Species diversity and functional composition of pastures that vary in landscape position and grazing management
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Authors: J. A. Guretzky, K. J. Moore, E. C. Brummer, and C. L. Burras
Date: 2005
Journal: Crop Science
Volume: 45
Number: 1
Pages: 282-289
Summary of Methods: Cattle grazed a mixture of cool-season grass frost seeded with a mixture of legumes over a three year study at the Iowa State University Rhodes Research Farm (41° 52' N, 93° 10' W). This study was set up to examine the effect of no grazing, rotational and continuous grazing systems along three different landscapes (toeslope, backslope and summit) on weed populations, species diversity and cover of seeded plant populations. Continuously grazing began in late-May through early- to mid-August. Pastures in the rotational system were grazed for a 4 day period in mid-May, early-July, and again in late-October. Cattle were removed from the trial pastures when stubble height was <13 cm and stocking rates were 9.4 AUM/ha in the rotational system and 10.1 AUM/ha in the continuous grazing system. Percent cover method was used to visually estimate cover of each plant species using 0.1 m2.
Article Summary / Main Points: Backslopes within both grazing systems (continuous and rotational) had the greatest overall species diversity. Rotational grazing yielded the greatest amount of legume cover across all three landscapes and years. Cool-season grasses were dominant across summit and toeslopes. Weed Species diversity was greatest on the backslopes of continuously grazed pastures. The most frequent weed on the study site was dandelion, which covered 8% and 14% (in 2000 and 2001, respectively) of the backslope under continuous grazing management. Rotational grazing yielded the most desirable effects on legume cover and limited weeds even on the backslopes as compared to continuous grazing.
Vegetation Types: Tallgrass Prairie
MLRA Ecoregions: 108C Illinois and Iowa Deep Loess and Drift, West-Central Part
Agrovoc Control Words: Grazing Rangelands Grazing Sytems
Article Review Type: refereed
Article Type: Experimental Research
Keywords: cattle, continuous grazing, rotational grazing, improved pasture, weed populations, landscape topography, dandelion, grazing systems
Annotation: The influence of the paper is extremely timely and relevant. Currently, grazing systems and their effects on being debated and this research is very important to the use of continuous vs. rotational grazing systems, especially those that receive more than 76 cm of annual precipitation. These findings do not support Briske et al. (2008).
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