The Effects of Removing Sheep Grazing on Soil Chemistry, Above-Ground Nutrient Distribution, and Selected Aspects of Soil Fertility in Long-Term Experiments at Moor House National Nature Reserve

1989 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 647 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. H. Marrs ◽  
A. Rizand ◽  
A. F. Harrison
Author(s):  
Pavel Veselý

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of sheep pasture on the content of minerals in growth of the Mohelenska Serpentine Steppe National Nature Reserve.Merino sheep pastured on the steppe in 1997–1998, electrical fencer was used. There were 6.8–9.4 sheep per 1 ha in 1997 and 6.7–8.7 sheep per 1 ha in 1998 on the pasture area 4.25 and 6 ha. Samples of steppe growth were taken from five locations with typical fytocenological composition for particular area of steppe. Samples were taken each two weeks during vegetative season from area 3x1 m2. The contents of Ca, P, Na, K, Mg, Mn, Zn, Cu and Fe in dry matter were evaluated. The changes in the content of the nutrients were evaluated depending on the location before, after and during pasture. The values of nutrients were compared with content of these nutrients in meadow and pasture growths (noted in European databases).The content of Ca was from 2.23 to 4.06 g/kg of dry matter. Pasture decreased the variability of location in Ca content and there were significant decreases of Ca content on two locations (P < 0.01). Low content of Ca in steppe growth due to pasture significantly decreased on these locations in comparison with Ca content in pasture growth on no-serpentine soil. The content of P was from 2.23 to 4.06 g/kg of dry matter. Pasture did not affect the variability of location and on one location pasture significantly increased its content (P < 0.01). Despite it the content of P in dry matter was markedly lower than in pasture growths.The content of Na was from 43.88 to 113.97 mg/kg of dry matter. Pasture did not affect the variability of location and its content. The content of Na was markedly lower in steppe growth in comparison with pasture growths. Pasture also did not affect the content of K, which was from 9.96 to 18.10 g/kg of dry matter. But pasture increased the variability of location. The content of K in steppe growth was low in comparison with pasture growths. The content of Mg was from 2.14 to 4.64 g/kg of dry matter. On two locations the content of Mg increased due to pasture (P < 0.05). The content of Mg in steppe growth was comparable with its content in pasture growths. The content of Mn was from 27.55 to 41.32 mg/kg of dry matter and the content of Zn from 12.05 to 26.64 mg/kg of dry matter. Pasture increased the variability of location in both these nutrients. The effect of the pasture on their contents was not (P < 0.05). In steppe growth the content of Mn was markedly lower in comparison with pasture growths and the content of Zn was lower in comparison with pasture growths. The contents of Cu and Fe were from 1.81 to 5.94 mg/kg of dry matter and from 76.1 to 263.2 mg/kg of dry matter. Pasture increased variability of location in the content of Cu and decreased its content in three locations (P < 0.05). The content of Fe was not affected by pasture (P < 0.05). The contents of Cu and Fe were lower in comparison with pasture growths on no-serpentine soils.


1996 ◽  
Vol 76 (4) ◽  
pp. 559-571 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. R. Poulton

Maintaining soil fertility and sustaining or increasing crop yield is of worldwide importance. Many factors impact upon the complex biological, chemical and physical processes which govern soil fertility. Changes in fertility caused by acidification, declining levels of organic matter, or P and K status may take many years to appear. These properties can in turn be affected by external influences such as atmospheric pollution, global change, or changes in land management practice. Long-term experiments provide the best practical means of studying changes in soil properties and processes and providing information for farmers, scientists and policy makers. This paper shows how the experiments run at Rothamsted in southeast England continue to provide data which are highly relevant to today's agriculture and wider environmental concerns. Examples are given of how crop yield is affected by soil organic matter, by pests and disease and by P nutrition. The effect of atmospheric pollution on soil acidity and the mobilization of heavy metals are also examined. The need for making better use of existing long-term experiments is stressed. Key words: Soil fertility, sustainability, long-term experiments, global change


2013 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 168-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huiming YOU ◽  
Dongjin HE ◽  
Changtang CAI ◽  
Jinshan LIU ◽  
Wei HONG ◽  
...  

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
pp. 157-161
Author(s):  
A.D. Mackay ◽  
D.A. Costall

It has been more than 10 years since the last comprehensive soil sampling of the long term phosphorus (P) fertiliser and sheep grazing farmlet study established at the AgResearch Ballantrae Hill Country Research Station in 1975. This paper reports the findings from a sampling in October 2014 of the soils in the farmlets that have had no fertiliser since 1980 (LFNF), received 125 kg/ha/year of superphosphate since 1980 (LFLF) or 375 kg/ha/year of superphosphate since 1980 (HFHF). Increases in total P levels in the soil reflect the differences in P inputs between the LFNF, LFLF and HFHF farmlets over the last 40 years. In sharp contrast total sulphur (S) levels in soils have showed little change, despite the large amounts of sulphur applied in superphosphate each year. Exchangeable calcium (Ca) levels have increased on the farmlets receiving fertiliser, reflecting the Ca inputs in superphosphate, while magnesium (Mg) levels are lower in the HFHF farmlet. Potassium has shown little change, with the exception of increases on low slope areas in the HFHF farmlet. Olsen P levels have not changed in the topsoil (0-75 mm) in the HFHF since the 2003 sampling, despite annual P inputs in excess of maintenance. The absence of any change might be explained by the finding that P is accumulating in large amounts in the 75-150 mm soil depths on low slopes in the HFHF farmlet. This finding was unexpected serving to highlight the insights these long-term experimental studies provide to both science and industry. Keywords: Long term fertiliser study, P fertiliser, Olsen P, soil fertility


1995 ◽  
Vol 35 (7) ◽  
pp. 825 ◽  
Author(s):  
PR Poulton

This paper gives examples of how long-term experiments can be used t o improve our understanding of sustainable farming systems. Rothamsted conducts more than 20 long-term (>20 years) experiments in south-eastern England; several were started in the middle of the last century. Some have continued with minor changes, others have been modified considerably t o ensure their continuation and relevance. Examples are given of the effect on soils and crop yields of organic matter, the availability of P, and acidification. The use of archived material in addressing problems not even considered when the experiments began is also discussed. Long-term experiments are essential in determining the factors affecting soil fertility and sustainable production. In many cases, effects may only be observed or interactions become apparent over an extended time. Full use should be made of existing experiments and data; in particular, those on different soil types and under different climatic conditions should be compared so that the information is valuable to farmers, advisers, legislators, and other scientists in both the local and wider community.


2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 65-72
Author(s):  
V. N. Shmagol' ◽  
V. L. Yarysh ◽  
S. P. Ivanov ◽  
V. I. Maltsev

<p>The long-term population dynamics of the red deer (<em>Cervus elaphus</em> L.) and European roe deer (<em>Capreolus</em> <em>capreolus</em> L.) at the mountain and forest zone of Crimea during 1980-2017 is presented. Fluctuations in numbers of both species are cyclical and partly synchronous. Period of oscillations in the population of red deer is about 25 years, the average duration of the oscillation period of number of roe deer is 12.3 years. During the fluctuations in the number the increasing and fall in population number of the red deer had been as 26-47 %, and roe deer – as 22-34 %. Basing on the dada obtained we have assumed that together with large-scale cycles of fluctuations in population number of both red deer and roe deer the short cycles of fluctuations in the number of these species with period from 3.5 to 7.5 years take place. Significant differences of the parameters of cyclical fluctuations in the number of roe deer at some sites of the Mountainous Crimea: breaches of synchronicity, as well as significant differences in the duration of cycles are revealed. The greatest deviations from the average values of parameters of long-term dynamics of the number of roe deer in Crimea are noted for groups of this species at two protected areas. At the Crimean Nature Reserve the cycle time of fluctuations of the numbers of roe deer was 18 years. At the Karadag Nature Reserve since 1976 we can see an exponential growth in number of roe deer that is continued up to the present time. By 2016 the number of roe deer reached 750 individuals at a density of 437 animals per 1 thousand ha. Peculiarity of dynamics of number of roe deer at some sites proves the existence in the mountain forest of Crimea several relatively isolated groups of deer. We assumed that "island" location of the Crimean populations of red deer and European roe deer, their relatively little number and influence of permanent extreme factors of both natural and anthropogenic origination have contributed to a mechanism of survival of these populations. The elements of such a mechanism include the following features of long-term dynamics of the population: the reduction in the period of cyclic population fluctuations, while maintaining their amplitude and the appearance of additional small cycles, providing more flexible response of the population to the impact of both negative and positive environmental factors. From the totality of the weather conditions for the Crimean population of roe deer the recurring periods of increases and downs in the annual precipitation amount may have relevance. There was a trend of increase in the roe deer population during periods of increasing annual precipitation.</p>


2011 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 343-358
Author(s):  
Péter Csathó ◽  
Marianna Magyar ◽  
Erzsébet Osztoics ◽  
Katalin Debreczeni ◽  
Katalin Sárdi

A szabadföldi trágyázási (tartam)kísérletek eredményeit talaj-, illetve diagnosztikai célú növényvizsgálatok segítségével tudjuk kiterjeszteni, általánosítani – figyelembe véve természetesen a kiterjesztés korlátait is. Célszerűnek láttuk ezen túl a talaj könnyen oldható tápelem-, közöttük P-tartalmát is meghatározni a hazánkban hivatalosan elfogadott AL- (ammónium-laktátos) módszer mellett az Európai Unióban és Észak-Amerikában alkalmazott P-tesztekkel is (CaCl2-, H2O-, Olsen-, Bray1-, LE-, Mehlich3- stb.) a hazai OMTK kísérletek talajmintáiban. A kísérleti helyek talajtulajdonságaiban megnyilvánuló jelentős különbségek lehetőséget adnak rá, hogy a talaj P-teszteket – és a növényi P-felvételt – jellegzetes hazai talajokon, sokszor szélsőséges talajparaméterek mellett vizsgáljuk. Az egyes P-szintek között a 28 év átlagában mintegy évi 50 kg P2O5·ha-1volt a különbség. A P0-szinten mért P-tartalmak jól jelezték az egyes kísérleti helyek talajának eltérő P-ellátottságát, illetve, közvetve, fizikai féleségében, pH és mészállapotában meglévő különbségeket. A P2-szinten – a hazai talajokra, P-igényes növényekre a hazai szabadföldi P-trágyázási tartamkísérleti adatbázisban talált összefüggésekre alapozott – új AL-P határértékek szerint csupán a bicsérdi csernozjom barna erdőtalajon nem javult a P-ellátottság legalább a „jó” szintig. Vizsgálataink megerősítették az AL-módszer függőségét a CaCO3-tartalomtól: a Mehlich3 módszerrel való összefüggésben a karbonátmentes és a karbonátos talajok csoportja erőteljesen elkülönült egymástól. Az AL-P korrekció elvégzése, azaz az AL-P értékeknek egy standard talajtulajdonság-sorra való konvertálása (KA: 36; pH(KCl): 6,8; CaCO3: 0,1%) látványosan csökkentette az AL-módszernek a talaj CaCO3-tartalmától való függőségét. Az AL-P és Olsen-P, valamint a korrigált AL-P és Olsen-P tartalmak összehasonlításában ugynakkor ugyanez az összefüggés nem volt állapítható, ami arra utal, hogy az Olsen módszer bizonyos fokig szintén pH- és mészállapot függő. Kísérleti eredményeink megerősítették a Sarkadi-féle AL-P korrekciós modell helytálló voltát. Fenti megállapításunkat ugyanakkor a növényi P-tartalmakkal való összefüggéseknek is igazolniuk kell. Szükséges tehát a talajvizsgálati eredményeknek a diagnosztikai célú növényvizsgálatokkal, valamint a terméseredményekkel való összevetése. A tartamkísérletek talajai lehetőséget nyújtanak a környezetvédelmi célú P-vizsgálatok értékelésére, a talaj P-feltöltöttsége környezeti kockázatának becslésére. Ezekkel a kérdésekkel a cikksorozat további részeiben kívánunk foglalkozni.


2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 93
Author(s):  
Peng Xu ◽  
Hao Chen ◽  
Duoying Cui ◽  
Chunrong Li ◽  
Guoyuan Chen ◽  
...  

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document