Grazing

“The natural background contribution from grasslands and forest lands is important to consider in research and management. To our knowledge, no study has compiled and analyzed this “reference” water quality from small natural grasslands and forests. Thus, our objective was to summarize nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and sediment loads in runoff fromthese referencewatersheds.Measured annual nutrient loadswere compiled from 13 grassland and nine forest reference sites across 12 North American regions.”

“Across 648 soil profiles in North Carolina, particulate organic matter — the fraction most responsive to management — made up 35% of total soil organic C in the top 10 cm but only 10% at 30–60 cm, and was lower in sandier soils. Poultry litter application raised root-zone particulate organic C and N by 17%–32%, and pastures 30 years old held 4%–20% more than newer pastures, while deeper, stable (nonparticulate) carbon was set by long-term soil formation rather than management.”

“Oak Forests lacking adequate fire regimes may not be resilient to threats. Loss of oak dominance in numerous forests in which fire has been excluded during the twentieth century, and the lack of such patterns in forests periodically burned, should be considered important indirect evidence that fire played a vital role in maintaining oak dominance before European settlement.”

“The LTAR Integrated Common Experiment at Upper Mississippi River BasinPlatteville.”

“The Agricultural Policy Environmental EXtender (APEX) Model: An Emerging Tool for Landscape and Watershed Environmental Analyses.”

“A model that simulates the processes of NH formation, speciation, aqueous-gas partitioning, and mass transfer was developed and incorporated in a whole farm simulation model (the Integrated Farm System Model).”

“A handbook for restoration of sagebrush steppe ecosystems with emphasis on greater-sage-grouse habitat—Part 3. Site level restoration decisions.”

“Surveying for biotic soil crust lichens of shrub steppe habitats in the Columbia Basin.”

“Impacts of stocking densities on soil biochemical and microbial properties in a mixed-grass prairie ecosystem at two landscape positions.”

“Identify potential soil legacy effects and recovery time delays after land transformation and place those effects in the context of EGS tradeoffs.”

“Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) invasion in the Northern Great Plains: A story of rapid dominance in an endangered ecosystem.”

“Surface Resistance Controls Differences in Evapotranspiration Between Croplands and Prairies in U.S. Corn Belt Sites.”

“In burned sagebrush steppe, higher stocking reduced standing crop short-term, but 1–2 yrs rest restored it. Under deferred rotation, grazing intensity didn’t change long-term ANPP; weather dominated productivity. Burned treatments boosted total/perennial bunchgrass vs unburned.”

“Continuous grazing degrades soil C and N and increases compaction vs no grazing. Rotational grazing improves SOC vs continuous and can be SOC-neutral relative to no grazing, with less compaction than continuous. Aridity effects were small, but rotational data gaps limit certainty.”

“The study demonstrates the utility of the USDA-NRCS ecological site approach for defining dynamic soil property benchmarks and thresholds associated with management alternatives, and can guide other global soil health benchmarking efforts.”

“Improvement in the soil health of pasturelands can result in amplified ecosystem services which can help improve the overall sustainability of the system.”

“Weed competition in pasture systems has not been extensively examined.”

“Forages with good quality are the main asset of any livestock operation, and they are also the foundation of most rations in a forage-based diet.”

“Native warm-season grasses have potential to increase the ecosystem services associated with grazing lands and to provide a source of forage for livestock.”

“Alfalfa had better persistence than red or white clover in horse pastures.”

“Soil stoichiometry, driven by plant chemical traits, appeared to be the strongest driver of priming. This shows that shifts in plant communities involving increases in N relative to P can cause carbon loss.”

“Focus on adaptive management and the integration of experiential, experimental, social and biophysical, knowledge in range science studies”

“This synthesis provides a compelling argument for the development of an expanded rangeland conservation research agenda.”

“Limited data have been available on aboveground nutrient dynamics in floodplain systems. Haying can result in nutrient removal.”

“Rotations with a minimum duration of bare fallow periods and integration of cover crops contribute to structural soil properties.”

“This study provides insight into how land use centered on agroecological principles affords greater water resilience, at multiple scales.”

“Alfalfa–grass mixtures are a good alternative to alfalfa and grass monocultures.”

“Woody encroachment is a global driver of grassland loss and management to counteract it represents one of the most expensive conservation practices implemented in grasslands.”

“Incipient woody plant encroachment signals heightened vulnerability for an intact grassland region.”

“Soil health and nutrient density: preliminary comparison of regenerative and conventional farming.”

“Land-use harmonization datasets for annual global carbon budgets.”

“Grazing land modeling”

“Soil health and nutrient dynamics in pasturelands: A decadal study on the effects of alternative grazing management.”

“Adapting to Climatic Extremes: Do Grazing Management Strategies Matter?.”