User:TheLonelyCarrot/Overgrazing
Overgrazing typically increases soil erosion.[1]
With continued overutilization of land for grazing, there is an increase in degradation. This leads to poor soil conditions that only xeric and early successional species can tolerate.[2]
Native plant grass species, both individual bunch grasses and in grasslands, are especially vulnerable. For example, excessive browsing by white-tailed deer can lead to the growth of less preferred species of grasses and ferns or non-native plant species[3] that can potentially displace native, woody plants, decreasing the biodiversity.[4]
Turning to the aquatic environment, Ling et al. (2015)[5] have documented the phenomenon of catastrophic sea urchin overgrazing and its role in marine ecosystem regime shifts. Their study underscores the urgent need for effective management and conservation strategies to mitigate the profound ecological impacts of overgrazing, highlighting the issue's global scope. Similarly, on the Mongolian steppes, Liu et al. (2013)[6] found that approximately 60% of vegetation decline could be attributed to climate factors, with the rest significantly influenced by increased goat density due to overgrazing. This points to a complex interplay between climate change and grazing practices in ecosystem degradation.
Further expanding our understanding, Stevens et al. (2016)[7] investigated woody encroachment in South African savannahs over a 70-year period, identifying overgrazing, global changes, and the ecological effects of megafauna extinction as key factors. Their findings shed light on the multifaceted drivers behind changes in savannah ecosystems. Echoing this theme of alternative strategies to combat overgrazing, Kriegisch et al. (2019)[8] demonstrated how drift-kelp availability could reduce the foraging movement of overgrazing sea urchins, suggesting that alternative food sources may significantly influence grazing behaviors and aid in managing marine ecosystem pressures.
In a similar vein, the research by Cai et al. (2020)[9] presents a stark example of the terrestrial impact of overgrazing, showing how the fertile island effect collapses under extreme conditions in shrub-encroached grasslands. This case study emphasizes the critical need for sustainable grazing practices to protect soil health and maintain ecosystem functionality, further illustrating the wide-reaching consequences of overgrazing across diverse habitats.
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[edit]References
[edit]- ^ C. Michael Hogan (2009). "Overgrazing" (Archived 2010-07-11 at the Wayback Machine). Encyclopedia of Earth. Sidney Draggan, topic ed.; Cutler J. Cleveland, ed. Washington, D.C.: National Council for Science and the Environment.
- ^ Fuls, E.R. (1992). "Ecosystem modification created by patch-overgrazing in semi-arid grassland". Journal of Arid Environments. 23 (1): 59–69. Bibcode:1992JArEn..23...59F. doi:10.1016/S0140-1963(18)30541-X.
- ^ Côté, S. D., Rooney, T. P., Tremblay, J. P., Dussault, C., & Waller, D. M. (2004). "Ecological impacts of deer overabundance". Annu. Rev. Ecol. Evol. Syst., 35, 113-147.
- ^ Baiser, B., Lockwood, J. L., La Puma, D., & Aronson, M. F. (2008). "A perfect storm: two ecosystem engineers interact to degrade deciduous forests of New Jersey". Biological Invasions, 10(6), 785-795.
- ^ Ling, S. D.; Scheibling, R. E.; Rassweiler, A.; Johnson, C. R.; Shears, N.; Connell, S. D.; Salomon, A. K.; Norderhaug, K. M.; Pérez-Matus, A.; Hernández, J. C.; Clemente, S.; Blamey, L. K.; Hereu, B.; Ballesteros, E.; Sala, E. (2015-01-05). "Global regime shift dynamics of catastrophic sea urchin overgrazing". Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 370 (1659): 20130269. doi:10.1098/rstb.2013.0269. ISSN 0962-8436. PMC 4247405.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: PMC format (link) - ^ Liu, Yi Y.; Evans, Jason P.; McCabe, Matthew F.; Jeu, Richard A. M. de; Dijk, Albert I. J. M. van; Dolman, Albertus J.; Saizen, Izuru (2013-02-25). "Changing Climate and Overgrazing Are Decimating Mongolian Steppes". PLOS ONE. 8 (2): e57599. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0057599. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 3581472. PMID 23451249.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: PMC format (link) CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link) - ^ Stevens, Nicola; Erasmus, B. F. N.; Archibald, S.; Bond, W. J. (2016-09-19). "Woody encroachment over 70 years in South African savannahs: overgrazing, global change or extinction aftershock?". Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 371 (1703): 20150437. doi:10.1098/rstb.2015.0437. ISSN 0962-8436. PMC 4978877. PMID 27502384.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: PMC format (link) - ^ Kriegisch, N.; Reeves, S. E.; Flukes, E. B.; Johnson, C. R.; Ling, S. D. (2019-07-01). "Drift-kelp suppresses foraging movement of overgrazing sea urchins". Oecologia. 190 (3): 665–677. doi:10.1007/s00442-019-04445-6. ISSN 1432-1939.
- ^ Cai, Yurong; Yan, Yuchun; Xu, Dawei; Xu, Xingliang; Wang, Chu; Wang, Xu; Chen, Jinqiang; Xin, Xiaoping; Eldridge, David J. (2020-03-01). "The fertile island effect collapses under extreme overgrazing: evidence from a shrub-encroached grassland". Plant and Soil. 448 (1): 201–212. doi:10.1007/s11104-020-04426-2. ISSN 1573-5036.