Large scale patterns of forage yield and quality across Chinese grasslands

	Large scale patterns of forage yield and quality across Chinese grasslands
	Shi Yue ; Ma YinLei ; Ma WenHong ; Liang CunZhu ; Zhao XinQuan ; Fang JingYun ; He JinSheng ; He, JS (reprint author), Peking Univ, Dept Ecol, Coll Urban & Environm Sci, Beijing 100871, Peoples R China.
刊名	CHINESE SCIENCE BULLETIN ; Shi, Y; Ma, YL; Ma, WH; Liang, CZ; Zhao, XQ; Fang, JY; He, JS.Large scale patterns of forage yield and quality across Chinese grasslands,CHINESE SCIENCE BULLETIN,2013,58(10):1187-1199
	2013-04-01
英文摘要	Understanding the patterns of forage quantity and quality and investigating the factors influencing these patterns are essential for the development of animal husbandry. However, there is very little field evidence focused on these issues at a large spatial scale. In the current study, we analyzed forage quantity and quality at 177 sites distributed in all the major grassland types across China, and explored the relationship between forage quantity and quality based on consistent sampling protocols. We also investigated potential factors influencing forage quality patterns across China. Our study indicates the Tibetan grasslands had both higher quantity and quality forage than the Inner Mongolian grasslands, and alpine meadow had the best quantity and quality forage because of the meadow's high productivity and the crude protein and nitrogen free extract content of the meadow forage. For the main vegetation formations, Kobresia tibetica meadows and Achnatherum splendens steppes had the highest quantity, while Kobresia pygmaea meadows and Kobresia humilis meadows had the best quality. We also found that although environmental factors, such as temperature and soil fertility, could affect physiological processes and so influence forage quality, the large scale patterns of change were mainly a result of the differences in vegetation types. Finally, we reported a negative relationship between forage quantity and quality: higher forage quantity means more crude fiber but less ether extract and crude protein. These findings improve our understanding on the spatial patterns of forage quantity and quality, and provide solid evidence related to the future development of animal husbandry.; Understanding the patterns of forage quantity and quality and investigating the factors influencing these patterns are essential for the development of animal husbandry. However, there is very little field evidence focused on these issues at a large spatial scale. In the current study, we analyzed forage quantity and quality at 177 sites distributed in all the major grassland types across China, and explored the relationship between forage quantity and quality based on consistent sampling protocols. We also investigated potential factors influencing forage quality patterns across China. Our study indicates the Tibetan grasslands had both higher quantity and quality forage than the Inner Mongolian grasslands, and alpine meadow had the best quantity and quality forage because of the meadow's high productivity and the crude protein and nitrogen free extract content of the meadow forage. For the main vegetation formations, Kobresia tibetica meadows and Achnatherum splendens steppes had the highest quantity, while Kobresia pygmaea meadows and Kobresia humilis meadows had the best quality. We also found that although environmental factors, such as temperature and soil fertility, could affect physiological processes and so influence forage quality, the large scale patterns of change were mainly a result of the differences in vegetation types. Finally, we reported a negative relationship between forage quantity and quality: higher forage quantity means more crude fiber but less ether extract and crude protein. These findings improve our understanding on the spatial patterns of forage quantity and quality, and provide solid evidence related to the future development of animal husbandry.
内容类型	期刊论文
源URL	[http://ir.nwipb.ac.cn/handle/363003/3951]
专题	西北高原生物研究所_中国科学院西北高原生物研究所
推荐引用方式 GB/T 7714	Shi Yue,Ma YinLei,Ma WenHong,et al. Large scale patterns of forage yield and quality across Chinese grasslands[J]. CHINESE SCIENCE BULLETIN, Shi, Y; Ma, YL; Ma, WH; Liang, CZ; Zhao, XQ; Fang, JY; He, JS.Large scale patterns of forage yield and quality across Chinese grasslands,CHINESE SCIENCE BULLETIN,2013,58(10):1187-1199,2013.
APA	Shi Yue.,Ma YinLei.,Ma WenHong.,Liang CunZhu.,Zhao XinQuan.,...&He, JS .(2013).Large scale patterns of forage yield and quality across Chinese grasslands.CHINESE SCIENCE BULLETIN.
MLA	Shi Yue,et al."Large scale patterns of forage yield and quality across Chinese grasslands".CHINESE SCIENCE BULLETIN (2013).