The effects of sheep treading and grazing on pasture and soil characteristics of irrigated annual pastures

Witschi, PA; Michalk, DL

doi:10.1071/ar9790741

Cited by 20 publications

(9 citation statements)

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“…The WT turves had lower herbage accumulation rates than the W and C turves. Similar effects of treading have been observed by Edmond (1958;1962;1964;1974), Carter and Sivalingam (1977), Witschi and Michalk (1979), Sheath and Carlson (1998), Betteridge et al (1999) and Pande et al (2000). The mechanisms for this reduction in herbage accumulation rate with treading could include reduction in tiller number and vigour, physical damage to plants causing a decrease in photosynthetic area and efficiency, and reduced transpiration and gaseous diffusion rates.…”

Section: Stress Phasesupporting

confidence: 78%

Stress and recovery of hill pastures in the North Island of New Zealand

Nicholas

Kemp

Barker

2004

Grass and Forage Science

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Nicholas, P. K., Kemp, P. D., Barker, D. J. (2004). Stress and recovery of hill pastures in the North Island of New Zealand. ? Grass and Forage Science, 59, (3), 250-263 KEYWORDS: treading ? herbage accumulation rate ? leaf extension rate ? resilience ? tiller density ? moisture content Sponsorship: AGMARDTMoisture and treading treatments were imposed on intact turves that were relocated to a glasshouse after being removed from three hill pastures of different soil fertility in the North Island of New Zealand. The experiment consisted of a 2-month stress phase, where the treatments were wetting (W), wetting and treading (WT), drying (D) and control (C). In this phase, herbage accumulation rate, tiller density and leaf extension rate were lower on the D turves, and herbage accumulation rate and tiller density were lower on the WT turves than for the C turves. Herbage accumulation rate was higher on the W treatment than on the C treatment. In the 2-month recovery phase, herbage accumulation rate and leaf extension rate on the D turves were higher than those of the C treatment. Herbage accumulation rate and tiller density took longer to recover on the WT turves but by the end of the recovery period tiller density on these turves exceeded that of the C turves and the original tiller densities on the WT turves. Changes (increase or decrease) in leaf extension rate were associated with the W treatment and tiller density with the WT treatment. Moisture was limiting on the D and C turves, but on the W and WT turves, where moisture was adequate for plant growth, nutrients were limiting, notably phosphorus on the W and WT turves and sulphur on the W turves. The D treatment turves recovered very quickly once the stress was removed but the WT turves were slower to recover. Under the experimental conditions applied, the hill pasture turves were more resilient to the drying treatment than the wetting and treading treatment.preprintPeer reviewe

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Section: Stress Phasesupporting

confidence: 78%

Stress and recovery of hill pastures in the North Island of New Zealand

Nicholas

Kemp

Barker

2004

Grass and Forage Science

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“…It also lead to a considerable compactness in the depressions, as was found in the heavily grazed areas in the Westerholt study area. Such a positive correlation between trampling and soil resistance is well documented (Langlands & Bennett, 1973a;Crawford & Liddle, 1977;Witschi & Michalk, 1979;BtilowOlsen, 1980).…”

mentioning

confidence: 87%

Micro-patterns in grassland vegetation created and sustained by sheep-grazing

1984

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An initially uniform Holcus lanatus-dominated sward came partly under hay-making and partly under sheep-grazing. Preferential grazing by sheep resulted in grazing at different intensities giving rise to a macro-pattern of various plant communities. Besides this macro-pattern a micro-pattern developed in the grazed area, which was absent under hay-making. In the micro-pattern short, heavily grazed areas alternated with taller, lightly grazed patches, both having the same species composition. The heavily grazed area was characterized by equal amounts of monocots and dicots. The lightly grazed patches were dominated by Agrostis tenuis, and had a large amount of litter which probably causes the absence of mosses. The protein percentage of green material is higher in the heavily grazed areas than in the lightly grazed patches.Sequential charting indicated that the micro-pattern was more or less stable. An interaction between the vegetation micro-pattern and grazing patterns is suggested. Heavy grazing results in forage with a high protein content and hence attracts animals. Light grazing results in forage with a relatively low protein content, animals avoid the area and litter accumulates.

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“…Treading by grazing cattle can influence pasture composition, cover, and growth rate (Edmond 1974;Sheath & Carlson 1998) and affect soil physical properties, as indicated by an increase in soil bulk density and soil surface disturbance, and a decrease in pore spaces (Witschi & Michalk 1979;Willatt & Pullar 1983;Proffitt et al 1993). Treading may thus influence the way water moves into and through the soil, thereby reducing water infiltration rates and increasing potential contaminant runoff (nutrient and suspended solids) and erosion (Gradwell 1968;Edmond 1974;Warren et al 1986aWarren et al , 1986bDormaar et al 1989;Proffitt et al 1993).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Nguyen

Sheath

Smith

et al. 1998

New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research

104

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A simulated rainfall study carried out as part of a larger grazing experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of a 2-3 day cattle-treading event in winter on soil physical properties and contaminant (sediment and nutrient) runoff in topographically variable hill land. Measurements were made on two land zones: easy contoured ridges and gullies (15-24° slope) and steep inter-track land (28-39° slope). Simulated rainfall was applied to 16 plots (0.5 m 2 ) with a range of treading damage for each land zone within 14 days of the treading event. Simulated rainfall was repeated on the same plots in the following summer and winter to assess the recovery of soil from treading damage. A97034 Received 28 April 1997; accepted 22 January 1998Treading damage reduced water infiltration rate, particularly in the steep zone. It also caused a significant increase in the transport of suspended solids (SS), total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), and total phosphorus (TP) from the plots during simulated runoff. On the steep inter-track zone, damaged areas had a 46% lower infiltration rate, and runoff from these areas contained on average 87% more sediment, and 89% more N and 94% more P compared with undamaged areas. These effects had disappeared six months later. The rainfall simulation and soil physical studies show that a 2-3 day winter treading event may increase soil bulk density, reduce soil macroporosity and total porosity, and lead to a decrease in the water infiltration rate and an increase in contaminant runoff.

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The effects of sheep treading and grazing on pasture and soil characteristics of irrigated annual pastures

Cited by 20 publications

References 0 publications

Stress and recovery of hill pastures in the North Island of New Zealand

Stress and recovery of hill pastures in the North Island of New Zealand

Micro-patterns in grassland vegetation created and sustained by sheep-grazing

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

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