Changes in soil C, N, and P with long-term (58 years) cattle grazing on rough fescue grassland

2012 ◽  
Vol 175 (3) ◽  
pp. 339-344 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chunli Li ◽  
Xiying Hao ◽  
Benjamin H. Ellert ◽  
Walter D. Willms ◽  
Mengli Zhao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cattle Grazing ◽  
Soil C ◽  
Rough Fescue

Herbage biomass and its relationship to soil carbon under long-term grazing in northern temperate grasslands

2019 ◽  
Vol 99 (6) ◽  
pp. 905-916
Author(s):  
E.W. Bork ◽  
M.P. Lyseng ◽  
D.B. Hewins ◽  
C.N. Carlyle ◽  
S.X. Chang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Root Biomass ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Belowground Biomass ◽  
Cattle Grazing ◽  
Shoot Biomass ◽  
Positive Contribution ◽  
Temperate Grasslands ◽  
Soil C

While northern temperate grasslands are important for supporting beef production, it remains unclear how grassland above- and belowground biomass responds to long-term cattle grazing. Here, we use a comprehensive dataset from 73 grasslands distributed across a broad agro-climatic gradient to quantify grassland shoot, litter, and shallow (top 30 cm) root biomass in areas with and without grazing. Additionally, we relate biomass to soil carbon (C) concentrations. Forb biomass was greater (p < 0.05) in grazed areas, particularly those receiving more rainfall. In contrast, grass and total aboveground herbage biomass did not differ with grazing (total: 2320 kg ha−1 for grazed vs. 2210 kg ha−1 for non-grazed; p > 0.05). Forb crude protein concentrations were lower (p < 0.05) in grazed communities compared with those that were non-grazed. Grasslands subjected to grazing had 56% less litter mass. Root biomass down to 30 cm remained similar between areas with (9090 kg ha−1) and without (7130 kg ha−1) grazing (p > 0.05). Surface mineral soil C concentrations were positively related to peak grassland biomass, particularly total (above + belowground) biomass, and with increasing forb biomass in grazed areas. Finally, total aboveground shoot biomass and soil C concentrations in the top 15 cm of soil were both positively related to the proportion of introduced plant diversity in grazed and non-grazed grasslands. Overall, cattle grazing at moderate stocking rates had minimal impact on peak grassland biomass, including above- and belowground, and a positive contribution exists from introduced plant species to maintaining herbage productivity and soil C.

Responses of herbage P, Ca, K and Mg content and Ca/P and K/(Ca + Mg) ratios to long-term continuous and discontinued cattle grazing on a rough fescue grassland

2016 ◽  
Vol 72 (3) ◽  
pp. 581-589 ◽  
Author(s):  
X. Gao ◽  
X. Hao ◽  
D. H. Marchbank ◽  
R. Beck ◽  
W. D. Willms ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cattle Grazing ◽  
Mg Content ◽  
Rough Fescue

Seasonal response of herbage production and its nutrient and mineral contents to long-term cattle grazing on a Rough Fescue grassland

2009 ◽  
Vol 132 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 32-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chunli Li ◽  
Xiying Hao ◽  
Walter D. Willms ◽  
Mengli Zhao ◽  
Guodong Han
Keyword(s):  
Cattle Grazing ◽  
Mineral Contents ◽  
Rough Fescue

Effects of long-term protection from grazing on phenotypic expression in geographically separated mountain rough fescue populations

2014 ◽  
Vol 94 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. J. Thompson ◽  
W. D. Willms
Keyword(s):  
Plant Communities ◽  
Phenotypic Expression ◽  
Highly Sensitive ◽  
History Of ◽  
Genetic Makeup ◽  
Rough Fescue ◽  
Geographic Sources ◽  
Lake Site ◽  
Summer Grazing

Thompson, D. J. and Willms, W. D. 2014. Effects of long-term protection from grazing on phenotypic expression in geographically separated mountain rough fescue populations. Can. J. Plant Sci. 94: 33–39. Whether or not long-term grazing or protection from grazing alters the genetic makeup of grass populations has been debated. Mountain rough fescue [(Festuca campestris (Rydb.)], which is highly sensitive to summer grazing, and becomes dominant in plant communities with long-term protection, was chosen to address this question. Plants from three geographic sites (Stavely in AB, Milroy in the Kootenay trench, BC and Goose Lake on the BC interior plateau) with divergent grazing histories were vegetatively propagated from tillers. Daughter plants were planted into two field nurseries (at Kamloops, BC, and Stavely, AB) and morphological measurements were taken in two field seasons post-establishment. Plants from all three populations were taller, flowered earlier, and were more productive at the Kamloops nursery site. Of the three geographic sources, plants from the Goose Lake site were most distinct with narrower leaves, later flowering, and greater yield. Plants with a long history of grazing had slightly shorter fertile tillers and leaves than plants with a history of long-term protection.

Spatial and temporal changes of soil C after establishment of a pasture on a long-term cultivated vertisol (Martinique)

Geoderma ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 94 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
T Chevallier ◽  
M Voltz ◽  
E Blanchart ◽  
J.L Chotte ◽  
V Eschenbrenner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Temporal Changes ◽  
Soil C ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Changes

The distribution of organic carbon in major components of forests located in five life zones of Venezuela

1997 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 697-708 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Delaney ◽  
S. Brown ◽  
A. E. Lugo ◽  
A. Torres-Lezama ◽  
N. Bello Quintero
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Forests ◽  
Aboveground Biomass ◽  
Dead Wood ◽  
Clear Trend ◽  
Soil C ◽  
Forest Inventories ◽  
Biomass Components ◽  
Life Zone ◽  
Data Gap

ABSTRACTOne of the major uncertainties concerning the role of tropical forests in the global carbon cycle is the lack of adequate data on the carbon content of all their components. The goal of this study was to contribute to filling this data gap by estimating the quantity of carbon in the biomass, soil and necromass for 23 long-term permanent forest plots in five life zones of Venezuela to determine how C was partitioned among these components across a range of environments. Aboveground biomass C ranged from 70 to 179 Mg ha−1 and soil C from 125 to 257 Mg ha−1, and they represented the two largest C components in all plots. The C in fine litter (2.4 to 5.2 Mg ha−1), dead wood (2.4 to 21.2 Mg ha−1) and roots (23.6 to 38.0 Mg ha−1) accounted for less than 13% of the total C. The total amount of C among life zones ranged from 302 to 488 Mg ha−1, and showed no clear trend with life zone. In three of the five life zones, more C was found in the dead (soil, litter, dead wood) than in the live (biomass) components (dead to live ratios of 1.3 to 2.3); the lowland moist and moist transition to dry life zones had dead to live ratios of less than one. Results from this research suggest that for most life zones, an amount equivalent to between 20 and 58% of the aboveground biomass is located in necromass and roots. These percentages coupled with reliable estimates of aboveground biomass from forest inventories enable a more complete estimation of the C content of tropical forests to be made.

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