Publication Date
1985
Location
Kyoto Japan
Description
The influence of winter grazing by beef cattle on yearly yield and flora changes in Sasa (Sasa nipponica) grassland was examined from 1974 to 1982. This Sasa sward was established semi-naturally on cutover land following deciduous broadleaved forest at an altitude of 1,100 m on Mt. Asama in Japan. Sasa kept its foliage green and nutritive all year round, so that in this experimental grassland a large quantity of its foliage supplied sufficient nutrients for the maintenance of beef cows during winter grazing periods. Foliage weight was 2.6 tons DW/ha before winter grazing use and this value was maintained for 3 seasons of successive utilization. It then reduced very slowly to 1.5 tons DW/ha in the year following the 8th season. S. nipponica was the dominant species indicated by the summed dominance ratio (SDR2) throughout the experimental period, but SDR2 of some trees such as Quercus serrata and Prunus jamasakura increased gradually and approximated to that of S. nipponica. It was concluded that we could effectively utilize S. nipponica grassland for a minimum of 8 successive years, and that its vegetation tended to change to deciduous broadleaved forest with successive winter grazing. The results are discussed in relation to the effective utilization of the Sasa resources of our mountainous regions.
Citation
Ogawa, Y; Mitamura, T; and Okamoto, K, "Vegetational Changes in the Sasa nipponica Grassland Used by Winter Grazing for Successive Years" (1985). IGC Proceedings (1985-2023). 7.
(URL: https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/1985/ses11/7)
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Vegetational Changes in the Sasa nipponica Grassland Used by Winter Grazing for Successive Years
Kyoto Japan
The influence of winter grazing by beef cattle on yearly yield and flora changes in Sasa (Sasa nipponica) grassland was examined from 1974 to 1982. This Sasa sward was established semi-naturally on cutover land following deciduous broadleaved forest at an altitude of 1,100 m on Mt. Asama in Japan. Sasa kept its foliage green and nutritive all year round, so that in this experimental grassland a large quantity of its foliage supplied sufficient nutrients for the maintenance of beef cows during winter grazing periods. Foliage weight was 2.6 tons DW/ha before winter grazing use and this value was maintained for 3 seasons of successive utilization. It then reduced very slowly to 1.5 tons DW/ha in the year following the 8th season. S. nipponica was the dominant species indicated by the summed dominance ratio (SDR2) throughout the experimental period, but SDR2 of some trees such as Quercus serrata and Prunus jamasakura increased gradually and approximated to that of S. nipponica. It was concluded that we could effectively utilize S. nipponica grassland for a minimum of 8 successive years, and that its vegetation tended to change to deciduous broadleaved forest with successive winter grazing. The results are discussed in relation to the effective utilization of the Sasa resources of our mountainous regions.
