Publication Date

1997

Description

Effects of mowing and grazing on a Leymus chinensis grassland in the Songnen plain of northeastern China were studied using eight replicates of four grazing and mowing treatments. Canopy cover and biomass of the dominant species (L. chinensis) were lower, and cover of the halophyte Suaeda corniculata higher, on grazed than ungrazed; ungrazed plots showed a response to mowing, but not grazing; species diversity increased with grazing and mowing. This study found dissimilar effects of grazing and mowing on plant populations, canopy biomass and structure in L. chinensis grassland. Possible interactions between the principal disturbances on the grassland are discussed.

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Effects of Grazing and Mowing on Leymus chinensis Grassland in the Songnen Plain of Northeastern China

Effects of mowing and grazing on a Leymus chinensis grassland in the Songnen plain of northeastern China were studied using eight replicates of four grazing and mowing treatments. Canopy cover and biomass of the dominant species (L. chinensis) were lower, and cover of the halophyte Suaeda corniculata higher, on grazed than ungrazed; ungrazed plots showed a response to mowing, but not grazing; species diversity increased with grazing and mowing. This study found dissimilar effects of grazing and mowing on plant populations, canopy biomass and structure in L. chinensis grassland. Possible interactions between the principal disturbances on the grassland are discussed.