Journal of Integrative Agriculture ›› 2025, Vol. 24 ›› Issue (3): 936-948.DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2024.09.016

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牦牛和藏羊混合放牧提升了高寒草地植物功能多样性

  

  • 收稿日期:2024-05-22 接受日期:2024-08-26 出版日期:2025-03-20 发布日期:2025-02-28

Yak and Tibetan sheep mixed grazing enhances plant functional diversity in alpine grassland

Yuzhen Liu1, 2, 3, Xinquan Zhao4, Xiaoxia Yang1, 2, 3, Wenting Liu1, 2, 3, Bin Feng1, 2, 3, Shengnan Sun2, Quanmin Dong1, 2, 3, 4#   

  1. 1 Academy of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China

    2 Key Laboratory of Alpine Grassland Ecosystem in the Three-River-Source (Qinghai University), Ministry of Education, Xining 810016, China

    3 Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Adaptive Management on Alpine Grassland, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China

    4 State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China

  • Received:2024-05-22 Accepted:2024-08-26 Online:2025-03-20 Published:2025-02-28
  • About author:Yuzhen Liu, Mobile: +86-18709460225, E-mail: liuyzqhu@163.com; #Correspondence Quanmin Dong, Mobile: +86-13897473651, E-mail: qmdong@qhu.edu.cn
  • Supported by:
    The study was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (U20A2007 and 32160343), the Open Project of Key Laboratory of the Alpine Grassland Ecology in the Three Rivers Region (Qinghai University), Ministry of Education of China (2023-SJY-KF-02) and the West Light Foundation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

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摘要：

植物功能多样性对外界干扰的响应不仅能够有效预测生态系统的变化，也能够反映植物群落如何利用外界环境资源。然而，关于不同草食动物组合如何影响植物功能多样性的研究依旧较少。鉴于此，本研究系统地探讨了三种典型草食动物组合（牦牛放牧、藏羊放牧以及牦牛和藏羊混合放牧）对青藏高原高寒草地物种丰富度、植物功能多样性和土壤理化性质的影响，并进一步研究了驱动植物功能多样性变化的主要机制。研究结果表明：（1）放牧活动显著提高了植物功能多样性，特别是当牦牛与藏羊以1:2的比例混牧时植物群落功能分散指数和Rao二次熵指数提升显著；（2）与围封处理相比，放牧活动显著提高了物种丰富度和β多样性，也促进了植物群落功能多样性的提升；（3）放牧活动对植物群落功能性状产生了显著的影响，降低了植物群落高度和叶片厚度但增加了比叶面积。此外，牦牛与藏羊以1:2的比例混牧时高寒草地植物群落功能多样性提升最为显著；（4）物种α多样性与植物功能多样性指数呈显著正相关关系。植物功能多样性的变化主要受到土壤理化性质变化的调控。具体而言，土壤速效氮的增加显著促进了植物群落功能多样性的变化，而土壤速效钾和土壤容重的增加则对这些变化产生了显著的抑制作用。长期放牧显著降低了高寒草地植物群落的高度，而牦牛与藏羊混牧，尤其是以1:2的比例混牧时对植物群落功能多样性的提升作用最为显著。

Abstract:

The response of plant functional diversity to external disturbances not only effectively predicts changes in the ecosystem but it also reflects how plant communities use external environmental resources.  However, research on how different herbivore assemblages affect plant functional diversity is limited.  Therefore, this study systematically explored the effects of three typical herbivore assemblages (yak grazing, Tibetan sheep grazing, and mixed grazing by yaks and Tibetan sheep) on species richness, plant functional diversity, and soil physicochemical properties in alpine grasslands on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China.  This study further investigated the primary mechanisms driving the changes in plant functional diversity.  The results indicate four key aspects of this system: (1) Grazing significantly enhanced plant functional diversity, particularly when the mixed grazing by yaks and Tibetan sheep was applied at a ratio of 1:2.  This ratio showed the most substantial improvement in the functional dispersion index and Rao’s quadratic entropy index.  (2) Compared to enclosed treatments, grazing increased species richness and β-diversity, contributing to higher plant functional diversity.  (3) Grazing treatments affected various plant traits, such as reducing plant community height and leaf thickness while increasing specific leaf area.  However, the impact on plant functional diversity was most pronounced under the mixed grazing by yaks and Tibetan sheep at a ratio of 1:2.  (4) Species α-diversity was positively correlated with plant functional diversity.  Changes in plant functional diversity were primarily regulated by variations in soil physicochemical properties.  Specifically, increases in soil available nitrogen significantly promoted changes in plant functional diversity, while increases in soil available potassium and bulk density had a significant inhibitory effect on these changes.  Long-term grazing significantly reduced the height of plant communities in alpine meadows, while a balanced mixture of yak and Tibetan sheep grazing, especially at a ratio of 1:2, enhanced plant functional diversity the most.  This suggests that, under these conditions, the use of external environmental resources by the plant community is optimized.

Key words: alpine grassland , adaptive management ,  herbivore assemblages ,  species diversity ,  functional diversity