000131176 001__ 131176
000131176 005__ 20250923084415.0
000131176 0247_ $$2doi$$a10.1007/s00267-024-01939-9
000131176 0248_ $$2sideral$$a136759
000131176 037__ $$aART-2024-136759
000131176 041__ $$aeng
000131176 100__ $$aArroyo, Antonio I.
000131176 245__ $$aInterplay between livestock grazing and aridity on the ecological and nutritional value of forage in semi-arid mediterranean rangelands (ne Spain)
000131176 260__ $$c2024
000131176 5060_ $$aAccess copy available to the general public$$fUnrestricted
000131176 5203_ $$aRangeland-based livestock production constitutes a primary source of livelihood for many inhabitants of dryland regions. Their subsistence relies heavily on maintaining the productivity, biodiversity and services of these ecosystems. Harsh environmental conditions (e.g., drought) combined with land use intensification (e.g., overgrazing) make dryland ecosystems vulnerable and prone to degradation. However, the interplay between livestock grazing intensity and aridity conditions in driving the conservation and nutritional value of forage in arid and semi-arid rangelands is still not fully understood. In this study, we performed structural equation models (SEM) to assess the simultaneous direct and indirect effects of livestock grazing intensity and aridity level on community structure, diversity, biomass, forage production, forage C:N ratio and forage fiber composition in two semi-arid Mediterranean rangelands, NE Spain. Not surprisingly, we found that higher livestock grazing intensity led to lower community plant cover, especially when combined with higher aridity. However, both increasing grazing intensity and aridity were associated with higher forage production after one year of grazing exclusion. We did not find any adverse effect of livestock grazing on plant diversity, although plant species composition differed among grazing intensity levels. On the other hand, we found an aridity-driven trade-off in regard of the nutritional value of forage. Specifically, higher aridity was associated with a decrease in the least digestible fiber fraction (i.e., lignin) and an increase in forage C:N ratio. More interestingly, we found that livestock grazing modulated this trade-off by improving the overall forage nutritional value. Altogether, our results provide further insights into the management of semi-arid Mediterranean rangelands, pointing out that maintaining traditional rangeland-based livestock production may be a sustainable option as long as rangeland conservation (e.g., community plant cover) is not severely compromised.
000131176 536__ $$9info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EC/H2020/777803/EU/A global initiative to understand gypsum ecosystem ecology/GYPWORLD$$9This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No H2020 777803-GYPWORLD$$9info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MINECO/CGL2016-80783-R
000131176 540__ $$9info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess$$aby$$uhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/es/
000131176 590__ $$a3.0$$b2024
000131176 592__ $$a0.849$$b2024
000131176 591__ $$aENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES$$b190 / 374 = 0.508$$c2024$$dQ3$$eT2
000131176 593__ $$aEcology$$c2024$$dQ1
000131176 593__ $$aPollution$$c2024$$dQ2
000131176 593__ $$aGlobal and Planetary Change$$c2024$$dQ2
000131176 655_4 $$ainfo:eu-repo/semantics/article$$vinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
000131176 700__ $$0(orcid)0000-0001-6970-7790$$aPueyo, Yolanda
000131176 700__ $$0(orcid)0000-0002-4877-5249$$aBarrantes, Olivia$$uUniversidad de Zaragoza
000131176 700__ $$aAlados, Concepción L.
000131176 7102_ $$15011$$2705$$aUniversidad de Zaragoza$$bDpto. CC.Agrar.y Medio Natural$$cÁrea Producción Vegetal
000131176 773__ $$g73 (2024), 1005–1015$$pEnviron. manage.$$tENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT$$x0364-152X
000131176 8564_ $$s1017685$$uhttps://zaguan.unizar.es/record/131176/files/texto_completo.pdf$$yVersión publicada
000131176 8564_ $$s2461888$$uhttps://zaguan.unizar.es/record/131176/files/texto_completo.jpg?subformat=icon$$xicon$$yVersión publicada
000131176 909CO $$ooai:zaguan.unizar.es:131176$$particulos$$pdriver
000131176 951__ $$a2025-09-22-14:32:28
000131176 980__ $$aARTICLE