Spatial Soil Nutrient–Plant–Herbivore Linkages: A Case Study from Two Poultry Litter–Amended Pastures in Northwest Arkansas

Braden, Indi; Ashworth, Amanda J.; West, Charles P.

doi:10.2134/age2018.09.0039

Cited by 3 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…In Mediterranean rangelands, the accumulation and persistence of soluble nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in the upper soil layer varies with nutrient and with local biogeochemical conditions (Vinograd et al, 2019). This variation in soil nutrient accumulation can favor certain species over others (Braden et al, 2019). Thus, specific traits related to the ability to exploit soil resources (e.g., size of zone explored by roots, root impact density, specific root length, root diameter—see Tardy et al, 2017) may explain the discrepancies between the two species.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Long‐term proliferation of large annual thistles in dry Mediterranean rangelands

et al. 2022

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Spiny plants comprise a large, ecologically and economically important functional group in Mediterranean rangelands. The increasing abundance of large annual thistles in grazed grasslands entails major consequences for ecosystem services. This study aims to quantify the contribution of large annual spiny plants to rangeland vegetation cover and productivity and to identify management‐ and climate‐related drivers of spiny plant distribution and performance. Using a 15‐year dataset from an extensive herbaceous pasture experiment in northeastern Galilee, Israel, we examined the effects of livestock management and climate on the cover and biomass of two dominant annual thistle species, Scolymus maculatus and Carthamus glaucus. These thistles constitute a significant proportion of pasture productivity, contributing more than 50% and 25% under high and moderate stocking density, respectively. Despite the similarity in life‐form and life‐history characteristics, each demonstrates a distinct response to both management intensity and annual climatic parameters. High stocking density had a positive effect on both cover and biomass of S. maculatus. Conversely, C. glaucus biomass estimates were higher under moderate stocking density. Distance from feeding site had significant contrasting effects on each of the focal thistles. Relative humidity and temperature were the most sensitive climatic parameters in explaining the variation in cover and biomass of the two thistles. The directionality of the two species' responses suggests that S. maculatus attains higher biomass than C. glaucus under dry and warm conditions. The proliferation of both large thistles under variable stocking densities and climatic conditions increases productivity but reduces the palatable vegetation of Mediterranean rangelands by 27%–50%.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Long‐term proliferation of large annual thistles in dry Mediterranean rangelands

et al. 2022

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“…Lai and Kumar [39] observed that light grazing and the positive influence of animal manure associated with light grazing minimized many of the heavy grazing soil quality reductions. Site-specific farming must consider the intrinsic variability of soils, in that soil uniqueness and its variation across the landscape presents both challenges and opportunities [42][43][44][45][46].…”

Section: Soil Quality Studies Focusing On Grazed Pasturesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Optimizing Beef Cow-Calf Grazing across Missouri with an Emphasis on Protecting Ecosystem Services

Aide

Braden

Murray

et al. 2021

Land

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Soil health is an emerging paradigm for which much research in row crop agriculture has been undertaken. Research involving grazing lands and soil health has not been as active, a feature partially attributed to (i) greater erosional rates in cropland, (ii) loss of soil organic matter and reduced soil structure attributed to annual tillage practices, (iii) cash flow from cropland is easier to visualize than the value-added nature of grazing lands, and (iv) there exists more competitive grant funding sources for croplands. Grazing lands do require soil quality augmentation and investment in soil health to optimize their ecosystem services potential. This manuscript, with an emphasis on beef cattle grazing in the central USA, attempts to survey the literature to (i) identify the influence of grazing on important ecosystem services provided by Mollisols and Alfisols, (ii) develop a listing of soil indicators that may be selected to quantify and credential soil quality, and (iii) develop guidelines that align soil indicators and changes in grazing management to support the restoration of ecosystem services.

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“…The samples were air dried, ground, and passed through a 2-mm sieve to achieve a fine earth sample for laboratory analysis. Dissolved reactive P was extracted from a mixture of 2 g of soil and 20 ml of deionized water following the method of Self-Davis et al (1998) and described in Braden et al (2019). The filtered extract was analyzed for P that reacted with Murphy-Riley reagents (Murphy & Riley, 1962) using an Autosampler II (Skalar Analytical).…”

Section: Soil Sampling and Laboratory Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Producers generally apply poultry litter on the basis of N supply to meet a forage production target, usually exceeding 4.5 Mg ha −1 yr −1 (Ashworth et al, 2020;Braden et al, 2019;Scott, 1995). The ratio of N/P in litter is about 2.7:1 (1.2:1 N/P 2 O 5 ) (Beegle, 1988), but the ratio required for forage grasses is 7:1 to 8:1 (Ball et al, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relating topography and soil phosphorus distribution in litter‐amended pastures in Arkansas

Adhikari

Braden

Owens

et al. 2021

Agrosystems Geosci & Env

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Poultry producers in northwestern Arkansas fertilize pastures with litter, leading to excessive P buildup on surface soils with risk of contaminating nearby surface waters. Information on the influence of pasture topography on P runoff is limited. Objectives were to assess soil P and P index status in pastures, quantify topographic influence on P distribution, and generate high-resolution P maps for site-specific nutrient management. Soil samples were collected from a commercial farm in a grid design and analyzed for Mehlich-3 P (STP), and dissolved reactive P (DRP). Gburek (GPI) and Sims P indices (SPI) were calculated by considering soil erosion and runoff potentials, STP, and P fertilizer application rate and source. A machine-learning algorithm, based on a random forest model, quantified spatial relationships of STP, DRP, and P indices with topography. The study area was highly variable in topography and soil P levels. High-slope areas bordering a stream and flat areas with lower elevation had greater GPI and SPI. Topography explained up to 50% of variation in STP and DRP distribution and >70% variation in GPI and SPI, which was linked to litter application sites and cattle feeding sites. Key terrain attributes for STP, DRP, GPI, and SPI distribution were elevation, slope position, slope height, valley depth, and valley bottom flatness. Predicted P maps illustrated areas along a stream had lower STP and DRP levels, but greater GPI and SPI. This analysis linked topographic relationships with P distribution, as topography controls the flow and distribution of water and influences farm management practices; therefore, future P management strategies should explicitly incorporate topographic risks.

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Spatial Soil Nutrient–Plant–Herbivore Linkages: A Case Study from Two Poultry Litter–Amended Pastures in Northwest Arkansas

Cited by 3 publications

References 18 publications

Long‐term proliferation of large annual thistles in dry Mediterranean rangelands

Long‐term proliferation of large annual thistles in dry Mediterranean rangelands

Optimizing Beef Cow-Calf Grazing across Missouri with an Emphasis on Protecting Ecosystem Services

Relating topography and soil phosphorus distribution in litter‐amended pastures in Arkansas

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