Journal ArticleDOI
Grazing management impacts on vegetation, soil biota and soil chemical, physical and hydrological properties in tall grass prairie
TLDR
In this article, the authors evaluated the impact of multi-paddock (MP) grazing at a high stocking rate compared to light continuous (LC) and heavy continuous (HC) grazing on neighboring commercial ranches in each of three proximate counties in north Texas tall grass prairie.About:
This article is published in Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment.The article was published on 2011-05-01. It has received 340 citations till now. The article focuses on the topics: Grazing.read more
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
Evaluating the Impacts of Continuous and Rotational Grazing on Tallgrass Prairie Landscape Using High-Spatial-Resolution Imagery
Shengfang Ma,Yuting Zhou,Prasanna H. Gowda,Liangfu Chen,Patrick J. Starks,Jean L. Steiner,James P. S. Neel +6 more
TL;DR: This study evaluated the impacts of different grazing treatments (continuous (C) and rotational (R) grazing) on tallgrass prairie landscape, using high-spatial-resolution aerial imagery of experimental C and R pastures within two replicates in the southern Great Plains of the United States.
Dissertation
Response of soil properties to rangeland use in grassland and savanna biomes of South Africa
Abstract: RESPONSE OF SOIL PROPERTIES TO RANGELAND USE IN GRASSLAND AND SAVANNA BIOMES OF SOUTH AFRICA A significant portion of grassland and savanna ecosystems is over-utilized by livestock, due to inappropriate rangeland management. South Africa ́s rangelands are increasingly threatened by overgrazing, followed by altered grassland composition and loss of vegetation cover in the grassland ecosystem, and by bush encroachment in the savanna ecosystem. Although not all land is overgrazed, there are some parts where signs of degradation can be found. Overgrazing has detrimental effects on soil and vegetation, but these changes can be reversed or prevented by proper rangeland management practices. The causes of and the processes involved in these changes and human interactions with them are poorly understood. Literature has indicated that rangelands can recover if managed accordingly, however scientists still have much to learn about how grazing affects soil properties. Sustainable utilization of the rangeland ecosystem is based on the appropriate application of rangeland management principles that will safeguard long-term productivity and profitability of the production system at the lowest possible risk. The main aim of this study was to investigate how soil chemical, physical and microbiological properties responded to different management systems in a clayey grassland and sandy savanna ecosystem of South Africa. For this purpose we sampled rangeland management systems under communal (continuous grazing), commercial (rotational grazing) and land reform (mixture of grazing systems mentioned) farming. Within each of these systems a grazing gradient was identified with increasing grazing pressure, indicated by indicator grass species for the purpose of rangeland condition assessment. Different grass species exist in the clayey grassland and sandy savanna ecosystems, with Acacia shrub and tree species being dominant in the savanna ecosystem. Rangeland condition ranged from poor, moderate to good grazing conditions. The results revealed that soils in both ecosystems responded differently to increased rangeland degradation. In the grassland ecosystem bare patches and soil crusts lead to a degradation of the soils, whereas in the savanna ecosystem bush encroachment lead to a temporary improvement of the soil quality. As a consequence of management, soil degradation in the piosphere of continuous grazed rangeland of the clayey grassland ecosystem is driven by the deterioration of aggregates and associated SOM losses in the poor and moderate rangeland condition, as well as nutrient
Journal ArticleDOI
Vegetation, water infiltration, and soil carbon response to Adaptive Multi-Paddock and Conventional grazing in Southeastern USA ranches.
TL;DR: In this paper , the authors examined Adaptive Multi-Paddock (AMP) grazed with short grazing events and planned recovery periods and paired ranches using conventional continuous Grazing (CG) at low stock density on vegetation, water infiltration, and soil carbon across SE USA.
Journal ArticleDOI
Foreword: Strategic Grazing Management for Complex Creative Systems
Matt Barnes,Ann L. Hild +1 more
Journal ArticleDOI
Management intensive grazing on New England dairy farms enhances soil nitrogen stocks and elevates soil nitrous oxide emissions without increasing soil carbon
Alexandra R. Contosta,Kyle A. Arndt,Eleanor E. Campbell,A. Stuart Grandy,Apryl L. Perry,Ruth K. Varner +5 more
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined linkages among MIG, soil C accumulation, and N2O emissions in cool-season, organic pastures of the northeastern United States, and found that pastures under MIG increased soil C concentrations by 11% from 0-15 cm depth but that soil C stocks at all sampled depths did not differ between hayed and grazed fields.
References
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Resource Availability and Plant Antiherbivore Defense
TL;DR: Resource availability in the environment is proposed as the major determinant of both the amount and type of plant defense, and theories on the evolution of plant defenses are compared with other theories.
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Analysis of factors controlling soil organic matter levels in Great Plains grasslands
TL;DR: In this article, a model of soil organic matter (SOM) quantity and composition was used to simulate steady-state organic matter levels for 24 grassland locations in the U.S. Great Plains.