干旱区生态环境知识资源中心

Buffelgrass (Pennisetum ciliare) have been planted in large areas of northwestern Mexico for cattle grazing. Previous studies have documented how buffelgrass conversion affects several ecological processes; however, very few studies have documented how conversion affects local microclimate. We used data on soil temperature and moisture to document seasonal changes in microclimate as a consequence of land conversion. We describe soil and air temperature and soil moisture content in a thomscrub and an adjacent buffelgrass pasture, in open spaces and under trees, during one year. Air temperature in the pasture exceeded similar to 1 degrees C the value in the thomscrub during the colder months. Mean soil temperatures were slightly greater in the thornscrub during the dry season but during the wet season, mean temperatures were greater in the pasture reaching differences of similar to 2 degrees C. Maximum monthly soil temperatures were greater in the pasture after the wet season with values that reached 6 degrees C above the thornscrub. Soil moisture showed significant greater values in the thornscrub than in the pasture. Our data suggest that conversion of thornscrub to buffelgrass pasture modify the local microclimate, which in turn could influence the process of regeneration of native species persisting in pastures. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.