New Techniques for the Study of Restoration of Compacted Soil

Garner, Murvel R.; Telfair, David

doi:10.1126/science.120.3121.668

Cited by 6 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…These changes in soil physical properties were due to natural amelioration of the soil structure (Larson & Allmaras, 1971;Kay, 1990;Dexter, 1991). In this environment, biological activity-due to the growth and decay of plant roots (Tisdall & Oades, 1979;Mytton et al, 1993;Prieksat etal., 1994) and the activity of soil-dwelling animals (Garner & Telfair, 1954;Bridge et al, 1983;Lee & Foster, 1991;Herrick & Lal, 1995+and wetting and drying cycles (Utomo & Dexter, 1981;Bullock et a l , 1985;McKenzie & Dexter, 1985) were the probable mechanisms causing this natural amelioration. While these same mechanisms would also be operative in grazed pastures, the removal of the compactive effect of treading by the grazing animal has resulted in the net improvement of soil physical properties.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes to soil physical properties after grazing exclusion

Greenwood

MacLeod

Scott

et al. 1998

Soil Use and Management

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The potential for degraded physical properties of soil to regenerate naturally after exclusion of grazing animals was examined at a long-term stocking rate trial near Armidale, New South Wales, Australia. Unsaturated hydraulic conductivity was measured before grazing was excluded, and after 7 months and 2.5 years' grazing exclusion.These data were compared with controls grazed at 10,15 and 20 sheepiha. After 2.5 years, there were significant increases in unsaturated hydraulic conductivity at 5 and 15 mm tension in the ungrazed treatments compared with the grazed controls. The unsaturated hydraulic conductivities and bulk density of surface soils under pasture which had been ungrazed for 2.5 years were comparable to those where the pasture had been ungrazed for 27 years.We speculate that the natural amelioration of soil physical properties in these soils was due to biological activity and wetting and drying cycles, in the absence of the compactive effect of animal treading.

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