[Effects of grazing on architecture and small-scale pattern of grasses on artificial grassland in subtropical zone]

This study was conducted on a 5-year artificial grassland in subtropical zone of South China. The main types of established artificial grassland there were Dactylis glomerata-Lolium prenne-Trifolium repens and D. glomerata-T. repens pastures. Four grazing intensities were designed, i.e., CK (no grazing), G1 (6 adult sheep x hm(-2)), G2 (7.5 adult sheep x hm(-2)) and G3 (10 adult sheep x hm(-2)), and all the grazing plots were rotationally grazed. The architecture and small-scale pattern of grasses on the grazed and ungrazed grassland were discussed. After a period of 5-year grazing, the plant basal width and sward height of D. glomerata and T. pratense decreased gradually. In treatments CK, G1, G2 and G3, the basal width of D. glomerata was 6-8, 2-4, 0-2 and 0-2 cm, and that of T. pratense was 1-1.2, 6-8, 4-6 and 2-4 cm, respectively. The tuft density of D. glomerata in treatments CK, G1, G2 and G3 was 60, 95.1, 210.2 and 160 tufts x m(-2), respectively. The tiller number per plant of D. glomerata decreased, while its tuft density increased significantly due to the increased grazing intensity. With the increase of grazing intensity, the internode length of T. repens decreased, while its branching angle increased. The average internode length in treatments CK, G1, G2 and G3 was 2.04, 1.69, 1.64 and 1.51 cm, while the branching angle was 46.5, 65, 73 and 77.3 degrees, respectively. The average leaf density of T. repens in treatments CK, G1, G2 and G3 was 2.9, 13.0, 4.7 and 1.0 x m(-2), while the relevant stolon density was 19.9, 101, 142 and 82.6 m x m(-2), respectively. Under moderate grazing intensity, both the leaf and stolon densities of T. repens increased. The main scale on small pattern of D. glomerata, T. repens and T. pratense was 2 cm x 2 cm, which was further decreased under higher grazing intensity in the treatments of D. glomerata and T. pratense. Considering the heterogeneity of environmental resources, the change of the architecture and small-scale pattern could be regarded as an adaptation of grasses under grazing disturbance.