Article
Environmental Studies
Virginia Anne Kowal, Julian Ahlborn, Chantsallkham Jamsranjav, Otgonsuren Avirmed, Rebecca Chaplin-Kramer
Summary: Climate and grazing have significant impacts on the productivity and livelihoods of Mongolia's rangelands, with climatic factors dominating effects on forage biomass and animal diet sufficiency. Site rainfall plays a key role in mediating the impact of grazing on standing biomass, with more productive or higher-rainfall areas being more vulnerable to grazing pressure. Gridded simulations in Mongolia's Gobi-Steppe ecoregion show heterogeneous changes in rangeland biomass under future climate conditions due to interactions among spatially varying drivers.
Article
Environmental Sciences
C. Munyati, M. S. Mathole
Summary: To investigate the potential impacts of expanding road networks in rangelands, this study analyzed the tissue of three grazing grasses near four high traffic highways. The results showed poorer grass quality near roads, with lower surface pH and higher electrical conductivity. Linear regression models revealed that these effects were significant within at least 70 m and up to nearly 800 m from the road edge.
ENVIRONMENTAL DEVELOPMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Megan C. Milligan, Lance B. McNew
Summary: Livestock grazing has both positive and negative effects on temperate grassland ecosystems and wildlife, influenced by grazing and site factors. Previous research mainly focused on simple grazed vs. ungrazed treatments or single vital rates. This study used a two-stage integrated population model to investigate the differential impacts of three grazing management regimes on population growth rates of sharp-tailed grouse, and found evidence for significant cumulative impacts of grazing regime on population growth rates.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Briana Swette, Eric F. Lambin
Summary: Livestock grazing on natural rangeland vegetation is a significant land use with implications for livelihoods, food security, and the environment. Changes in grazing practices on public lands since 1940 in the High Divide region were primarily driven by factors such as range condition evaluations, carrying capacity estimates, legal requirements, ranch economics, and amenity migration. Institutional management is crucial in balancing competing values and demands for privately-used rangelands.
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE-HUMAN AND POLICY DIMENSIONS
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Stella M. Copeland, David L. Hoover, David J. Augustine, Jonathan D. Bates, Chad S. Boyd, Kirk W. Davies, Justin D. Derner, Michael C. Duniway, Lauren M. Porensky, Lance T. Vermeire
Summary: This study examines the effects of long-term livestock grazing on vegetation and its implications for resistance and resilience to global change in the western United States. The results show that grazing has both convergent and divergent effects across different ecoregions and ecosystems, with precipitation patterns and plant traits playing key roles. The differences in ecosystems are also associated with variable impacts of grazing on resistance and resilience to invasive species and climate change. Therefore, adapting livestock and grazing management to specific ecosystem conditions is crucial for managing the effects of global changes on rangeland production and diversity.
APPLIED VEGETATION SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Saifi Merdas, Yacine Kouba, Tewfik Mostephaoui, Yassine Farhi, Haroun Chenchouni
Summary: This study found that livestock grazing significantly decreased the diversity of all species combined and annual plants. The shift in plant community composition in grazed areas was primarily due to species turnover rather than nestedness. Beta diversity was higher in grazed areas at a local scale but lower at a landscape scale compared to grazing-excluded areas.
LAND DEGRADATION & DEVELOPMENT
(2021)
Article
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
Mrinal Kanti Pal, Swarup Poria
Summary: This study indicates that the spatial heterogeneity in grazing intensity plays a decisive role in the functioning of water-limited ecosystems. Grazing has a significant impact on system response, and the response to environmental pressure varies depending on the grazer.
Article
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
Mrinal Kanti Pal, Swarup Poria
Summary: Self-organized vegetation patterns in dryland ecosystems not only have visual appeal but also play a crucial role in determining the response of these water-deprived systems to environmental stress. While there are various types of vegetation patterns, the mechanisms behind spiral patterns are not well understood. This research reveals that the interplay between herbivore grazing and vegetation density is the key factor driving the formation of spiral patterns. The nonlinear and nonlocal grazing behavior of herbivores is found to be significant in shaping these patterns.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Dexin Gao, Changjia Li, Xutong Wu, Yanxu Liu, Fangli Wei, Chongchong Ye, Bojie Fu, Shuai Wang
Summary: The interaction network between leaf, root, and biomass function can reflect the ecosystem's response to increasing aridity and grazing. As the aridity index increases, there are systemic and abrupt changes in the network relationship between leaf, root, and biomass. The effects of grazing on key traits vary with the degree of aridity. This highlights the essential role of the interaction network between plant traits in ecosystem response to environmental change.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2023)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Qiang Wang, Xiaowei Wang, Rongrong Li
Summary: Urbanization strengthens the positive correlation between economic growth and environmental quality, with economic growth having a greater impact on ecological footprint. Trade openness and natural resource rents increase environmental pressure, while population aging and renewable energy help improve environmental quality.
SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Gabriela B. Arcoverde, Samantha A. Setterfield, Inara R. Leal, Alan N. Andersen
Summary: Ant communities in the Australian savanna show high resilience to grazing, likely due to their evolutionary history of frequent fire. This finding is significant for insect conservation and can be applied to other fire-prone grassy ecosystems subject to livestock grazing.
JOURNAL OF INSECT CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Qiang Wang, Xiaowei Wang, Rongrong Li
Summary: Urbanization and population aging are key indicators of human-related social attributes, posing serious challenges to the world. Environmental sustainability is closely linked to both urbanization and aging, warranting in-depth research and exploration.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Ashley M. Long, Melanie R. Colon, Michael L. Morrison, Heather A. Mathewson
Summary: Land management agencies have collaborated to standardize assessments of rangeland health using ecological site descriptions and state-and-transition models. These tools can classify ecosystem conditions, predict vegetative change, and inform management practices. By incorporating wildlife responses, land managers can minimize negative effects and enhance positive effects of disturbance on wildlife.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sakine Owjimehr, Ali Hussein Samadi
Summary: This study investigates the impact of globalization and economic complexity on the Energy Transition Index (ETI) and its sub-indices. It finds that globalization significantly influences energy transition at all levels, while economic complexity has a negative impact on TRI.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Siqing You, Han Zhao, Hongli Zhou, Chaoyu Zhang, Zican Li
Summary: Under China's goal of carbon neutrality, appropriate ecological governance is crucial for upgrading the industrial structure. A threshold effect was found in the study, highlighting the need to increase overall efforts for ecological governance. It was also observed that the governance intensity should be determined based on economic levels and local conditions, and the industrial structure gap among cities will gradually narrow.
Article
Ecology
Narendra Nelli, Diana Francis, Ricardo Fonseca, Olivier Masson, Mamadou Sow, Emmanuel Bosc
Summary: This study investigates the changes in the atmospheric electric field (Ez) during foggy conditions in the hyperarid region of the United Arab Emirates. The results show that as fog persists, Ez becomes more variable due to the absorption and redistribution of charges by the fog, which alters the ion balance and affects electrical conductivity in the atmosphere.
JOURNAL OF ARID ENVIRONMENTS
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Ezra Hadad, Amir Balaban, Jakub Z. Kosicki, Reuven Yosef
Summary: This study investigated whether the prey of striped hyenas has adapted to the change in the natural environment caused by human activities, particularly artificial light at night (ALAN). The results showed that ALAN had no impact on the diet or den distribution of the hyenas in central Israel. The study also found that domestic animals were the most common prey, and there were also some vegetative species in their diet. Overall, the feeding behavior of striped hyenas is influenced by geographical region, habitat, and human activities.
JOURNAL OF ARID ENVIRONMENTS
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Rahim Najafi Tireh Shabankareh, Pardis Ziaee, Mohammad Javad Abedini
Summary: This study evaluated the IMERG satellite-based precipitation product in the Fars province of Iran using daily rain gauges as reference data. The results showed that the product tends to overestimate light rainfall and underestimate heavy rainfall, with the best performance in the 40-80 mm/day range. The accuracy of the product varies by month and is less biased in months with milder temperatures. Additionally, there was a higher correlation in mid-elevated areas, positive bias in low-elevated areas, and negative bias in high-elevated areas. Longer time scales showed considerable improvement in the IMERG estimates.
JOURNAL OF ARID ENVIRONMENTS
(2024)
