Impact of stocking rate on species diversity and composition of a subtropical grassland in Argentina

Questions: What is the effect of a range of controlled stocking rates on plant species richness and diversity? Location: Subtropical grasslands of Corrientes, Argentina, South America. Methods: We studied the effect of three controlled stocking rates (0.6, 0.8 and 1.0 cow equivalents·ha−1) on spec...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Pizzio, Rafael Mario, Herrero Jáugueri, Cristina, Pizzio, Mariano, Oesterheld, Martin
Formato: Artículo
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: Wiley 2019
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/avsc.12229
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/4706
https://doi.org/10.1111/avsc.12229
_version_ 1855483481838059520
author Pizzio, Rafael Mario
Herrero Jáugueri, Cristina
Pizzio, Mariano
Oesterheld, Martin
author_browse Herrero Jáugueri, Cristina
Oesterheld, Martin
Pizzio, Mariano
Pizzio, Rafael Mario
author_facet Pizzio, Rafael Mario
Herrero Jáugueri, Cristina
Pizzio, Mariano
Oesterheld, Martin
author_sort Pizzio, Rafael Mario
collection INTA Digital
description Questions: What is the effect of a range of controlled stocking rates on plant species richness and diversity? Location: Subtropical grasslands of Corrientes, Argentina, South America. Methods: We studied the effect of three controlled stocking rates (0.6, 0.8 and 1.0 cow equivalents·ha−1) on species diversity and composition during 8 yr. We calculated species diversity using the antilog of the Shannon‐Wiener index, and considered its two components, richness and evenness. We also assessed the proportion of prostrate and erect species. Species abundance was based on biomass estimations. Results: Species diversity under high stocking rates gradually decreased throughout the experiment and became nearly 50% lower than under low stocking rate. This decline was largely accounted for by changes of evenness because species richness was not affected by stocking rates. Species composition clearly diverged among the three treatments over time. Low stocking rate maintained a fairly constant relative cover of erect and prostrate grasses throughout the experiment, whereas intermediate and high stocking rate treatments were gradually and consistently enriched in prostrate grasses and forbs. These effects occurred simultaneously with drastic inter‐annual changes likely driven by annual precipitation. Conclusions: The range of stocking rates had no effect on species richness, but reduced diversity through the effect on evenness. High stocking rate progressively increased the proportion of prostrate species in the biomass.
format Artículo
id INTA4706
institution Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA -Argentina)
language Inglés
publishDate 2019
publishDateRange 2019
publishDateSort 2019
publisher Wiley
publisherStr Wiley
record_format dspace
spelling INTA47062019-03-22T13:13:31Z Impact of stocking rate on species diversity and composition of a subtropical grassland in Argentina Pizzio, Rafael Mario Herrero Jáugueri, Cristina Pizzio, Mariano Oesterheld, Martin Praderas Biodiversidad Carga Ganadera Intensidad de Pastoreo Biomasa Grasslands Biodiversity Stocking Density Grazing Intensity Biomass Carga animal Questions: What is the effect of a range of controlled stocking rates on plant species richness and diversity? Location: Subtropical grasslands of Corrientes, Argentina, South America. Methods: We studied the effect of three controlled stocking rates (0.6, 0.8 and 1.0 cow equivalents·ha−1) on species diversity and composition during 8 yr. We calculated species diversity using the antilog of the Shannon‐Wiener index, and considered its two components, richness and evenness. We also assessed the proportion of prostrate and erect species. Species abundance was based on biomass estimations. Results: Species diversity under high stocking rates gradually decreased throughout the experiment and became nearly 50% lower than under low stocking rate. This decline was largely accounted for by changes of evenness because species richness was not affected by stocking rates. Species composition clearly diverged among the three treatments over time. Low stocking rate maintained a fairly constant relative cover of erect and prostrate grasses throughout the experiment, whereas intermediate and high stocking rate treatments were gradually and consistently enriched in prostrate grasses and forbs. These effects occurred simultaneously with drastic inter‐annual changes likely driven by annual precipitation. Conclusions: The range of stocking rates had no effect on species richness, but reduced diversity through the effect on evenness. High stocking rate progressively increased the proportion of prostrate species in the biomass. EEA Mercedes Fil: Pizzio, Rafael Mario. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Mercedes; Argentina Fil: Herrero Jáugueri, Cristina. Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Facultad de Biología. Departamento de Ecología; España Fil: Pizzio, Mariano. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura; Argentina Fil: Oesterheld, Martin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura; Argentina 2019-03-22T13:10:48Z 2019-03-22T13:10:48Z 2016-07 info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/avsc.12229 http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/4706 1402-2001 1654-109X https://doi.org/10.1111/avsc.12229 eng info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess application/pdf Wiley Applied Vegetation Science 19 (3) : 454-461 (July 2016)
spellingShingle Praderas
Biodiversidad
Carga Ganadera
Intensidad de Pastoreo
Biomasa
Grasslands
Biodiversity
Stocking Density
Grazing Intensity
Biomass
Carga animal
Pizzio, Rafael Mario
Herrero Jáugueri, Cristina
Pizzio, Mariano
Oesterheld, Martin
Impact of stocking rate on species diversity and composition of a subtropical grassland in Argentina
title Impact of stocking rate on species diversity and composition of a subtropical grassland in Argentina
title_full Impact of stocking rate on species diversity and composition of a subtropical grassland in Argentina
title_fullStr Impact of stocking rate on species diversity and composition of a subtropical grassland in Argentina
title_full_unstemmed Impact of stocking rate on species diversity and composition of a subtropical grassland in Argentina
title_short Impact of stocking rate on species diversity and composition of a subtropical grassland in Argentina
title_sort impact of stocking rate on species diversity and composition of a subtropical grassland in argentina
topic Praderas
Biodiversidad
Carga Ganadera
Intensidad de Pastoreo
Biomasa
Grasslands
Biodiversity
Stocking Density
Grazing Intensity
Biomass
Carga animal
url https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/avsc.12229
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/4706
https://doi.org/10.1111/avsc.12229
work_keys_str_mv AT pizziorafaelmario impactofstockingrateonspeciesdiversityandcompositionofasubtropicalgrasslandinargentina
AT herrerojauguericristina impactofstockingrateonspeciesdiversityandcompositionofasubtropicalgrasslandinargentina
AT pizziomariano impactofstockingrateonspeciesdiversityandcompositionofasubtropicalgrasslandinargentina
AT oesterheldmartin impactofstockingrateonspeciesdiversityandcompositionofasubtropicalgrasslandinargentina