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Data extracted in December 2021
Note to the reader: This general fiche summarises the environmental and climate impacts of different GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT practices, namely soil organic amendment, soil fertilisation with conventional or with enhanced-efficiency fertilisers, mowing, grazing and increasing grass/forb species richness, found in a systematic review of 34 synthesis research papers [1]. These papers were selected from an initial number of 1022 obtained through a systematic literature search strategy, according to the inclusion criteria reported in section 4.
As each synthesis research paper involves a number of primary research papers -ranging from 12 to 257-, the assessment of impacts relies on a large number of results obtained mainly in field experiments (carried out in situations close to real farming environment), and sometimes in lab experiments or from model simulations.
1. DESCRIPTION OF THE FARMING PRACTICE
Description |
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Key descriptors |
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2. DESCRIPTION OF THE IMPACTS OF THE FARMING PRACTICE ON CLIMATE AND THE ENVIRONMENT
We reviewed the impacts in grasslands of different soil management practices (namely, the use of enhanced-efficiency fertilisers, soil organic amendments and conventional fertilisers) compared to grasslands without such management (Table 1). We also reviewed the impacts in grasslands of grazing, mowing more or less than once a year compared to grasslands mowed once a year (Table 2). Finally, we reviewed the impacts in grasslands of practices pursuing to increase grass/forb species richness compared to grasslands with lower or only one species (Table 3).
The tables show the number of synthesis papers reporting positive, negative or no effect, based on the statistical comparison of the intervention and the control. In addition, we include the number of systematic reviews, if any, reporting relevant results, but without statistical test of the effects (“uncertain”). The numbers between parentheses indicate the number of synthesis papers with a quality score of at least 50%. Details on quality criteria can be found in the methodology section of this WIKI.
Out of the 34 synthesis papers selected, 33 reported studies conducted in Europe while one did not report the geographical origin of the studies included; 33 synthesis papers have a quality score higher than 50%. Some synthesis papers reported more than one impact.
Table 1. Impacts of the use of enhanced-efficiency fertilisers, soil organic amendments and conventional fertilisers compared to grasslands without such management.
Impact | Intervention | Comparator | Positive | Negative | No effect | Uncertain* |
Decrease air pollutants emissions | Enhanced-efficiency fertilisers (EEF) | No EEF | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (0) |
Increase biodiversity | Soil organic amendments | No amendments | 0 | 0 | 2 (2) | 0 |
Fertilisers | No fertilisers | 1 (1) | 4 (4) | 1 (1) | 0 | |
Decrease ecotoxicity | Soil organic amendments | No amendments | 0 | 1 (1) | 0 | 0 |
Decrease GHG emissions | Soil organic amendments | No amendments | 0 | 0 | 1 (1) | 0 |
Enhanced-efficiency fertilisers (EEF) | No EEF | 3 (3) | 0 | 2 (2) | 0 | |
N fertilisers | No fertilisers | 0 | 3 (3) | 0 | 0 | |
NP fertilisers | 0 | 1 (1) | 0 | 0 | ||
P fertilisers | 0 | 0 | 1 (1) | 0 | ||
Decrease nutrient leaching and run-off
| Soil organic amendments | No amendments | 0 | 1(1) | 0 | 0 |
Enhanced-efficiency fertilisers (EEF) | No EEF | 1 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Decrease pests and diseases | Soil organic amendments | No amendments | 0 | 0 | 1 (1) | 0 |
Increase soil biological quality | N fertilisers | No fertilisers | 2 (2) | 2 (2) | 4 (4) | 0 |
Decrease soil erosion | Soil organic amendments | No amendments | 1 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Increase soil nutrients | Fertilisers | No fertilisers | 3 (3) | 1 (1) | 3 (3) | 0 |
Increase carbon sequestration | Soil organic amendments | No amendments | 1 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
N fertilisers | No fertilisers | 0 | 0 | 1 (1) | 0 | |
Increase soil water retention | Soil organic amendments | No amendments | 1 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
N fertilisers | No fertilisers | 0 | 0 | 1 (1) | 0 | |
Increase plant nutrient uptake | N fertilisers | No fertilisers | 1 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Increase grassland production | Soil organic amendments | No amendments | 2 (2) | 1 (1) | 0 | 0 |
Enhanced-efficiency fertilisers (EEF) | No EEF | 1 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Fertilisers | No fertilisers | 7 (7) | 0 | 4 (4) | 0 |
* Number of systematic reviews that report relevant results but without statistical test comparison of the intervention and the control.
Table 2. Impacts of mowing more or less than once a year compared to mowing once a year.
Impact | Intervention | Comparator | Positive | Negative | No effect | Uncertain |
Increase biodiversity | Delayed first mowing date | Early first mowing date | 1 (1) | 0 | 1 (1) | 0 |
Grazing | Mowing once a year | 0 | 0 | 1 (1) | 0 | |
Mowing less than once a year | 0 | 0 | 1 (1) | 0 | ||
Mowing more than once a year | 0 | 0 | 1 (1) | 0 |
Table 3. Impacts of increasing grass/forb species richness compared to grasslands with less or only one species.
Impact | Intervention | Comparator | Positive | Negative | No effect | Uncertain |
Increase soil biological quality | Increasing grass/forb species richness | Low species richness | 4 (4) | 0 | 3 (3) | 0 |
Increase soil nutrients | Increasing grass/forb species richness | Low species richness | 1 (1) | 0 | 2 (2) | 0 |
Increase carbon sequestration | Increasing grass/forb species richness | Low species richness | 1 (1) | 0 | 2 (2) | 0 |
Increase grassland production | Increasing grass/forb species richness | Low species richness | 3 (3) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
3. DESCRIPTION OF THE KEY FACTORS INFLUENCING THE SIZE OF THE EFFECT
Only the factors explicitly studied in the reviewed synthesis papers with a significant effect are reported below. Details regarding the factors can be found in the Summaries of the meta-analyses.
Impact | Factors |
Increase biodiversity | Interaction between time since treatment and seeding prior to restoration (ref 6), Disturbance prior to restoration (ref 6), N content in amendment (ref 13), N fertiliser application rate (ref 25), Duration of treatment (ref 25), Climate (ref 25), Fertiliser type (ref 25), Geographical area (ref 27), Grassland type (ref 27), Organism (ref 27), Mowing date (ref 27), Historical management (ref 27), Recent management (ref 27), Date of the early cut (ref 30), N application rate (ref 32) |
Decrease ecotoxicity | N content in amendment (ref 13) |
Decrease GHG emissions | N fertiliser application rate (ref 18), Excreta type (ref 19), Deposition season (ref 19) |
Decrease nutrient leaching and run- off | N content in amendment (ref 13), Deposition season (ref 19), Application rate (ref 19), Timing of application (ref 19) |
Increase soil biological quality | Duration of treatment (ref 23, 29) |
Decrease soil erosion | Amendment rate (ref 13), N content in amendment (ref 13) |
Increase soil nutrients | N application rate (ref 21), Climate (ref 21) |
Increase carbon sequestration | Grass plant species richness (ref 9, 10), Duration of treatment (ref 9, 10), Interaction between grass plant species richness and experimental duration (ref 9), Amendment rate (ref 13), N content in amendment (ref 13), Time between treatment and measurement (ref 13) |
Increase soil water retention | Duration of treatment (ref 21) |
Increase plant nutrient uptake | N fertiliser application rate (ref 28) |
Increase grassland production | Time since treatment (ref 6), Burned before treatment (ref 6), Mean annual temperature (ref 6), Seeding prior to restoration (ref 6), Crop type (ref 8), P fertiliser application rate (ref 8), Climate (ref 8, 21), Soil Olsen P levels (ref 8), Grass plant species richness (ref 9, 10), Duration of treatment (ref 9, 10), Interaction between grass plant species richness and experimental duration (ref 9), Aridity index (ref 10), Plot area (ref 10), Amendment rate (ref 13), Time between treatment and measurement (ref 13), Study type (ref 19), Study duration (ref 19), Timing of application (ref 19), N application rate (ref 21) |
4. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW SEARCH STRATEGY
Keywords | TS=("grazing*" OR "grassland*" OR "pasture*" OR "rangeland")) AND TS=(("meta-analy*" OR "systematic* review*" OR "evidence map" OR "global synthesis" OR "evidence synthesis" OR "research synthesis") or TITLE-ABS-KEY: ( "grazing*" OR "grassland*" OR "pasture*" OR "rangeland") AND TITLE-ABS-KEY ( "meta-analy*" OR "systematic* review*" OR "evidence map" OR "global synthesis" OR "evidence synthesis" OR "research synthesis") |
Search dates | No time restrictions |
Databases | Web of Science and Scopus, run in September 2021 |
Selection criteria | The main criteria that led to the exclusion of a synthesis paper were when the paper: 1) does not deal with terrestrial grasslands or the effects on grasslands can not be disentangle from other land uses; 2) does not deal with grassland management, namely soil amendment, soil fertilisation, mowing or increasing plant species richness; 3) is either a non-systematic review, a non-quantitative systematic review, or a meta-regression without mean effect sizes; 4) is not written in English. Due to the high number of potentially valid synthesis papers, we applied additional exclusion criteria: 5) the paper does not include studies conducted in Europe; 6) the paper only reports impacts on crop or animal production, but any environmental impacts. Synthesis papers that passed the relevance criteria were subject to critical appraisal carried out on a paper-by-paper basis. The search returned 1022 synthesis papers potentially relevant for the practice object of our fiche. From the 1022 potentially relevant synthesis papers, 661 were excluded after reading the title and abstract, and 327 after reading the full text according to the above-mentioned criteria. Finally, 34 synthesis papers were selected for grazing management. |
5. LIST OF SYNTHESIS PAPERS INCLUDED IN THE REVIEW
Ref. Num | Authors | Year | Title | Reference | DOI |
1 | Chen, J; Feng, M; Cui, Y; Liu, G | 2021 | The impacts of nitrogen addition on upland soil methane uptake: A global meta-analysis | SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT, 795, 148863. | 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148863 |
2 | Chen, XL; Chen, HYH; Searle, EB; Chen, C; Reich, PB | 2021 | Negative to positive shifts in diversity effects on soil nitrogen over time | NATURE SUSTAINABILITY, 4, 225–232. | 10.1038/s41893-020-00641-y |
3 | Barry, KE; van Ruijven, J; Mommer, L; Bai, YF; Beierkuhnlein, C; Buchmann, N; de Kroon, H; Ebeling, A; Eisenhauer, N; Guimaraes-Steinicke, C; Hildebrandt, A; Isbell, F; Milcu, A; Nesshover, C; Reich, PB; Roscher, C; Sauheitl, L; Scherer-Lorenzen, M; Schmid, B; Tilman, D; von Felten, S; Weigelt, A | 2020 | Limited evidence for spatial resource partitioning across temperate grassland biodiversity experiments | ECOLOGY, 101(1), e02905. | 10.1002/ecy.2905 |
4 | Chen, XL; Chen, HYH; Chen, C; Ma, ZL; Searle, EB; Yu, ZP; Huang, ZQ | 2020 | Effects of plant diversity on soil carbon in diverse ecosystems: A global meta-analysis | BIOLOGICAL REVIEWS, 95(1), 167-183. | 10.1111/brv.12554 |
5 | Jia, XY; Zhong, YQW; Liu, J; Zhu, GY; Shangguan, ZP; Yan, WM | 2020 | Effects of nitrogen enrichment on soil microbial characteristics: From biomass to enzyme activities | GEODERMA, 366, 114256. | 10.1016/j.geoderma.2020.114256 |
6 | Ploughe, LW; Akin-Fajiye, M; Gagnon, A; Gardner, WC; Fraser, LH | 2020 | Revegetation of degraded ecosystems into grasslands using biosolids as an organic amendment: A meta-analysis | APPLIED VEGETATION SCIENCE, 24(1), e12558. | 10.1111/avsc.12558 |
7 | Prather, RM; Castillioni, K; Kaspari, M; Souza, L; Prather, CM; Reihart, RW; Welti, EAR | 2020 | Micronutrients enhance macronutrient effects in a meta-analysis of grassland arthropod abundance | GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY, 29(12), 2273-2288. | 10.1111/geb.13196 |
8 | Ros, MBH; Koopmans, GF; van Groenigen, KJ; Abalos, D; Oenema, O; Vos, HMJ; van Groenigen, JW | 2020 | Towards optimal use of phosphorus fertiliser | SCIENTIFIC REPORTS, 10, 17804. | 10.1038/s41598-020-74736-z |
9 | Wang, C; Tang, YJ; Li, XN; Zhang, WW; Zhao, CQ; Li, C | 2020 | Negative impacts of plant diversity loss on carbon sequestration exacerbate over time in grasslands | ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS, 15(10), 104055. | 10.1088/1748-9326/abaf88 |
10 | Xu, S; Eisenhauer, N; Ferlian, O; Zhang, JL; Zhou, GY; Lu, XK; Liu, CS; Zhang, DQ | 2020 | Species richness promotes ecosystem carbon storage: Evidence from biodiversity-ecosystem functioning experiments | PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES, 287, 20202063. | 10.1098/rspb.2020.2063 |
11 | Zhang, LH; Yuan, FH; Bai, JH; Duan, HT; Gu, XY; Hou, LY; Huang, Y; Yang, MG; He, JS; Zhang, ZH; Yu, LJ; Song, CC; Lipson, DA; Zona, D; Oechel, W; Janssens, IA; Xu, XF | 2020 | Phosphorus alleviation of nitrogen-suppressed methane sink in global grasslands | ECOLOGY LETTERS, 23(5), 821-830. | 10.1111/ele.13480 |
12 | Chen, C; Chen, HYH; Chen, XL; Huang, ZQ | 2019 | Meta-analysis shows positive effects of plant diversity on microbial biomass and respiration | NATURE COMMUNICATIONS, 10, 1332. | 10.1038/s41467-019-09258-y |
13 | Gravuer, K; Gennet, S; Throop, HL | 2019 | Organic amendment additions to rangelands: A meta-analysis of multiple ecosystem outcomes | GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, 25(3), 1152-1170. | 10.1111/gcb.14535 |
14 | Jiang, J; Wang, YP; Yang, YH; Yu, MX; Wang, C; Yan, JH | 2019 | Interactive effects of nitrogen and phosphorus additions on plant growth vary with ecosystem type | PLANT AND SOIL, 440(1-2), 523-537. | 10.1007/s11104-019-04119-5 |
15 | Midolo, G; Alkemade, R; Schipper, AM; Benitez-Lopez, A; Perring, MP; De Vries, W | 2019 | Impacts of nitrogen addition on plant species richness and abundance: A global meta-analysis | GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY, 28(3), 398-413. | 10.1111/geb.12856 |
16 | Zheng, MH; Zhou, ZH; Luo, YQ; Zhao, P; Mo, JM | 2019 | Global pattern and controls of biological nitrogen fixation under nutrient enrichment: A meta-analysis | GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, 25(9), 3018-3030. | 10.1111/gcb.14705 |
17 | Talle, M; Deak, B; Poschlod, P; Valko, O; Westerberg, L; Milberg, P | 2018 | Similar effects of different mowing frequencies on the conservation value of semi-natural grasslands in Europe | BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION, 27(10), 2451-2475. | 10.1007/s10531-018-1562-6 |
18 | Wang, JY; Chadwick, DR; Cheng, Y; Yan, XY | 2018 | Global analysis of agricultural soil denitrification in response to fertilizer nitrogen | SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT, 616, 908-917. | 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.10.229 |
19 | Cai, YJ; Akiyama, H | 2017 | Effects of inhibitors and biochar on nitrous oxide emissions, nitrate leaching, and plant nitrogen uptake from urine patches of grazing animals on grasslands: A meta-analysis | SOIL SCIENCE AND PLANT NUTRITION, 63(4), 405-414. | 10.1080/00380768.2017.1367627 |
20 | Chen, J; Luo, YQ; Li, JW; Zhou, XH; Cao, JJ; Wang, RW; Wang, YQ; Shelton, S; Jin, Z; Walker, LM; Feng, ZZ; Niu, SL; Feng, WT; Jian, SY; Zhou, LY | 2017 | Costimulation of soil glycosidase activity and soil respiration by nitrogen addition | GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, 23(3), 1328-1337. | 10.1111/gcb.13402 |
21 | You, CM; Wu, FZ; Gan, YM; Yang, WQ; Hu, ZM; Xu, ZF; Tan, B; Liu, L; Ni, XY | 2017 | Grass and forbs respond differently to nitrogen addition: A meta-analysis of global grassland ecosystems | SCIENTIFIC REPORTS, 7, 1563. | 10.1038/s41598-017-01728-x |
22 | Zhou, ZH; Wang, CK; Zheng, MH; Jiang, LF; Luo, YQ | 2017 | Patterns and mechanisms of responses by soil microbial communities to nitrogen addition | SOIL BIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY, 115, 433-441. | 10.1016/j.soilbio.2017.09.015 |
23 | Geisseler, D; Lazicki, PA; Scow, KM | 2016 | Mineral nitrogen input decreases microbial biomass in soils under grasslands but not annual crops | APPLIED SOIL ECOLOGY, 106, 1-10. | 10.1016/j.apsoil.2016.04.015 |
24 | Gilsanz, C; Baez, D; Misselbrook, TH; Dhanoa, MS; Cardenas, LM | 2016 | Development of emission factors and efficiency of two nitrification inhibitors, DCD and DMPP | AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS AND ENVIRONMENT, 216, 1-8. | 10.1016/j.agee.2015.09.030 |
25 | Humbert, JY; Dwyer, JM; Andrey, A; Arlettaz, R | 2016 | Impacts of nitrogen addition on plant biodiversity in mountain grasslands depend on dose, application duration and climate: A systematic review | GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, 22(1), 110-120. | 10.1111/gcb.12986 |
26 | Li, Y; Niu, SL; Yu, GR | 2016 | Aggravated phosphorus limitation on biomass production under increasing nitrogen loading: A meta-analysis | GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, 22(2), 934-943. | 10.1111/gcb.13125 |
27 | Talle, M; Deak, B; Poschlod, P; Valko, O; Westerberg, L; Milberg, P | 2016 | Grazing vs. mowing: A meta-analysis of biodiversity benefits for grassland management | AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS AND ENVIRONMENT, 222, 200-212. | 10.1016/j.agee.2016.02.008 |
28 | Tian, DH; Wang, H; Sun, J; Niu, SL | 2016 | Global evidence on nitrogen saturation of terrestrial ecosystem net primary productivity | ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS, 11(2), 24012. | 10.1088/1748-9326/11/2/024012 |
29 | Thakur, MP; Milcu, A; Manning, P; Niklaus, PA; Roscher, C; Power, S; Reich, PB; Scheu, S; Tilman, D; Ai, F; Guo, H; Ji, R; Pierce, S; Ramirez, NG; Richter, AN; Steinauer, K; Strecker, T; Vogel, A; Eisenhauer, N | 2015 | Plant diversity drives soil microbial biomass carbon in grasslands irrespective of global environmental change factors | GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, 21(11), 4076-4085. | 10.1111/gcb.13011 |
30 | Humbert, JY; Pellet, J; Buri, P; Arlettaz, R | 2012 | Does delaying the first mowing date benefit biodiversity in meadowland? | ENVIRONMENTAL EVIDENCE, 1, 9. | 10.1186/2047-2382-1-9 |
31 | Kim, DG; Saggar, S; Roudier, P | 2012 | The effect of nitrification inhibitors on soil ammonia emissions in nitrogen managed soils: A meta-analysis | NUTRIENT CYCLING IN AGROECOSYSTEMS, 93(1), 51-64. | 10.1007/s10705-012-9498-9 |
32 | De Schrijver, A; De Frenne, P; Ampoorter, E; Van Nevel, L; Demey, A; Wuyts, K; Verheyen, K | 2011 | Cumulative nitrogen input drives species loss in terrestrial ecosystems | GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY, 20(6), 803-816. | 10.1111/j.1466-8238.2011.00652.x |
33 | Lu, M; Zhou, XH; Luo, YQ; Yang, YH; Fang, CM; Chen, JK; Li, B | 2011 | Minor stimulation of soil carbon storage by nitrogen addition: A meta-analysis | AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS AND ENVIRONMENT,140(1-2), 234-244. | 10.1016/j.agee.2010.12.010 |
34 | Akiyama, H; Yan, XY; Yagi, K | 2010 | Evaluation of effectiveness of enhanced-efficiency fertilizers as mitigation options for N2O and NO emissions from agricultural soils: Meta-analysis | GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, 16(6) 1837-1846. | 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2009.02031.x |
[1] Synthesis research papers include either meta-analysis or systematic reviews with quantitative results.
[2] https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Glossary:Shrubland
[3] https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Glossary:Grassland
[4] Diacono, M, and Montemurro, F. 2010. Long‐term effects of organic amendments on soil fertility. A review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development, 30, 401–422.