2006 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Behavioural effect of grazing yak (Bos grunniens) on material circulation in east Tibetan Plateau, Qinghai Province, China
| Project/Area Number |
15255020
|
|---|
| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
|
| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
|---|
| Section | 海外学術 |
|---|
| Research Field |
Zootechnical science/Grassland science
|
|---|
| Research Institution | University of Miyazaki |
|---|
Principal Investigator |
HASEGAWA Nobumi University of Miyazaki, Faculty of Agriculture, Associate Professor, 農学部, 助教授 (50281217)
|
|---|
| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
NISHIWAKI Aya University of Miyazaki, Faculty of Agriculture, Professor, 農学部, 教授 (60228244)
IDOTA Sachiko University of Miyazaki, Faculty of Agriculture, Research Associate, 農学部, 助手 (40325733)
FUKUDA Akira Shizuoka University, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Professor, 工学部, 教授 (10022237)
HIGUCHI Hiroyoshi The University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Professor, 大学院・農学生命科学研究科, 教授 (10111486)
|
|---|
| Project Period (FY) |
2003 – 2006
|
| Keywords | Yak / Grazing / Behaviour / Circulation of material / Vegitation / Botanical species diversity / Deteriorat on of rangeland / East Tibetan Plateau |
|---|
| Research Abstract |
Investigation was carried out in northern and southern sites of in Tibetan Plateau, Qinghai Province, China. Northern one was a model grazing rangeland area and southern one was suspected that the degradation and desertification of grazing rangeland were going on. The purpose of this research was to obtain the fundamental data for preventing the rangelands from deterioration and desertification through investigating behaviour of yak and material circulation in rangeland ecosystem and for finally establishing sustainable grazing system of yak in the rangelands of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.
Trial was carried out totally seven times, 3 times in Yushu Prefecture, Yushu State and 4 times in Mengyuan Prefecture, Haibei State during 4 years from 2003 to 2006. Consecutive three day recording of behavioural observation and amount of feces excreted for 3 yak cows, grazing tracking with GPS apparatus, grazing behaviour and plant species grazed, vegetation of grazing rangelands, and samples of feces, plants and soils were collected and the chemical compositions were analyzed.
Average rumination time of yak in cold season was shorter, material circulation estimated by chemical composition of feces was smaller and approximately a half in southern site than in northern one. Yaks in southern site grazed even the plant species known as avoided. From these results, it is suggested that deterioration of rangeland by overgrazing might have been in progress in southern site.
Even in northern site where rangeland was rotationally grazed in warm and cold seasons and was recognized the ecosystem being in good condition, it was indicated that warm season paddock was degraded and yak could not intake nutrition enough for fertilization.
From these results, it is considered that alternative grazing systems should be investigated for maintaining floral diversity and preventing grazing rangeland from deterioration and desertification in Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.
|
