The effect of long-term mowing and ungulate exclusion on grass species composition and soil nutrient status on the Athi-Kapiti plains, central Kenya

Berliner, D.; Kioko, John

doi:10.2989/10220119909485720

Cited by 12 publications

(11 citation statements)

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“…In this study, Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ were the dominant exchangeable cations, particularly in the SD area where it makes up 73.6% of exchangeable cations. This agrees with Berliner & Kioko (1999) who reported that Ca 2+ was usually the dominant exchangeable cation in soil colloids with 60–80% of exchangeable cations in most soils with Mg 2+ . Ca 2+ plays an important role in determining pH of most soils because of this (Brady, 1990).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

“…Much of the soil N is in OM forms. The recycling of N and the slow mineralization from old plant material (litter) was discussed by Berliner & Kioko (1999). Available P was also statistically similar along the grazing gradient.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…Available P was also statistically similar along the grazing gradient. In natural ecosystems, the P cycle is virtually closed, and most plant P is recycled by microbial breakdown of litter and organic debris (Berliner & Kioko, 1999). The decline of P in the LD area which was higher in OM content could be as a consequence of less biological activity in the area.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Impact of grazing around a watering point on soil status of a semi‐arid rangeland in Ethiopia

Gebremeskel

Pieterse

2006

African Journal of Ecology

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The influence of long-term livestock grazing on the soil status of a semi-arid rangeland was studied along a grazing gradient from a watering point in southern Afar Region of Ethiopia for two seasons. The soil samples were analysed for organic carbon (OC), total nitrogen (N), available phosphorus (P), exchangeable cations (Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , K + and Na + ), acidity (pH), cation exchange capacity, and particle size distribution (clay, silt and sand). No significant differences (P > 0.05) were observed for particle size distribution, OC, N, P and K contents along the grazing gradient further than 1500 m from the watering point. Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ were found to be dominant cations particularly in the severely degraded area contributing about 74% to the exchangeable cations. The study has also recognized high concentrations of Na + and more than 11% exchangeable sodium percentage. Total exchangeable bases significantly declined (P < 0.05) along the grazing gradient and were indicative of the exchange complex of the soil being saturated with Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ ions. Thus this study concluded that there are soil differences in the grazing gradient caused by impact of grazing, particularly in the severely degraded area. RésuméOn a étudié pendant deux saisons l'influence du pâturage de longue durée par du bétail sur le statut du sol dans une étendue semi aride, le long d'un gradient de pâturage au départ d'un point d'eau dans la région sud des Afars en Ethiopie. Les échantillons de sol ont été analysés pour le carbone organique (OC), l'azote total (N), le phosphore disponible (P), les cations échangeables (Ca 2+ , MG 2+ , K + et Na + ), l'acidité (pH), la capacité d'échanges de cations(CEC) et la distribution par taille des particules (argile, limon et sable). Il n'y avait pas de différence significative (P > 0,05) de la distribution des particules selon la taille, ni du contenu en OC, N, P ni K le long du gradient plus loin que 1.500 m à partir du point d'eau. On a découvert que le calcium 2+ et le Mg 2+ étaient les cations dominants, particulièrement dans la zone gravement dégradée et qu'ils contribuaient pour environ 74% aux cations disponibles. L'étude a aussi repéré de fortes concentrations de Na + et plus de 11% de sodium échangeable (ESP). Les bases échangeables totales (TEB) diminuaient significativement (P > 0,05) le long du gradient de pâturage et étaient indicatives de l'échange complexe du sol saturé en ions Ca 2+ et en Mg 2+ . Cette étude a donc conclu qu'il y a des différences dans le gradient de pâturage, causées par ce pâturage, spécialement dans la zone gravement dégradée.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Impact of grazing around a watering point on soil status of a semi‐arid rangeland in Ethiopia

Gebremeskel

Pieterse

2006

African Journal of Ecology

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“…The climate is typical for semi-arid savannas, with the annual precipitation being lower than the potential evapotranspiration. The mean annual precipitation is 550 mm, with rainfall being distributed in a bimodal precipitation regime (Berliner and Kioko 1999;McCown and Jones 1992). Approximately 80 % of the annual precipitation occurs during the two rainy seasons (Mar-Jun and Oct-Dec).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enteric Methane Emission Estimates for Kenyan Cattle in a Nighttime Enclosure Using a Backward Lagrangian Stochastic Dispersion Technique

Wolz

Leitner

Merbold

et al. 2021

Preprint

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This study provides methane (CH4) emission estimates for mature female African beef cattle in a semi-arid region in Southern Kenya using open-path laser spectroscopy together with a backward Lagrangian Stochastic (bLS) dispersion modeling technique. We deployed two open-path lasers to determine 10-minute averages of line-integrated CH4 measurements upwind and downwind of fenced enclosures (so-called bomas: a location where the cattle are gathered at nighttime) during 14 nights in September/October 2019. The measurements were filtered for wind direction deviations and friction velocity before the model was applied. We compared the obtained emission factors (EFs) with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Tier 1 estimates for the Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries, which were mostly derived from studies carried out in developed countries and adapted to the conditions in Africa. The resulting mean EF of 75.4 ± 5.69 kg yr-1 and the EFs calculated from other studies carried out in Africa differ considerably from each other, which indicates the need for the further development of region-specific EFs to improve the IPCC Tier 1 estimates.

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“…Here, we present results of N 2 O fluxes over the two growing seasons (from May to September) of 2008 and 2009 analyzing the relation between N 2 O emission and abiotic and biotic factors to identify the controls of the emission. We hypothesized that: 1) mowing would decrease N 2 O emission due to the removal of aboveground plant biomass, which can result in continuous decrease in the availability of substrate for N 2 O production [19] and the related soil microbes; 2) both soil biotic and abiotic factors play important roles in underlying mowing effects on N 2 O flux.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Mowing Heights on N<sub>2</sub>O Emission from Temperate Grasslands in Inner Mongolia, Northern China

Zhang¹,

Hou²,

Laanbroek³

et al. 2015

AJCC

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Grazing and mowing are two common practices for grassland management. Mowing is now recommended as an alternative to the traditional grazing for grassland conservation in Inner Mongolia, northern China. Many studies have revealed that mowing may alter ecosystem properties in various ways. However, little attention has been paid to the effect of mowing on trace gas emissions, especially on N2O flux. We conducted an experiment to investigate the effects of mowing on N2O fluxes from the semiarid grassland in Inner Mongolia. The mowing experiment, which started in 2003, comprised four mowing intensity treatments, i.e. mowing heights at 2 cm, 5 cm, 10 cm and 15 cm above the soil surface, respectively, and a control (non-mowing), with five replicates. Gas fluxes were measured through a closed static chamber technique during the growing seasons (usually from May to September, depending on local climate at the time) of 2008 and 2009, respectively. Our results showed that mowing decreased N2O emissions, above-ground biomass and total litter production. N2O emissions were greater in May and June than in other sampling periods, regardless of treatments (P < 0.05). A co-relationship analysis suggested that variations in seasonal N2O fluxes were mainly driven by variations in soil moisture, except in July and August. In July and August, above-ground plant biomass and soil total nitrogen became the major drivers of N2O fluxes under the soil temperatures between 16˚C and 18˚C. Though there were some uncertainties due to the low frequency of N2O flux measurement, our study mainly indicated that 5 cm mowing height might decrease N2O emissions in grasslands during the growing season, and soil

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The effect of long-term mowing and ungulate exclusion on grass species composition and soil nutrient status on the Athi-Kapiti plains, central Kenya

Cited by 12 publications

References 0 publications

Impact of grazing around a watering point on soil status of a semi‐arid rangeland in Ethiopia

Impact of grazing around a watering point on soil status of a semi‐arid rangeland in Ethiopia

Enteric Methane Emission Estimates for Kenyan Cattle in a Nighttime Enclosure Using a Backward Lagrangian Stochastic Dispersion Technique

Effects of Mowing Heights on N<sub>2</sub>O Emission from Temperate Grasslands in Inner Mongolia, Northern China

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The effect of long-term mowing and ungulate exclusion on grass species composition and soil nutrient status on the Athi-Kapiti plains, central Kenya

Cited by 12 publications

References 0 publications

Impact of grazing around a watering point on soil status of a semi‐arid rangeland in Ethiopia

Impact of grazing around a watering point on soil status of a semi‐arid rangeland in Ethiopia

Enteric Methane Emission Estimates for Kenyan Cattle in a Nighttime Enclosure Using a Backward Lagrangian Stochastic Dispersion Technique

Effects of Mowing Heights on N&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;O Emission from Temperate Grasslands in Inner Mongolia, Northern China

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Effects of Mowing Heights on N<sub>2</sub>O Emission from Temperate Grasslands in Inner Mongolia, Northern China