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Agronomy
Special Issues
Utilization and Management of Grassland Ecosystems
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Utilization and Management of Grassland Ecosystems

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Agroecology Innovation: Achieving System Resilience".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2024 | Viewed by 4005

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Xiaoping Xin

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
Interests: grassland ecosystem observation; simulation and management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Ruirui Yan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
Interests: grassland ecosystem utilization and management
Dr. Dawei Xu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
Interests: grassland ecosystem monitoring
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Lijun Xu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
Interests: forage cultivation and management; improvement and cultivation of degraded grassland

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Grassland is an important terrestrial ecosystem on the surface of the earth. It is not only a huge green ecological barrier and terrestrial carbon pool, but also a grassland animal husbandry development base and food security guarantee. However, in recent years, with global climate warming and the intensification of human activities, grassland ecosystems are suffering from varying degrees of damage, making more than 90% of China's grassland degradation. Rational utilization and efficient management of grassland are one of the important measures to mitigate climate change and increase carbon sequestration and emission reduction activities. This Special Issue calls for original and novel papers on the utilization and management of grassland ecosystems and their current and future challenges by combining remote sensing, field experiments, multidisciplinary tools, and ecological models, to better understand the grassland ecosystem and the restoration of these degraded grasslands and practicing the concept of green development.

Prof. Dr. Xiaoping Xin
Dr. Ruirui Yan
Dr. Dawei Xu
Dr. Lijun Xu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agronomy is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • grassland
  • grazing
  • cutting
  • carbon–nitrogen cycle
  • biodiversity
  • livestock production
  • Intelligent grazing
  • modeling

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 5512 KiB  
Article
Impacts of Livestock Production on Grassland Grasshopper Disasters
by Sibo Liu, Meimei Chen, Ping Li, Taogetao Baoyin, Xiangyang Hou and Guomei Yin
Agronomy 2024, 14(4), 820; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14040820 - 15 Apr 2024
Viewed by 354
Abstract
Grasshopper disasters threaten grassland animal husbandry, and overgrazing is widely recognized as one of the main causes of locust infestation in grassland regions. However, the impact of overgrazing on grasshopper disasters remains unclear. To address this knowledge gap, this study interviewed 541 households [...] Read more.
Grasshopper disasters threaten grassland animal husbandry, and overgrazing is widely recognized as one of the main causes of locust infestation in grassland regions. However, the impact of overgrazing on grasshopper disasters remains unclear. To address this knowledge gap, this study interviewed 541 households living in locust-prone areas in Inner Mongolia, China. The generalized Poisson model and OLS regression examined the relationship between herders’ production behavior and locust disasters. The results showed that 42% of the herders had suffered from locusts more than three times over the past 15 years, with an average of 49 ha of grassland damaged per household. In addition, with the increase in grazing rates, the scale of locust disasters decreased before it increased. The results also showed that operating grassland areas and feeding forage reduced locust disasters significantly, while renting grassland areas and grazing rates worked oppositely. These results suggest that grazing intensity can make a significant difference in the occurrence of locust disasters. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Utilization and Management of Grassland Ecosystems)
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13 pages, 2071 KiB  
Article
Investigation into the Effects of Different Restoration Techniques on the Soil Nutrient Status in Degraded Stipa grandis Grassland
by Peiqing Zhang, Tianqi Yu, Dan Shan, Ruirui Yan, Lianyun Zhang, Junjie Wang and Qiqige Wuren
Agronomy 2024, 14(1), 57; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14010057 - 25 Dec 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 738
Abstract
The degradation and desertification of grassland ecosystems have garnered significant attention both domestically and internationally. Grassland restoration techniques are widely considered a principal measure to promote the sustainable utilization of grasslands, with soil nutrient content being a core indicator for assessing the effectiveness [...] Read more.
The degradation and desertification of grassland ecosystems have garnered significant attention both domestically and internationally. Grassland restoration techniques are widely considered a principal measure to promote the sustainable utilization of grasslands, with soil nutrient content being a core indicator for assessing the effectiveness of restoration in degraded grasslands. This study aims to explore the differential impacts of various grassland restoration methods on soil nutrient distribution in degraded Stipa grandis grasslands. Three major restoration methods, i.e., root cutting, enclosure, and fertilization, were applied in the study area. The soil nutrient content was measured and analyzed under the different restoration methods and at varying depths. The results revealed that under all three restoration methods and at different soil depths (0–10 cm, 10–20 cm, 20–30 cm), the organic matter, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen, alkali-hydrolyzable phosphorus, and available potassium contents were significantly higher than those in the control group (p < 0.05). Furthermore, as soil depth increased, the contents of organic matter and all nutrients gradually decreased. Specifically, regarding the contents of different nutrients, the order of organic matter, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen, and available phosphorus was as follows: fertilization > enclosure > root cutting > control, while the contents of total potassium and available potassium followed the sequence: fertilization > enclosure > control > root cutting. Additionally, based on the canonical correlation analysis (R2 = 0.88), the total phosphorus content in soil had the greatest impact on soil nutrients, while vegetation cover and plant height contributed the most to vegetation characteristics. In grassland restoration, the increase in soil total phosphorus led to higher vegetation cover and height, mildly influenced plant diversity and density, and simultaneously promoted biomass accumulation. These research findings provide a solid theoretical foundation for the application of grassland restoration techniques, contributing to the sustainable development of grassland ecosystems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Utilization and Management of Grassland Ecosystems)
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20 pages, 5224 KiB  
Article
Effects of Restoration Strategies on the Ion Distribution and Transport Characteristics of Medicago sativa in Saline–Alkali Soil
by Baole Yu, Lingling Chen and Taogetao Baoyin
Agronomy 2023, 13(12), 3028; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13123028 - 10 Dec 2023
Viewed by 944
Abstract
Studying the distribution and transport dynamics of cations in plants is crucial for understanding their response mechanisms to saline–alkali stress conditions. However, our current understanding of how restoration measures affect cation distribution and transport in plants is surprisingly limited. To address this gap, [...] Read more.
Studying the distribution and transport dynamics of cations in plants is crucial for understanding their response mechanisms to saline–alkali stress conditions. However, our current understanding of how restoration measures affect cation distribution and transport in plants is surprisingly limited. To address this gap, we conducted a split-plot experiment using Medicago sativa L. cv. “Zhongmu No. 1” to investigate the combined effects of biological and chemical restoration measures—with bio-fertilizer as the primary zone and flue gas desulfurization (FGD) gypsum and with humic acid as the secondary zone—on soil properties, plant growth, and the content, distribution, and transport of cations in plants. The results revealed that bio-fertilizers exhibited positive effects on the plant growth, yield, and translocation of key ionic components to leaves. On the contrary, FGD gypsum with humic acid reduced the soil’s pH level, exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP), and sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) while increasing the contents of K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+ in the soil. The combination of bio-fertilizer, FGD gypsum, and humic acid increased the biomass and enhanced the translocation of Mg2+ to leaves. The distribution and transport of Mg2+ within the plant constituted pivotal elements for enhancing plant growth through restoration strategies. The application of bio-fertilizer, FGD gypsum, and humic acid reduced Na+ transport in M. sativa by enhancing the selective absorption of beneficial ions in leaves and by facilitating the transport of Ca2+ and Mg2+ from stems to the leaves. This, in turn, increases the salt tolerance of plants and promotes their growth. Our results offer new insights into the interactions among measures, soil, and plants in saline–alkali land restoration, providing practical solutions for the restoration of saline–alkali soil. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Utilization and Management of Grassland Ecosystems)
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13 pages, 2072 KiB  
Article
Impacts of Grazing Disturbance on Soil Nitrogen Component Contents and Storages in a Leymus chinensis Meadow Steppe
by Sisi Chen, Miao Wang, Chu Zhang, Tianqi Yu, Xiaoping Xin, Keyu Bai, Xiaoyu Zhu and Ruirui Yan
Agronomy 2023, 13(6), 1574; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13061574 - 09 Jun 2023
Viewed by 1375
Abstract
Long-term grazing leads to soil degradation in Inner Mongolia grassland. Based on the Hulunbeier meadow steppe, the variation characteristics of soil nitrogen content and storage in soil layers between 0–40 cm, under six different grazing intensities, and the response of vegetation and other [...] Read more.
Long-term grazing leads to soil degradation in Inner Mongolia grassland. Based on the Hulunbeier meadow steppe, the variation characteristics of soil nitrogen content and storage in soil layers between 0–40 cm, under six different grazing intensities, and the response of vegetation and other physical and chemical properties of soil to grazing were studied. The main results were as follows: (1) Moderate grazing increased soil total nitrogen (TN), soluble total nitrogen (STN) and microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN) contents, while heavy grazing decreased MBN content. In the year with more rain, heavy grazing increased nitrate nitrogen (NO3−-N) content and storage, while less rain increased ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N) content. (2) The proportion of 0–40 cm nitrogen components showed an upward trend in the year with more rain, and the opposite in the years with less rainfall with the increase of grazing intensity. Soil soluble organic nitrogen (SON) and NO3−-N storages decreased and MBN storage increased in rainy years. (3) Soil nitrogen component contents and storages were correlated with plant growth status, soil moisture (SM) and soil bulk density (SBD), and were significantly negatively correlated with soil temperature (ST) and pH (p < 0.05). The content and storage of soil nitrogen were affected by grazing, soil, vegetation, meteorological and other environmental factors. Moderate grazing was more conducive to the improvement of soil nitrogen storage capacity and the healthy development of grassland. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Utilization and Management of Grassland Ecosystems)
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