastures, and those with lower cattle stock densities (animals per unit area). Greater SOC was associated with communities higher in non-native plants, of lower species richness, and greater phylogenetic divergence, while no trend was identified for functional dispersion. Overall, AMP grazing did not increase plant species richness, functional diversity, or phylogenetic diversity. Instead, pulsed rotational grazing, specifically using high stock densities and extended rest periods, facilitated non-native species prevalence and reduced functional diversity. However, non-native species and lower overall species richness may benefit SOC accumulation, illustrating the challenges associated with building biodiverse plant communities with a high capacity for climate change mitigation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"386 ","pages":"Article 109591"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143601157","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}

{"title":"Conversion of degraded forests to oil palm plantations in the Peruvian Amazonia: Shifts in soil and ecosystem-level greenhouse gas fluxes","authors":"Kristell Hergoualc’h ,&nbsp;Mariela López Gonzales ,&nbsp;Natalia Málaga ,&nbsp;Christopher Martius","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109603","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109603","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Oil palm (OP) expansion and associated forest clearance can significantly impact greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes. We investigated carbon stocks and soil GHG (N₂O, CO₂, CH₄) fluxes in a degraded forest and an adjacent 17-year-old OP plantation in Peruvian Amazonia. The plantation comprised three nitrogen (N) fertilizer treatments: 0 (OPN0), 84 (OPN1), 168 (OPN2) kg N ha⁻¹ y⁻¹. Carbon stocks were inventoried across all pools. GHG and environmental parameters were monitored monthly for 11 months and (bi)daily when fertilizing the OP, with measurements taken both near and far from trees/palms. Ecosystem-scale CO₂equivalent losses from the conversion were computed by balancing carbon stock losses against N₂O emission changes. N₂O emissions (kg N ha⁻¹ y⁻¹) in the forest (6.7 ± 1.2) where litterfall N inputs were large (213 kg N ha⁻¹ y⁻¹) were 11, 5, and 3 times the emissions in OPN0 (0.6 ± 0.2), OPN1 (1.4 ± 0.2), and OPN2 (2.3 ± 0.3). In the plantation, 1 % of the N fertilizer applied was released as N₂O. Across ecosystems, N inputs primarily controlled N₂O emissions. Soil respiration (Mg C ha⁻¹ y⁻¹) was 1.4 times higher in the forest (9.1 ± 0.6) than in the plantation (7.3 ± 1, 5.5 ± 0.5, 6.5 ± 0.3 in OPN0, OPN1, OPN2). The forest was a soil CH₄ (kg C ha⁻¹ y⁻¹) sink (-1.5 ± 0.3) while all OP treatments were sources (0.2 ± 0.3, 0.7 ± 0.5, 0.2 ± 0.4 in OPN0, OPN1, OPN2). Ecosystem carbon stock losses from forest-to-OP conversion were substantial (196.8 ± 44.0 Mg CO₂ ha⁻¹ 15 y⁻¹) and partially offset (14–20 %) by decreased N₂O emissions. Complementary studies for this transition are needed to improve global GHG assessments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"386 ","pages":"Article 109603"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143611692","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}

{"title":"Effect of various methods of mineral fertilizer application on changes in the abundance, composition, and diversity of culturable fungi in a reduced tillage crop rotation system of winter wheat, soybean, and maize","authors":"Teresa Korniłłowicz-Kowalska ,&nbsp;Justyna Bohacz ,&nbsp;Piotr Kraska ,&nbsp;Sylwia Andruszczak ,&nbsp;Paweł Gierasimiuk ,&nbsp;Agnieszka Kubik-Komar","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109589","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109589","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Modifications to the tillage system and methods of fertilizer application demand investigation and assessment of their impact on microbial communities in cultivated soils. This study used cultivation-based methods to analyze the abundance, composition, similarity, and species diversity of culturable fungal communities in the rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soil under a reduced tillage, rotational wheat-soybean-maize cultivation system. The trial involved application of subsurface mineral fertilization (NPKS), with surface fertilization serving as a reference point. Subsurface application of mineral fertilizers increases the efficiency of nutrient uptake and promotes better plant growth, and reduces fertilizer losses due to leaching and volatilization. It was demonstrated that among the 4 experimental factors tested (plant species, fertilization variant, ecological niche, and years of study), the crop had the greatest significant differential effect on the mycological indices under study. Significantly higher (α=0.05) total counts of culturable fungi in the rhizosphere and soil were recorded under cereal cultivation, i.e., maize and wheat, while the lowest counts were observed in soybean cultivation. Under maize cultivation, the composition and frequency of dominant genera of these fungi significantly differed from those under wheat cultivation, and to a lesser extent under soybean cultivation. In maize cultivation, significant differences were also observed between the rhizosphere and soil in population density distribution of certain species. The similarity in species composition decreased, while species diversity increased as a result of deep application of NPKS fertilizer in maize and soybean cultivation, as well as after surface application in wheat cultivation. Subsurface fertilization significantly increased the overall abundance of rhizospheric fungi, especially in maize. This was particularly evident in 2015 and 2016. In 2015, the abundance of rhizosphere fungi in subsurface-fertilized plots was nearly twice as high (higher NPKS dose) to 2.5 times higher (lower NPKS dose) compared to surface-fertilized treatments. The abundance of these fungi in the non-rhizosphere soil under maize cultivation was twice as high compared to subsurface fertilization. The method and dosage of fertilizer application did not cause significant differences in the population structure of dominant genera and species. Significant differences in the overall abundance of culturable fungi and the frequency of dominant genera and species populations were observed during the study years. The article discusses the reasons for differences in the overall abundance, composition, and frequency of dominant genera and species of culturable fungi, depending on the experimental factors investigated. Additionally, the taxonomic (composition) and spatial (frequency) structure of these fungi is comprehensively described.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"386 ","pages":"Article 109589"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143594181","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}

{"title":"The effect of agronomic filters on arable plant communities: What weeds are we selecting for?","authors":"Darwin T. Hickman ,&nbsp;Chloe MacLaren ,&nbsp;Alexander Menegat","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109604","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109604","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Functional diversity in arable plant communities affects their detriment, as different arable plants occupy different niche spaces which dictate their competitiveness to the crop. This functional diversity can be examined using Grime’s CSR triangle; most common arable plants are thought to occupy a region of this triangle indicating low levels of stress tolerance, and preference for disturbance and abundant nutrition. Prior research has, however, only examined this with regard to specific management practices or cropping systems, rather than the ecological conditions they generate, the ‘agronomic filters’ applied. Using a dataset of all arable plant species in Sweden, we used multivariate statistics to determine the functional characteristics of problematic weeds, and how they differed from other plant species present in these communities. This was examined with regard to Grime’s life strategy, perceived detriment, conservation status, and preference for agronomic filters relating to nutrition, disturbance, moisture, and light. Our results show that intense agronomic management constrains the niche and limits the function of the non-crop community, with stress-tolerators (S) being absent and, as theorised, competitive and pure ruderals (CR and R respectively) overrepresented. CR strategists favoured nutrition, light and disturbance, and were often considered problematic according to agronomic experts. R strategists generally showed less preference for nutrition, and were more often considered rare and non-weedy, probably due to their lesser competitiveness. These findings can be applied by modifying the agronomic filters favoured by problematic weeds. Specifically, more effective nutrient management would break the ‘agronomic trap’ of fertilisation benefitting dominant, competitive weeds. Increased grazing or mowing is also suggested to limit plant height in favour of less competitive species, and increased cropping diversity will also alter selection for agronomic filters depending on crop niche. Using these agronomic filters, we provide a theoretical guide to achieving ecological weed management in practice.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"386 ","pages":"Article 109604"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143579766","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}

{"title":"Biochar mitigates greenhouse gas emissions from bulk soil in wheat-corn rotation system by inhibiting biochemical decomposition","authors":"Debo He ,&nbsp;Rui Yang ,&nbsp;Yan Fu ,&nbsp;Dongni Hu ,&nbsp;Han Ma ,&nbsp;Xiaoguo Wang ,&nbsp;Zhixin Dong ,&nbsp;Bo Zhu","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109600","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109600","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Excessive greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions contribute to global climate deterioration and disrupt ecosystems. Although biochar and straw can enhance soil C sequestration, their effects on soil GHG emissions and the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Therefore, exploring the differences in physicochemical properties of biochar and straw and their mechanisms affecting soil GHG emissions from different perspectives is crucial for optimizing crop residue utilization strategies to balance soil C sequestration and soil GHG emissions. Herein, soil GHG emissions (CO₂, CH_4, and N₂O emissions) from bulk soils of wheat-corn rotational systems under different treatments of biochar and straw were continuously monitored for 7 years. The differences in properties between biochar and straw and their interactions with soil enzymes were analyzed via molecular simulation computational techniques to investigate the mechanisms by which biochar and straw affect soil GHG emissions. The results indicated that biochar reduced CO₂eq emission by 14028.1 kg ha⁻¹ (equivalent to 31.5 % of emissions from the control) compared to the control in a 7-year wheat-corn rotation system through the reduced interaction with soil active enzymes and the improvement of soil physicochemical properties. The active surface properties facilitated the interactions of straw with soil active enzymes and its biochemical decomposition, thus increasing CO₂eq emissions by 19242.0 kg ha⁻¹ compared the control. These findings enhance the understanding of the mechanisms by which biochar and straw affect soil GHG emissions and may improve the development of sustainable agricultural practices that balance soil C sequestration and GHG emission reductions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"386 ","pages":"Article 109600"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143594180","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":"Seasonal variation in bird species richness and abundance across contrasting farmland: The importance of heterogeneous and non-cropped habitats","authors":"Martin Šálek ,&nbsp;Lukáš Kadava ,&nbsp;Jakub Vrána ,&nbsp;Martin Mayer","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109616","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109616","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Knowledge concerning seasonal changes of species richness and abundance across different habitats is an important step to understand crucial landscape features for the conservation of declining species. This is especially the case in highly human-dominated agricultural landscapes, which have undergone massive changes in land use structure and intensity over the last decades. Here, we evaluated the seasonal importance of different cropped and non-cropped habitats for farmland birds, representing a rapidly declining species group, across various farmland habitat types. Using generalized linear mixed models and species-habitat networks, we studied changes in species richness, abundance, and habitat associations of farmland birds in five typical and widespread cropped or non-cropped habitat types within Central European farmland. We show that heterogeneous arable habitats had greater species richness than other habitat types, and open scrubland and heterogeneous arable habitats hosted the highest abundance of birds throughout the year. In contrast, among the studied habitat types, homogeneous arable habitat was typically associated with lower bird abundance and species richness. However, habitat associations of farmland birds changed seasonally, with heterogenous arable land being most important during the breeding season, open scrubland during post-breeding, and farmland hedges during winter. Similarly, we found clear seasonal and species-specific shifts in habitat affinity when considering species traits, such as habitat specialization, diet specialization, and nesting type. Overall, our findings provide clear evidence of the importance of heterogenous arable habitats and open scrubland in general for birds occurring in agricultural areas, and of the seasonal importance of specific habitat types for individual stages of the annual cycle, such as breeding and overwintering. This will help to identify seasonally important habitat types for the conservation of declining farmland bird species across Europe.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"386 ","pages":"Article 109616"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143579793","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":"Identifying seasonal sources and processes controlling nitrate in a typical reservoir-type headwater watershed of Eastern China using stable isotopes","authors":"Mengyao Ding ,&nbsp;Huawu Wu ,&nbsp;Haixia Zhang ,&nbsp;Qing Zhu ,&nbsp;Ruiyu Lei ,&nbsp;Kaiwen Li ,&nbsp;Hongxiang Fan ,&nbsp;Jing Li ,&nbsp;Congsheng Fu","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109615","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109615","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Reservoirs serves as a crucial sources of drinking water for approximately 3 billion people globally. Despite their significance, the water quality in these reservoirs faces considerable threats due to intensive anthropogenic activities within the watersheds, particularly in agricultural reservoir-type headwater watersheds. This study investigated nitrate stable isotopes (δ¹⁵N-NO₃^- and δ¹⁸O-NO₃^-), hydrochemistry, and stable water isotopes (δ²H-H₂O and δ¹⁸O-H₂O) in river water to identify nitrate sources and processes in the Tianmu Lake Basin. Results indicated a notable increase in NO₃^-N concentration during low-flow period of March, which subsequently declined during high-flow period of July. Additionally, NO₃^-N concentrations exhibited a decreasing trend from upstream to downstream. Isotopic evidence and MixSIAR model highlight the significant influence of agricultural activities on nitrate sources. The contribution of soil nitrogen (SN) remains a consistent nitrate source (29–33 %) across seasons and watersheds due to nitrogen accumulation. During low-flow period of March, intensive spring cropping operations led to an increased contribution from chemical fertilizer sources (CF; 32 %), elevating NO₃^--N concentrations. Conversely, manure and sewage (SW) emerged as the primary nitrate sources (34 %) due to reduced cropping operations and the flushing of poultry manure during high-flow period of July. Spatial variations showed that tea garden in the upstream regions contributed to a higher CF-derived NO₃^--N presence (33 %), while downstream regions, characterized by aquaculture and poultry farming, showed a significant SW contribution (38 %). Nitrogen cycling processes, influenced by high temperatures and dissolved oxygen (DO), facilitated extensive nitrification as the characteristics of increasing nitrate concentrations in the river. The correlation between NO₃^--N and δ¹⁵N-NO₃^- showed the presence of denitrification with a slower rate, resulting in a low nitrate removal efficiency. This study underscores the necessity to limit nitrogen inputs at headwaters to enhance nitrate removal efficiency throughout the watershed management cycle.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"386 ","pages":"Article 109615"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143579925","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":"Agricultural intensification at local and landscape scales impacts sweet cherry production through altered pollination services","authors":"Ilaria Laterza ,&nbsp;Gianvito Ragone ,&nbsp;Gabriele Grossi ,&nbsp;Andree Cappellari ,&nbsp;Maria Francesca Agostinacchio ,&nbsp;Giorgia Angela Seclì ,&nbsp;Giuseppe Bari ,&nbsp;Rosa Porro ,&nbsp;Rocco Addante ,&nbsp;Daniele Cornara ,&nbsp;Enrico de Lillo ,&nbsp;Giovanni Tamburini","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109586","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109586","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Fruit production strongly depends on insect pollination. However, intensification of crop production both at the local and landscape scale can influence pollinator communities, potentially impacting the corresponding pollination services. Here, we investigated how agricultural intensification impacts the production of sweet cherry (<em>Prunus avium</em>), a crop highly dependent on wild pollinators for reproduction, through modifications of pollinator communities and pollination services. Specifically, we considered the influence of local management (organic vs. conventional), presence of beehives in orchards’ proximity, and landscape characteristics. Conventional management and landscape simplification negatively affected wild pollinator communities. Honeybees were found to interfere with both wild pollinator abundance and visitation rate, suggesting potential competition for flower resources. Sweet cherry fruit set was positively influenced by pollinator diversity but it was not affected by honeybee abundance. In addition, we found cherry quality (sugar content) to be negatively correlated to fruit set, indicating a potential trade-off between cherry production and biodiversity conservation. Finally, to support pollination services and hence production in cherry orchards, it is crucial to prioritize management practices that effectively safeguard wild pollinators, rather than relying on the introduction of numerous honeybee colonies into the agroecosystem. Pollinator management within the orchard however should account for potential trade-offs between fruit set and cherry quality.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"386 ","pages":"Article 109586"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143579924","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":"Disentangling the effects of defoliation, excreta return and trampling from livestock on grassland ecosystem compositional and functional temporal stability","authors":"Chujun Dong ,&nbsp;Tongtian Guo ,&nbsp;Ruihuan Zhang ,&nbsp;Yuqi Wei ,&nbsp;Gaowen Yang ,&nbsp;Yingjun Zhang ,&nbsp;Peter Meidl ,&nbsp;Nan Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109605","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agee.2025.109605","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Grazing animals can shape plant community composition and functioning through three mechanisms: defoliation, excreta return (dung and urine deposition), and trampling. However, little field research has been done to explore the independent effects of these grazing mechanisms on grassland compositional and functional (ANPP) temporal stability, though it is essential for preserving a sustainable grazing system. To fill this gap, we conducted field experiments in two grasslands (typical and meadow steppe) in the eastern Eurasian temperate steppe to explore the individual and combined effects of defoliation, excreta return and trampling on plant diversity, species asynchrony, dominant species stability, and consequently grassland temporal stability. We showed that defoliation played a predominant role in regulating grassland temporal stability in both steppes. Defoliation significantly increased community compositional and functional temporal stability in typical steppe, but decreased community compositional temporal stability and showed no effect on functional temporal stability in the meadow steppe. This was mainly due to different responses of the dominant species on the two steppes. Grassland temporal stability was also dependent on trampling from animal hooves, which caused a decrease in community functional temporal stability in the meadow steppe, yet had no effect on the typical steppe. Although excreta return alone did not affect grassland temporal stability, it significantly promoted community compositional temporal stability when combined with defoliation in the typical steppe. Species asynchrony and dominant species stability largely contributed to grassland community compositional and functional temporal stability. Our simulated grazing experiment demonstrated that maintaining ecosystem temporal stability in grazed grasslands is a complex process driven by various mechanisms. Defoliation and trampling by herbivores jointly influenced both compositional and functional temporal stability, and external nutrient addition may be necessary for maintaining grassland temporal stability during livestock grazing management, given the dominant impact of herbivore defoliation. Our findings help improve our understanding of grazing practices regulating grassland temporal stability in temperate steppes. Moreover, this study suggests that grassland management should consider the response strategies of dominant species to grazing disturbance, offering valuable guidance for sustainable grazing practice and future policy decision-making.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7512,"journal":{"name":"Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment","volume":"386 ","pages":"Article 109605"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143563628","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}