The natural vegetation of Southern Brazil's coastal region includes grasslands formations that are poorly considered in conservation policy, due to the lack of knowledge about these systems. This study reports results from a regional-scale survey of coastal grasslands vegetation along a 536 km gradient on southern Brazil. We sampled 16 sites along the coastal plain with 15 plots (1 m²) per site...

The grasslands of Inner Mongolia are not only the source of the necessary resources for the survival and development of herdsmen, but also represent a significant green ecological barrier in North C hina. Coal-mining production is important in maintaining GDP growth in Inner Mongolia. However, overexploitation has created serious problems, such as pollution of the environment and significant de...

Although temporal heterogeneity is a well-accepted driver of biodiversity, effects of interannual variation in land-use intensity (LUI) have not been addressed yet. Additionally, responses to land use can differ greatly among different organisms; therefore, overall effects of land-use on total local biodiversity are hardly known. To test for effects of LUI (quantified as the combined intensity ...

BACKGROUND The changes in land use and land cover have a strong effect on the total soil organic carbon, its fractions and its overall soil health. This study carried out in Olesharo Catchment, Kenya, was to quantify the differences in total organic carbon (TOC), particulate organic carbon (POC), mineral organic carbon (MOC) and carbon management index (CMI) among four land use types: grassland...

The success or failure of many organisms to respond to the challenges of habitat destruction and a warming climate lies in the ability of plant species to disperse between isolated habitats or to migrate to new ranges. European semi-natural grasslands represent one of the world’s most species-rich habitats at small scales, but agricultural intensification during the 20th century has meant that ...

Many dehesa zones in marginal areas are suffering from the abandonment of traditional farming practices. Herbivore grazing affects grassland dynamics, changing the species colonisation and extinction relationships via consumption, mechanical disturbance, seed dispersal and altered soil fertility due to dung-borne nutrient input. This paper analyses changes to floristic composition, species rich...

Global surface temperature is predicted to increase by at least 1.5°C by the end of this century. However, the response of soil microbial communities to global warming is still poorly understood, especially in high-elevation grasslands. We therefore conducted an experiment on three types of alpine grasslands on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to study the effect of experimental warming on abundance a...

Fine roots are the most dynamic portion of a plant’s root system and a major source of soil organic matter. By altering plant species diversity and composition, soil conditions and nutrient availability, and consequently belowground allocation and dynamics of root carbon (C) inputs, land-use and management changes may influence organic C storage in terrestrial ecosystems. In three German region...

BACKGROUND Grassland degradation caused by overgrazing poses a threat to both animal husbandry and environmental sustainability in most semi-arid areas especially north China. Although the Chinese Government has made huge efforts to restore degraded grasslands, a considerable attempt has unfortunately failed due to an inadequate consideration of economic benefits to local communities. METHODO...

Grasslands hold varied grazing capacity, provide multiple habitats for diverse wildlife, and are a key component of carbon stock. Research has indicated that grasslands are experiencing effects related to recent climate trends. Understanding how grasslands respond to climate variation thus is essential. However, it is difficult to separate the effects of climate variation from grazing. This stu...