Effect of forty-four years of grazing on fescue grassland soils
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Authors: J. F. Dormaar, and W. D. Willms
Date: 1998
Journal: Journal of Range Management
Volume: 51
Number: 1
Pages: 122-126
Summary of Methods: A grazing study was initiated in the foothills of southwestern Alberta on the rough fescue (Festuca capestris) grasslands in 1949 comparing various grazing intensities. In 1992, soil and root samples were taken in April, May, June, and October in paddocks with light grazing, heavy grazing, severe grazing, and no grazing. Differences in the heavy and very heavy grazing intensities over the light and none grazing intensities include reduction in the Ah horizon depth, increased bulk density, higher pH, and the C/N ratio decreased. Treatment effects on most soil parameters were most pronounced at the two heavier grazing pressures. Particularly, the heavy grazing pressure jeopardized the sustainability of the ecosystem by reducing fertility and water-holding capacity.
Article Summary / Main Points: None
Vegetation Types:
MLRA Ecoregions:
Agrovoc Control Words: Riparian zones Rangelands Wildlife
Article Review Type: Refereed
Article Type: Experimental Research
Keywords: soil quality, stocking rates, sustainability, phosphorus, monosaccharides, soil moisture, ah (=a1) horizon
Annotation: Grazing intensities: Light = 1.2 AUM per ha; Heavy = 2.4 AUM per ha; and Severe = 4.8 AUM per ha. Cows grazed from May to November. Soil samples were taken in April, May, June, and October.
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