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Library Can edaphic factors demonstrate landscape-scale differences in vegetation responses to grazing

Can edaphic factors demonstrate landscape-scale differences in vegetation responses to grazing

Can edaphic factors demonstrate landscape-scale differences in vegetation responses to grazing

Resource information

Date of publication
December 2008
Resource Language
ISBN / Resource ID
AGRIS:US201300829433
Pages
51-66

We focused on land units as landscape characteristics and selected seven typical land units on a land catena comprising two areas of southern Mongolia. Hierarchical analysis was used to test the hypothesis that a land unit's edaphic factors could explain the differences in vegetation responses to grazing. We established the survey sites at increasing distances from a livestock camp or water point within each land unit, then analysed patterns of change in floristic and functional compositions, vegetation volume and soil properties within each land unit to reveal differences in vegetation responses to grazing. We also examined the variations in floristic and functional compositions across land units to identify the edaphic factors that may underlie these differences. Changes in vegetation and soil properties at increasing distances from a camp or water point within each land unit were into three different patterns. Ordination techniques consistently indicated that land unit groups categorised using edaphic factors corresponded to those categorised using response patterns. Our study revealed that edaphic factors were responsible for the observed landscape-scale differences in vegetation responses to grazing in the study areas. In addition, the mechanisms underlying vegetation responses to grazing may have been primarily determined by edaphic factors.

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Authors and Publishers

Author(s), editor(s), contributor(s)

Sasaki, Takehiro
Okayasu, Tomoo
Shirato, Yasuhito
Jamsran, Undarmaa
Okubo, Satoru
Takeuchi, Kazuhiko

Publisher(s)
Data Provider
Geographical focus