The Impact of Heavy Grazing on Soil Quality and Pasture Production in Rangelands of SW Spain

Abstract

Soil degradation phenomena, including water erosion and physical and biological processes, have already been reported in rangelands of southwestern Spain. The increasing numbers of livestock since 1986 have been highlighted as one of the key causes. The main goal of this work is to analyse the effects of the excessive number of animals on soil quality and pasture production on privately owned farms dedicated to extensive ranching. Soil properties and surface cover, pasture production, rainfall and land management variables such as livestock density were analysed during a period of 3 years (2008)(2009)(2010)(2011). The study was carried out in 22 livestock enclosures selected from ten farms distributed throughout the Spanish region of Extremadura. The occurrence of bare soil patches and water erosion processes, as well as an increase of mean bulk density in the soil layer from 5 to 10 cm in depth, was observed in the enclosures with animal stocking rates exceeding 1 AU ha À1 . Indications that confirm the negative effects of increased bulk density on pasture production and quality were also found.

Hydrological dynamics in a small catchment with silvopastoral land use in SW Spain

“…Furthermore, domestic animal numbers have doubled since Spain joined the European Union in 1986 (Gonzalo Langa, 2011). All of this, coupled with poor farm management, has created significant land degradation of this ecosystem, including soil degradation, soil erosion, woodland regeneration problems and reduction of pasture productivity and quality (Herguido et al, 2017;Moreno and Pulido, 2009;Pulido et al, 2016). These changes have inevitably affected soils, soil degradation and the water cycle.…”

Assessment of the Spatiotemporal Effects of Land Use Changes on Runoff and Nitrate Loads in the Talar River

“…During the last decades, land use changes and water quality of rainwater harvesting systems have been associated with population growth, urban development, intensive agricultural activities, degradation of pastures and deforestation [9,10]. Although these factors are causing an increase in land degradation processes, little attention is paid to water resources and ecosystem management plan elaborations [11,12].…”

Grazing enhances soil nutrient effects: Trade‐offs between aboveground and belowground biomass in alpine grasslands of the Tibetan Plateau

“…With increasing populations in recent decades, alpine grasslands on the Tibetan Plateau have experienced a growing threat from overgrazing, which has caused severe degradation or even desertification (Han et al, ; Harris, ; Miehe et al, ). Overgrazing may result in obvious changes not only in pasture production (Pulido, Schnabel, Contador, Lozano‐Parra, & González, ) but also in the composition and structure of the plant community, including significant decreases in the regenerative ability of grasslands, biomass, amount of nutrients returned to the soil as litter, and eventually grassland degradation (Dong et al, ; Zhao, Su, & Wu, ). In addition, grazing can contribute to compensatory growth in grasses, change the biomass allocation and species composition, and increase soil compaction.…”