Effect of grazing intensity and soil characteristics on soil organic carbon and nitrogen stocks in a temperate long-term grassland

Nüsse, Anja; Linsler, Deborah; Kaiser, Michael; Ebeling, Dorothee; Tonn, Bettina; Isselstein, J.; Ludwig, Bernard

doi:10.1080/03650340.2017.1305107

Cited by 9 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…The soil type is a Vertic Cambisol (IUSS Working Group WRB, 2006). Soil texture ranges between a silt loam and a clay soil (Nüsse et al., 2017). The vegetation type of the mesotrophic hill grassland is a Lolio‐Cynosuretum .…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We conducted this experiment on a permanent low-intensity cattle pasture with a continuous stocking system, located in Relliehausen WRB, 2006). Soil texture ranges between a silt loam and a clay soil (Nüsse et al, 2017 (Wrage et al, 2012). For at least 10 years prior to the setup of the experiment in 2002, there had not been any fertilizer or herbicide application and the sward had been treated uniformly with rotational grazing and cutting, inhibiting the formation of a sward mosaic driven by patchy grazing (Cid & Brizuela, 1998;Tonn et al, 2019).…”

Section: Experimental Site and Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Primary productivity in patches of heterogeneous swards after 12 years of low‐intensity cattle grazing

Ebeling

Tonn

Isselstein

2020

Grass and Forage Science

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In low‐intensity grazing systems, patch grazing leads to a mosaic structure of short (frequently defoliated) and tall (rarely defoliated) patches, with the stocking rate determining the proportion of these patch types on the pasture. Little is known about the long‐term effects of patch grazing on the productivity of contrasting sward height patches developed under varying stocking rates. On a 12‐year low‐intensity cattle pasture we investigated aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) and its seasonal variation in different patch types (‘short’, ‘medium’ and ‘tall’) under three stocking rates (‘moderate’, ‘lenient’ and ‘very lenient’) over two years. Additionally, we determined stocks of soil phosphorus, potassium and magnesium as well as soil pH. ANPP was affected by an interaction of patch type and stocking rate and ranged from less than 300 g/m2 in short patches under very lenient stocking to more than 1,000 g/m2 in medium patches under moderate stocking. In contrast with observations at the start of the experiment, ANPP in short patches was similar to or less than that in medium and tall patches. As topsoil phosphorus and potassium stocks were lowest in short patches, this indicates a long‐term redistribution of nutrients by grazing animals, which limits short‐patch productivity. Productivity of medium patches increased with stocking rate, and soil potassium concentration showed a similar trend, pointing towards enhanced nutrient cycling under more intensive stocking. We conclude that nutrient redistribution may lead to increasing trade‐offs between ecological and agronomic aims in long‐term low‐intensity grazing systems.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Experimental Site and Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

Primary productivity in patches of heterogeneous swards after 12 years of low‐intensity cattle grazing

Ebeling

Tonn

Isselstein

2020

Grass and Forage Science

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“…Grazing intensity affected soil and sub-soil properties [12,32,33], while the accumulation of animal secretions in night corrals intensified the sub-soil effects [2,6,10,13,18]. Akhzari et al [2] reported using different soil sampling methods: from six 150 m transects, significant differences were found between soil EC values in corral soils in comparison to the nearby landscape.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This management routine is highly encouraged by foresters, who note that grazing will reduce herbaceous vegetation and thus reduce the risk of forest fires [5][6][7][8].Traditional livestock grazing (sheep or cattle) in natural semiarid Mediterranean, Asian and African regions is based on grazing during the day and returning to protected corrals or areas near a water point at night in order to prevent herds from scattering and to guard against predation. This routine of livestock management leads to the accumulation of animal secretions in night corrals [9][10][11][12][13]. Furthermore, since the herds return to the same grazing area every year and the night corrals are built at the same site, high levels of excreted manure and urine accumulate in the soils.…”

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confidence: 99%

Frequency Domain Electromagnetic Method (FDEM) as a Tool to Study Contamination at the Sub-Soil Layer

Goldshleger

Shamir

Basson³

et al. 2019

Geosciences

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Traditional sheep and cattle grazing in natural semiarid Mediterranean, Asian and African regions is based on night corrals, where animal secretions accumulate. Lack of management and disregard for the long-term effects of using the same sites for corrals on underground soil characters may negatively affect soil values. This locally increases the content of organic matter and nutrients such as nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus and others that are stockpiled in the corrals. As these activities are long-lasting, they affect the soil parameters, leading to nutrient leakage and contamination of the upper and sub-soil surface. This alarming situation demands a technique to reveal and estimate sub-soil contamination in corrals by using the frequency domain electromagnetic method (FDEM) for measuring soil salinity. The aim of this study is to correlate electrical conductivity measurement with the FDEM to study the influence of sheep corrals on the changes within the sub-soils of corrals in the semiarid region of the northern Negev desert. The results show that a correlation was found between the laboratory soil analysis and the electromagnetic analysis in all sites. Plugot forest site results found to be anomalous indicated sub-surface conductivity resulting from the presence of the corral, with a higher conductivity value of about 230 mS/m, while no differences were found between the soil layers outside the active corral and the corral edge. High values were found in the center of the active corral: 960 mS/m by the laboratory analysis and 200 mS/m by the FDEM. The values obtained in the abandoned corral in the laboratory were about 10 times lower than those obtained from the active corral and six times lower that those found with the FDEM. At the Beit Nir site, high values were found in the center of the active corral: 300 mS/m by the laboratory analysis and 130 mS/m by the FDEM. With different sources of manure, cattle and sheep have shown similar patterns of electrical conductivity (EC) obtained in the sub-soil layers between active and abandoned corrals: high in the center and low at the edge and outside the corral and decreased with depth.In the semiarid Negev desert of Israel, more than 250,000 sheep and goats undergo migration for seasonal grazing in the late winter and spring from their traditional residential settlements in the eastern Negev to planted forests in the western and northern Negev. This management routine is highly encouraged by foresters, who note that grazing will reduce herbaceous vegetation and thus reduce the risk of forest fires [5][6][7][8].Traditional livestock grazing (sheep or cattle) in natural semiarid Mediterranean, Asian and African regions is based on grazing during the day and returning to protected corrals or areas near a water point at night in order to prevent herds from scattering and to guard against predation. This routine of livestock management leads to the accumulation of animal secretions in night corrals [9][10][11][12][13]. Furthermore, since the herds return to the same g...

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“…Also, soil microbial biomass carbon decreases with the increase soil depth in alpine grasslands (Nie et al 2021). Different management measures have also been shown to affect litter decomposition in grasslands , Dietrich et al 2017, Nusse et al 2017, Meng and Liu 2021. Moreover, the quantity and quality of available carbon provided to soil microorganisms can stimulate community activity and affect soil microbial carbon content (Zhang et al 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Leymus Chinensis (Trin.) Tzvelev Grassland Litter Return on Soil Microbial Biomass Carbon of the Songnen Sandy Land in China

Zhao

2023

Bangladesh J. Bot.

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Effects of litter return of Leymus chinensis grassland on soil microbial biomass carbon of the Songnen sandy land were investigated. Characteristics of soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC) from subhumid area of L. chinensis grassland ecosystem at different content of litter returns (0, 200 and 400 g/m2) and soil depths (0-10, 10-20, 20-30 and 30-40 cm) were evaluated. Results showed that the content of SMBC increased with the increase in litter return at the same soil depth. The content was highest (426.17 mg/kg) at 400 g/m2 litter return, which was 1.61 and 1.50 times higher than at 0 and 200 g/m2, respectively at the depth of 0-10 cm, and decreased sharply at 10-40 cm. These results showed that increasing the amount of litter return and suitable management measures can effectively enhance the carbon content of soil microbial biomass and improve soil microbial activity and fertility to ensure the balance of grassland ecosystem. Bangladesh J. Bot. 51(4): 907-912, 2022 (December) Special

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Effect of grazing intensity and soil characteristics on soil organic carbon and nitrogen stocks in a temperate long-term grassland

Cited by 9 publications

References 25 publications

Primary productivity in patches of heterogeneous swards after 12 years of low‐intensity cattle grazing

Primary productivity in patches of heterogeneous swards after 12 years of low‐intensity cattle grazing

Frequency Domain Electromagnetic Method (FDEM) as a Tool to Study Contamination at the Sub-Soil Layer

Effects of Leymus Chinensis (Trin.) Tzvelev Grassland Litter Return on Soil Microbial Biomass Carbon of the Songnen Sandy Land in China

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