In:
Biogeosciences, Copernicus GmbH, Vol. 19, No. 18 ( 2022-09-19), p. 4521-4532
Abstract:
Abstract. The activity of small mammalian herbivores influences grassland ecosystem
services in arid and semi-arid regions. Plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae) was considered to be a
focal organism to investigate the effect of small mammalian herbivores on
meadow ecosystem services in alpine regions. In this study, a home-range
scale was used to measure the forage available to livestock, water
conservation, carbon sequestration and soil nutrient maintenance (total
nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) in the topsoil layer, and a quadrat
scale was used to assess the biodiversity conservation of alpine meadows.
This study showed that the forage available to livestock and water
conservation was 19 % and 16 % lower in the presence of plateau pikas
than in their absence, and biodiversity conservation, carbon sequestration,
soil nitrogen and phosphorus maintenance was 15 %, 29 %, 10 % and
8.9 % higher in the presence of plateau pikas than in their absence. In
contrast, it had no impact on soil potassium maintenance of meadow
ecosystems in alpine regions. The forage available to livestock,
biodiversity conservation and soil nutrient maintenance of meadow
ecosystems in alpine regions had maximum values as the disturbance intensity
of plateau pikas increased; the water conservation tended to decrease
linearly with the increasing disturbance intensity of plateau pikas. These
results present a pattern of plateau pikas influencing the ecosystem
services of meadow ecosystems in alpine regions, enriching our understanding
of the small mammalian herbivores in relation to grassland ecosystem
service.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
1726-4189
DOI:
10.5194/bg-19-4521-2022
Language:
English
Publisher:
Copernicus GmbH
Publication Date:
2022
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2158181-2
Bookmarklink