Grazing by Tibetan Sheep Enhances Soil Bacterial and Fungal Diversity in Cold Season Pastures of Alpine Meadows on the Northern Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau

Wang, Lin; Yu, Xiaojing; Xu, Chuncheng; Jing, Yuanyuan; Song, Meijuan

doi:10.1007/s42729-022-00819-7

Cited by 12 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 79 publications

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“…As the consequences of the reduction of niche width (r of zero-order Pearson correlation between niche width and microbial composition = −0.97 to −0.99), bacterial and fungal communities under grazed were distinct from those under the ungrazed ( Rong et al, 2022 ; Wang L. et al, 2022 ). Interestingly, shifts in bacterial composition could be driven by the soil’s physical environment and available elements ( Supplementary Figures 6A, C, 7E ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A large body of field experiments and meta-analyses have been carried out to measure the influences of grazing on the soil’s physical environment, available elements, and element limitations ( Zhang et al, 2018a ; Chai et al, 2019 ; Fenetahun et al, 2021 ; Liu et al, 2022 ; Van Syoc et al, 2022 ; Wang L. et al, 2022 ). Grazing could decrease soil porosity ( Tang et al, 2019 ) and increase soil bulk density ( Binkley et al, 2003 ; Davidson et al, 2017 ; Zhang et al, 2018b ; Sun et al, 2019 ; Lai and Kumar, 2020 ; Fenetahun et al, 2021 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although increasing numbers of studies have reported the influences of grazing on soil’s physical environment, available elements ( Fenetahun et al, 2021 ; Wang L. et al, 2022 ), and element limitations ( Liu et al, 2022 ), studies about the effects of grazing on the microbial community compositions and the microbial networks are relatively scant ( Magalí et al, 2019 ). Although evidence is mounting that dissecting the relative importance of plants and soils for the impact of the microbiome ( Ding et al, 2020 ; Chen et al, 2021 ), the linkages of soil physical environment, available elements, and element limitations with the niche width, structure, function, and network of soil microorganism remain relatively scarce, which hinders our understanding of the mechanisms by which grazing changes the soil microorganisms.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Grazing lowers soil multifunctionality but boosts soil microbial network complexity and stability in a subtropical grassland of China

Ding

Tian

et al. 2023

Front. Microbiol.

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IntroductionLong-term grazing profoundly affects grassland ecosystems, whereas how the soil microbiome and multiple soil ecosystem functions alter in response to two-decades of grazing, especially how soil microbiome (diversity, composition, network complexity, and stability) forms soil multifunctionality is rarely addressed.MethodsWe used a long-term buffalo grazing grassland to measure the responses of soil physicochemical attributes, stoichiometry, enzyme activities, soil microbial niche width, structure, functions, and networks to grazing in a subtropical grassland of Guizhou Plateau, China.ResultsThe evidence from this work suggested that grazing elevated the soil hardness, available calcium content, and available magnesium content by 6.5, 1.9, and 1.9 times (p = 0.00015–0.0160) and acid phosphatase activity, bulk density, pH by 59, 8, and 0.5 unit (p = 0.0014–0.0370), but decreased the soil water content, available phosphorus content, and multifunctionality by 47, 73, and 9–21% (p = 0.0250–0.0460), respectively. Grazing intensified the soil microbial carbon limitation (+78%, p = 0.0260) as indicated by the increased investment in the soil β-glucosidase activity (+90%, p = 0.0120). Grazing enhanced the complexity and stability of the bacterial and fungal networks but reduced the bacterial Simpson diversity (p < 0.05). The bacterial diversity, network complexity, and stability had positive effects, while bacterial and fungal compositions had negative effects on multifunctionality.DiscussionsThis work is an original attempt to show that grazing lowered multifunctionality via the reduced bacterial diversity and shifted soil bacterial and fungal compositions rather than the enhanced bacterial and fungal network complexities and stability by grazing. Protecting the bacterial diversity from decreasing, optimizing the composition of bacteria and fungi, and enhancing the complexity and stability of bacterial network may be conducive to improving the soil multifunction of grazing grassland, on a subtropical grassland.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Grazing lowers soil multifunctionality but boosts soil microbial network complexity and stability in a subtropical grassland of China

Ding

Tian

et al. 2023

Front. Microbiol.

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“…In addition, the reduced plant height may also be a grazing avoidance mechanism developed by K. humilis in response to long term foraging. Although grazing yaks in cold season pasture feed on withered vegetation from forage grass to survive, the loss of yak manure and greater trampling intensity also lead to soil nutrient deficiencies and soil structural damage (Table 2), reduce the number and diversity of beneficial microorganisms in the soil (Wang et al, 2022), which have a profound impact on the soil over time (Yang C. et al, 2019). These conditions have altered K. humilis morphology, forcing K. humilis to adopt a tolerance strategy, choosing to reduce plant height to accommodate reduced soil quality and greater trampling intensity (Zhang et al, 2020).…”

Section: Morphological Changes Of K Humilis In Response To Individual...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of Grazing Treatments on Phenotypic and Reproductive Plasticity of Kobresia humilis in Alpine Meadows of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Wang

Jing

et al. 2022

Front. Environ. Sci.

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Plant phenotypic and reproductive plasticity is strongly influenced by long-term grazing activities. It is important to understand the life history of dominant plant species, such as Kobresia humilis of alpine meadow, for the stability and sustainable grazing administration meadow on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP). We compared the effects of different grazing treatments (grazing yak, Y; grazing Tibetan sheep, S; and grazing Tibetan sheep and yak, S+Y) on the reproductive and phenotypic plasticity of K. humilis in an alpine meadows on the northeastern margin of the Qilian Mountains in China. The results showed that different grazing treatments had significantly effects on the K. humilis phenotype and reproductive plasticity. The Y treatment significantly reduced the plant height, crown width and K. humilis biomass, but increased the density, which was 1.27 and 1.53 times higher than that in the S+Y and S treatments, respectively. Further, the S+Y treatment significantly increased the crown width, biomass, and future life expectancy of K. humilis. Whereas the S treatment increased the height of K. humilis significantly, which was 1.57 and 1.10 times higher than that in the Y and S+Y treatments, respectively. Both Y and S treatments significantly increased the sexual reproduction efficacy of K. humilis but reduced the storage efficacy. The storage efficacy at S+Y treatment was highest among these treatments. Further, grazing treatments did not change the resource allocation strategy of K. humilis, while the sexual reproductive efficacy was significantly higher than the vegetative reproduction efficacy. The storage efficacy was significantly higher than the growth efficacy among the different grazing treatments. The increase of Cyperaceae indicates the degradation of Cyperaceae—Poaceae meadows. This study showed that grazing Tibetan sheep is a more sustainable grazing method in cold season pastures of alpine meadows on the QTP.

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“…In addition, the species of grazing livestock is also the main factor affecting grassland microbial diversity. Wang, Yu, et al (2022) determined that the Shannon and Chao1 indexes of soil bacteria in the sheep alone grazing plots are significantly higher than that in the plots of sheep and yak ( Bos grunniens ) mixed grazing and yak alone, and the Shannon of soil fungi in the sheep and yak mixed plot is significantly higher than the sheep and yak alone plot. The available nutrient content in soil is closely related to bacteria, and the reproduction and growth of the bacterial community depend on the level of nutrients (Wang et al, 2018; Zeng et al, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Response of soil microbial α‐diversity to grazing in grassland ecosystems: A meta‐analysis

Yang,

Song,

Hou

et al. 2023

Land Degrad Dev

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Grazing is one of the most important forms of terrestrial use, and the soil microbial community plays an important role in nutrient cycling and biodiversity maintenance of grazing grassland, but the response of soil bacterial and fungal communities α‐diversity to grazing and the potential mechanisms of grazing‐induced soil microbial change have not been well synthesized. We conducted a meta‐analysis of 87 pairs of globally distributed observations from 35 published papers to investigate the response of the soil microbial community to grazing and the underlying mechanisms. Our results showed that light grazing increased the soil bacterial community Shannon index by 2.4%, but the soil fungal Shannon index decreased by 21.4%. Yak (Bos grunniens) grazing significantly increased the soil bacterial and fungal Shannon index by 1.5% and 11.3%, respectively. Grazing duration of 5–10 years increased the soil bacterial Chao1 index by 9.1% and fungal Chao1 and evenness indexes by 11.3% and 30.4%, respectively. In areas with <400 mm of precipitation, grazing decreased the soil bacterial Simpson index, and in areas of ≥400 mm, grazing also reduced the soil bacterial Simpson and increased the fungal richness and evenness. A linear analysis between soil microbial α‐diversity indexes and other related variables showed that soil bacterial and fungal communities α‐diversity and abundance under grazing conditions were significantly and positively correlated with grassland vegetation, soil pH, soil water content (SWC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), organic carbon (SOC), and nitrate nitrogen (NO3−‐N), suggesting that changes in microbial communities were the combined result of grazing‐induced vegetation and soil changes. Our results revealed the effects of grazing on soil bacterial and fungal α‐diversity and their underlying mechanisms, which provide a basis for advocating moderate grazing and studying grassland management practices.

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Grazing by Tibetan Sheep Enhances Soil Bacterial and Fungal Diversity in Cold Season Pastures of Alpine Meadows on the Northern Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau

Cited by 12 publications

References 79 publications

Grazing lowers soil multifunctionality but boosts soil microbial network complexity and stability in a subtropical grassland of China

Grazing lowers soil multifunctionality but boosts soil microbial network complexity and stability in a subtropical grassland of China

Effect of Grazing Treatments on Phenotypic and Reproductive Plasticity of Kobresia humilis in Alpine Meadows of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Response of soil microbial α‐diversity to grazing in grassland ecosystems: A meta‐analysis

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