We evaluated the effects of livestock grazing on C content of the plant-soil system (to 60 cm) of two semi-arid grasslands: a mixed-grass prairie (grazed 12 years), and a short-grass steppe (grazed 56 years). Grazing treatments included season-long grazing at heavy and light stocking rates, and non-grazed exclosures. Significantly higher soil C (0-30cm) was measured in grazed pastures compared ...

Electron-probe x-ray micro analysis (EPMA) and particle-induced x-ray emission analysis (PIXE) were performed under grazing-exit conditions. To control the exit angle (take-off angle), a new sample holder having a stepping motor was developed for grazing-exit EPMA. A carefully polished surface of a stainless-steal sample was measured. The surface of stainless steel is normally covered with a th...

owing to the importance and necessity of identifying soil properties in arid rangeland management, and the variableeffects of different kinds of herbivores on soil, this study compares some of the physical and chemical properties ofsoil between two regions experiencing livestock and wildlife grazing in the desert rangelands of kalmand-bahadoranin yazd province. the key areas in two regions expe...

 Phytoplankton growth and microzooplankton grazing were investigated at one station in the Homa Lagoon from February to January in 2006-2007. Our results showed significant seasonal variations in phytoplankton dynamics. Microzooplankton was mainly composed of dinoflagellates and tintinnid ciliates and nauplii. Microzooplankton grazing increased with increasing of temperature. Grazing ra...

In recent years, studying the dietary preferences and livestock grazing behaviorhas attracted lots of attention due to manage and improve the efficiency of rangelands. So,in this study the foraging behavior and diet selection of Tali goat was investigated in theChabahar Rangeland during 2008-2010. Data were collected and analyzed for speeds oflivestock, covered distance, time of grazing, restin...

Angus-cross steers (n = 60) were used to assess the effect of forage species [alfalfa (AL; Medicago sativa L.), bermudagrass (BG; Cynodon dactylon), chicory (CH; Cichorium intybus L.), cowpea (CO; Vigna unguiculata L.), and pearl millet (PM; Pennisetum glaucum (L. R Br.)] in replicated 2-ha paddocks for finishing on cattle performance, carcass quality, and meat quality in a 2-yr study. Steers w...

Grazing intensity elicits changes in the composition of plant functional groups in both shortgrass steppe (SGS) and northern mixed-grass prairie (NMP) in North America. How these grazing intensity-induced changes control aboveground net primary production (ANPP) responses to precipitation remains a central open question, especially in light of predicted climate changes. Here, we evaluated effec...

BACKGROUND With world food demand expected to double by 2050, identifying farming systems that benefit both agricultural production and biodiversity is a fundamentally important challenge for the 21(st) century, but this has to be achieved in a sustainable way. Livestock grazing management directly influences both economic outputs and biodiversity on upland farms while contributing to potential...

The effects of livestock grazing on selected riparian and stream attributes, water chemistry, and algal biomass were investigated over a two-year period using livestock enclosures and by completing stream surveys in the Cypress Hills grassland plateau, Alberta, Canada. Livestock enclosure experiments, partially replicated in three streams, comprised four treatments: (1) early season livestock g...

In semi-arid ecosystems, vegetation is heterogeneously distributed, with plant species often associating in patches. These associations between species are not constant, but depend on the particular response of each species to environmental factors. Here, we investigated how plant species associations change in response to livestock grazing in a semi-arid ecosystem, Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural P...