INFLUENCE OF GRAZING INTENSITY ON SWAMP PLANT COMMUNITIES IN THE TROPICAL MONTANE WETLAND ECOSYSTEMS, NILGIRIS, SOUTHERN INDIA
| 论文编号: | |||||||||
| 作者: | Mohandass D | ||||||||
| 刊物名称: | Applied Ecology and Environmental Research | ||||||||
| 所属学科: | |||||||||
| 论文题目英文: | INFLUENCE OF GRAZING INTENSITY ON SWAMP PLANT COMMUNITIES IN THE TROPICAL MONTANE WETLAND ECOSYSTEMS, NILGIRIS, SOUTHERN INDIA | ||||||||
| 年: | Sep 2016 | ||||||||
| 卷: | 14 | ||||||||
| 期: | 4 | ||||||||
| 页: | 233-268 | ||||||||
| 联系作者: | Mohandass D | ||||||||
| 收录类别: | |||||||||
| 影响因子: | 0.500 | ||||||||
| 参与作者: | |||||||||
| 备注: | |||||||||
| 摘要: | Livestock grazing is a major anthropogenic impact influencing both grasslands and wetlands of the world which often results in the alteration of the structure, diversity and functioning of the plant communities. Here, we seek to understand how grazing intensity influences swamp vegetation, with an emphasis on their diversity, structure and function. Six swamps were selected, two each in high, moderate and low intensity grazing sites, from the tropical montane swamps of the Upper Nilgiri Mountains, southern India. We recorded a total of 78 species belonging to 63 genera and 31 families. Our results showed that species richness, abundance and species composition differed significantly across grazing treatments. Moreover, mean vegetation cover and mean height differed significantly across grazing treatments, indicating that grazing significantly affected the vegetation structure and growth of swamp plant communities. Species compositional patterns showed that moderately grazed plant communities were significantly different from low and high grazing sites. In summary, grazing intensity influenced swamp species richness, abundance, and swamp plant communities. Specifically, high grazing pressure reduced vegetation cover causing changes in swamp community structure leading to the gradual conversion of the swamp habitat into grasslands. | ||||||||
| 论文下载: | 下载地址 | ||||||||
| |||||||||
