RT info:eu-repo/semantics/article
T1 Transhumant Sheep grazing enhances ecosystem multifunctionality in productive mountain grasslands: a case study in the Cantabrian Mountains
A1 Fernández Guisuraga, José Manuel
A1 Fernández García, Víctor
A1 Tárrega García-Mares, María Reyes
A1 Marcos Porras, Elena María
A1 Valbuena Relea, María Luz
A1 Pinto Prieto, Rayo
A1 Monte, Paula
A1 Beltrán Marcos, David
A1 Huerta, Sara
A1 Calvo Galván, María Leonor
A2 Ecologia
K1 Ecología. Medio ambiente
K1 Abandonment
K1 Cantabrian Mountains
K1 Ecosystem multifunctionality
K1 Grazing exclusion
K1 Livestock
K1 Mountain grassland
K1 Sheep
K1 3103.10 Pastos
K1 2419 Simbiosis
K1 3104.07 Ovinos
AB Understanding the effects of traditional livestock grazing abandonment on theability of mountain grasslands to sustain multiple ecosystem functions (ecosystemmultifunctionality; EMF) is crucial for implementing policies that promote grasslandsconservation and the delivery of multiple ecosystem services. In this study, we evaluatedthe effect of short- and long-term transhumant sheep abandonment on EMF through agrazing exclusion experiment in a grassland of the Cantabrian Mountains range (NWSpain), where transhumant sheep flocks graze in summer. We considered four keyecosystem functions, derived from vegetation and soil functional indicators measuredin the field: (A) biodiversity function, evaluated from total plant species evenness,diversity and richness indicators; (B) forage production function, evaluated from coverand richness of perennial and annual herbaceous species indicators; (C) carbonsequestration function, evaluated from woody species cover and soil organic carbonindicators; and (D) soil fertility function, evaluated from NH4C-N, NO3􀀀-N, P and Kcontent in the soil. The EMF index was calculated by integrating the four standardizedecosystem functions through an averaging approach. Based on linear mixed modelingwe found that grazing exclusion induced significant shifts in the considered individualecosystem functions and also on EMF. Long-term livestock exclusion significantlyhindered biodiversity and forage production functions, but enhanced the carbonsequestration function. Conversely, the soil fertility function was negatively affected byboth short- and long-term grazing exclusion. Altogether, grazing exclusion significantlydecreased overall EMF, especially in long-term livestock exclusion areas, while thedecline in EMF in short-term exclusions with respect to grazed areas was marginallysignificant. The results of this study support the sustainability of traditional transhumancelivestock grazing for promoting the conservation of grasslands and their ecosystemfunction in mountain regions.
PB Frontiers
SN 2296-701X
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10612/14529
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10612/14529
NO .
DS BULERIA. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de León
RD 20-abr-2024