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Yang X, Daraz U, Ma J, Lu X, Feng Q, Zhu H, Wang XB. Temporal-spatial variability of grazing behaviors of yaks and the drivers of their intake on the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Front Vet Sci 2024; 11:1393136. [PMID: 38919156 PMCID: PMC11197466 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1393136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Grassland-livestock balance is an important principle of sustainable development of grassland livestock production and grassland ecosystem health. Grassland degradation becomes more serious at global scales and especially at the area that is sensitive to climate change and human activities. Decreases in pasture biomass and shifts in plant community composition in degraded grasslands can largely affect grazing behaviors of livestock. Up to date, however, it is unclear that whether livestock behaviors change across spatial and temporal scales and what key factors are to shape observed behavioral patterns of livestock. Methods Here, yak behaviors including grazing, rumination and walking on the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) were monitored by a continuous visual observation, to investigate temporal and spatial variations of grazing behavior of yaks (Bos grunniens); based on the data from public database in the past 18 years, a meta-analysis was conducted to examine the main factors that affect grazing behaviors and intake of yaks. Results We showed that grazing behaviors of yaks differed significantly within hours, among hours of each day and among days as well as across different observation sites. Intake rate of yaks was higher in the morning than in the afternoon, but walking speed showed an inverse trend compared with intake rate. Resting, altitude, the mean annual precipitation (MAP), the mean annual temperature (MAT), forage ash, yak age and season were the main predictors for yak intake, and forage and yak individual characteristics had direct effects on grazing behaviors and intake of yaks. Discussion The findings confirm that grazing behaviors of yaks can vary even at small temporal scales and regional scales, which is closely related to the shift in forage quality and biomass caused by environmental changes. The study suggests that multiple factors can be responsible for the variation in livestock behaviors and shifts in behavioral patterns may consequently lead to positive or negative feedback to grassland ecosystems through plant-animal interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Xiao-Bo Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Center for Grassland Microbiome, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
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He F, Sun J, Wan JSH, Nawaz M, Javed Q, Pan L, Khattak WA, Bo Y, Xiang Y, Ren G, Lin X, Du D. Microplastics and cadmium affect invasion success by altering complementarity and selection effects in native community. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 921:171135. [PMID: 38402976 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
The diversity-invasibility hypothesis predicts that native plant communities with high biodiversity should be more resistant to invasion than low biodiversity communities. However, observational studies have found that there is often a positive relationship between native community diversity and invasibility. Pollutants were not tested for their potential to cause this positive relationship. Here, we established native communities with three levels of diversity (1, 2 and 4 species) and introduced an invasive plant [Symphyotrichum subulatum (Michx.) G. L. Nesom] to test the effects of different pollutant treatments (i.e., unpolluted control, microplastics (MPs) alone, cadmium (Cd) alone, and their combination) on the relationship between native community diversity and community invasibility. Our results indicate that different MPs and Cd treatments altered the invasibility of native communities, but this effect may depend on the type of pollutant. MPs single treatment reduced invasion success, and the degree of reduction increased with increasing native community diversity (Diversity 2: - 14.1 %; Diversity 4: - 63.1 %). Cd single treatment increased the aboveground biomass of invasive plants (+ 40.2 %) and invasion success. The presence of MPs inhibited the contribution of Cd to invasion success. Furthermore, we found that the complementarity and selection effects of the native community were negatively correlated with invasion success, and their relative contributions to invasion success also depended on the pollutant type. We found new evidence of how pollutants affect the relationship between native community diversity and habitat invasibility, which provides new perspectives for understanding and managing biological invasions in the context of environmental pollution. This may contribute to promoting the conservation of biodiversity, especially in ecologically sensitive and polluted areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng He
- School of Emergency Management, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China; Institute of Environment and Ecology, School of Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Jianfan Sun
- School of Emergency Management, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China; Institute of Environment and Ecology, School of Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Technology and Material of Water Treatment, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China.
| | - Justin S H Wan
- Institute of Environment and Ecology, School of Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Mohsin Nawaz
- Institute of Environment and Ecology, School of Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Qaiser Javed
- Institute of Environment and Ecology, School of Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Linxuan Pan
- Institute of Environment and Ecology, School of Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Wajid Ali Khattak
- Institute of Environment and Ecology, School of Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Yanwen Bo
- Institute of Environment and Ecology, School of Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Yan Xiang
- Institute of Environment and Ecology, School of Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Guangqian Ren
- Institute of Environment and Ecology, School of Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Xin Lin
- Institute of Environment and Ecology, School of Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Daolin Du
- Jingjiang College, Institute of Enviroment and Ecology, School of Emergency Management, School of Environment and Safety Engineering, School of Agricultural Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
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Li X, Wang R, Dai W, Luan Y, Li J. Impacts of Micro(nano)plastics on Terrestrial Plants: Germination, Growth, and Litter. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:3554. [PMID: 37896018 PMCID: PMC10609671 DOI: 10.3390/plants12203554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
Micro(nano)plastics (MNP) are pervasive in various environmental media and pose a global environmental pollution issue, particularly in terrestrial ecosystems, where they exert a significant impact on plant growth and development. This paper builds upon prior research to analyze and consolidate the effects of MNP on soil properties, seed germination, plant growth, and litter decomposition. The objective is to elucidate the environmental behavior of MNP and their mechanisms of influence on the plant life cycle. The unique physicochemical and electrical properties of MNP enable them to modify soil structure, water retention capacity, and pH. They can potentially act as "electron shuttles" or disrupt natural "electron shuttles" in litter decomposition, thereby interfering with nutrient transport and availability in the soil. Furthermore, MNP can physically obstruct nutrient and water channels within plants, impacting nutrient and water absorption. Once infiltrating plant tissues, MNP can form eco-coronas with plant proteins. Together with MNP adsorbed on the plant's surface and within its tissues, they disrupt normal physiological processes, leading to changes in photosynthesis, biomass, cellular toxicity, genetics, nutrient uptake, and gene expression. These changes, in turn, influence seed germination and plant growth and development. As a burgeoning research field, future studies should delve deeper into various aspects of these changes, such as elucidating the pathways and mechanisms through which MNP enter plant tissues, assessing their intensity and mechanisms of toxicity on different plant species, and exploring the relationship between micro(nano)plastics and "electron shuttles". These endeavors will contribute to establishing a more comprehensive theoretical framework for understanding the environmental behavior of MNP and their impact on plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaodong Li
- The Key Laboratory for Silviculture and Conservation of Ministry of Education, College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China; (X.L.); (R.W.); (W.D.)
| | - Rongyu Wang
- The Key Laboratory for Silviculture and Conservation of Ministry of Education, College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China; (X.L.); (R.W.); (W.D.)
| | - Wei Dai
- The Key Laboratory for Silviculture and Conservation of Ministry of Education, College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China; (X.L.); (R.W.); (W.D.)
| | - Yaning Luan
- The Key Laboratory for Silviculture and Conservation of Ministry of Education, College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China; (X.L.); (R.W.); (W.D.)
| | - Jing Li
- School of Environment and Civil Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
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Adomako MO, Yu FH. Potential effects of micro- and nanoplastics on phyllosphere microorganisms and their evolutionary and ecological responses. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 884:163760. [PMID: 37120023 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 04/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Plastic pollution is among the most urgent environmental and social challenges of the 21st century, and their influxes in the environment have altered critical growth drivers in all biomes, attracting global concerns. In particular, the consequences of microplastics on plants and their associated soil microorganisms have gained a large audience. On the contrary, how microplastics and nanoplastics (M/NPs) may influence the plant-associated microorganisms in the phyllosphere (i.e., the aboveground portion of plants) is nearly unknown. We, therefore, summarize evidence that may potentially connect M/NPs, plants, and phyllosphere microorganisms based on studies on other analogous contaminants such as heavy metals, pesticides, and nanoparticles. We show seven pathways that may link M/NPs into the phyllosphere environment, and provide a conceptual framework explaining the direct and indirect (soil legacy) effects of M/NPs on phyllosphere microbial communities. We also discuss the adaptive evolutionary and ecological responses, such as acquiring novel resistance genes via horizontal gene transfer and microbial degradation of plastics of the phyllosphere microbial communities, to M/NPs-induced threats. Finally, we highlight the global consequences (e.g., disruption of ecosystem biogeochemical cycling and impaired host-pathogen defense chemistry that can lead to reduced agricultural productivity) of altered plant-microbiome interactions in the phyllosphere in the context of a predicted surge of plastic production and conclude with pending questions for future research priorities. In conclusion, M/NPs are very likely to produce significant effects on phyllosphere microorganisms and mediate their evolutionary and ecological responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Opoku Adomako
- Institute of Wetland Ecology & Clone Ecology/Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation, Taizhou University, Taizhou 318000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Fei-Hai Yu
- Institute of Wetland Ecology & Clone Ecology/Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation, Taizhou University, Taizhou 318000, Zhejiang, China.
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