Effects of Livestock Grazing on Infiltration Rates, Edwards Plateau of Texas

Abstract

The influence of short duration grazing (SDG), moderate continuous grazing (MCG), heavy continuous graxlnr (HCG). and communities was evahtated over a 2Ormonth pe& on the Texas Agricultural Research Station, located near Sonora in the Edwards Plateau, Texas. A combination of cattle, sheep, and goats were used in each grazing treatment. Infiltration rates were consistently less in the midgrass (bunchgrass) than in the shortgrass (sodgrass) community. The HCG pasture was severely overgraxed and htfiltration rates were reduced to about one-half those in the MCG pasture. The mldgrasses in this pasture were destroyed after 26 months of overgrazing. Infiltration rates in the SDG pasture, stocked at double the recommended rate, decreased during the study period. Infiltration rates in the SDG pasture shortgrass community, near the end of the study, approached those in the HCG pasture. The greatest infiltration rates for both communities were maintaIned in the MCG pasture. Infiltration rates for the midgrass community remained relatively stable during the study when the general trend in the SDG and HCG pastures was toward reduced infiltration rates. The nongrazed pasture subsequent to the 1980 drought had a general increase in inflltratlon rates.

Impact of cattle treading on hill land: 2. Soil physical properties and contaminant runoff

“…This is partly attributed to the presence of the predominantly allophanic soil in the former area and the ability of allophanic soil to bind organic colloids and phosphate anions (Fieldes 1968a). Various studies have demonstrated that soil texture, soil organic matter content, and soil P retention capacity can inversely govern the extent of water drainage, soil compaction, and P runoff (McCalla et al 1984;Cooke 1988;Naeh et al 1990aNaeh et al , 1990b. Thus, the effects of treading damage on soil compaction and surface runoff of SS, N, and P are likely to be more pronounced in the steep inter-track plots than in the easy-contoured plots.…”

“…The coarser-textured soil, the lower slope, the higher aggregate stability, and the higher soil organic matter content in the latter (Table 1) could account for the observed higher water infiltration rate (Fieldes 1968a;Van Haveren 1983;McCalla et al 1984). Water infiltration rate was higher in undamaged plots than in damaged plots (Table 1), particularly in the steep inter-track zone.…”

“…Water infiltration rate was higher in undamaged plots than in damaged plots (Table 1), particularly in the steep inter-track zone. This effect of shortterm (2-3 days) stock-treading on water infiltration rate is attributed to a decrease in pasture cover and density (Sheath & Carlson 1998), an increase in bare ground and soil bulk density, or soil structure deterioration (Climo & Richardson 1984;McCalla et al 1984;Naeh et al 1990aNaeh et al , 1990bProffitt et al 1993). The more pronounced effect of treading damage on water infiltration rate in the steep intertrack plots is probably the result of weaker soil aggregate stability, lower soil organic matter, and lower amorphous clay content in the Waingaro steepland soil.…”

“…The extent of damage may be influenced by the type of animals, pasture cover, stocking rate and grazing duration, soil texture, soil structure, and soil organic matter content (McCalla et al 1984). Soil moisture at the time of animal treading is critical (Gradwell 1968;Climo & Richardson 1984).…”

Rangelands, Volume 22, Number 1 (February 2000)

“…Several studies at different locations have been quite consistent in showing that hoof action from having a large number of animals on a small area for short time periods reduced rather than increased infiltration (McCalla et al 1984, Thurow et al 1986, Weltz and Wood 1986, Warren et al 1986, Pluhar et al 1987. These same studies have also been consistent in showing short-duration grazing increased erosion compared to continuous or seasonlong grazing.…”