Response of livestock carrying capacity of alpine meadows in the source area of the Yangtze River to simulated warming during the growth season

doi:10.7522/j.issn.1000-694X.2024.00009

Journal of Desert Research ›› 2024, Vol. 44 ›› Issue (4): 165-173.DOI: 10.7522/j.issn.1000-694X.2024.00009

Response of livestock carrying capacity of alpine meadows in the source area of the Yangtze River to simulated warming during the growth season

Chengyang Li¹(), Yingyi Huang¹, Qiance Lin¹, Linli Shen¹, Shiying Luo¹, Zhihui Liang¹, Zhenming Li¹, Fei Peng², Xian Xue²

^1.Department of Geography，Lingnan Normal University，Zhanjiang 524048，Guangdong，China
^2.Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands，Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources，Chinese Academy Sciences，Lanzhou 730000，China

Received:2023-11-24 Revised:2024-01-05 Online:2024-07-20 Published:2024-08-29

Abstract

Abstract:

In recent decades， global warming has become an undeniable fact. The alpine meadows on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau are one of the main animal husbandry bases in China， as well as climate change sensitive areas and ecologically fragile zones. To investigate the impact of climate warming on the livestock carrying capacity of alpine meadows in the source area of the Yangtze River during the growing season， a simulated warming experiment was conducted on a typical alpine meadow in the Beilu River Basin of the source area of the Yangtze River. We measured the aboveground biomass and forage quality of alpine meadows during warming and non-warming scenarios， respectively， and determined their quantity and nutrient carrying capacity of alpine meadows， as to provide scientific basis for formulating reasonable alpine meadows carrying capacity. The result showed：（1） The increase of temperature （150 W·m^-2） increased the annual average soil temperature at depths of 5 and 30 cm in alpine meadows， and decreased the annual average soil moisture at depths of 0-10 cm， but increased the annual average soil moisture at depths of 20-40 cm. （2） Warming significantly increased the community aboveground biomass by 78.55 g·m^-2 and 79.74 g·m^-2 in the early growth season （June 2017 and 2018）， but had no significant effect on the later growth season （September 2017 and 2018）； warming increased the proportion of aboveground biomass of forbs and grasses in the community， but decreased the proportion of sedge plants. （3） Warming reduces the crude protein and fat content in communities and forbs， resulting in a decrease in forage quality. （4） Under warming treatment， the quantity carrying capacity， digestible protein carrying capacity， and metabolic energy carrying capacity increased by 2.37±0.22， 6.72±0.41， and 3.89±0.32 sheep units per hectare in June 2017， and 2.41±0.30， 6.29±0.25， and 3.95±0.17 sheep units per hectare in June 2018， respectively； However， there was no significant change in the later growth season. According to the actual situation in the research area， under the background of warming， it is advisable to arrange grazing based on the quantity carrying capacity in the early growth season of the alpine meadow in the source area of the Yangtze River， and to arrange grazing based on the metabolic energy carrying capacity in the later growth season.

Key words: Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, climate warming, forage quality, biomass, livestock carrying capacity

CLC Number:

S155

Chengyang Li, Yingyi Huang, Qiance Lin, Linli Shen, Shiying Luo, Zhihui Liang, Zhenming Li, Fei Peng, Xian Xue. Response of livestock carrying capacity of alpine meadows in the source area of the Yangtze River to simulated warming during the growth season[J]. Journal of Desert Research, 2024, 44(4): 165-173.

Figures/Tables 10

Table 1 24 h in vitro gas production of natural pasture in grassland of Sanjiangyuan region

作者	年份	24 h产气量/mL	地点
孙鹏飞等^[19]	2014	42.94	称多县
郝力壮等^[8]	2013	47.26	玉树县
张胜权^[20]	2013	51.07	玉树县
郝力壮等^[21]	2018	43.52	河南蒙古族自治县
本研究	2017, 2018	46.20	治多县

Table 2 The effects of warming， soil depth， and their interaction on soil temperature and moisture （ F-value）

指标	处理
指标	W	D	W×D
土壤温度	52.13^**	25.46^**	11.34^**
土壤水分	82.94^**	64.21^**	23.56^**

Fig.1 Changes in soil temperature at 5 cm and 30 cm depth （A）， and soil moisture at 0-10 cm and 20-40 cm depth （B） under warming treatment

Table 3 Warming （W）， month （M）， and their interaction （W×M） on aboveground biomass （AGB）， grasses biomass （G）， sedges biomass （S）， forbs biomass （F）， acid detergent fiber （ADF）， crude protein （CP）， crude fat （EE）， quantity carrying capacity （SZ）， digestible protein carrying capacity （CPZ）， and metabolic energy carrying capacity （MEZ）

处理	AGB	G	S	F	ADF	CP	EE	SZ	CPZ	MEZ
W	6.99^*	3.69^?	0.97	7.99^*	5.56^*	0.48	5.06^*	6.99^*	3.70^?	5.66^*
M	19.99^*	11.25^*	25.18^*	10.45^*	2.61	0.47	0.70	19.99^*	9.43^*	60.80^*
W×M	1.90	1.57	0.29	1.88	1.56	1.13	0.37	1.90	0.81	2.97

Fig.2 Changes in community aboveground biomass under warming treatment

Fig.3 Changes in aboveground biomass of grasses， forbs， and sedges plants under warming treatment

Fig.4 Changes in the proportion of aboveground biomass of different plant functional groups to the aboveground biomass of the community under warming treatment

Fig.5 Changes in community acidic detergent fiber， crude fat， and crude protein under warming treatment

Table 4 Effects of warming treatment on forage quality of different functional groups

功能群	牧草品质	6月		9月
功能群	牧草品质	对照	处理	对照	处理
禾本科	ADF/%	39.06±0.85^b	43.31±1.08^a	45.81±1.53^a	46.78±1.42^a
	CP/%	10.93±0.43^a	10.08±0.46^a	7.23±0.42^a	6.55±0.48^a
	EE/%	2.03±0.38^a	1.88±0.41^a	1.72±0.22^a	1.63±0.27^a
莎草科	ADF/%	37.67±0.88^a	36.81±1.24^a	41.36±1.29^a	42.81±1.25^a
	CP/%	12.16±0.82^a	12.91±0.67^a	8.06±0.39^a	8.39±0.47^a
	EE/%	2.21±0.19^a	2.30±0.21^a	2.01±0.16^a	1.98±0.18^a
杂类草	ADF/%	34.18±0.86^b	37.95±1.39^a	37.56±0.84^a	37.77±0.95^a
	CP/%	16.04±0.44^a	14.29±0.35^b	9.93±1.36^a	8.04±0.86^b
	EE/%	2.83±0.32^a	2.71±0.28^a	2.65±0.24^a	2.54±0.25^a

Fig.6 Changes in quantity carrying capacity， digestible protein carrying capacity， and metabolic energy carrying capacity under warming treatment

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Response of livestock carrying capacity of alpine meadows in the source area of the Yangtze River to simulated warming during the growth season

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