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1.
Monitoring is essential for appropriate rangeland management. The present study aimed to examine the potential of moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite imagery in rangeland condition assessment and monitoring within and across vegetation types in the arid and semi-arid rangelands of central Iran. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and enhanced vegetation index (EVI) were calculated from MODIS Aqua/Terra Level 1B data (related to 2003–2013). The obtained values were compared with vegetation cover measurements and rangeland condition classes at 110 sampling sites using linear regression, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), independent-samples t-tests, and Tukey’s pairwise comparisons. The results showed that two indices made stronger predictions of vegetation cover within a vegetation type (R2?>?0.87, P?R2?>?0.51, P?P?≤?0.001) in predicting rangeland condition classes (poor, fair, and good), but their performance varied between vegetation types. The NDVI classified about 73, 19, and 7.5% of the rangelands in poor, fair, and good condition classes, respectively. The good performance of MODIS NDVI index at different landscapes indicates that this index has high potential in detecting vegetation cover and discriminating different condition classes, therefore, it can be used to aid field- based techniques in rangeland condition assessment and monitoring. 相似文献
2.
Felipe S. Carevic Maira Anderson Avelino Muñoz 《Arid Land Research and Management》2019,33(3):339-349
Highland peatlands are one of the most fragile ecosystems in the world. These ecosystems have vital nutritional importance for livestock, however previous research has indicated that intensive grazing could negatively affect these communities, requiring the application of temporary grazing exclusion to restore the health of the peatland. The objective of our study was to evaluate the effect of grazing exclusion on plant allocation strategy and carrying capacity of Oxychloe andina Phil. The plant traits of O. andina were quantified through measurements of specific leaf area (SLA) and leaf dry matter content (LDMC). We estimated the carrying capacity through livestock censuses and vegetational transects. SLA was found to be greater in grazed conditions than in ungrazed conditions (p?=?0.0194) at five months after the application of treatments. Additionally, greater productivity associated with greater LDMC in March was observed under conditions of grazing exclusion (p?=?0.0306). Production estimates of O. andina reached 4816?kg of dry matter (DM) distributed over an area of 9.84?ha, which was equivalent to 489?kg DM of O. andina DM ha?1. Using DM production as a proxy of the peatland and considering the average vegetation cover of 70%, the peatland produces an estimated of 1370?kg DM year?1. The temporary grazing exclusion enhanced the productivity of O. andina. However, depending on DM production in relation to grazing demand, there is a possibility of exceeding the animal load for this plant species. 相似文献
3.
Seriphidium transiliense, or subshrub sagebrush, is one of the most important forage resources for livestock in many arid lands, but such resources have been threatened by overgrazing for a long time. A 2013 vegetation survey of an original sagebrush rangeland (2400?ha) in the Tianshan Mountains revealed that nearly half of the area once under sagebrush has been replaced by annual species. This is due to the continual and rapid increase in livestock numbers over the past 30?years. Three smaller sites with different grazing scenarios: no grazing (Site N), a decline (Site 1), and an increase (Site 2) in livestock numbers, were selected to monitor recent changes (from 2004 to 2013) in vegetation biomass and the degree of dominance by sagebrush. Supplanting happened at Site 2 but little occurred at Site 1. There were significant differences between Site 2 and Site 1 in standing biomass in Spring and Summer, but no significant differences in Summer between Site 1 and Site N. The supplanting of sagebrush marks the completion of a dynamic process – in which rainfall plays a crucial role – of damage to sagebrush from heavy grazing in drought years and its rehabilitation by light grazing in some good years. Plant biomass loss was greatest when the land was first subjected to heavy grazing. Sagebrush tends to exist as a sole-dominant species rather than a companion species in sagebrush communities. This suggests that sagebrush continued to survive in pockets where grazing pressure had declined. 相似文献
4.
Impacts of livestock grazing on a savanna grassland in Kenya 总被引：3，自引：0，他引：3
The dynamics of most rangelands in Kenya remain to be poorly understood.This paper provides baseline information on the response of a semiarid rangeland under different livestock grazing regimes on land inhabited by the Massai people in the east side of Amboseli National Park in Kenya.The data were collected from grasslands designated into four types:(1) grassland from previous Massai settlements that had been abandoned for over twenty years;(2) grassland excluded from livestock grazing for eight years;(3) a dry season grazing area;and (4) a continuous grazing area where grazing occurred throughout all seasons.Collected data included grass species composition,grass height,inter-tuft distance,standing grass biomass and soil characteristics.The results indicated that continuous grazing area in semiarid rangelands exhibited loss of vegetation with negative,long-term effects on grass functional qualities and forage production,whereas grassland that used traditional Maasai grazing methods showed efficiency and desirable effects on the rangelands.The results also showed that abandoned homestead sites,though degraded,were important nutrient reservoirs. 相似文献
5.
Hiwet Gebremedhin Girmay Gebresamual Nigussie Abadi Kassa Teka Shimbahri Mesfin 《Arid Land Research and Management》2018,32(2):236-252
With rapid population growth and absence of agricultural intensification, smallholders need more land to grow crops. This resulted in communal grazing land conversion to cultivated land. This study, therefore, aimed at exploring the magnitude of communal grazing land conversion and its influence on soil properties and vegetation cover change. Ecological time line approach was used to measure the magnitude of change. Plants and soil samples were taken from open grazing land, seasonal grazing land, 6 years old cultivated land, 16 years old cultivated land and 20 years old cultivated land. Moreover, 95 respondents were selected to assess their perception on the subject. Data were analyzed using statistical analysis system software. Results showed that grazing land declined by 41.88%, while cultivated land increased by 56.80% in the years between 1992 and 2012. Plant attributes showed significant (P?P?相似文献
6.
Canopy cover or remotely sensed vegetation index,explanatory variables of above-ground biomass in an arid rangeland,Iran 总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1
Estimation of above-ground biomass is vital for understanding ecological processes. Since direct measurement of above-ground biomass is destructive, time consuming and labor intensive, canopy cover can be considered as a predictor if a significant correlation between the two variables exists. In this study, relationship between canopy cover and above-ground biomass was investigated by a general linear regression model. To do so, canopy cover and above-ground biomass were measured at 5 sub-life forms(defined as life forms grouped in the same height classes) using 380 quadrats, which is systematic-randomly laid out along a 10-km transect, during four sampling periods(May, June, August, and September) in an arid rangeland of Marjan, Iran. To reveal whether obtained canopy cover and above-ground biomass of different sampling periods can be lumped together or not, we applied a general linear model(GLM). In this model, above-ground biomass was considered as a dependent or response variable, canopy cover as an independent covariate or predictor factor and sub-life forms as well as sampling periods as fixed factors. Moreover, we compared the estimated above-ground biomass derived from remotely sensed images of Landsat-8 using NDVI(normalized difference vegetation index), after finding the best regression line between predictor(measured canopy cover in the field) and response variable(above-ground biomass) to test the robustness of the induced model. Results show that above-ground biomass(response variable) of all vegetative forms and periods can be accurately predicted by canopy cover(predictor), although sub-life forms and sampling periods significantly affect the results. The best regression fit was found for short forbs in September and shrubs in May, June and August with R~2 values of 0.96, 0.93 and 0.91, respectively, whilst the least significant was found for short grasses in June, tall grasses in August and tall forbs in June with R~2 values of 0.71, 0.73 and 0.75, respectively. Even though the estimated above-ground biomass by NDVI is also convincing(R~2=0.57), the canopy cover is a more reliable predictor of above-ground biomass due to the higher R~2 values(from 0.75 to 0.96). We conclude that canopy cover can be regarded as a reliable predictor of above-ground biomass if sub-life forms and sampling periods(during growing season) are taken into account. Since,(1) plant canopy cover is not distinguishable by remotely sensed images at the sub-life form level, especially in sparse vegetation of arid and semi-arid regions, and(2) remotely sensed-based prediction of above-ground biomass shows a less significant relationship(R~2=0.57) than that of canopy cover(R~2 ranging from 0.75 to 0.96), which suggests estimating of plant biomass by canopy cover instead of cut and weighting method is highly recommended. Furthermore, this fast, nondestructive and robust method that does not endanger rare species, gives a trustworthy prediction of above-ground biomass in arid rangelands. 相似文献
7.
宁南山区不同放牧强度对天然草地土壤水分的影响 总被引：4，自引：1，他引：4
本文对位于宁夏南部黄土高原半干旱区过渡放牧区、中度放牧区和持续禁牧三种条件下的天然草地 0 - 9.9m土壤深度的水分含量进行了测定。三者土壤水分含量的主要差别在 0 - 4m以上土层。 0 - 4m土层的土壤湿度 ,核心保护区显著 ( p =0 .0 2 2 838)高于中度放牧区 ,极显著 ( p <0 .0 0 1 )高于过渡放牧区 ,中度放牧区也显著高于过渡放牧区 (p =0 .0 2 80 2 3)。平均土壤湿度 ,核心保护区分别是中度和过渡放牧区的 1 .2 5和 1 .5 6倍 ,中度放牧区是过渡放牧区的 1 .2 5倍。 4- 9.9m土壤湿度 ,核心保护区、中度放牧区和过渡放牧区没有显著差异 ,平均土壤湿度分别为 1 2 .3%、1 2 .7%、1 2 .7%。 相似文献
8.
Oguzhan Uzun Sema Kaplan Selen Deviren Saygın Feras Youssef Amin Nouri 《Arid Land Research and Management》2017,31(2):125-139
Wind erosion is a serious land degradation phenomenon in semi-arid parts of Turkey. It is even becoming more critical problem considering the current effects of global warming and climate change in the region. The objectives of this study are to model spatial variation of aeolian sediment transport and to map Sediment Transport Rate (STR) by geostatistics in a fallow plot in the Central Anatolia. STRs for four consecutive wind cases with different vegetation cover rates were determined using the cyclone BEST sediment traps. Plant cover ratio and height changed between 8 and 25% and 3–12?cm throughout the research period, respectively, and soil moistures ranged between 10.9 and 12.7%. The windstorms lasted for 400, 835, 1240, and 50 minutes with the mean wind velocities of 8.6, 7.7, 7.7, and 6.3?m?s?1, respectively, for cases 1, 2, 3, and 4. The calculated STRs varied between 0.0248?±?0.0170?kg?m?1?h?1 and 0.190?±?0.084?kg?m?1?h?1. Spatial analysis revealed that the spatial correlations were between 19 and 48?m and different spatial patterns occurred from one case to another. The study results indicated that the amount of transported sediment and its spatial variation were mostly related to velocity and duration of erosive wind in the fallow area of the arid region. 相似文献
9.
过度放牧导致干旱半干旱区毛乌素沙地草地严重退化。通过禁牧措施排除放牧干扰,使草地自然恢复,作为一种低投入的措施在世界各国退化草地生态系统恢复中得到广泛采用。文中对毛乌素沙地三种不同管理类型(持续放牧、围栏5年和围栏16年)土壤理化性状进行了研究,研究结果显示:围栏禁牧5年对0～30cm土壤颗粒组成和容重没有显著影响;围栏禁牧16年0～10cm土壤容重显著小于持续放牧区,而极细沙、粉粒和粘粒含量显著高于持续放牧区;围栏5年显著增加了0～5cm土壤有机碳,而0～30cm的全氮均没有显著增加。围栏16年土壤有机碳较放牧区在0～5cm、5～10cm、10～30cm分别显著增加了231%、81%、55%;全氮含量的变化趋势与之相同。结果表明,围栏5年对土壤粘粉粒、全氮含量的恢复基本没有效果;围栏16年能显著增加表层土壤粘粉粒含量和有机碳、全氮,但土壤碳、氮水平还是在比较低的水平(有机碳:4.30g.kg-1;全氮:0.74g.kg-1),即长期禁牧可以逐渐改善土壤质地和提高土壤肥力。研究结果为半干旱退化沙质草地生态系统的恢复、重建及管理提供科学依据。 相似文献
10.
Murad Zaryab Ahmad Ijaz Waleed Muhammad Hashim Saima Bibi Sobia 《Gesunde Pflanzen》2022,74(1):151-158
A pot experiment was conducted at Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (IBGE), University of Agriculture Peshawar, Pakistan. To conduct the experiment, eight kilograms of air-dried soil were taken in each pot and the amendment biochar was added and mixed properly at different levels like 0%, 1%, 2% and 4% (w/w), respectively. All pots were spiked with Cd solution at the concentration of 10?mg kg?1. The treatments were arranged in completely randomized design (CRD). Fourteen days old nursery plants of rice Oryza sativa L. were transplanted into pots. Five rice plants were grown in each pot. After transplantation of rice plant, the nitrogenous and phosphatic fertilizers (Urea and DAP) were incorporated at the standard rate. Standing water condition was kept for rice grown in pots. Rice plants were harvested after 70 days germination. Soil samples were collected from each pot after plant harvesting. After soil analysis, the given data elaborated that the concentration of Cd in soil was stabilized by the amendment from 8.7?mg kg?1 (0%) to 4.2?mg kg?1 (4%). Among the other soil parameters the minimum soil pH (7.31), EC (0.151?dSm?1), soil organic matter (0.63%), N (0.13%), P (4.72?mg kg?1) and K (55.6?mg kg?1) were noted at 0% biochar application, while maximum pH (8.23), EC (0.231?dSm?1), soil organic matter (1.67%), N (0.25%), P (8.96?mg kg?1) and K (93?mg kg?1) were found in the pot treated with 4% biochar. Hence, it was concluded that Cd was significantly immobilized with 4% biochar application.
相似文献11.
In recent decades, the control of floods is an efficient management practice for the rehabilitation of rangelands in most arid and semiarid areas. To evaluate the benefits, we used the Landscape Function Analysis (LFA) method to assess the function of patches and qualitative capability of a rangeland ecosystem in Gareh Bygone region, Fars province, southwestern Iran. Landscape functionality depends on soil, water and nutrient (collectively called "resources") conservation and use within a given ecosystem. Many landscapes are naturally heterogeneous in terms of resource control and possess patches, where resources tend to accumulate, and inter-patches. Assessing rangeland health and function of landscape patches in response to environment and management can give rise to correct management decisions for qualitative improvement of the ecosystem. Therefore, our study area was divided into two parts, i.e. water spreading and control parts, and sampling was done using LFA method in each part separately. Structural parameters, including the number, length and width of patches, and the mean length of inter-patches, were determined by the method to characterize the functional status of the monitoring sites. For each patch/inter-patch type identified in the transect organization log, we recorded its soil surface properties classified according to the Soil Surface Assessment Method. The density, canopy cover and composition of plants were then assessed. The results showed that the number of ecological patches and their dimensions were significantly increased in the water spreading site. Soil stability and the values of nutrient cycling indices were increased but the infiltration values were decreased in the water spreading site. It could be related to the effect of suspended materials transported by floods to the soils in the study area. The improvement of ecological patches and rangeland ecosystem was achieved where water spreading systems were practiced. Therefore it can be concluded that water spreading as a management plan plays an important role in arid land ecosystem functionality. 相似文献
12.
The long-term fate of the acaricide, fenbutatin oxide, in soil has been investigated. Residues of the compound and its two principal metabolites have been determined in soil samples obtained from citrus orchards in Italy and Spain where the product had been applied commercially over a period of 6–10 years. The average fenbutatin oxide content in the upper 0–15 cm soil layer ranged from ? 1 mg kg?1 to 5 mg kg?1 in sites receiving single and double applications per year. The residues were located primarily (> 95%) in the top 0–30 cm layer and there was virtually no movement of the compound through the soil to lower depths. Below 0.5 m depths, the sites contained average concentrations of ? 0.01 mg kg?1, the limit of determination. No significant build-up of residues was observed and the data indicate an approximate half-life in soil of just less than one year. Residues of the two metabolites, dihydroxy-bis(2-methyl-2-phenylpropyl)stan-nane and 2-methyl-2-phenylpropyl stannonic acid, were on average 11% and 16% of the fenbutatin oxide concentration, respectively. As with fenbutatin oxide, there was no significant movement through the soil to lower levels. 相似文献
13.
内蒙古北部荒漠草原带的严重荒漠化及其治理 总被引：11，自引：3，他引：11
赛胜宝 《干旱区资源与环境》2001,15(4):34-37
位居干旱气候区的内蒙古高原中北部的荒漠草原地带 ,面临着严重荒漠化的威胁。目前已有 90 %以上的天然草场退化与沙化 ,变成寸草不生的不毛之地。大大扩展了我国北部沙尘暴频繁发生的地带 ,成为北方生态安全最危险的地区。这是多年来盲目增畜 ,超载过牧 ,滥垦乱挖的掠夺式生产经营中又加上干旱气候因素的耦合作用所造成的必然恶果。面对这一严峻形势 ,急需采取果断措施抢救荒漠草原地带的整体生态环境。应立即实行禁牧封育 ,人畜转移 ,调整结构 ,移民扩镇。使荒漠草原地带与农牧交错地带以及城市之间建立起产业化可持续发展的新途径 相似文献
14.
通过放牧试验的方法,研究土壤团聚体含量和破坏率,以探讨不同放牧强度、不同放牧畜种、不同放牧植被类型条件下表土的团聚体(＞ 0.25 mm)含量和破坏率.结果表明:放牧强度对土壤性质有影响,重度放牧下土壤团聚体含量最小;从畜牧羊种选择来看,绵羊相对于山羊来说对土壤结构破坏较小,土壤中团聚体含量较高;对于不同植被类型,放牧... 相似文献
15.
Ilker Angin Serdar Sari Ekrem Lutfi Aksakal Faruk Tohumcu 《Arid Land Research and Management》2019,33(1):91-96
Accelerated soil salinization is a worldwide concern. Our study was carried out to determine the effects of different rates (0, 5, 10, and 15?mmol kg?1) of iron (III) ferrocyanide application to remove salts from the soil. Within two weeks of its application, iron (III) ferrocyanide at 5, 10, and 15?mmol?kg?1 removed 12.2%, 26.5%, and 42.9% of the total salts from the soil, respectively. Results suggested that iron (III) ferrocyanide application at 15?mmol?kg?1 is one of the most rapid and effective ways to remove substantial amounts of salts from undrained soil (land) where fresh water is scarce. 相似文献
16.
围栏封育对农牧交错区沙化草地植物群落影响——以宁夏盐池为例 总被引：5，自引：1，他引：4
封育措施是一种主要的草场恢复和重建的措施。通过对半干旱沙地老封育、新封育和对照区的比较分析,量化了不同封育措施下植被变化。对三种封育措施群落组成和生物多样性的分析结果表明:封育改变了群落的组成成分并增加了生物多样性;同时对群落植物的生活型、饲用价值分析及样方相似性指数计算结果则显示,老封育(>10a)的群落植物逐渐向多年生发展,各植物种分布的空间异质性显著提高,放牧价值开始降低,而对照区则明显处于一种非平衡的稳定状态。从3种措施植被的盖度、高度、生物量和饲用价值来看,老封育区均低于新封育区和对照区,表明长期封育不利于促进并提高草场的放牧利用价值。 相似文献
17.
This study was conducted to evaluate short- and long-term effects of poultry and sheep manures, as well as sunflower, canola, and potato residues, which commonly are being used as organic amendments (OAs) in agricultural soils, on the pH value, buffering capacity, and nitrogen (N) turnover of a sub-alkaline agricultural soil using laboratory incubation. The tested OAs had pH values ranging from alkaline (manures) to acidic (plant residues), and their effects of the short- and log-term on soil pH value were assessed by fractionation of the OAs alkalinity and evaluating the contribution of OA-borne N mineralization to soil acidity. On average, 45% of potential alkalinity in tested OAs was available for acid-base reactions, soluble alkalinity accounted for 58, 80, 32, 50, and 50% of the excess cations for poultry manure, sheep manure, sunflower, canola, and potato residues, respectively. Buffering capacity of the tested OAs was higher for sunflower residues, potato residues, and poultry manure and lower for canola residues and sheep manure. The tested OAs showed different N mineralization potential, and during the 100 days of incubation, soils amended with sheep manure, poultry manure, and potato residues released 107, 118, 129, and 240?mg?N?kg?1 soil, respectively, more than double than that released from unamended soil. Our results demonstrated that long-term impact of OAs on the soil pH value is not related to the initial OAs pH value and soluble alkalinity and that available alkalinity and N mineralization are key factors regulating the soil pH value on the long-term. 相似文献
18.
Grazing exclusion is one of the most efficient approaches to restore degraded grassland but may negatively affects the recovery of species diversity. Changes in plant species diversity should be a consequence of the ecological assembly process. Local community assembly is influenced by environmental filtering, biotic interactions, and dispersal. However, how these factors potentially contribute to changes to species diversity is poorly understood, especially in harsh environments. In this study, two management sites within a Stipa breviflora desert steppe community(typical natural steppe) were selected in northern China. In one of the two management sites, grazing has been excluded since 2010 and in the other with open grazing by sheep. In August 2016, three plots were established and 100 sampling units were created within each plot in a 5 m×5 m area at the two management sites. To assess the effects of grazing exclusion on S. breviflora steppe, we analyzed the vegetation biomass, species diversity,soil organic carbon, and soil particle size distribution using paired T-tests. In addition, variation partitioning was applied to determine the relative importance of environmental filtering and dispersal limitation. Null mode analysis was used to quantify the influence of biotic interactions in conjunction with Eco Sim niche overlap and co-occurrence values. Our results demonstrated that(1) species diversity significantly decreased and the main improvements in soil quality occurred in the topsoil 0–10 cm after the grazing exclusion;(2) environmental filtering was important for community assembly between grazed and fenced grassland and this appears particularly true for soil particle size distribution, which may be well correlated with soil hydrological processes; and(3) however, competitive exclusion may play a significant role within the exclusion. The multiple pathways of assembly may collectively determine negative effects on the restoration of species diversity. Therefore, designers should be aware of the risk of reducing grazing exclusion-induced species diversity and account for manipulating processes. This in turn will reduce dominant species and promote environmental heterogeneity to maximize species diversity in semi-arid regions. 相似文献
19.
Climate warming and livestock grazing are known to have great influences on alpine ecosystems like those of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau(QTP) in China. However, it is lacking of studies on the effects of warming and grazing on plant and soil properties in these alpine ecosystems. In this study, we reported the related research from manipulative experiment in 2010–2012 in the QTP. The aim of this study was to investigate the individual and combined effects of warming and clipping on plant and soil properties in the alpine meadow ecosystem. Infrared radiators were used to simulate climate warming starting in July 2010, while clipping was performed once in October 2011 to simulate the local livestock grazing. The experiment was designed as a randomized block consisting of five replications and four treatments: control(CK), warming(W), clipping(C) and warming+clipping combination(WC). The plant and soil properties were investigated in the growing season of the alpine meadow in 2012. The results showed that W and WC treatments significantly decreased relative humidity at 20-cm height above ground as well as significantly increases air temperature at the same height, surface temperature, and soil temperature at the depth of 0–30 cm. However, the C treatment did not significantly decrease soil moisture and soil temperature at the depth of 0–60 cm. Relative to CK, vegetation height and species number increased significantly in W and WC treatment, respectively, while vegetation aboveground biomass decreased significantly in C treatment in the early growing season. However, vegetation cover, species diversity, belowground biomass and soil properties at the depth of 0–30 cm did not differ significantly in W, C and WC treatments. Soil moisture increased at the depth of 40–100 cm in W and WC treatments, while belowground biomass, soil activated carbon, organic carbon and total nitrogen increased in the 30–50 cm soil layer in W, C and WC treatments. Although the initial responses of plant and soil properties to experimental warming and clipping were slow and weak, the drought induced by the downward shift of soil moisture in the upper soil layers may induce plant belowground biomass to transfer to the deeper soil layers. This movement would modify the distributions of soil activated carbon, organic carbon and total nitrogen. However, long-term data collection is needed to further explain this interesting phenomenon. 相似文献
20.
Stephen M MUREITHI Ann VERDOODT Charles KK GACHENE Jesse T NJOKA Vivian O WASONGA Stefaan De NEVE Elizabeth MEYERHOFF Eric Van RANST 《干旱区科学》2014,6(5):561-570
Rangeland degradation is a serious problem throughout sub-Saharan Africa and its restoration is a challenge for the management of arid and semi-arid areas. In Lake Baringo Basin of Kenya, communities and individual farmers are restoring indigenous vegetation inside enclosures in an effort to combat severe land degradation and address their livelihood problems. This study evaluated the impact of enclosure management on soil properties and microbial biomass, being key indicators of soil ecosystem health. Six reseeded communal enclosures using soil embankments as water-harvesting structures and strictly regulated access were selected, varying in age from 13 to 23 years. In six private enclosures, ranging from 3 to 17 years in age, individual farmers emulated the communal enclosure strategy and restored areas for their exclusive use. Significant decreases in bulk density, and increases in the soil organic carbon, total nitrogen and microbial biomass contents and stocks were found in the enclosures as compared with the degraded open rangeland. In the private enclosures, the impact of rehabilitation on the soil quality was variable, and soil quality was in general lower than that obtained under communal management. The significant increase of absolute stocks of carbon, nitrogen and microbial biomass compared to the degraded open rangeland indicates the potential for the restoration of soil quality through range rehabilitation. Over-sowing with indigenous legume fodder species could improve total nitrogen content in the soil and nutritional value of the pastures as well. 相似文献