Multi-decadal impacts of grazing on soil physical and biogeochemical properties in southeast Utah
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Authors: J. C. Neff, R. L. Reynolds, J. Belnap, and P. Lamothe
Date: 2005
Journal: Ecological Applications
Volume: 15
Number: 1
Pages: 87-95
Summary of Methods: Neff et al. studied three sites (one that was never grazed and two that were historically grazed), in southwestern Utah. Their results show that erosion of nutrient-rich soil fine materials results in depletion of rock-derived nutrient content, and suggests that historical grazing in this area was responsible for a period of soil loss, that continues to impact current soil biogeochemical characteristics three decades after the cessation of grazing. In this study, the depletion of magnetite associated with the soil fine fraction in historically grazed sites serves as a useful proxy for the erosion of this previously stabilized eolian material. The fine fraction of these soils is the dominant reservoir for rock-derived nutrients in this region and that loss of the soil fine fraction due to erosion following disturbance appears to be an important mechanism leading to nutrient depletion in disturbed sites. Changes in soil C, N, and other biological properties may be influenced by soil erosion but are likely also related to vegetation and soil crust cover changes with rangeland use.
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: arid, carbon, desert, erosion, grazing, nitrogen, phosphorus, soil, soil crust, utah
Annotation: Grazing intensity is not specified.
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