Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Martin Freitag, Johannes Kamp, Andrey Dara, Tobias Kuemmerle, Tatyana V. Sidorova, Ingrid A. Stirnemann, Frederike Velbert, Norbert Hoelzel
Summary: After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, decreased grazing pressure and increased fire frequency in Kazakhstan's dry steppe region led to changes in plant functional composition. Areas with high cover of grasses with high leaf dry matter content were more prone to fires, while higher grazing pressure favored the growth of woody forbs and ruderal plants with high specific leaf area.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Alyona Koshkina, Martin Freitag, Irina Grigoryeva, Norbert Hoelzel, Ingrid Stirnemann, Frederike Velbert, Johannes Kamp
Summary: This study investigated the habitat preferences of yellow ground squirrels in Kazakhstan and found that they prefer areas with high plant species richness and nitrogen-rich plants. Moderate grazing and rare fire occurrence contribute to the higher density of yellow ground squirrels.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Tomas Hamrik, Nikolett Galle-Szpisjak, Peter Batary, Robert Galle
Summary: Despite the importance of forest-steppes in nature conservation, there is limited information on the contribution of different habitats to arthropod conservation. We investigated the effects of habitat type and landscape heterogeneity on spider diversity in the forest-steppes, and found that grasslands, forest edges, and forest interiors each had distinct community compositions and species traits. The increasing amount of forests positively affected species richness in grasslands but negatively in forest edges and interiors.
INSECT CONSERVATION AND DIVERSITY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Gabor Sramko, Andras Kosztolanyi, Levente Laczko, Rita Racz, Lajos Szatmari, Zoltan Varga, Zoltan Barta
Summary: This study provides a range-wide phylogeography of the flightless steppe beetle Lethrus apterus in the Eurasian Steppe belt, revealing a west-to-east colonization pattern that contradicts previous assumptions of east-to-west colonization.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Zihe Zhang, Jirui Gong, Xiaobing Li, Yong Ding, Biao Wang, Jiayu Shi, Min Liu, Bo Yang
Summary: Overgrazing is the main cause of grassland degradation and reduced productivity in northern China, with the restoration of degraded grasslands depending on optimal grazing regimes to promote rapid compensatory growth. Studying the effects of different grazing intensities on plant carbon assimilation, partitioning, and hormone regulation, it was found that S. grandis can optimize source-sink relationships and carbon allocation to support regrowth after grazing.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Krystof Chytry, Helena Prokesova, Mario Duchon, Klara Klinkovska, Pavel Novak, Milan Chytry, Jan Divisek
Summary: The geological substrate significantly affects the distribution of plant species in forest-steppe landscapes. The edge effect is observed on hard rocks, while it is absent on loess. Loess sites have lower species turnover between forest and steppe and fewer edge specialists.
JOURNAL OF VEGETATION SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Anthropology
Wenxin Zhang, Qun Zhang, Kathleen McSweeney, Tao Han, Xingyu Man, Shiyu Yang, Long Wang, Hong Zhu, Quanchao Zhang, Qian Wang
Summary: This study analyzed cranial trauma to discuss the pattern of violence experienced by populations belonging to the Subeixi culture in conflict zones. Results showed that about 16.3% of individuals exhibited violence-induced traumatic lesions, with most injuries occurring perimortem and women and children being more involved in conflict compared to other populations.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Barbora Gajdarova, Elisa Belotti, Ludek Bufka, Martin Dul'a, Oddmund Kleven, Miroslav Kutal, Janis Ozolins, Carsten Nowak, Tobias E. Reiners, Branislav Tam, Josefa Volfova, Jarmila Krojerova-Prokesova
Summary: By using microsatellite genotyping, it was found that dispersing male Eurasian lynx can be successfully assigned to different source populations in Europe, and they have undertaken very long-distance movements in Central Europe. This highlights the importance of creating and protecting potential migratory corridors in human-dominated landscapes to facilitate the movements of these iconic predators for their conservation in Central Europe.
CONSERVATION GENETICS
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Parker J. Ellingson, William H. Barnett, Daniel Kueh, Alex Vargas, Ronald L. Calabrese, Gennady S. Cymbalyuk
Summary: The study investigates whether the comodulation of two currents could have advantages over a single current in controlling functional bursting patterns of a CPG. The research demonstrates that comodulation of the Na+/K+ pump current and h-current expands the range of functional bursting activity, avoiding transitions into nonfunctional regimes.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Shirko Shokri, Abbas Jafari, Korous Rabei, Ehsan Hadipour, Hossein Alinejad, Thorsten Zeppenfeld, Mobin Soufi, Ali Qashqaei, Mohsen Ahmadpour, Bahram Zehzad, Bahram H. Kiabi, Chris R. Pavey, Niko Balkenhol, Matthias Waltert, Mahmood Soofi
Summary: Large ungulate populations, such as the Caspian red deer in Iran, are declining due to heavy poaching and competition with livestock. The number of ranger stations is the key factor influencing population abundance, with most extirpation and range loss occurring in the periphery of its distribution. Our study highlights the importance of increased law enforcement and habitat quality improvement to prevent extinction of this species.
BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Odbayar Tumendemberel, Sarah A. Hendricks, Paul A. Hohenlohe, Jack Sullivan, Andreas Zedrosser, Mona Saebo, Michael F. Proctor, John L. Koprowski, Lisette P. Waits
Summary: Phylogeographic studies using whole-genome sequencing reveal the genetic differentiation and evolutionary history of brown bears worldwide, providing crucial insights for conservation. The study identified unique evolutionary lineages of brown bears in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia and the Himalayas of Pakistan, which showed low genetic diversity and high levels of inbreeding. Furthermore, the effective population size of brown bears has been decreasing over the past 70,000 years. These findings confirm the importance of conserving the genetically distinct and ancient brown bear subspecies in these regions.
Article
Ecology
Jeremias Goetz, Om P. Rajora, Oliver Gailing
Summary: Plant populations at the leading edge of the species' native range often exhibit genetic structure as a result of genetic drift and adaptation. This study examines the genetic structure of northern red oak populations, finding pronounced genetic differentiation between island and mainland/peninsular populations. Additionally, strong fine-scale spatial genetic structure is observed in all locations, with more pronounced structure in colder and drier regions. The study suggests that the harsh environment of leading edge populations influences population density and seed shadow overlapping, leading to the observed patterns of genetic structure.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Alyson C. Van Natto, Christopher G. Eckert
Summary: The debate over the conservation value of peripheral populations continues, with emphasis on genetic variation and adaptability. In Canada, southern-edge populations are more susceptible to conservation issues compared to those at the northern range limit, indicating a potential higher conservation priority for southern-edge populations.
CONSERVATION GENETICS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Richard G. Silcock
Summary: This study evaluates the influence of soil factors on early seedling growth rate of buffel grass in 20 different soils in south western Queensland, Australia. It finds that available soil phosphorus has the major influence on seedling growth, while levels of exchangeable aluminum and calcium also play critical roles.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Helge Bruelheide, Florian Jansen, Ute Jandt, Markus Bernhardt-Roemermann, Aletta Bonn, Diana Bowler, Juergen Dengler, David Eichenberg, Volker Grescho, David Harter, Matthias Jugelt, Simon Kellner, Martin Ludwig, Karsten Wesche, Silke Luett
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2020)
Editorial Material
Biology
Solomon Sebuliba, Karsten Wesche, Willi E. R. Xylander
Article
Plant Sciences
Julian Ahlborn, Karsten Wesche, Birgit Lang, Munkhzul Oyunbileg, Batlai Oyuntsetseg, Christine Roemermann, Neil French Collier, Henrik von Wehrden
Summary: The study found that biomass production in drylands is more vulnerable to changes in precipitation variability and grazing intensities in relatively moist and productive rangelands than in dry and unproductive ones. The results showed that biomass was negatively correlated with grazing intensity and positively correlated with species richness, with different responses between years due to variable precipitation. Additionally, different plant functional groups had contrasting responses to grazing and precipitation.
APPLIED VEGETATION SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Khurelpurev Oyundelger, Veit Herklotz, Doerte Harpke, Batlai Oyuntsetseg, Karsten Wesche, Christiane M. Ritz
Summary: The study found that the genetic diversity of Artemisia frigida in Mongolia is high, increasing with precipitation and soil nutrient availability and unaffected by grazing. Different levels of grazing intensity and geographic locations did not lead to significant genetic differentiation, indicating considerable gene flow among populations of A. frigida.
CONSERVATION GENETICS
(2021)
Editorial Material
Biodiversity Conservation
Helge Bruelheide, Florian Jansen, Ute Jandt, Markus Bernhardt-Roemermann, Aletta Bonn, Diana Bowler, Juergen Dengler, David Eichenberg, Volker Grescho, Simon Kellner, Reinhard A. Klenke, Silke Luett, Lina Luettgert, Francesco Maria Sabatini, Karsten Wesche
Summary: Christensen et al. criticized the use of Beals' index for adjusting incomplete species lists when comparing repeated surveys, arguing that it systematically underestimates biodiversity change. However, their criticism is unfounded for species sufficiently represented in the reference data set.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
J. Lorenz, R. Heinrich, A. Schneider, M. Schwager, V Herklotz, K. Wesche, C. M. Ritz
Summary: Population genetic and ecological data can aid in controlling invasive plants, which may have high genetic diversity due to extensive propagule pressure. Genetic analysis of invasive Spiraea tomentosa populations in Germany and Poland revealed high genetic diversity and structure, with populations spreading through sexual reproduction over 13 years. Despite negative effects on native plant diversity, invasive Spiraea populations in forest habitats may decline with increased canopy cover.
Article
Plant Sciences
Shukherdorj Baasanmunkh, Batlai Oyuntsetseg, Chuluunkhuyag Oyundari, Khurelpurev Oyundelger, Magsar Urgamal, Davaajav Darikhand, Nergui Soninkhishig, Dashzeveg Nyambayar, Khurelbaatar Khaliunaa, Zagarjav Tsegmed, Alexey A. Kechaykin, Alexander I. Shmakov, Andrey S. Erst, Nikolai Friesen, Christiane M. Ritz, Karsten Wesche, Hyeok Jae Choi
Summary: The Dzungarian Gobi region in Mongolia is rich in vascular plant diversity, with a total of 913 vascular plant taxa, including 19 endemic species and 96 threatened species. The study identified 21 newly discovered species and assessed 8 rare species. The most diverse hotspot area was found to be the Baitag Bogd Mountain area.
Article
Ecology
John-Oliver Engler, Karsten Wesche, Petra Kaczensky, Prabesh Dhakal, Oyundari Chuluunkhuyag, Henrik von Wehrden
Summary: The study found that in the southern Gobi of Mongolia, both biophysical and politico-economic factors were important determinants of livestock numbers, with the politico-economic singularity of 1992 being the largest driver of livestock dynamics during the period investigated.
ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Francesco Maria Sabatini, Jonathan Lenoir, Tarek Hattab, Elise Aimee Arnst, Milan Chytry, Juergen Dengler, Patrice De Ruffray, Stephan M. Hennekens, Ute Jandt, Florian Jansen, Borja Jimenez-Alfaro, Jens Kattge, Aurora Levesley, Valerio D. Pillar, Oliver Purschke, Brody Sandel, Fahmida Sultana, Tsipe Aavik, Svetlana Acic, Alicia T. R. Acosta, Emiliano Agrillo, Miguel Alvarez, Iva Apostolova, Mohammed A. S. Arfin Khan, Luzmila Arroyo, Fabio Attorre, Isabelle Aubin, Arindam Banerjee, Marijn Bauters, Yves Bergeron, Erwin Bergmeier, Idoia Biurrun, Anne D. Bjorkman, Gianmaria Bonari, Viktoria Bondareva, Jorg Brunet, Andraz Carni, Laura Casella, Luis Cayuela, Tomas Cerny, Victor Chepinoga, Janos Csiky, Renata Custerevska, Els De Bie, Andre Luis de Gasper, Michele De Sanctis, Panayotis Dimopoulos, Jiri Dolezal, Tetiana Dziuba, Mohamed Abd El-Rouf Mousa El-Sheikh, Brian Enquist, Joerg Ewald, Farideh Fazayeli, Richard Field, Manfred Finckh, Sophie Gachet, Antonio Galan-de-Mera, Emmanuel Garbolino, Hamid Gholizadeh, Melisa Giorgis, Valentin Golub, Inger Greve Alsos, John-Arvid Grytnes, Gregory Richard Guerin, Alvaro G. Gutierrez, Sylvia Haider, Mohamed Z. Hatim, Bruno Herault, Guillermo Hinojos Mendoza, Norbert Hoelzel, Juergen Homeier, Wannes Hubau, Adrian Indreica, John A. M. Janssen, Birgit Jedrzejek, Anke Jentsch, Norbert Juergens, Zygmunt Kacki, Jutta Kapfer, Dirk Nikolaus Karger, Ali Kavgaci, Elizabeth Kearsley, Michael Kessler, Larisa Khanina, Timothy Killeen, Andrey Korolyuk, Holger Kreft, Hjalmar S. Kuehl, Anna Kuzemko, Flavia Landucci, Attila Lengyel, Frederic Lens, Debora Vanessa Lingner, Hongyan Liu, Tatiana Lysenko, Miguel D. Mahecha, Corrado Marceno, Vasiliy Martynenko, Jesper Erenskjold Moeslund, Abel Monteagudo Mendoza, Ladislav Mucina, Jonas V. Muller, Jerome Munzinger, Alireza Naqinezhad, Jalil Noroozi, Arkadiusz Nowak, Viktor Onyshchenko, Gerhard E. Overbeck, Meelis Partel, Anibal Pauchard, Robert K. Peet, Josep Penuelas, Aaron Perez-Haase, Tomas Peterka, Petr Petrik, Gwendolyn Peyre, Oliver L. Phillips, Vadim Prokhorov, Valerijus Rasomavicius, Rasmus Revermann, Gonzalo Rivas-Torres, John S. Rodwell, Eszter Ruprecht, Solvita Rusina, Cyrus Samimi, Marco Schmidt, Franziska Schrodt, Hanhuai Shan, Pavel Shirokikh, Jozef Sibik, Urban Silc, Petr Sklenar, Zeljko Skvorc, Ben Sparrow, Marta Gaia Sperandii, Zvjezdana Stancic, Jens-Christian Svenning, Zhiyao Tang, Cindy Q. Tang, Ioannis Tsiripidis, Kim Andre Vanselow, Rodolfo Vasquez Martinez, Kiril Vassilev, Eduardo Velez-Martin, Roberto Venanzoni, Alexander Christian Vibrans, Cyrille Violle, Risto Virtanen, Henrik von Wehrden, Viktoria Wagner, Donald A. Walker, Donald M. Waller, Hua-Feng Wang, Karsten Wesche, Timothy J. S. Whitfeld, Wolfgang Willner, Susan K. Wiser, Thomas Wohlgemuth, Sergey Yamalov, Martin Zobel, Helge Bruelheide
Summary: Assessing global biodiversity status and trends in plant communities is essential for understanding the impact of global change on ecosystems. The sPlotOpen dataset, compiled through resampling vegetation plots and obtaining permissions from data holders, provides valuable information for exploring global plant community diversity, remote sensing applications, and biodiversity monitoring.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Idoia Biurrun, Remigiusz Pielech, Iwona Dembicz, Francois Gillet, Lukasz Kozub, Corrado Marceno, Triin Reitalu, Koenraad Van Meerbeek, Riccardo Guarino, Milan Chytry, Robin J. Pakeman, Zdenka Preislerova, Irena Axmanova, Sabina Burrascano, Sandor Bartha, Steffen Boch, Hans Henrik Bruun, Timo Conradi, Pieter De Frenne, Franz Essl, Goffredo Filibeck, Michal Hajek, Borja Jimenez-Alfaro, Anna Kuzemko, Zsolt Molnar, Meelis Partel, Ricarda Patsch, Honor C. Prentice, Jan Rolecek, Laura M. E. Sutcliffe, Massimo Terzi, Manuela Winkler, Jianshuang Wu, Svetlana Acic, Alicia T. R. Acosta, Elias Afif, Munemitsu Akasaka, Juha M. Alatalo, Michele Aleffi, Alla Aleksanyan, Arshad Ali, Iva Apostolova, Parvaneh Ashouri, Zoltan Batori, Esther Baumann, Thomas Becker, Elena Belonovskaya, Jose Luis Benito Alonso, Asun Berastegi, Ariel Bergamini, Kuber Prasad Bhatta, Ilaria Bonini, Marc-Olivier Buchler, Vasyl Budzhak, Alvaro Bueno, Fabrizio Buldrini, Juan Antonio Campos, Laura Cancellieri, Marta Carboni, Tobias Ceulemans, Alessandro Chiarucci, Cristina Chocarro, Luisa Conti, Anna Maria Csergo, Beata Cykowska-Marzencka, Marta Czarniecka-Wiera, Marta Czarnocka-Cieciura, Patryk Czortek, Jiri Danihelka, Francesco Bello, Balazs Deak, Laszlo Demeter, Lei Deng, Martin Diekmann, Jiri Dolezal, Christian Dolnik, Pavel Drevojan, Cecilia Dupre, Klaus Ecker, Hamid Ejtehadi, Brigitta Erschbamer, Javier Etayo, Jonathan Etzold, Tunde Farkas, Mohammad Farzam, George Fayvush, Maria Rosa Fernandez Calzado, Manfred Finckh, Wendy Fjellstad, Georgios Fotiadis, Daniel Garcia-Magro, Itziar Garcia-Mijangos, Rosario G. Gavilan, Markus Germany, Sahar Ghafari, Gian Pietro Giusso del Galdo, John-Arvid Grytnes, Behlul Guler, Alba Gutierrez-Giron, Aveliina Helm, Mercedes Herrera, Elisabeth M. Hullbusch, Nele Ingerpuu, Annika K. Jaegerbrand, Ute Jandt, Monika Janisova, Philippe Jeanneret, Florian Jeltsch, Kai Jensen, Anke Jentsch, Zygmunt Kacki, Kaoru Kakinuma, Jutta Kapfer, Mansoureh Kargar, Andras Kelemen, Kathrin Kiehl, Philipp Kirschner, Asuka Koyama, Nancy Langer, Lorenzo Lazzaro, Jan Leps, Ching-Feng Li, Frank Yonghong Li, Diego Liendo, Regina Lindborg, Swantje Loebel, Angela Lomba, Zdenka Lososova, Pavel Lustyk, Arantzazu L. Luzuriaga, Wenhong Ma, Simona Maccherini, Martin Magnes, Marek Malicki, Michael Manthey, Constantin Mardari, Felix May, Helmut Mayrhofer, Eliane Seraina Meier, Farshid Memariani, Kristina Merunkova, Ottar Michelsen, Joaquin Molero Mesa, Halime Moradi, Ivan Moysiyenko, Michele Mugnai, Alireza Naqinezhad, Rayna Natcheva, Josep M. Ninot, Marcin Nobis, Jalil Noroozi, Arkadiusz Nowak, Vladimir Onipchenko, Salza Palpurina, Harald Pauli, Hristo Pedashenko, Christian Pedersen, Robert K. Peet, Aaron Perez-Haase, Jan Peters, Natasa Pipenbaher, Chrisoula Pirini, Eulalia Pladevall-Izard, Zuzana Pleskova, Giovanna Potenza, Soroor Rahmanian, Maria Pilar Rodriguez-Rojo, Vladimir Ronkin, Leonardo Rosati, Eszter Ruprecht, Solvita Rusina, Marko Sabovljevic, Anvar Sanaei, Ana M. Sanchez, Francesco Santi, Galina Savchenko, Maria Teresa Sebastia, Dariia Shyriaieva, Vasco Silva, Sonja Skornik, Eva Smerdova, Judit Sonkoly, Marta Gaia Sperandii, Monika Staniaszek-Kik, Carly Stevens, Simon Stifter, Sigrid Suchrow, Grzegorz Swacha, Sebastian Swierszcz, Amir Talebi, Balazs Teleki, Lubomir Tichy, Csaba Tolgyesi, Marta Torca, Peter Torok, Nadezda Tsarevskaya, Ioannis Tsiripidis, Ingrid Turisova, Atushi Ushimaru, Orsolya Valko, Carmen Van Mechelen, Thomas Vanneste, Iuliia Vasheniak, Kiril Vassilev, Daniele Viciani, Luis Villar, Risto Virtanen, Ivana Vitasovic-Kosic, Andras Vojtko, Denys Vynokurov, Emelie Walden, Yun Wang, Frank Weiser, Lu Wen, Karsten Wesche, Hannah White, Stefan Widmer, Sebastian Wolfrum, Anna Wrobel, Zuoqiang Yuan, David Zeleny, Liqing Zhao, Jurgen Dengler
Summary: Understanding fine-grain diversity patterns in Palaearctic open habitats is crucial for macroecological research and biodiversity conservation. This study used the GrassPlot database to provide benchmarks of richness values for vascular plants, bryophytes, lichens, and complete vegetation, revealing differences in plant diversity patterns across vegetation types and biomes. The GrassPlot Diversity Benchmarks offer valuable data for vegetation ecology, macroecology, and biodiversity conservation, serving as a complementary data source in macroecology despite having a smaller spatial coverage compared to other databases.
JOURNAL OF VEGETATION SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jennifer Reinecke, Kseniia Ashastina, Frank Kienast, Elena Troeva, Karsten Wesche
Summary: Research indicates that current grazing has limited effects on vegetation in northeastern Siberia, and current rewilding practices are still far from recreating a mammoth steppe ecosystem.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Batnyambuu Dashpurev, Karsten Wesche, Yun Jaeschke, Khurelpurev Oyundelger, Thanh Noi Phan, Joerg Bendix, Lukas W. Lehnert
Summary: The study used machine learning and multiple image data to analyze the spatial distribution of plant functional groups in the eastern steppes of Mongolia. The results showed that the overall accuracies of UAV classification were 91-95%, while those of PlanetScope were 78-95%. Integrating UAV data into PlanetScope data effectively minimized the scale issue that often hinders classification. The findings revealed that wildfires impact the composition of plant functional groups and increasing bare ground cover leads to diverse and patchy mosaic of vegetation types.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Khurelpurev Oyundelger, Doerte Harpke, Veit Herklotz, Elena Troeva, Zhenzhen Zheng, Zheng Li, Batlai Oyuntsetseg, Viktoria Wagner, Karsten Wesche, Christiane M. Ritz
Summary: Artemisia frigida originated in Asia, spread northwards to the Far East and then to North America, showing genetic differentiation and polyploidy variation among different geographic populations. Two populations in Kazakhstan are the most likely ancestral diploids, with subsequent polyploidization occurring independently multiple times. Paleoclimatic fluctuations may have had a more profound impact on the spatial genetic structure and distribution of A. frigida than current environmental conditions, as revealed by weak correlations between genetic distance, geographical distance, and climatic conditions.
JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Ecology
Oyunbileg Munkhzul, Khurelpurev Oyundelger, Naidan Narantuya, Indree Tuvshintogtokh, Batlai Oyuntsetseg, Karsten Wesche, Yun Jaeschke
Summary: The study found that grazing in Mongolian steppes has different degrees of impact on vegetation in different types of grasslands, with desert, dry, and high mountain steppes experiencing more significant effects, while meadow and mountain steppes are less affected. Additionally, the research suggests that grazing has a more pronounced effect on vegetation biomass in areas with higher annual precipitation, and the impact of grazing on vegetation cover may change from negative to positive as elevation increases.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Heike Culmsee, Boris Evers, Tobias Leikauf, Karsten Wesche
Summary: Military training areas have high conservation value due to their unique habitat patterns and importance for breeding bird populations. Preserving and restoring semi-open landscapes in these areas is essential for the conservation of keystone species and should be a policy priority under the EU Common Agricultural Policy.