Single Grazing Is More Detrimental to Grasslands Than Mixed Grazing: Evidence From the Response of Functional Traits of Dominant Plants to Grazing Systems
Plant functional traits reflect species ecological strategies and determine how plants respond to environmental changes, however, how dominant species in the Inner Mongolia grassland adapt to different grazing systems by changing their functional traits has not been systematically investigated. In t...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-07-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2021.682289/full |
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| author | Zheng Wang Jinghui Zhang Jinghui Zhang Zhiyong Li Huamin Liu Lixin Wang Lixin Wang Wen Wang Yang Wang Cunzhu Liang |
| author_facet | Zheng Wang Jinghui Zhang Jinghui Zhang Zhiyong Li Huamin Liu Lixin Wang Lixin Wang Wen Wang Yang Wang Cunzhu Liang |
| author_sort | Zheng Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Plant functional traits reflect species ecological strategies and determine how plants respond to environmental changes, however, how dominant species in the Inner Mongolia grassland adapt to different grazing systems by changing their functional traits has not been systematically investigated. In this study, we established four 7-year grazing treatments in the Inner Mongolia grassland: cattle grazing, sheep grazing, mixed sheep and cattle grazing, and no grazing. Fourteen functional traits of three dominant species (Stipa grandis, Leymus chinensis, and Cleistogenes squarrosa) were measured under the different grazing treatments. We found convergences of plant functional traits that indicate herbivory avoidance or tolerance. Plants reduced their vegetative height (VH) and stem: leaf ratio (SLR) to avoid grazing; increased their ability to acquire resources by increasing their specific leaf area (SLA), leaf nitrogen concentration (LNC), and leaf phosphorus concentration (LPC); and reduced their leaf dry matter content (LDMC) to tolerate grazing. Moreover, plants may adapt to grazing by increasing the intraspecific variability of their functional traits. Sheep-only grazing adversely affected L. chinensis growth and survival, while cattle-only grazing hindered S. grandis growth and increased the intraspecific variability of its plant functional traits. Our study emphasizes that intraspecific variability is an important indicator of the responses of plant functional traits to grazing. Since single grazing is more detrimental to the functional traits of dominant plants, we suggest that mixed cattle and sheep grazing may be a more environmentally friendly and sustainable practice for the Inner Mongolia grassland than single grazing. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T00:56:50Z |
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| id | doaj.art-21952494ae3447be9c1da0077ea315ef |
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| issn | 2296-701X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T00:56:50Z |
| publishDate | 2021-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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| series | Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-21952494ae3447be9c1da0077ea315ef2022-12-21T19:21:16ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution2296-701X2021-07-01910.3389/fevo.2021.682289682289Single Grazing Is More Detrimental to Grasslands Than Mixed Grazing: Evidence From the Response of Functional Traits of Dominant Plants to Grazing SystemsZheng Wang0Jinghui Zhang1Jinghui Zhang2Zhiyong Li3Huamin Liu4Lixin Wang5Lixin Wang6Wen Wang7Yang Wang8Cunzhu Liang9Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau and Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, ChinaMinistry of Education Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau and Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, ChinaVegetation Ecology Group, Institute of Natural Resource Sciences, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Wädenswil, SwitzerlandMinistry of Education Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau and Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, ChinaMinistry of Education Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau and Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, ChinaMinistry of Education Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau and Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, ChinaMinistry of Education of China and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Collaborative Innovation Centre for Grassland Ecological Security, Hohhot, ChinaMinistry of Education Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau and Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, ChinaCollege of Life Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia Normal University, Hohhot, ChinaMinistry of Education Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau and Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, ChinaPlant functional traits reflect species ecological strategies and determine how plants respond to environmental changes, however, how dominant species in the Inner Mongolia grassland adapt to different grazing systems by changing their functional traits has not been systematically investigated. In this study, we established four 7-year grazing treatments in the Inner Mongolia grassland: cattle grazing, sheep grazing, mixed sheep and cattle grazing, and no grazing. Fourteen functional traits of three dominant species (Stipa grandis, Leymus chinensis, and Cleistogenes squarrosa) were measured under the different grazing treatments. We found convergences of plant functional traits that indicate herbivory avoidance or tolerance. Plants reduced their vegetative height (VH) and stem: leaf ratio (SLR) to avoid grazing; increased their ability to acquire resources by increasing their specific leaf area (SLA), leaf nitrogen concentration (LNC), and leaf phosphorus concentration (LPC); and reduced their leaf dry matter content (LDMC) to tolerate grazing. Moreover, plants may adapt to grazing by increasing the intraspecific variability of their functional traits. Sheep-only grazing adversely affected L. chinensis growth and survival, while cattle-only grazing hindered S. grandis growth and increased the intraspecific variability of its plant functional traits. Our study emphasizes that intraspecific variability is an important indicator of the responses of plant functional traits to grazing. Since single grazing is more detrimental to the functional traits of dominant plants, we suggest that mixed cattle and sheep grazing may be a more environmentally friendly and sustainable practice for the Inner Mongolia grassland than single grazing.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2021.682289/fullfunctional traitsgrazing systemsintraspecific variabilityadaption strategiesInner Mongolia grassland |
| spellingShingle | Zheng Wang Jinghui Zhang Jinghui Zhang Zhiyong Li Huamin Liu Lixin Wang Lixin Wang Wen Wang Yang Wang Cunzhu Liang Single Grazing Is More Detrimental to Grasslands Than Mixed Grazing: Evidence From the Response of Functional Traits of Dominant Plants to Grazing Systems Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution functional traits grazing systems intraspecific variability adaption strategies Inner Mongolia grassland |
| title | Single Grazing Is More Detrimental to Grasslands Than Mixed Grazing: Evidence From the Response of Functional Traits of Dominant Plants to Grazing Systems |
| title_full | Single Grazing Is More Detrimental to Grasslands Than Mixed Grazing: Evidence From the Response of Functional Traits of Dominant Plants to Grazing Systems |
| title_fullStr | Single Grazing Is More Detrimental to Grasslands Than Mixed Grazing: Evidence From the Response of Functional Traits of Dominant Plants to Grazing Systems |
| title_full_unstemmed | Single Grazing Is More Detrimental to Grasslands Than Mixed Grazing: Evidence From the Response of Functional Traits of Dominant Plants to Grazing Systems |
| title_short | Single Grazing Is More Detrimental to Grasslands Than Mixed Grazing: Evidence From the Response of Functional Traits of Dominant Plants to Grazing Systems |
| title_sort | single grazing is more detrimental to grasslands than mixed grazing evidence from the response of functional traits of dominant plants to grazing systems |
| topic | functional traits grazing systems intraspecific variability adaption strategies Inner Mongolia grassland |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2021.682289/full |
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