scholarly journals Grazing Impacts on Litter and Soil Organic Matter in Mixed Prairie and Fescue Grassland Ecosystems of Alberta

1991 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. Naeth ◽  
A. W. Bailey ◽  
D. J. Pluth ◽  
D. S. Chanasyk ◽  
R. T. Hardin
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Grazing Impacts ◽  
Grassland Ecosystems ◽  
Mixed Prairie

Short-term bioavailability of carbon in soil organic matter fractions of different particle sizes and densities in grassland ecosystems

2014 ◽  
Vol 497-498 ◽  
pp. 29-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc Breulmann ◽  
Nina Petrovna Masyutenko ◽  
Boris Maratovich Kogut ◽  
Reiner Schroll ◽  
Ulrike Dörfler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Particle Sizes ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Soil Organic Matter Fractions ◽  
Grassland Ecosystems ◽  
Organic Matter Fractions

GRAZING IMPACTS ON INFILTRATION IN MIXED PRAIRIE AND FESCUE GRASSLAND ECOSYSTEMS OF ALBERTA

1990 ◽  
Vol 70 (4) ◽  
pp. 593-605 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. NAETH ◽  
R. L. ROTHWELL ◽  
D. S. CHANASYK ◽  
A. W. BAILEY
Keyword(s):  
Steady State ◽  
Grazing Intensity ◽  
Infiltration Rate ◽  
Infiltration Capacity ◽  
Early Season ◽  
Grazing Impacts ◽  
Infiltration Rates ◽  
Grassland Ecosystems ◽  
Mixed Prairie ◽  
And Control

Infiltration capacity is generally reduced with increased grazing intensity and reduced range condition, mainly through vegetation and litter removal, soil structure deterioration, and compaction. Only one study has documented the effect of grazing on Canadian rangelands, necessitating further investigation. In this study, impacts of long-term grazing on infiltration were assessed in mixed prairie and fescue grassland ecosystems of southern and central Alberta, Canada. Grazing regimes were of light to very heavy intensities, grazed early, late, and continuously during the growing season. Ungrazed controls were evaluated at each site. Infiltration was measured with double ring infiltrometers. Heavy intensity and/or early season grazing had greater impact on infiltration than light intensity and/or late season grazing. In mixed prairie, initial and steady state infiltration rates in the control were 1.5 and 1.7 times higher, respectively, than those in the early season grazed treatment. In parkland fescue, initial rates were lowest in June grazed treatments and steady state rates were highest in light autumn grazed and control treatments. Initial infiltration rates in foothills fescue control and light grazed treatments were 1.5–2.3 times those in heavy and very heavy grazed treatments. Steady state rates were 1.5–2 times higher in light grazed and control treatments than in moderate, heavy, and very heavy grazed treatments. Key words: Infiltration, infiltration rate, grazing, rangelands

Grazing impacts on soil water in mixed prairie and fescue grassland ecosystems of Alberta

1991 ◽  
Vol 71 (3) ◽  
pp. 313-325 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. Naeth ◽  
D. S. Chanasyk ◽  
R. L. Rothwell ◽  
A. W. Bailey
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Canadian Prairies ◽  
Grazing Impacts ◽  
Growing Seasons ◽  
Grassland Ecosystems ◽  
Water Recharge ◽  
Grazing Intensities ◽  
Mixed Prairie

Reduced soil water under grazing is generally attributed to reduced infiltration as livestock trampling compacts the soil surface. Grazing can also have the opposite effect on soil water through reduced evapotranspiration when vegetation is removed. On the Canadian Prairies, grazing impacts on soil water have been assessed in short-term studies but impacts of long-term grazing have not been documented. In this study, impacts of long-term grazing on soil water were assessed in mixed prairie, parkland fescue grassland, and foothills fescue grassland ecosystems of southern and central Alberta. Grazing regimes were of light to very heavy intensities, grazed early, late, and continuously during the growing season. Soil water was measured with a neutron probe to a depth of 1 m from April through October over three growing seasons. Normal patterns of soil water recharge in autumn and spring and soil water depletion in summer due to evapotranspiration were not altered by grazing. Fluctuations in soil water were most pronounced in the uppermost 30 cm but still evident in the 30- to 50-cm and 50- to 80-cm depth intervals. Heavy intensity and/or early season grazing had a greater impact on soil water than light intensity and/or late season grazing. Season of grazing affected soil water more under light than heavy grazing intensities. On most sampling dates, soil water in grazed treatments was lower than in the ungrazed control, particularly in the 30- to 50-cm and 50- to 80-cm depth intervals. Differences between the control and grazed treatments were least pronounced during the summer months with evapotranspiration depleting soil water reserves in all treatments. Key words: Soil water, grazing, rangelands, water uptake

Abundance, vegetation, and environment of four patch types in a northern mixed prairie

1992 ◽  
Vol 70 (2) ◽  
pp. 277-284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles E. Umbanhowar Jr.
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Species Diversity ◽  
South Dakota ◽  
Patch Size ◽  
Similar Amount ◽  
North Central ◽  
Mixed Prairie ◽  
Central South ◽  
Ant Mounds

The importance of concurrent disturbances to the maintenance of plant species diversity in grasslands has been emphasized by several authors, but there are few studies comparing different disturbances at the same site. In this study the size, abundance, vegetation, and environment of thatching ant mounds, earthen mammal mounds, bison wallows, and openings in dry marshes are compared in a northern mixed prairie in north central South Dakota. Patch size and abundance varied considerably between patch types. Ant and earthen mammal mounds were the smallest but most abundant patch types. Bison wallows and dry marshes were larger and occurred less frequently than ant and earthen mounds. Different patch types occupied a similar amount of area. Ordination of patch vegetation revealed marked between-type compositional differences; ant and earthen mounds were dominated by vegetatively reproducing perennials, while annuals occurred more abundantly in bison wallows and dry marshes. Many species were restricted to either wallows or marshes. Levels of nitrate, phosphorus, soil organic matter, and other environmental factors varied significantly between patch types. Different patch types supported different groups of species, and patch vegetation was a product of mechanism of patch creation, patch environment, and location. Key words: ant mounds, disturbance, earthen mounds, northern mixed prairie, patches, potholes, wallows.

Cultivation and Reseeding Effects on Soil Organic Matter in the Mixed Prairie

2010 ◽  
Vol 74 (4) ◽  
pp. 1348-1355 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoyu Wang ◽  
Walter D. Willms ◽  
Xiying Hao ◽  
Mengli Zhao ◽  
Guodong Han
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Mixed Prairie
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