Grazing impacts on soil water in mixed prairie and fescue grassland ecosystems of Alberta

1991 ◽  
Vol 71 (3) ◽  
pp. 313-325 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. Naeth ◽  
D. S. Chanasyk ◽  
R. L. Rothwell ◽  
A. W. Bailey
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Canadian Prairies ◽  
Grazing Impacts ◽  
Growing Seasons ◽  
Grassland Ecosystems ◽  
Water Recharge ◽  
Grazing Intensities ◽  
Mixed Prairie

Reduced soil water under grazing is generally attributed to reduced infiltration as livestock trampling compacts the soil surface. Grazing can also have the opposite effect on soil water through reduced evapotranspiration when vegetation is removed. On the Canadian Prairies, grazing impacts on soil water have been assessed in short-term studies but impacts of long-term grazing have not been documented. In this study, impacts of long-term grazing on soil water were assessed in mixed prairie, parkland fescue grassland, and foothills fescue grassland ecosystems of southern and central Alberta. Grazing regimes were of light to very heavy intensities, grazed early, late, and continuously during the growing season. Soil water was measured with a neutron probe to a depth of 1 m from April through October over three growing seasons. Normal patterns of soil water recharge in autumn and spring and soil water depletion in summer due to evapotranspiration were not altered by grazing. Fluctuations in soil water were most pronounced in the uppermost 30 cm but still evident in the 30- to 50-cm and 50- to 80-cm depth intervals. Heavy intensity and/or early season grazing had a greater impact on soil water than light intensity and/or late season grazing. Season of grazing affected soil water more under light than heavy grazing intensities. On most sampling dates, soil water in grazed treatments was lower than in the ungrazed control, particularly in the 30- to 50-cm and 50- to 80-cm depth intervals. Differences between the control and grazed treatments were least pronounced during the summer months with evapotranspiration depleting soil water reserves in all treatments. Key words: Soil water, grazing, rangelands, water uptake

scholarly journals Soil water cycle and crop water use efficiency after long-term nitrogen fertilization in Loess Plateau

2012 ◽  
Vol 59 (No. 1) ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Wang ◽  
W. Liu ◽  
Q. Xue ◽  
T. Dang ◽  
C. Gao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Use Efficiency ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Water Cycle ◽  
Triticum Aestivum L ◽  
Growing Seasons ◽  
Water Recharge ◽  
Use Efficiency ◽  
N Management

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of nitrogen (N) management on soil water recharge, available soil water at sowing (ASWS), soil water depletion, and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) yield and water use efficiency (WUE) after long-term fertilization. We collected data from 2 experiments in 2 growing seasons. Treatments varied from no fertilization (CK), single N or phosphorus (P), N and P (NP), to NP plus manure (NPM). Comparing to CK and single N or P treatments, NP and NPM reduced rainfall infiltration depth by 20–60 cm, increased water recharge by 16–21 mm, and decreased ASWS by 89–133 mm in 0–300 cm profile. However, crop yield and WUE continuously increased in NP and NPM treatments after 22 years of fertilization. Yield ranged from 3458 to 3782 kg/ha in NP or NPM but was 1246–1531 kg/ha in CK and single N or P. WUE in CK and single N or P treatments was < 6 kg/ha/mm but increased to 12.1 kg/ha/mm in a NP treatment. The NP and NPM fertilization provided benefits for increased yield and WUE but resulted in lower ASWS. Increasing ASWS may be important for sustainable yield after long-term fertilization.

LONG-TERM SOIL MOISTURE STATUS IN SOUTHERN ALBERTA

1990 ◽  
Vol 70 (2) ◽  
pp. 125-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. CHANG ◽  
T. G. SOMMERFELDT ◽  
T. ENTZ ◽  
D. R. STALKER
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Continuous Cropping ◽  
Available Water ◽  
Southern Alberta ◽  
Available Soil Moisture ◽  
Fallow Field ◽  
Water Recharge ◽  
Soil Water Recharge

Nineteen years of soil moisture content data at Lethbridge and two locations near Turin (Turin 1 and Turin 2) in southern Alberta were examined to evaluate the efficiency of follow for conserving moisture, and to calculate the long-term mean amount of water recharge during growing and nongrowing seasons under a fallow-cereal, 2-yr rotation and a continuous cropping system. Soil samples were taken annually from 1969 to 1987 to a depth of 120 cm in 30-cm intervals in the spring (early May) and fall (late September). A method for testing differences of means between nonstandard data using localized uncertainty associated with sliding polynomial smoothing was used to test for differences in the soil moisture contents due to cultural practices. The available soil moisture content of the soil to 120-cm depth was at least 50% of available water-holding capacity (AWHC) of the profile for the fallow treatment at Lethbridge and Turin 2, and, except in some years, at Turin 1. At seeding time, there was an average of 69 mm more available water (AW) in the fallow field than in the continuous cropping field at Lethbridge and 30, 35 and 27 mm more AW in the fallow field than in the fresh stubble field of a fallow-cereal, 2-yr rotation for Lethbridge, Turin 1 and Turin 2, respectively. The overall mean precipitation conserved as soil moisture for the fallow-cereal rotation practice was 23, 29 and 23% for Lethbridge, Turin 1 and Turin 2, respectively. The significantly higher soil water content at the 90- to 120-cm depth for the fallow field than for other fields during various periods of time indicates that the soil water recharge from precipitation might be deeper in the fallow field than in continuous cropping and fresh stubble of fallow-cereal rotation fields. The deeper soil water recharge could increase the available soil moisture for crop production and it could also contribute to ground water recharge. Key words: Soil water, available water content, continuous cropping, summerfallow

Analysis of Water Budgets in Semi-Arid Lands from Soil Water Records

1995 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 131-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. J. Pilbeam ◽  
C. C. Daamen ◽  
L. P. Simmonds
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Total Evaporation ◽  
Growing Seasons ◽  
Neutron Probe ◽  
Unsaturated Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Probe Measurements

SUMMARYFour components of the water budget for a growing season, namely storage, drainage, transpiration and direct evaporation from the soil surface, were estimated using a suite of techniques. The only data requirements were rainfall, neutron probe measurements of soil water content and microlysimeter measurements of evaporation from the soil. Data from four growing seasons at Kiboko, Kenya between 1990 and 1992 were used to provide examples of the estimations. Drainage was significant (about 10% of rainfall) in one season only; in the other seasons, total evaporation comprised at least 95% of the seasonal rainfall.Drainage was determined using a relationship between unsaturated hydraulic conductivity and soil water content that was determined during the early part of the rainy season when water was penetrating to depth. This analysis made it possible to identify a critical water content at the base of the soil profile, above which there would be significant drainage. However, there are large errors associated with estimation of drainage if significant drainage occurs.Estimates of direct evaporation from the soil surface were used as the basis of distinguishing transpiration from total evaporation. Microlysimetry was used to develop a model of evaporation from these sandy soils, which was based on the assumption that the evaporation from the soil surface following heavy rainfall is a unique function of time from rainfall, and little influenced by the presence of a sparse crop. This method showed that direct evaporation from the soil accounted for between 70 and 85% of total evaporation in seasons when total evaporation estimates ranged from 150 to 325 mm.

Microbial Dynamic Changes under Different Grazing Intensities in Growing Seasons of Desert Steppe

2013 ◽  
Vol 864-867 ◽  
pp. 2635-2638
Author(s):  
Jing He ◽  
Ting Ting Yang ◽  
Tao Shi ◽  
Guo Zheng Yao
Keyword(s):  
Soil Bacteria ◽  
Measured Data ◽  
Desert Steppe ◽  
Dynamic Changes ◽  
Soil Microbial ◽  
Growing Seasons ◽  
Grassland Ecosystems ◽  
Ground Survey ◽  
Grazing Intensities ◽  
Microbial Dynamic

Soil microbial plays a very important role in the grassland ecosystems, but measured data is very lack. In this paper, based on the ground survey data microbial dynamic changes in growing seasons of Desert steppe in 2012 was estimated. The main conclusions are as follows: soil bacteria number began to increase in May, reached to highest value in July and then began to decrease. Actinomycetes population increased first and then decreased. Fungus amount decreased in beginning and then increased. Grazing significantly affect the number of soil microbial, shown as soil microbial of very severe grazing fences are significantly lower than other fences.

GRAZING IMPACTS ON INFILTRATION IN MIXED PRAIRIE AND FESCUE GRASSLAND ECOSYSTEMS OF ALBERTA

1990 ◽  
Vol 70 (4) ◽  
pp. 593-605 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. NAETH ◽  
R. L. ROTHWELL ◽  
D. S. CHANASYK ◽  
A. W. BAILEY
Keyword(s):  
Steady State ◽  
Grazing Intensity ◽  
Infiltration Rate ◽  
Infiltration Capacity ◽  
Early Season ◽  
Grazing Impacts ◽  
Infiltration Rates ◽  
Grassland Ecosystems ◽  
Mixed Prairie ◽  
And Control

Infiltration capacity is generally reduced with increased grazing intensity and reduced range condition, mainly through vegetation and litter removal, soil structure deterioration, and compaction. Only one study has documented the effect of grazing on Canadian rangelands, necessitating further investigation. In this study, impacts of long-term grazing on infiltration were assessed in mixed prairie and fescue grassland ecosystems of southern and central Alberta, Canada. Grazing regimes were of light to very heavy intensities, grazed early, late, and continuously during the growing season. Ungrazed controls were evaluated at each site. Infiltration was measured with double ring infiltrometers. Heavy intensity and/or early season grazing had greater impact on infiltration than light intensity and/or late season grazing. In mixed prairie, initial and steady state infiltration rates in the control were 1.5 and 1.7 times higher, respectively, than those in the early season grazed treatment. In parkland fescue, initial rates were lowest in June grazed treatments and steady state rates were highest in light autumn grazed and control treatments. Initial infiltration rates in foothills fescue control and light grazed treatments were 1.5–2.3 times those in heavy and very heavy grazed treatments. Steady state rates were 1.5–2 times higher in light grazed and control treatments than in moderate, heavy, and very heavy grazed treatments. Key words: Infiltration, infiltration rate, grazing, rangelands

COMPARISON OF MODELLED SOIL WATER RESERVES ON CANADIAN PRAIRIE SOILS WITH WATER-HOLDING CAPACITIES OF 280 AND 250 mm

1985 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 219-223
Author(s):  
R. de JONG ◽  
W. K. SLY
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Perennial Crop ◽  
Canadian Prairie ◽  
Canadian Prairies ◽  
Prairie Soils ◽  
Available Water ◽  
Aridity Indices ◽  
Water Holding ◽  
Dough Stage

Based on soil water modelling results of 19 stations, averaged long-term soil water reserves on the Canadian Prairies were compared for two soils having available water-holding capacities of 280 and 250 mm. The soil water reserves of the 250-mm capacity soil were 6.5%, 8.7% and 6.2% less than those of the 280-mm capacity soil on 1 May after a fallow year, 30 June heading time and 1 May after a crop year, respectively. The aridity indices for wheat at the soft dough stage for the 250-mm capacity soil ranged from 4% less in the drier part of the Prairies to 7–9% more in the wetter regions as compared to the 280-mm capacity soil. Water deficits for a perennial crop grown on a 280-mm capacity soil could not be used to infer the deficits on a 250-mm capacity soil because of the model’s sensitivity to rainfall distribution with time. Key words: Soil water, modelling, available water-holding capacity

scholarly journals Grazing Impacts on Litter and Soil Organic Matter in Mixed Prairie and Fescue Grassland Ecosystems of Alberta

1991 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. Naeth ◽  
A. W. Bailey ◽  
D. J. Pluth ◽  
D. S. Chanasyk ◽  
R. T. Hardin
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Grazing Impacts ◽  
Grassland Ecosystems ◽  
Mixed Prairie

Indianhead black lentil as green manure for wheat rotations in the Brown soil zone

1996 ◽  
Vol 76 (3) ◽  
pp. 417-422 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. P. Zentner ◽  
C. A. Campbell ◽  
V. O. Biederbeck ◽  
F. Selles
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Green Manure ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
N Uptake ◽  
Triticum Aestivum L ◽  
Canadian Prairies ◽  
Hard Red Spring Wheat ◽  
Brown Soil ◽  
Growing Seasons ◽  
Soil Zone

Frequent use of summerfallow (F) to reduce the water deficit associated with cereal cropping in the Canadian prairies has resulted in severe erosion and a reduction in N-supplying power of the soils. It has been suggested that it may be feasible to use annual legumes as green manure (GM) to supply the N requirements and snow trapping to enhance soil water recharge for a subsequent cereal crop. Our objective was to test the feasibility of employing this management strategy for the Brown soil zone of southwestern Saskatchewan, by comparing yields and N uptake of hard red spring wheat (W) (Triticum aestivum L.) grown in a 3-yr rotation with Indianhead black lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus) (i.e., GM-W-W) with that obtained in a monoculture wheat system (i.e., F-W-W). Both cropping systems were operated for 6 yr, from 1988 to 1993, with all phases of the rotations present each year. The results showed that grain yields of wheat after GM were generally significantly (P < 0.05) lower than those after F, primarily because the GM reduced the reserves of available spring soil water. These results occurred despite the fact that five of the six growing seasons had above average precipitation. Yields of wheat grown on stubble were unaffected by rotation. Grain N concentration was greater for wheat grown on GM partial-fallow than for wheat grown on conventional-F in the final 3 yr of the study which was due mainly to the lower wheat yields in the GM system (i.e., yield dilution). Our results suggest that, for annual legume GM to be used successfully in the Brown soil zone, producers should seed it as early as possible (late April to early May) and terminate the growth of the legume by the first week of July, even if this means foregoing some N2 fixation. Key words: Summerfallow, soil water, grain protein, N content, soil nitrogen

ESTIMATED LONG-TERM SOIL MOISTURE VARIABILITY ON THE CANADIAN PRAIRIES

1988 ◽  
Vol 68 (2) ◽  
pp. 307-321 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. DE JONG ◽  
A. BOOTSMA
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Moisture Budget ◽  
Canadian Prairies ◽  
Seeding Date ◽  
Water Contents ◽  
Soil Moisture Budget ◽  
Soil Water Contents

Soil water contents under wheat production systems on the Canadian prairies were estimated using the Versatile Soil Moisture Budget, which was modified to include an estimated seeding date and a biometeorological time scale. Large year-to-year variability required the use of long term (60 yr) data to describe seasonal and probable occurrences of soil water contents for 27 stations. Regression and correlation analyses were used to simplify presentation of the data and to display their spatial distribution. On average, summerfallowing was most effective in conserving water in areas with intermediate spring soil water contents and on soils with a higher available water-holding capacity (AWC). In abnormally dry years (i.e., 10% probability) summerfallowing conserved more water in the wetter areas while increasing the AWCs had the greatest effect on conserved water in the intermediate areas. Soil water contents at heading were greater under wheat-fallow rotation compared to continuous wheat and increased with increasing AWCs. Water contents of less than 50% of AWC at heading occurred with a probability of 80% or higher in most areas, indicating some stress is experienced in most years. Summerfallowing lowered the probability only slightly on soils with a low AWC, but by 10–20% on the higher AWC soils. The probability of extreme water stress at heading (i.e. water contents ≤ 10% of AWC) ranged from 0% in the wettest areas to 40–60% in the driest climatic area. Key words: Soil water content, versatile soil moisture budget, summer fallowing, zonation, wheat (spring), seeding date

scholarly journals Orchard Groundcover Management Impacts on Soil Physical Properties

1994 ◽  
Vol 119 (2) ◽  
pp. 216-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian A. Merwin ◽  
Warren C. Stiles ◽  
Harold M. van Es
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Potential ◽  
Organic Matter Content ◽  
Matter Content ◽  
Water Infiltration ◽  
Soil Organic Matter Content ◽  
Water Capacity ◽  
Growing Seasons ◽  
Soil Temperatures

This study was conducted to compare various orchard groundcover management systems (GMSs)—including a crownvetch “living mulch” (CNVCH), close-mowed (MWSOD) and chemically growth-regulated (GRSOD) sodgrasses, pre-emergence (NDPQT) and two widths of post-emergence (GLY1.5 and GLY2.5) herbicides, hay-straw mulch (STMCH), and monthly rototillage (tilled)—during the first 6 years in a newly established apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) planting. Mean soil water potential at 5 to 35 cm deep varied substantially among treatments each summer, and treatment × year interactions were observed. During most growing seasons from 1986 to 1991, soil water availability trends were STMCH > NDPQT > GLY2.5 > GLY1.5 > tilled > GRSOD > MWSOD > CNVCH. Soil organic matter content increased under STMCH, CNVCH, and MWSOD and decreased under NDPQT and tilled treatments. Water infiltration and saturated hydraulic conductivity after 4 years were lower under NDPQT and tilled, and soil under STMCH and GRSOD retained more water per unit volume at applied pressures approximating field water capacity. Mid-summer soil temperatures at 5 cm deep were highest (25 to 28C) in tilled and NDPQT plots, intermediate (22 to 24C) under GRSOD, and lowest (16 to 20C) under CNVCH and STMCH. These observations indicate that long-term soil fertility and orchard productivity may be diminished under pre-emergence herbicides and mechanical cultivation in comparison with certain other GMSs.

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