Eco-systems of agricultural landscapes
and sustainable land use: Livestock systems
02 - Eco-geography of domestic livestock - 1
General aspects: The ecological gradient
from pole to equator
M.Sc. Integrated Natural Resource Management
Ecology and Sustainable Livestock Systems
02 – Eco-Geography – 1
Winter Semester 2016/17
Faculty of Life Sciences
Albrecht-Daniel-Thaer Institute for Agricultural
and Horticultural Sciences
Prof. (retired) Dr. agr. H. J. Schwartz
Mean annual precipitation [mm]
0
10
50
100
200
500
1000 2500
M.Sc. Integrated Natural Resource Management
Ecology and Sustainable Livestock Systems
02 – Eco-Geography – 1
Winter Semester 2016/17
no data
Source: GPCC Offenbach 2007
Faculty of Life Sciences
Albrecht-Daniel-Thaer Institute for Agricultural
and Horticultural Sciences
Prof. (retired) Dr. agr. H. J. Schwartz
Global mean annual temperatures [oC]
Source: Nature Climate Change 2, 239–242 (2012) doi:10.1038/nclimate1430 Published online 28 March 2012
M.Sc. Integrated Natural Resource Management
Ecology and Sustainable Livestock Systems
02 – Eco-Geography – 1
Winter Semester 2016/17
Faculty of Life Sciences
Albrecht-Daniel-Thaer Institute for Agricultural
and Horticultural Sciences
Prof. (retired) Dr. agr. H. J. Schwartz
World Climate Types
M.Sc. Integrated Natural Resource Management
Ecology and Sustainable Livestock Systems
02 – Eco-Geography – 1
Winter Semester 2016/17
Faculty of Life Sciences
Albrecht-Daniel-Thaer Institute for Agricultural
and Horticultural Sciences
Prof. (retired) Dr. agr. H. J. Schwartz
World Vegetation Types
Source: modified from Wikimedia Commons; downloaded July 2012
M.Sc. Integrated Natural Resource Management
Ecology and Sustainable Livestock Systems
02 – Eco-Geography – 1
Winter Semester 2016/17
Faculty of Life Sciences
Albrecht-Daniel-Thaer Institute for Agricultural
and Horticultural Sciences
Prof. (retired) Dr. agr. H. J. Schwartz
Accumulated Annual Standing Green Biomass I
Normalised Difference Vegetation Index NDVI
0
M.Sc. Integrated Natural Resource Management
Ecology and Sustainable Livestock Systems
02 – Eco-Geography – 1
Winter Semester 2016/17
0.4
0.8
Faculty of Life Sciences
Albrecht-Daniel-Thaer Institute for Agricultural
and Horticultural Sciences
Prof. (retired) Dr. agr. H. J. Schwartz
The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) is a simple graphical
indicator that can be used to analyze remote sensing measurements, typically
but not necessarily from a space platform, and assess whether the target being
observed contains live green vegetation or not. Negative values of NDVI (values
approaching -1) correspond to water. Values close to zero (-0.1 to 0.1) generally
correspond to barren areas of rock, sand, or snow. Lastly, low, positive values
represent shrub and grassland (approximately 0.2 to 0.4), while high values
indicate temperate and tropical rainforests (values approaching 1).
The Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) is an 'optimized' index designed to
enhance the vegetation signal with improved sensitivity in high biomass regions
and improved vegetation monitoring through a de-coupling of the canopy
background signal and a reduction in atmosphere influences.
Whereas the NDVI is chlorophyll sensitive, the EVI is more responsive to
canopy structural variations, including leaf area index (LAI), canopy type, plant
physiognomy, and canopy architecture. The two VIs complement each other in
global vegetation studies and improve upon the detection of vegetation changes
and extraction of canopy biophysical parameters.
M.Sc. Integrated Natural Resource Management
Ecology and Sustainable Livestock Systems
02 – Eco-Geography – 1
Winter Semester 2016/17
Faculty of Life Sciences
Albrecht-Daniel-Thaer Institute for Agricultural
and Horticultural Sciences
Prof. (retired) Dr. agr. H. J. Schwartz
Accumulated Annual Standing Green Biomass II
M.Sc. Integrated Natural Resource Management
Ecology and Sustainable Livestock Systems
02 – Eco-Geography – 1
Winter Semester 2016/17
Faculty of Life Sciences
Albrecht-Daniel-Thaer Institute for Agricultural
and Horticultural Sciences
Prof. (retired) Dr. agr. H. J. Schwartz
Estimates of net primary productivity (NPP) and total net
production (NP) of all vegetation on all land areas in 10º
latitudinal belts
9
Net Primary Productivity [t/ha/year]
25
25
20
20
15
15
10
10
5
5
0
Total Primary Production [10 t/year]
0
90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
°Latitude
90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
°Latitude
Source: Pearson, C.J. & Ison, R.L. 1987
M.Sc. Integrated Natural Resource Management
Ecology and Sustainable Livestock Systems
02 – Eco-Geography – 1
Winter Semester 2016/17
Faculty of Life Sciences
Albrecht-Daniel-Thaer Institute for Agricultural
and Horticultural Sciences
Prof. (retired) Dr. agr. H. J. Schwartz
Standing Biomass and Annual Primary Productivity
in Selected Biomes
600
['000 kg/ha/yr]
['000 kg/ha]
Standing Biomass
60
Productivity
500
50
400
40
300
30
200
20
100
10
0
Tundra
Taiga
Temperate Forest
Tropical Forest
0
Desert
Source: E. J. Kormondy, 1987
M.Sc. Integrated Natural Resource Management
Ecology and Sustainable Livestock Systems
02 – Eco-Geography – 1
Winter Semester 2016/17
Faculty of Life Sciences
Albrecht-Daniel-Thaer Institute for Agricultural
and Horticultural Sciences
Prof. (retired) Dr. agr. H. J. Schwartz
Vertical Distribution of Biomass
in Selected Major Biomes [%]
80
60
40
20
0
Tundra
Taiga
Green Parts
Temperate Forest Tropical Forest
Perenn. aerial Parts
Litter
Desert
Roots
Source: E. J. Kormondy, 1987
M.Sc. Integrated Natural Resource Management
Ecology and Sustainable Livestock Systems
02 – Eco-Geography – 1
Winter Semester 2016/17
Faculty of Life Sciences
Albrecht-Daniel-Thaer Institute for Agricultural
and Horticultural Sciences
Prof. (retired) Dr. agr. H. J. Schwartz
Worldwide distribution and abundance of Panicaceae
[% of all grass species present]
Source: Chapman & Reiss 1992
M.Sc. Integrated Natural Resource Management
Ecology and Sustainable Livestock Systems
02 – Eco-Geography – 1
Winter Semester 2016/17
Faculty of Life Sciences
Albrecht-Daniel-Thaer Institute for Agricultural
and Horticultural Sciences
Prof. (retired) Dr. agr. H. J. Schwartz
Dry matter digestibility of grasses at the first cut of
the growing season in relation to geographic latitude
80
digestibility [%]
Maximum
Minimum
60
40
20
0
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Latitude
M.Sc. Integrated Natural Resource Management
Ecology and Sustainable Livestock Systems
02 – Eco-Geography – 1
Winter Semester 2016/17
Faculty of Life Sciences
Albrecht-Daniel-Thaer Institute for Agricultural
and Horticultural Sciences
Prof. (retired) Dr. agr. H. J. Schwartz
Predicted levels of
photosynthesis for
C3 and C4 species
over a range of
latitudes
Source: Biogeography, Cox & Moore, 1993
M.Sc. Integrated Natural Resource Management
Ecology and Sustainable Livestock Systems
02 – Eco-Geography – 1
Winter Semester 2016/17
Faculty of Life Sciences
Albrecht-Daniel-Thaer Institute for Agricultural
and Horticultural Sciences
Prof. (retired) Dr. agr. H. J. Schwartz
Efficiency of utilisation of solar energy (%)
in cattle grazing systems
Tropical Grasslands
Temperate Grasslands
Total solar energy input
100
Solar energy
100
0.74
Stored energy
in plants
1.36
Herbage available
100
0.53
Herbage
available
0.98
100
Herbage
intake
100
81.4
0.43
Herbage
intake
0.73
74.5
100
66.0
53.8
0.28
Digested
herbage
0.45
35.8
51.5
53.7
43.7
0.23
Metabolisable
energy
0.37
27.5
40.4
12.3
10.1
0.05
Energy stored
in cattle (gain)
0.02
1.7
2.3
Modified after Pearson & Ison 1987
M.Sc. Integrated Natural Resource Management
Ecology and Sustainable Livestock Systems
02 – Eco-Geography – 1
Winter Semester 2016/17
Faculty of Life Sciences
Albrecht-Daniel-Thaer Institute for Agricultural
and Horticultural Sciences
Prof. (retired) Dr. agr. H. J. Schwartz
Temperate grasslands
M.Sc. Integrated Natural Resource Management
Ecology and Sustainable Livestock Systems
02 – Eco-Geography – 1
Winter Semester 2016/17
Faculty of Life Sciences
Albrecht-Daniel-Thaer Institute for Agricultural
and Horticultural Sciences
Prof. (retired) Dr. agr. H. J. Schwartz
Tropical grasses
Sacharum officinalis
M.Sc. Integrated Natural Resource Management
Ecology and Sustainable Livestock Systems
02 – Eco-Geography – 1
Winter Semester 2016/17
Penisetum purpureum
Faculty of Life Sciences
Albrecht-Daniel-Thaer Institute for Agricultural
and Horticultural Sciences
Prof. (retired) Dr. agr. H. J. Schwartz
Approximate distribution of world croplands
Source: Ramankutty, N., A.T. Evan, C. Monfreda, and J.A. Foley. (2010)
Downloaded from: http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/es/aglands.html
M.Sc. Integrated Natural Resource Management
Ecology and Sustainable Livestock Systems
02 – Eco-Geography – 1
Winter Semester 2016/17
Faculty of Life Sciences
Albrecht-Daniel-Thaer Institute for Agricultural
and Horticultural Sciences
Prof. (retired) Dr. agr. H. J. Schwartz
Approximate distribution of world pastures
Source: Ramankutty, N., A.T. Evan, C. Monfreda, and J.A. Foley. (2010)
Downloaded from: http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/es/aglands.html
M.Sc. Integrated Natural Resource Management
Ecology and Sustainable Livestock Systems
02 – Eco-Geography – 1
Winter Semester 2016/17
Faculty of Life Sciences
Albrecht-Daniel-Thaer Institute for Agricultural
and Horticultural Sciences
Prof. (retired) Dr. agr. H. J. Schwartz
Densities of bovine livestock [number/km²]
<1
5 - 10
1-5
10 - 20
Source: FAO Gridded Livestock of The World
M.Sc. Integrated Natural Resource Management
Ecology and Sustainable Livestock Systems
02 – Eco-Geography – 1
Winter Semester 2016/17
20 - 50
50 - 100
100 - 250
> 250
Water
unsuitable
Faculty of Life Sciences
Albrecht-Daniel-Thaer Institute for Agricultural
and Horticultural Sciences
Prof. (retired) Dr. agr. H. J. Schwartz
Worldwide distribution of crops
and pastures
the base for livestock production systems
M.Sc. Integrated Natural Resource Management
Ecology and Sustainable Livestock Systems
02 – Eco-Geography – 1
Winter Semester 2016/17
as
Faculty of Life Sciences
Albrecht-Daniel-Thaer Institute for Agricultural
and Horticultural Sciences
Prof. (retired) Dr. agr. H. J. Schwartz