Cross-scale analysis reveals interacting predictors of annual and perennial cover in Northern Great Basin rangelands.

Exotic annual grass invasion is a widespread threat to the integrity of sagebrush ecosystems in Western North America. Although many predictors of annual grass prevalence and native perennial vegetation have been identified, there remains substantial uncertainty about how regional-scale and local-scale predictors interact to determine vegetation heterogeneity, and how associations between vegetation and cattle grazing vary with environmental context. Here, we conducted a regionally extensive, one-season field survey across burned and unburned, grazed, public lands in Oregon and Idaho, with plots stratified by aspect and distance to water within pastures to capture variation in environmental context and grazing intensity. We analyzed regional-scale and local-scale patterns of annual grass, perennial grass, and shrub cover, and examined to what extent plot-level variation was contingent on pasture-level predictions of site favorability. Annual grasses were widespread at burned and unburned sites alike, contrary to assumptions of annual grasses depending on fire, and more common at lower elevations and higher temperatures regionally, as well as on warmer slopes locally. Pasture-level grazing pressure interacted with temperature such that annual grass cover was associated positively with grazing pressure at higher temperatures but associated negatively with grazing pressure at lower temperatures. This suggests that pasture-level temperature and grazing relationships with annual grass abundance are complex and context dependent, although the causality of this relationship deserves further examination. At the plot-level within pastures, annual grass cover did not vary with grazing metrics, but perennial cover did; perennial grasses, for example, had lower cover closer to water sources, but higher cover at higher dung counts within a pasture, suggesting contrasting interpretations of these two grazing proxies. Importantly for predictions of ecosystem response to temperature change, we found that pasture-level and plot-level favorability interacted: perennial grasses had a higher plot-level cover on cooler slopes, and this difference across topography was starkest in pastures that were less favorable for perennial grasses regionally. Understanding the mechanisms behind cross-scale interactions and contingent responses of vegetation to grazing in these increasingly invaded ecosystems will be critical to land management in a changing world.

INSIGHT: in situ heuristic tool for the efficient reduction of grazing-incidence X-ray scattering data.

INSIGHT is a Python-based software tool for processing and reducing 2D grazing-incidence wide- and small-angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS/GISAXS) data. It offers the geometric transformation of the 2D GIWAXS/GISAXS detector image to reciprocal space, including vectorized and parallelized pixel-wise intensity correction calculations. An explicit focus on efficient data management and batch processing enables full control of large time-resolved synchrotron and laboratory data sets for a detailed analysis of kinetic GIWAXS/GISAXS studies of thin films. It processes data acquired with arbitrarily rotated detectors and performs vertical, horizontal, azimuthal and radial cuts in reciprocal space. It further allows crystallographic indexing and GIWAXS pattern simulation, and provides various plotting and export functionalities. Customized scripting offers a one-step solution to reduce, process, analyze and export findings of large in situ and operando data sets.

X-ray standing wave characterization of the strong metal-support interaction in Co/TiOx model catalysts.

The strong metal-support interaction (SMSI) is a phenomenon observed in supported metal catalyst systems in which reducible metal oxide supports can form overlayers over the surface of active metal nanoparticles (NPs) under a hydrogen (H2) environment at elevated temperatures. SMSI has been shown to affect catalyst performance in many reactions by changing the type and number of active sites on the catalyst surface. Laboratory methods for the analysis of SMSI at the nanoparticle-ensemble level are lacking and mostly based on indirect evidence, such as gas chemisorption. Here, we demonstrate the possibility to detect and characterize SMSIs in Co/TiOx model catalysts using the laboratory X-ray standing wave (XSW) technique for a large ensemble of NPs at the bulk scale. We designed a thermally stable MoNx/SiNx periodic multilayer to retain XSW generation after reduction with H2 gas at 600°C. The model catalyst system was synthesized here by deposition of a thin TiOx layer on top of the periodic multilayer, followed by Co NP deposition via spare ablation. A partial encapsulation of Co NPs by TiOx was identified by analyzing the change in Ti atomic distribution. This novel methodological approach can be extended to observe surface restructuring of model catalysts in situ at high temperature (up to 1000°C) and pressure (≤3 mbar), and can also be relevant for fundamental studies in the thermal stability of membranes, as well as metallurgy.

Biofiltration of n-butyl acetate with three packing material mixtures, with and without biochar.

Two cost-effective packing materials were used for n-butyl acetate removal in lab-scale biofilters, namely waste spruce root wood chips and biochar obtained as a byproduct from a wood gasifier. Three biofilters packed with spruce root wood chips: without biochar (SRWC), a similar one with 10% of biochar (SRWC-B) and that with 10% of biochar impregnated with a nitrogen fertilizer (SRWC-IB) showed similar yet differing maximum elimination capacities of 206 ± 27, 275 ± 21 and 294 ± 20 g m-3 h-1, respectively, enabling high pollutant removal efficiency (>95% at moderate loads) and stable performance. The original biochar adsorption capacity was high (208 ± 6 mgtoluene g-1), but near 70% of it was lost after a 300-day biofilter operation. By contrast, the exposed impregnated biochar drastically increased its adsorption capacity in 300 days (149 ± 7 vs. 17 ± 5 mgtoluene g-1). Colony forming unit (CFU) and microscopic analyses revealed significant packing material colonization by microorganisms and grazing fauna in all three biofilters with an acceptable pressure drop, up to 1020 Pa m-1, at the end of biofilter operation. Despite a higher price (14 vs. 123 €m-3), the application of the best performing SRWC-IB packing can reduce the total investment costs by 9% due to biofilter volume reduction.

Effects of grazing exclusion on soil microbial diversity and its functionality in grasslands: a meta-analysis.

Grazing exclusion (GE) is considered an effective strategy for restoring the degradation of overgrazed grasslands on the global scale. Soil microbial diversity plays a crucial role in supporting multiple ecosystem functions (multifunctionality) in grassland ecosystems. However, the impact of grazing exclusion on soil microbial diversity remains uncertain. Here, we conducted a meta-analysis using a dataset comprising 246 paired observations from 46 peer-reviewed papers to estimate how GE affects microbial diversity and how these effects vary with climatic regions, grassland types, and GE duration ranging from 1 to 64 years. Meanwhile, we explored the relationship between microbial diversity and its functionality under grazing exclusion. Overall, grazing exclusion significantly increased microbial Shannon (1.9%) and microbial richness (4.9%) compared to grazing group. For microbial groups, GE significantly increased fungal richness (8.6%) and bacterial richness (5.3%), but decreased specific microbial richness (-11.9%). The responses of microbial Shannon to GE varied among climatic regions, grassland types, and GE duration. Specifically, GE increased microbial diversity in in arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid regions, but decreased it in humid regions. Moreover, GE significantly increased microbial Shannon in semidesert grasslands (5.9%) and alpine grasslands (3.0%), but not in temperate grasslands. Long-term (>20 year) GE had greater effects on microbial diversity (8.0% for Shannon and 6.7% for richness) compared to short-term (<10 year) GE (-0.8% and 2.4%). Furthermore, grazing exclusion significantly increased multifunctionality, and both microbial and plant Shannon positively correlated with multifunctionality. Overall, our findings emphasize the importance of considering climate, GE duration, and grassland type for biodiversity conservation and sustainable grassland ecosystem functions.

Leaf trait plasticity reveals interactive effects of temporally disjunct grazing and warming on plant communities.

Changes in climate and grazing intensity influence plant-community compositions and their functional structure. Yet, little is known about their possible interactive effects when climate change mainly has consequences during the growing season and grazing occurs off growing season (dormant season grazing). We examined the contribution of trait plasticity to the immediate responses in the functional structure of plant community due to the interplay between these two temporally disjunct drivers. We conducted a field experiment in the northern Mongolian steppe, where climate was manipulated by open-top chambers (OTCs) for two growing seasons, increasing temperature and decreasing soil moisture (i.e., increased aridity), and grazing was excluded for one dormant season between these two growing seasons. We calculated the community-weighted mean (CWM) and the functional diversity (FD) of six leaf traits. Based on a variance partitioning approach, we evaluated how much of the responses in CWM and FD to OTCs and dormant season grazing occur through plasticity. The interactive effect of OTCs and the dormant season grazing were detected only after considering the role of trait plasticity. Overall, OTCs influenced the responses in CWM more than in FD, but the effects of OTCs were much less pronounced where dormant season grazing occurred. Thus, warming (together with decreased soil moisture) and the elimination of dormant season grazing could interact to impact the functional trait structure of plant communities through trait plasticity. Climate change effects should be considered in the context of altered land use, even if temporally disjunct.

Evaluation of haematological parameters in haemolytic anaemia caused by tick-borne pathogens in grazing cattle.

BACKGROUND: No tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) causing haemolytic anaemia in cattle have been reported, except Theileria orientalis and complete blood count (CBC) profile is the only haematological parameter to determine the severity of regenerative haemolytic anaemia. OBJECTIVES: To identify the causative agents of TBP-induced haemolytic anaemia and determine haematological parameters that indicate haemolytic anaemia in grazing cattle. METHODS: Eighty-two Korean indigenous cattle (Hanwoo) were divided into two groups: grazing (n = 67) and indoor (n = 15) groups. CBC and serum biochemistry were performed. PCR was conducted using whole blood-extracted DNA to investigate the prevalence of TBPs. RESULTS: TBP-induced haemolytic anaemia was observed in the grazing group. In grazing cattle, co-infection (43.3%, 29/67) was most frequently detected, followed by T. orientalis (37.6%, 25/67) and Anaplasma phagocytophilum infections (1.5%, 1/67). In indoor cattle, only co-infection (20%, 3/15) was identified. Grazing cattle exhibited regenerative haemolytic anaemia with marked monocytosis, mild neutropenia, and thrombocytopenia. According to grazing frequency, the 1st-time grazing group had more severe anaemia than the 2nd-time grazing group. Elevations in indirect bilirubin and L-lactate due to haemolytic anaemia were identified, and correlations with the respective markers were determined in co-infected grazing cattle. CONCLUSIONS: Quantitative evaluation of haematocrit, mean corpuscular volume, and reticulocytes (markers of regenerative haemolytic anaemia in cattle) was performed for the first time. Our results show that, in addition to T. orientalis, A. phagocytophilum is strongly associated with anaemia. The correlation between haemolytic anaemia severity and haematological parameters (indirect bilirubin, reticulocytes, and L-lactate) was confirmed.

The Association between Grazing and Food Addiction: The Italian Version of the Repetitive Eating Questionnaire (Rep(Eat)-Q) and Its Relationships with Food Addiction Criteria.

BACKGROUND: Among the dysfunctional eating behaviors associated with excessive food intake, a construct that is gaining increasing attention is grazing-the constant, continuous, compulsive, and repetitive consumption of small/moderate amounts of food. Furthermore, in some cases, grazing seems to indicate a dependence on food and/or eating. Currently, the Repetitive Eating Questionnaire (Rep(Eat)-Q) appears to be the only questionnaire that comprehensively measures grazing, including its repetitive and compulsive eating component. Therefore, in a sample of individuals with severe obesity, the objective of this study was twofold: (A) to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Italian version of the Rep(Eat)-Q, and (B) to analyze the association between grazing and food addiction (FA). METHOD: A cross-sectional research design was used. A total of 402 inpatients with severe obesity (BMI > 35) were recruited. Participants underwent a series of questionnaires to investigate structural validity and convergent validity and association with FA criteria. RESULTS: The factorial structure of the Rep(Eat)-Q is robust and showed fit indexes: CFI = 0.973; RMSEA = 0.074; 90%CI [0.056-0.091]; and SRMR = 0.029. Also, it exhibited good internal consistency and convergent validity. Furthermore, logistic regression analysis highlights a specific association between certain FA criteria and grazing. CONCLUSIONS: The Rep(Eat)-Q can be considered to be a concise, robust, reliable, and statistically sound tool to assess repetitive eating, specifically grazing. Its strong psychometric properties offer significant advantages for both research and clinical applications. Furthermore, in a sample of individuals with severe obesity, the results suggest that individuals with problematic grazing exhibit a typical behavioral profile of subjects with FA, indicating that FA can manifest through problematic grazing as well.

Effects of supplementing cassava root silage to grazing dairy cows on nutrient utilization, milk production and composition in the tropics.

The current study evaluated the effects of supplementing cassava root silage (CRS) to dairy cows grazing on Megathyrsus maximus cv Mombasa on nutrient intake and digestibility, as well as on milk production and composition. Ten primiparous Girolando cows with average body weight ± (SEM) of 373.45 ± (63.55) kg were used in a replicated 5 × 5 Latin square. Animals were subjected to five treatments: (I) grazing cows without supplementation (WCS); (II) grazing cows provided with 5 kg DM of supplement without CRS (0 g/kg DM of CRS) or including (III) 260, (IV) 520, and (V) 780 g/kg DM of CRS. Statistical analyses were performed using the PROC MIXED of SAS with significance at P < 0.05. Intake of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and ether extract decreased (P < 0.01), while intake of non-fiber carbohydrates increased (P < 0.01), with increased CRS in the diets. Total DM intake and digestibility of DM, and digestibility of nutritional components were lower (P < 0.03) in WCS animals compared to supplemented animals, except for intake and digestibility of NDF, which was the opposite. Milk yield (MY) and fat corrected milk (FCM), as well as all milk components were unaffected (P > 0.05) by CRS inclusion. In contrast, MY, FCM, protein, lactose, casein, and non-fat milk solids (NFMS) were greater for animals that received supplementation (P < 0.05), compared to animals WCS. Milk fat and total dry extract (TMS) did not differ (P > 0.11) between two groups. In conclusion, CRS may be a potential corn meal replacer in the supplement of dairy cows under tropical conditions.

Axial Phenoxylation of Aluminum Phthalocyanines for Improved Cannabinoid Sensitivity in OTFT Sensors.

Cannabis producers, consumers, and regulators need fast, accurate, point-of-use sensors to detect Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) from both liquid and vapor source samples, and phthalocyanine-based organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) provide a cost-effective solution. Chloro aluminum phthalocyanine (Cl-AlPc) has emerged as a promising material due to its unique coordinating interactions with cannabinoids, allowing for superior sensitivity. This work explores the molecular engineering of AlPc to tune and enhance these interactions, where a series of novel phenxoylated R-AlPcs are synthesized and integrated into OTFTs, which are then exposed to THC and CBD solution and vapor samples. While the R-AlPc substituted molecules have a comparable baseline device performance to Cl-AlPc, their new crystal structures and weakened intermolecular interactions increase sensitivity to THC. Grazing-incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) are used to investigate this film restructuring, where a significant shift in the crystal structure, grain size, and film roughness is detected for the R-AlPc molecules that do not occur with Cl-AlPc. This significant crystal reorganization and film restructuring are the driving force behind the improved sensitivity to cannabinoids relative to Cl-AlPc and demonstrate that analyte-semiconductor interactions can be enhanced through chemical modification to create more responsive OTFT sensors.

The effectiveness of a virtual fencing technology to allocate pasture and herd cows to the milking shed.

Virtual fencing technology provides an opportunity to rethink the management of intensive grazing systems in general, yet most studies have used products developed and applied to more extensive livestock systems. This research aimed to assess the application of a virtual fencing technology developed for the intensive pastoral dairy industry. The Halter system uses 2 primary cues, sound and vibration, and one aversive secondary cue, a low energy electrical pulse, to confine cows to a pasture allocation and remotely herd cows. Two groups of 40 mid-lactation multiparous dairy cows were studied (Bos taurus, predominantly Friesian and Friesian × Jersey, parity 1-8). Cows were milked twice per day and provided 9 kg pasture DM/day in a 24-h allocation, supplemented with 7 kg silage and 6 kg grain DM/day. Training to the Halter system occurred over 10 d after which cows were managed with the technology for a further 28 d. The type and time of cues delivered was recorded by each collar and communicated via a base-station to cloud data storage. Cows took less than a day to start responding to the sound cues delivered while held on a pasture allocation and were moving to the milking parlor without human intervention by d 4 of training. On training d 1, at least 60% of sound cues resulted in an electrical pulse. Across training d 2-10, 6.4% of sound cues resulted in a pulse. After the 10-d training period, 2.6% of sound cues resulted in a pulse. During the management period, 90% of cows spent ≤1.7 min/d beyond the virtual fence, received ≤ 0.71 pulse/d in the paddock and received ≤ 1 pulse/d during virtual herding to the parlor. By the final week of the management period, 50% of cows received zero pulses/week in the paddock and 35% received zero pulses/week during virtual herding. The number of pulses delivered per day and the pulse:sound cue ratio was lower in this study than that previously reported using other virtual fencing technologies. We conclude that the Halter technology is successful at containing lactating dairy cows in an intensive grazing system as well as at remotely herding animals to the milking parlor.

How do grazing beef and dairy cattle respond to virtual fences? A review.

Virtual fencing (VF) is a modern fencing technology that requires the animal to wear a device (e.g. a collar) that emits acoustic signals to replace the visual cue of traditional physical fences (PF) and, if necessary, mild electric signals. The use of devices that provide electric signals leads to concerns regarding the welfare of virtually fenced animals. The objective of this review is to give an overview of the current state of VF research into the welfare and learning behavior of cattle. Therefore, a systematic literature search was conducted using two online databases and reference lists of relevant articles. Studies included were peer-reviewed and written in English, used beef or dairy cattle, and tested neck-mounted VF devices. Further inclusion criteria were a combination of audio and electrical signals and a set-up as a pasture trial, which implied that animals grazed in groups on grassland for four hours minimum while at least one fence side was virtually fenced. The eligible studies (n = 13) were assigned to one or two of the following categories: animal welfare (n studies = 8) or learning behavior (n studies = 9). As data availability for conducting a meta-analysis was not sufficient, a comparison of the means of welfare indicators (daily weight gain, daily lying time, steps per hour, daily number of lying bouts, fecal cortisol metabolites (FCM)) for virtually and physically fenced animals was done instead. In an additional qualitative approach, the results from the welfare-related studies were assembled and discussed. For the learning behavior, the number of acoustic and electric signals and their ratio were used in a linear regression model with duration in days as a numeric predictor to assess the learning trends over time. There were no significant differences between VF and PF for most welfare indicators (except FCM with lower values for VF; P = 0.0165). The duration in days did not have a significant effect on the number of acoustic and electric signals. However, a significant effect of trial duration on the ratio of electric to acoustic signals (P = 0.0014) could be detected, resulting in a decreasing trend of the ratio over time, which suggests successful learning. Overall, we conclude that the VF research done so far is promising but is not yet sufficient to ensure that the technology could not have impacts on the welfare of certain cattle types. More research is necessary to investigate especially possible long-term effects of VF.

Precipitation variation: a key factor regulating plant diversity in semi-arid livestock grazing lands.

Livestock presence impacts plant biodiversity (species richness) in grassland ecosystems, yet extent and direction of grazing impacts on biodiversity vary greatly across inter-annual periods. In this study, an 8-year (2014-2021) grazing gradient experiment with sheep was conducted in a semi-arid grassland to investigate the impact of grazing under different precipitation variability on biodiversity. The results suggest no direct impact of grazing on species richness in semi-arid Stipa grassland. However, increased grazing indirectly enhanced species richness by elevating community dominance (increasing the sheltering effect of Stipa grass). Importantly, intensified grazing also regulates excessive community biomass resulting from increased inter-annual wetness (SPEI), amplifying the positive influence of annual humidity index on species richness. Lastly, we emphasize that, in water-constrained grassland ecosystems, intra-annual precipitation variability (PCI) was the most crucial factor driving species richness. Therefore, the water-heat synchrony during the growing season may alleviate physiological constraints on plants, significantly enhancing species richness as a result of multifactorial interactions. Our study provides strong evidence for how to regulate grazing intensity to increase biodiversity under future variable climate patterns. We suggest adapting grazing intensity according to local climate variability to achieve grassland biodiversity conservation.

Intensive feeding alters the rumen microbiota and its fermentation parameters in natural grazing yaks.

Introduction: Amidst the challenging environmental conditions characterized by low oxygen levels and cold temperatures on the plateau, alterations in nutrient supply emerge as pivotal factors influencing the survival and reproduction of yaks. Intensive feeding stands out as a substantial mechanism for nutrient provision, initiating discernible changes in the host's rumen flora. Within the extreme natural conditions prevailing in the plateau area of northwest Yunnan, China, there exists a con-strained comprehension of the variations in rumen microflora, fermentation parameters, and growth responses exhibited by yaks subjected to intensive feeding. Methods: This study employs 16S rRNA and ITS sequencing methods to scrutinize the rumen flora of yaks engaged in both natural grazing (G) and intensive feeding (F) on the plateau. Results: The outcomes unveil that, during the severe winter season, yaks adeptly modulate the abundance and diversity of rumen flora in response to dietary modifications under intensive feeding, aiming to optimize the efficient utilization of dietary fiber and energy. Principal Coordinate Analysis (PCoA) illustrates a substantial alteration in the rumen microbial community of naturally grazing yaks when exposed to intensive feeding. The natural grazing group manifests a higher prevalence of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes, while the intensive feeding group exhibits heightened levels of Prevotella in the rumen. The Rikenellaceae _ RC9 _ gut_ group, associated with mycobacteria, prevails more abundantly in the natural grazing setting. PICRUSt2 analysis indicates that intensive feeding induces bacterial gene overexpression linked to protein metabolism. Rumen fungi showcase heightened diversity under intensification. Intensive feeding results in an augmented abundance of non-fiber-degrading bacteria and semi-fiber-degrading bacteria, accompanied by elevated concentrations of Volatile Fatty Acids (VFA). Discussion: These findings yield novel insights into the shifts in the rumen microflora of yaks acclimated to intensive feeding in high-altitude environments, provide an important reference for the nutritional regulation of supplemental feeding of natural grazing yaks in the cold season, ultimately contributing to their enhanced growth.

Sustainable Grassland-Management Systems and Their Effects on the Physicochemical Properties of Soil.

Grassland covers approximately 17.4% of Europe's land area, stores about 20% of the world's soil carbon and has the potential to sequester carbon. With the help of sustainable management systems, grasslands could reduce greenhouse gases and act as a terrestrial sink for atmospheric CO2. In this study, we will investigate the effect of grassland management (cutting, grazing, and a combination of the two) and soil depth (0-10, 10-20, 20-30 cm) on the physical (volumetric water content-VWC, bulk density-BD, porosity-POR, mass consisting of coarse fragments-FC) and chemical properties of soil (organic carbon-SOC, inorganic carbon-SIC, total carbon-STC, total nitrogen-STN, organic matter-SOM, C/N ratio, pH) in Central European lowlands. The management system affected BD, SOC and STN and tended to affect VWC and STC in the first soil depth only. Grazing and the combined system stored greater amounts of STN, SOC and STC and had higher BDs at the surface (0-10 cm) compared to the cutting system. Most soil properties were influenced by soil depth, with C/N ratio and BD increasing and SOC, STC, STN, SOM, VWC and POR decreasing with depth. Our study highlights an opportunity for grassland users to improve soil quality, reduce fossil fuel usage and improve animal welfare through their management systems and argues that systems such as grazing and the combined system should be promoted to mitigate climate change.

Sheep dung deposition disrupted the soil microbiome in degraded grassland but not in non-degraded grassland.

Grazing is the most extensive land use in grassland worldwide, wherein the soil microbiome is known to support multiple ecosystem functions. Yet, the experimental impact of livestock grazing and dung deposits on the soil microbiome in degraded grassland remains poorly understood. We examined the effects of sheep dung depositions on the bacterial and fungal microbiome of two grasslands: non-degraded and degraded (long-term overgrazing) in northern China. Specifically, sheep dung was experimentally added to the soil and its effects on the soil microbial community were determined 3 months later (corresponding to livestock excreta deposited throughout the entire growing season of grassland, June to September). Our results showed that sheep dung additions showed negative effects on the soil microbiome of already degraded grassland, while with a diminished impact on the non-degraded grassland. In particular, dung deposition decreased soil microbial Shannon index, notably significantly reducing fungal diversity in degraded grassland. Moreover, sheep dung deposition modifies soil bacterial community structure and diminishes bacterial community network complexity. The alteration of soil pH caused by sheep dung deposition partially explains the decline in microbial diversity in degraded grassland. However, sheep dung did not alter the relative abundance and community composition of bacterial and fungal dominant phyla either in the non-degraded or in the degraded grassland. In conclusion, the short-term deposition of sheep dung exerted a detrimental influence on the microbial community in degraded grassland soil. It contributes new experimental evidence regarding the adverse effects of livestock grazing, particularly through dung deposition, on the soil microbiome in degraded grassland. This knowledge is crucial for guiding managers in conserving the soil microbiome in grazed grasslands.

Morphology of Buried Interfaces in Ion-Assisted Magnetron Sputter-Deposited 11B4C-Containing Ni/Ti Multilayer Neutron Optics Investigated by Grazing-Incidence Small-Angle Scattering.

Multilayer neutron optics require precise control of interface morphology for optimal performance. In this work, we investigate the effects of different growth conditions on the interface morphology of Ni/Ti-based multilayers, with a focus on incorporating low-neutron-absorbing 11B4C and using different ion assistance schemes. Grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering was used to probe the structural and morphological details of buried interfaces, revealing that the layers become more strongly correlated and the interfaces form mounds with increasing amounts of 11B4C. Applying high flux ion assistance during growth can reduce mound formation but lead to interface mixing, while a high flux modulated ion assistance scheme with an initial buffer layer grown at low ion energy and the top layer at higher ion energy prevents intermixing. The optimal condition was found to be adding 26.0 atom % 11B4C combined with high flux modulated ion assistance. A multilayer with a period of 48.2 Å and 100 periods was grown under these conditions, and coupled fitting to neutron and X-ray reflectivity data revealed an average interface width of only 2.7 Å, a significant improvement over the current state-of-the-art commercial Ni/Ti multilayers. Overall, our study demonstrates that the addition of 11B4C and the use of high flux modulated ion assistance during growth can significantly improve the interface morphology of Ni/Ti multilayers, leading to improved neutron optics performance.

The effect of livestock grazing on plant diversity and productivity of mountainous grasslands in South America - A meta-analysis.

Mountainous grasslands in South America, characterized by their high diversity, provide a wide range of contributions to people, including water regulation, soil erosion prevention, livestock feed provision, and preservation of cultural heritage. Prior research has highlighted the significant role of grazing in shaping the diversity and productivity of grassland ecosystems, especially in highly productive, eutrophic systems. In such environments, grazing has been demonstrated to restore grassland plant diversity by reducing primary productivity. However, it remains unclear whether these findings are applicable to South American mountainous grasslands, where plants are adapted to different environmental conditions. To address this uncertainty, we conducted a meta-analysis of experiments excluding livestock grazing to assess its impact on plant diversity and productivity across mountainous grasslands in South America. In alignment with studies in temperate grasslands, our findings indicated that herbivore exclusion resulted in increased aboveground biomass but reduced species richness and Shannon diversity. The effects of grazing exclusion became more pronounced with longer durations of exclusion; nevertheless, they remained resilient to various climatic conditions, including mean annual precipitation and mean annual temperature, as well as the evolutionary history of grazing. In contrast to results observed in temperate grasslands, the reduction in species richness due to herbivore exclusion was not associated with increased aboveground biomass. This suggests that the processes governing (sub)tropical grassland plant diversity may differ from those in temperate grasslands. Consequently, further research is necessary to better understand the specific factors influencing plant diversity and productivity in South American montane grasslands and to elucidate the ecological implications of herbivore exclusion in these unique ecosystems.

Strategies of maize silage supplementation of grazing dairy cows: Effects on milk production, pasture intake, grazing behaviour and methane emissions.

Supplementation strategy and grazing management can strongly influence dairy cow feeding behaviour, herbage intake, milk production and methane emissions. Two studies were conducted to investigate (1) the level of supplementation with partial mixed rations (PMR) and (2) the timing of maize silage feeding (morning vs. evening) for cows that have access to pasture either only during the day or day and night. A dataset was built that includes all individual cow measurements from both studies. It consists of 18 Microsoft® Excel files that correspond to several scales of information. The main file, "GrASTech_04_CowMeasurements", contains individual weekly measurements of milk production and composition, body weight, supplement and herbage dry matter intake measured using the n-alkane method and grazing behaviour measured using Lifecorder Plus, for a total of 168 cow × week datapoints. Five Excel files provide supplementary information at larger scales: periods, experimental treatments, feeds offered and their chemical composition, pasture characteristics and grazing management, and cow characteristics. The remaining 12 Excel files provide information at the daily scale on weather (1 file), methane concentrations and emissions (1 file), the grazing schedule (1 file) and grazing behaviour (9 files). The files related to grazing behaviour include the daily pattern of grazing time every 2 min as determined by Lifecorder Plus, as well as the daily pattern of grazing time, rumination, overactivity, other activity, rest and standing every 5 min as determined by Feed'Live. This dataset can be used to better understand and investigate relations among and the influence of animal characteristics, grazing management, the supplementation strategy and weather conditions on daily herbage intake, grazing behaviour, milk production and methane emissions at a weekly scale. The detailed information on feeding and grazing behaviour can also be used to study between-cow and between-day variability in daily cow activities.

Resource selection by Sarda cattle in a Mediterranean silvopastoral system.

Knowledge of how grazing cattle utilize heterogeneous landscapes in Mediterranean silvopastoral areas is scarce. Global positioning systems (GPS) to track animals, together with geographic information systems (GIS), can relate animal distribution to landscape features. With the aim to develop a general spatial model that provides accurate prediction of cattle resource selection patterns within a Mediterranean mountainous silvopastoral area, free-roaming Sarda cows were fitted with GPS collars to track their spatial behaviors. Resource selection function models (RSF) were developed to estimate the probability of resource use as a function of environmental variables. A set of over 500 candidate RSF models, composed of up to five environmental predictor variables, were fitted to data. To identify a final model providing a robust prediction of cattle resource selection pattern across the different seasons, the 10 best models (ranked on the basis of the AIC score) were fitted to seasonal data. Prediction performance of the models was evaluated with a Spearman correlation analysis using the GPS position data sets previously reserved for model validation. The final model emphasized that watering point, elevation, and distance to fences were important factors affecting cattle resource-selection patterns. The prediction performances (as Spearman rank correlation scores) of the final model, when fitted to each season, ranged between 0.7 and 0.94. The cows were more likely to select areas lower in elevation and farther from the watering point in winter than in summer (693 ± 1 m and 847 ± 13 m vs. 707 ± 1 m and 635 ± 21 m, respectively), and in spring opted for the areas furthest from the water (963 ± 12). Although caution should be exercised in generalizing to other silvopastoral areas, the satisfactory Spearman correlations scores from the final RSF model applied to different seasons indicate resource selection function is a powerful predictive model. The relative importance of the individual predictors within the model varied among the different seasons, demonstrating the RSF model's ability to interpret changes in animal behavior at different times of the year. The RSF model has proven to be a useful tool to interpret the spatial behaviors of cows grazing in Mediterranean silvopastoral areas and could therefore be helpful in managing and preserving ecosystem services of these areas.