Grazing impacts on the susceptibility of rangelands to wind erosion: The effects of stocking rate, stocking strategy and land condition

Aubault, Hélène A.; Webb, Nicholas P.; Strong, Craig; McTainsh, Grant Harvey; Leys, John; Scanlan, Joe C.

doi:10.1016/j.aeolia.2014.12.005

Cited by 57 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 68 publications

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“…We also noted that the unpaved road sites with the largest q values were generally associated with oil or gas well access, where heavier vehicles with larger tires were likely to have mobilized more sediment than passenger cars associated with regional tourism (Gillies et al, 2005). In rangelands, sites with more intense cattle use mobilized considerably more sediment than sites with more moderate levels of cattle activity, consistent with other findings in similar ecosystems (Belnap et al, 2009;Flagg et al, 2014;Aubault et al, 2015). In addition, the rangeland spatial models also captured areas of offhighway vehicle use (both in designated areas as well as unsanctioned off-road activity).…”

Section: Spatial Variability and Landscape Controlssupporting

confidence: 87%

Elevated aeolian sediment transport on the Colorado Plateau, USA: The role of grazing, vehicle disturbance, and increasing aridity

Nauman

Duniway

Webb

et al. 2018

Earth Surf Processes Landf

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Dryland wind transport of sediment can accelerate soil erosion, degrade air quality, mobilize dunes, decrease water supply, and damage infrastructure. We measured aeolian sediment horizontal mass flux (q) at 100 cm height using passive aspirated sediment traps to better understand q variability on the Colorado Plateau. Measured q ‘hot spots’ rival the highest ever recorded including 7,460 g m−2 day−1 in an off‐highway vehicle (OHV) area, but were more commonly 50‐2,000 g m−2 day−1. Overall mean q on rangeland sites was 5.14 g m−2 day−1, considerably lower than areas with concentrated livestock use (9‐19 g m−2 day−1), OHV use (414 g m−2 day−1), and downwind of unpaved roads (13.14 g m−2 day−1), but were higher than areas with minimal soil disturbance (1.60 g m−2 day−1). Rangeland q increased with increasing annual temperature, increased winds, and decreasing precipitation. Spatial modeling suggests that ~92‐93% of regional q occurs in rangelands versus ~7‐8% along unpaved roads. Four of the five largest road q values (n=33) measured were along roads used primarily for oil or gas wells. Our findings indicate that predicted future mega‐droughts will increase q disproportionately in disturbed rangelands, and potentially further compromise air quality, hydrologic cycles, and other ecosystem services. Published 2018. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

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Section: Spatial Variability and Landscape Controlssupporting

confidence: 87%

Elevated aeolian sediment transport on the Colorado Plateau, USA: The role of grazing, vehicle disturbance, and increasing aridity

Nauman

Duniway

Webb

et al. 2018

Earth Surf Processes Landf

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“…Grazing alters the cover, species composition, and structure of dryland plant and biological crust communities, although these impacts depend on the timing, intensity, as well as duration of grazing, and the evolutionary history and resilience of the plants and soils to herbivory and associated trampling (Mack and Thompson , Fleischner , Webb and Strong , Aubault et al. ). In the short term, removal of plant biomass decreases plant height and cover, and trampling reduces the ability of biological and physical crusts to stabilize soil surfaces; these factors, in turn, decrease surface roughness and increase soil vulnerability to wind erosion (Belnap , Hayes and Holl ).…”

Section: Livestock Grazingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wind erosion and dust from US drylands: a review of causes, consequences, and solutions in a changing world

et al. 2019

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Erosion by wind is one of the principal processes associated with land degradation in drylands and is a significant concern to land managers and policymakers globally. In the drylands of North America, millions of tons of soil are lost to wind erosion annually. Of the 60 million ha in the United States identified as most vulnerable to wind erosion (arid and dominated by fine sandy soils), 64% are managed by federal agencies (37 million ha). Here we review the drivers and consequences of wind erosion and dust emissions on drylands in the United States, with an emphasis on actionable responses available to policymakers and practitioners. We find that while dryland soils are often relatively stable when intact, disturbances including fire, domestic livestock grazing, and off‐highway vehicles can increase horizontal eolian flux by an order of magnitude, in some cases as much as 40‐fold. A growing body of literature documents the large‐scale impacts of deposited dust changing the albedo of mountain snow cover and in some cases reducing regional water supplies by ~5%. Predicted future increases in aridity and extreme weather events, including drought, will likely increase wind erosion and consequent dust generation. Under a drier and more variable future climate, new and existing soil‐ and vegetation‐disturbing practices may interact in synergistic ways, with dire consequences for environments and society that are unforeseen to many but fairly predictable given current scientific understanding. Conventional restoration and reclamation approaches, which often entail surface disturbance and rely on adequate moisture to prevent erosion, also carry considerable erosion risk especially under drought conditions. Innovative approaches to dryland restoration that minimize surface disturbance may accomplish restoration or reclamation goals while limiting wind erosion risk. Finally, multidisciplinary and multijurisdictional approaches and perspectives are necessary to understand the complex processes driving dust emissions and provide timely, context‐specific information for mitigating the drivers and impacts of wind erosion and dust.

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“…Trampling by livestock reduces the cover and connectivity of plant, litter and biocrusts (Daryanto, Eldridge & Wang ); alters soil structure; and reduces function by reducing soil porosity and water flow (Eldridge, Beecham & Grace ), making the surface more susceptible to wind and water erosion (Tongway, Sparrow & Friedel ; Aubault et al . ). The physical effects of grazing have negative feedback effects on processes such as organic matter decomposition and mineralization, soil nutrient pools (Golluscio et al .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…We interpret 'grazing' as the synthesis of the two separate but related processes of (i) herbivory and (ii) trampling, which is associated with changes in the soil physical environment. Trampling by livestock reduces the cover and connectivity of plant, litter and biocrusts (Daryanto, Eldridge & Wang 2013); alters soil structure; and reduces function by reducing soil porosity and water flow (Eldridge, Beecham & Grace 2015), making the surface more susceptible to wind and water erosion (Tongway, Sparrow & Friedel 2003;Aubault et al 2015). The physical effects of grazing have negative feedback effects on processes such as organic matter decomposition and mineralization, soil nutrient pools (Golluscio et al 2009), and they have been shown to alter habitat for soil fauna, with major flow-on effects to plants (Whitford 1996).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Do grazing intensity and herbivore type affect soil health? Insights from a semi‐arid productivity gradient

Eldridge

Delgado‐Baquerizo

Travers

et al. 2016

Journal of Applied Ecology

137

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Grazing is one of the most widespread forms of intensive management on Earth and is linked to reductions in soil health. However, little is known about the relative influence of herbivore type, herbivore intensity and site productivity on soil health. This lack of knowledge reduces our capacity to manage landscapes where grazing is a major land use. 2. We used structural equation modelling to assess the effects of recent (cattle, sheep, goats, kangaroos and rabbit dung) and historic (cattle, sheep/goat livestock tracks) herbivore activity on soil health at 451 sites across 0Á5 M km 2 of eastern Australia. We assessed the direct and indirect effects of increasing herbivore intensity, using dung and livestock tracks, on 15 morphological, physical and chemical attributes that are indicative of soil health, and we used these attributes to derive three indices representing the capacity of the soil to maintain its structural integrity (stability), cycle nutrients (nutrients) and maintain water flow (infiltration).3. Grazing had negative effects on the three soil health indices, but these effects varied with productivity. Grazing intensity was associated with strong reductions in the stability and nutrient indices under low productivity, but these effects diminished with increasing productivity. Herbivore effects on individual attributes varied in relation to productivity level and were strongly herbivore specific, with most due to cattle grazing, and to a lesser extent, sheep, goats and rabbits. Few effects due to kangaroos or historic grazing by livestock were observed. 4. Synthesis and applications. Our study shows that livestock and rabbits degrade soil health through grazing, and its effects are strongest under low or moderate productivity; however, kangaroo effects are benign. Our findings support calls for resource management agencies to consider site productivity, as well as herbivore type and intensity, when developing strategies to manage grazing by livestock, and feral and native herbivores.

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Grazing impacts on the susceptibility of rangelands to wind erosion: The effects of stocking rate, stocking strategy and land condition

Cited by 57 publications

References 68 publications

Elevated aeolian sediment transport on the Colorado Plateau, USA: The role of grazing, vehicle disturbance, and increasing aridity

Elevated aeolian sediment transport on the Colorado Plateau, USA: The role of grazing, vehicle disturbance, and increasing aridity

Wind erosion and dust from US drylands: a review of causes, consequences, and solutions in a changing world

Do grazing intensity and herbivore type affect soil health? Insights from a semi‐arid productivity gradient

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