Rangeland Biodiversity and Climate Variability: Supporting the Need for Flexible Grazing Management
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Site Description
2.2. Experimental Design and Field Measurements
- o
- Anthyllis henoniana community: growing on limestone soil (Regosol) with high calcium carbonate content, high pH, and low organic matter content.
- o
- Haloxylon schmittianum community: it colonizes shallow to deep sands or silty soils and is also found on gravel plains characterized by deep, loose soil with low moisture content, very low organic matter (0.8%), and low soil salinity.
- o
- Stipagrostis pungens community: it is located on sandy soil classified as sierozem dominated by mobile sand dunes and characterized by very high-water infiltration and low water retention. The organic matter content is low (less than 1%), pH exceeds 7, and calcium carbonate content is about 10–20%. Sand grains vary from coarse to medium size and are rarely fine.
- o
- Retama raetam community: it is found mainly on wadi beds dominated by sand accumulation. This soil is isohumic (subdesertic called sierozem) with a low water retention capacity (range 6–9%) and contains little organic matter (0.5–0.7%). Excessive amounts of calcium carbonate are present, and pH is approximately 8 down the whole profile.
2.3. Statistical Analysis
3. Results
3.1. Total Number of Species (N0)
3.2. Number of Abundant Species (N1)
3.3. Number of Very Abundant Species (N2)
3.4. Evenness Index (E20)
3.5. Correlations Between Hill’s Diversity Indices
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
Appendix A
Species | A. henoniana | H. schmittianum | S. pungens | R. raetam | Control |
Aegilops ventricosa | + | - | - | - | - |
Anacyclus clavatus | +++ | +++ | - | ++ | + |
Anacyclus monanthos | ++ | ++ | - | + | - |
Anthyllis henoniana | +++ | + | + | + | ++ |
Argyrolobium uniflorum | - | ++ | + | + | ++ |
Arnebia decumbens | - | - | - | + | - |
Artemisia campestris | - | - | + | - | - |
Artemisia herba-alba | + | - | - | - | - |
Asphodelus tenuifolius | - | ++ | ++ | ++ | - |
Astragalus caprinus | - | - | + | - | - |
Astragalus corrugatus | ++ | + | ++ | + | - |
Atractylis cancellata | + | - | - | - | - |
Atractylis carduus | - | + | + | + | - |
Atractylis serratuloides | +++ | - | - | - | - |
Avena sterilis | + | - | - | - | - |
Bassia muricata | - | - | - | + | - |
Bromus rubens | + | - | - | - | - |
Calendula arvensis | + | + | + | + | - |
Centaurea furfuracea | - | ++ | - | + | - |
Cleome amblyocarpa | + | + | - | + | - |
Convolvulus supinus | - | + | - | + | - |
Cuscuta epithymum | + | - | - | - | - |
Cutandia dichotoma | - | +++ | +++ | +++ | - |
Cynara cardunculus | + | - | - | - | - |
Cynodon dactylon | - | - | - | +++ | - |
Daucus sahariensis | - | ++ | +++ | ++ | + |
Deverra denudata | + | - | - | - | - |
Deverra tortuosa | - | - | - | + | - |
Diplotaxis harra | + | + | - | - | - |
Diplotaxis simpelx | - | - | + | - | - |
Echium humile | ++ | - | ++ | - | - |
Enarthrocarpus clavatus | + | - | - | - | - |
Erodium arborescens | ++ | - | - | - | - |
Erodium crassifolium | + | - | - | - | - |
Erodium laciniatum | + | ++ | + | + | - |
Erucaria pinnata | ++ | - | - | - | - |
Euphorbia retusa | - | + | - | - | - |
Euphorbia terracina | + | - | - | - | - |
Fagonia cretica | - | + | - | + | - |
Fagonia glutinosa | - | ++ | + | + | ++ |
Filago germanica | - | ++ | - | ++ | +++ |
Gymnocarpos decander | +++ | + | + | + | ++ |
Haloxylon schmittianum | - | +++ | + | ++ | ++ |
Haloxylon scoparium | - | - | - | - | +++ |
Hedysarum spinosissimum | + | + | ++ | + | - |
Helianthemum kahiricum | +++ | ++ | - | + | +++ |
Helianthemum nummularium | + | - | - | - | - |
Helianthemum sessiliflorum | + | +++ | ++ | + | - |
Hippocrepis areolata | - | - | ++ | + | - |
Hordeum marinum | + | - | - | - | - |
Ifloga spicata | - | +++ | - | ++ | +++ |
Kickxia aegyptiaca | ++ | ++ | - | + | - |
Koelpinia linearis | - | + | ++ | + | - |
Launaea angustifolia | - | - | ++ | - | - |
Launaea fragilis | +++ | ++ | +++ | ++ | ++ |
Launaea glomerata | - | + | - | + | - |
Launaea nudicaulis | - | - | - | + | - |
Limonium pruinosum | - | - | - | - | +++ |
Linaria laxiflora | - | + | - | - | - |
Lotus halophilus | - | +++ | ++ | +++ | - |
Lygeum spartum | + | - | - | - | - |
Matthiola longipetala | - | - | ++ | ++ | ++ |
Medicago minima | - | ++ | +++ | ++ | + |
Neurada procumbens | - | ++ | - | ++ | - |
Nonea calycina | + | - | - | - | - |
Pallenis hierochuntica | - | ++ | - | ++ | - |
Paronychia arabica | - | - | ++ | ++ | + |
Picris asplenioides | ++ | - | - | - | - |
Plantago albicans | ++ | +++ | +++ | ++ | ++ |
Plantago coronopus | - | + | - | + | - |
Plantago ovata | - | ++ | ++ | + | + |
Polygonum equisetiforme | + | - | - | - | - |
Reaumuria vermiculata | ++ | - | - | - | - |
Reichardia tingitana | ++ | - | - | - | - |
Reseda alba | - | - | + | - | - |
Retama raetam | - | - | ++ | +++ | - |
Rhanterium suaveolens | - | - | + | - | - |
Salsola vermiculata | + | - | + | - | - |
Salvia aegyptiaca | - | + | - | + | - |
Savignya parviflora | - | ++ | - | - | ++ |
Schismus barbatus | ++ | + | ++ | +++ | ++ |
Scorzonera undulata | + | + | - | + | - |
Senecio glaucus | + | + | - | + | - |
Silene villosa | - | + | ++ | ++ | - |
Stipa capensis | ++ | ++ | - | - | - |
Stipa lagascae | - | - | - | + | - |
Stipa tenacissima | - | - | - | + | - |
Stipagrostis pungens | - | - | +++ | - | - |
Thesium humile | + | + | - | + | - |
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Community | Area (ha) | 2017/2018 | Code | 2018/2019 | Code |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
A. henoniana | 120 | 1-year rest | 1 | 2 years rest | 14 |
170 | 2 years rest | 2 | 3 years rest | 15 | |
20 | 3 years rest | 3 | Open to grazing | ||
H. schmittianum | 30 | 1-year rest | 4 | 2 years rest | 16 |
170 | 2years rest | 5 | 3 years rest | 17 | |
20 | 3 years rest | 6 | Open to grazing | ||
S. pungens | 100 | 1-year rest | 7 | 2 years rest | 18 |
170 | 2 years rest | 8 | 3 years rest | 19 | |
20 | 3 years rest | 9 | Open to grazing | ||
R. raetam | 30 | 1-year rest | 10 | 2 years rest | 20 |
140 | 2 years rest | 11 | 3 years rest | 21 | |
20 | 3 years rest | 12 | Open to grazing | ||
Control | Continuously grazed | 13 | Continuously grazed | 22 |
Source | df Effect | Total Number of Species (N0) | Number of Abundant Species (N1) | Number of Very Abundant Species (N2) | Evenness Index (E20) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
F | p | F | p | F | p | F | p | ||
Plant community (A) | 3 | 47.47 | <0.0001 | 6.28 | 0.0009 | 9.65 | <0.0001 | 13.58 | <0.0001 |
Resting durations (B) | 2 | 13.95 | <0.0001 | 3.18 | 0.0488 | 6.26 | 0.0034 | 1.68 | 0.1946 |
Year (C) | 1 | 42.58 | <0.0001 | 25.56 | <0.0001 | 16.45 | 0.0001 | 1.49 | 0.227 |
A × B | 6 | 14.68 | <0.0001 | 3.5 | 0.4641 | 2.65 | 0.024 | 1.12 | 0.364 |
A × C | 3 | 27.01 | <0.0001 | 0.87 | 0.0049 | 0.48 | 0.695 | 0.65 | 0.5867 |
B × C | 1 | 26.63 | <0.0001 | 0.18 | 0.6755 | 0.6 | 0.4427 | 1.3 | 0.2589 |
A × B × C | 3 | 0.35 | <0.0001 | 1.81 | 0.1546 | 1.81 | 0.1554 | 1.11 | 0.3532 |
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Louhaichi, M.; Gamoun, M.; Ben Salem, F.; Ouled Belgacem, A. Rangeland Biodiversity and Climate Variability: Supporting the Need for Flexible Grazing Management. Sustainability 2021, 13, 7124. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13137124
Louhaichi M, Gamoun M, Ben Salem F, Ouled Belgacem A. Rangeland Biodiversity and Climate Variability: Supporting the Need for Flexible Grazing Management. Sustainability. 2021; 13(13):7124. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13137124
Chicago/Turabian StyleLouhaichi, Mounir, Mouldi Gamoun, Farah Ben Salem, and Azaiez Ouled Belgacem. 2021. "Rangeland Biodiversity and Climate Variability: Supporting the Need for Flexible Grazing Management" Sustainability 13, no. 13: 7124. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13137124