Multi-scale variability in soil aggregate stability: Implications for understanding and predicting semi-arid grassland degradation

Bird, Simon B.; Herrick, Jeffrey E.; Wander, Michelle M.; Murray, Leigh W.

doi:10.1016/j.geoderma.2007.03.010

Cited by 52 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…The aggregate stability indices clearly showed that the soil stability was greater underneath tree and shrub litter than in the more erodible and mostly-bare interspaces (Tables 2 and 3), as expected for rangelands Bestelmeyer et al 2006;Bird et al 2007). In that regard, the index provided a good relative measure of where soils were most erodible.…”

Section: Aggregate Stability Measures and Soil Erosion Potentialsupporting

confidence: 62%

Fragmentation Effects on Soil Aggregate Stability in a Patchy Arid Grassland

Bestelmeyer

Ward

Tugel

2006

Rangeland Ecology & Management

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Section: Aggregate Stability Measures and Soil Erosion Potentialsupporting

confidence: 62%

Fragmentation Effects on Soil Aggregate Stability in a Patchy Arid Grassland

Bestelmeyer

Ward

Tugel

2006

Rangeland Ecology & Management

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“…An evaluation of the literature revealed the links between soil stability measures and ANPP (narrative review) or infiltration (systematic review) were context dependent-depended on the range of variation, magnitude of variation among the data, and inclusion of samples from highly disturbed areas or areas with different environments. Stands of perennial plants were likely to produce moderate to high levels of soil stability (Jastrow et al 1998, Hallett et al 2009, Wang 2010) whereas areas that were persistently without vegetation were likely to have low levels of soil stability (Bird et al 2007, Chaudhary et al 2009). Studies comparing vegetated with unvegetated plots were likely to detect significant differences in soil stability measurements while comparisons across less extreme gradients might not (Fig.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This suggests measures of soil (aggregate) stability should be positively correlated with ANPP and a useful indicator of effects of management (e.g., grazing intensity) on rangeland health. However, soil stability values are not a consistent indicator of grazing (e.g., Bird et al 2007, Li et al 2007, Wang 2010, Duchicela et al 2012). There are also cases of no AMF effects on grassland productivity.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Since our aim was relatively focused, our study measured a relatively narrow set of factors unlike studies attempting to elucidate the minimum set of variables for predicting ecosystem functioning (e.g., Rezaei et al 2006). Our comparison is different from others in more arid regions (Bird et al 2007, Chaudhary et al 2009) which compared the soil properties of vegetated vs. unvegetated areas. Here all of the sampled areas were vegetated, and the magnitude of the gradient was less extreme, but representative of typical grasslands in the region.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Soil aggregate stability was an uncertain predictor of ecosystem functioning in a temperate and semiarid grassland

et al. 2015

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Abstract. We estimate rangeland managers assessing ecosystem health have measured soil stability .800,000 times. Our aim was to use quantitative data from a site in the Northern Great Plains, USA and a semi-quantitative literature search to demonstrate the robustness of soil stability as an indicator of ecosystem functioning. Empirical data included measurements of plant and soil properties along a local livestock grazing gradient to determine whether soil stability (e.g., % water-stable aggregates) explained primary productivity and soil water transport for a mixed-grass prairie site in the Northern Great Plains. We measured: annual net primary productivity (ANPP), elevation, % soil moisture, measures of soil stability, and soil water transport (field-saturated infiltrability and sorptivity) across points spanning a local gradient in livestock grazing intensity (none vs. light to moderate stocking rates; mean distance separating points ¼ 39.9 m [range ¼ 5.2-71.3 m]). Across the sampled gradient, variation in ANPP was best explained by a model with field-saturated infiltrability and % soil moisture. Infiltrability explained slightly more of the variation. We then determined that moderate amounts of variation in infiltrability were explained by ANPP, % soil moisture, and % water-stable aggregates. We determined that most of this variation was explained by ANPP and then soil moisture. Our empirical findings indicate that plant production was correlated with infiltration though we could not determine whether variation in plant production was caused by variation in infiltration or vice versa. We generally failed to show that soil stability (e.g., % waterstable aggregates) was a useful predictor of primary productivity and soil water transport. Our semiquantitative literature review also indicated that soil stability was not a consistent predictor of either plant production or infiltration. The varying evidence reported here on whether soil stability is a predictor of ecosystem function illustrates the difficulty in identifying an indicator of ecosystem health that (1) is a predictor of ecosystem function across grassland types, (2) is sensitive to rangeland management, and (3) can be easily implemented by non-experts.

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“…In Northeastern Brazil, loss of soil quality have been caused by overcutting of vegetation, shifting cultivation and intensive tillage, which reduces residue input and consequently soil organic matter (SOM) content (SAMPAIO et al, 1993;BIRD et al, 2007;LUCENA et al, 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Soil organic matter pools in a tropical savanna under agroforestry system in Northeastern Brazil

2014

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RESUMO -This study aimed at quantifying total organic carbon stocks and its pools in Acrisol under agroforestry systems with six (AFS6) and thirteen years old (AFS13), slash-and-burn agriculture (SBA) and savanna native forest (SNF) in northeastern Brazil. Soil samples were collected at 0-0.05 m, 0.05-0.10 m, 0.10-0.20 m and 0.20-0.40 m depths in the dry and rainy seasons to evaluate total organic carbon (TOC) stocks and labile carbon (LC), fulvic acid fraction (C-FAF), humic acid fraction (C-HAF), humin (C-HF) and microbial biomass carbon (Cmic) contents. Additionally, carbon management index (CMI) was determined. Higher TOC stocks (97.7 and 81.8 Mg ha -1 for the 0-0.40 m depth in the dry and rainy seasons, respectively) and LC, humic substances and Cmic contents were observed in the AFS13 in all the depths. CMI also was higher in the AFS13 (0-0. 05 m: 158 and 86; 0.05-0.10 m: 171 and 67, respectively for the dry and rainy seasons) especially when compared to the SBA (0-0.05 m: 5.6 and 5.4; 0.05-0.10 m: 5.3 and 5.8, respectively for dry and rainy seasons). The agroforestry systems increased soil quality through the conservation of organic matter and can be considered an excellent strategy to assurance sustainability in tropical soil of Northeastern Brazil Palavras-chave: Soil quality; Microbial biomass; Carbon management index. 0-0,05 m; 0,05-0,10 m; 0,10-0,20 m; e 0,20-0,40 5 m: 158 e 86, 0,10 m: 171 e 67, respectivamente, nas estações seca e chuvosa), especialmente quando comparado com 05 m: 5,6 e 5,4; 0,10 m: 5,3 e 5,8, respectivamente, nas FRAÇÕES DA MATÉRIA ORGÂNICA DO SOLO NO CERRADO SOB SISTEMA AGROFLORESTAL NO NORDESTE DO BRASIL ABSTRACT -Este estudo teve como objetivo quantificar os estoques de carbono orgânico total e de suas frações em um argissolo sob sistemas agroflorestais com 6 (SAF6) e 13 anos de idade (SAF13), agricultura de corte-e-queima (ACQ) e floresta nativa de Cerrado (FNC) no Nordeste do Brasil. As amostras de solo foram coletadas nas estações seca e chuvosa, nas camadas de m, para avaliar os estoques de carbono orgânico total (COT) e os teores de carbono lábil (CL), fração ácido fúlvico (C-FAF), fração ácido húmico (C-FAH) e humina (C-FH) e carbono da biomassa microbiana (Cmic

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Multi-scale variability in soil aggregate stability: Implications for understanding and predicting semi-arid grassland degradation

Cited by 52 publications

References 30 publications

Fragmentation Effects on Soil Aggregate Stability in a Patchy Arid Grassland

Fragmentation Effects on Soil Aggregate Stability in a Patchy Arid Grassland

Soil aggregate stability was an uncertain predictor of ecosystem functioning in a temperate and semiarid grassland

Soil organic matter pools in a tropical savanna under agroforestry system in Northeastern Brazil

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