Register      Login
Soil Research Soil Research Society
Soil, land care and environmental research
Shopping Cart: ( empty )
You are here: Home > Journals > SR > SR09004
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 48(1)

Macroporosity of pasture topsoils after three years of set-stocked and rotational grazing by sheep

S. R. Cattle A C and N. J. Southorn B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Faculty of Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.

B Faculty of Rural Management, The University of Sydney, Orange, NSW, Australia; Present address: Shoalhaven City Council, PO Box 42, Nowra, NSW 2541, Australia.

C Corresponding author. Email: stephen.cattle@sydney.edu.au

Australian Journal of Soil Research 48(1) 43-57 https://doi.org/10.1071/SR09004
Submitted: 8 January 2009  Accepted: 28 August 2009   Published: 26 February 2010

Abstract

Grazing of livestock on pasture land can result in changes to the physical condition of soil, particularly as a result of trampling and changed organic matter status of the topsoil. Over time, changes to pasture botanical composition may also occur, which might further affect soil structure. The extent of the effects, and the rate of soil and pasture recovery when livestock are removed, will depend on the grazing management tactics employed. A field study was established at Orange, New South Wales, to compare soil physical properties under ‘set-stocked’ grazing of Merino sheep, ‘high intensity–short duration’ rotational grazing, an ungrazed control, and pasture cages. Topsoil bulk density, hydraulic conductivity, and organic carbon content were measured annually over 3 years, and image analysis of soil macroporosity was carried out annually to quantify changes in pore geometry. Only the topsoil macropore properties changed significantly between treatments over the 3 years. In particular, the structural quality of the topsoil under set-stocked grazing changed, as indicated by a decrease in total macroporosity and a smaller proportion of macropores. In contrast, stable structural conditions were maintained under rotational grazing. Possibly the best soil structure for plant growth, represented by high values of total macroporosity and macropore surface area, and a large range of pore sizes, was exhibited under the pasture cages, where pasture defoliation occurred in the absence of hoof pressure. It is concluded that grazing tactics are an important factor in the dynamics of soil macroporosity and the vertical continuity of macropores, as a result of the combined effects of hoof pressure and root channel development.


Acknowledgments

We appreciate the suggestions of 3 anonymous reviewers, which improved the manuscript considerably.


References


Abdel-Magid AH, Schuman GE, Hart RH (1987) Soil bulk density and water infiltration as affected by grazing systems. Journal of Range Management 40, 307–309.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Betteridge K, Mackay AD, Shepherd TG, Barker DJ, Budding PJ, Devantier BP, Costall DA (1999) Effect of cattle and sheep treading on surface configuration of a sedimentary hill soil. Australian Journal of Soil Research 37, 743–758. open url image1

Brejda JJ, Karlen DL, Smith JL, Allan DL (2000a) Identification of regional soil quality factors and indicators: II. Northern Mississippi Loess Hills and Palouse Prairie. Soil Science Society of America Journal 64, 2125–2135.
|  CAS |
open url image1

Brejda JJ, Moorman TB, Karlen DL, Dao TH (2000b) Identification of regional soil quality factors and indicators: I. Central and Southern High Plains. Soil Science Society of America Journal 64, 2115–2124.
|  CAS |
open url image1

Cattle SR , Farrell RA , McBratney AB , Moran CJ , Roesner EA , Koppi AJ (2000) ‘Solicon – PC Version 1.0.’ (The University of Sydney and Cotton Research and Development Corporation: Sydney)

Charman PEV , Roper MM (2000) Soil organic matter. In ‘Soils: their properties and management’. (Eds PEV Charman, BW Murphy) pp. 260–270. (Oxford University Press: Melbourne)

Dormaar JF, Willms WD (1998) Effects of forty-four years of grazing on fescue grassland soils. Journal of Range Management 51, 122–126.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Douglas JT, Koppi AJ, Moran CJ (1992) Alteration of the structural attributes of a compact clay loam soil by growth of a perennial grass crop. Plant and Soil 139, 195–202.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Drewry JJ (2006) Natural recovery of soil physical properties from treading damage of pastoral soils in New Zealand and Australia: a review. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 114, 159–169.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Drewry JJ, Cameron KC, Buchan GD (2008) Pasture yield and soil physical property response to soil compaction from treading and grazing – a review. Australian Journal of Soil Research 46, 237–256.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Drewry JJ, Paton RJ, Monaghan RM (2004) Soil compaction and recovery cycle on a Southland dairy farm: implications for soil monitoring. Australian Journal of Soil Research 42, 851–856.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Fitzgerald RD , Lodge GM (1997) ‘Grazing management of temperate pastures: literature review and grazing guidelines for major species.’ Technical Bulletin No. 47. (NSW Agriculture: Orange, NSW)

Francis GS, Kemp RA (1990) Morphological and hydraulic properties of a silt loam soil in New Zealand as affected by cropping history. Soil Use and Management 6, 145–151.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Geering HR (1995) Field soil physical measurements. In ‘Soil technology – applied soil science’. 3rd edn (Eds PA Hazelton, AJ Koppi) pp. 187–216. (NSW Branch, Australian Society of Soil Science and Department of Agricultural Chemistry and Soil Science, The University of Sydney: Sydney)

Geeves GW , Cresswell HP , Murphy BW , Gessler PE , Chartres CJ , Little IP , Bowman GM (1995) ‘The physical, chemical and morphological properties of soils in the wheat-belt of southern NSW and northern Victoria.’ Occasional Report. (NSW Department of Conservation and Land Management and CSIRO Division of Soils: Sydney)

Gifford GF, Hawkins RH (1978) Hydrologic impact of grazing on infiltration: a critical review. Water Resources Research 14, 305–313.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Greenwood KL, MacLeod DA, Hutchinson KJ (1997) Long-term stocking rate effects on soil physical properties. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 37, 413–419.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Greenwood KL, MacLeod DA, Scott JM, Hutchinson KJ (1998) Changes to soil physical properties after grazing exclusion. Soil Use and Management 14, 19–24.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Greenwood KL, McKenzie BM (2001) Grazing effects on soil physical properties and the consequences for pastures: a review. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 41, 1231–1250.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Heitschmidt RK (1993) The ecology of grazing management. In ‘Grasslands for our world’. (Ed. MJ Baker) pp. 477–480. (International Grassland Congress: Wellington, New Zealand)

Isbell RF (1996) ‘The Australian soil classification.’ (CSIRO Publishing: Collingwood, Vic.)

Kemp DR, Dowling PM (2000) Towards sustainable temperate perennial pastures. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 40, 125–132.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Kemp DR, Michalk DL, Virgona JM (2000) Toward more sustainable pastures: lessons learnt. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 40, 343–356.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Koppi AJ, Douglas JT, Moran CJ (1992) An image analysis evaluation of soil compaction in grassland. Journal of Soil Science 43, 15–25.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Latham S , Murray G (1996) ‘Prograze – profitable, sustainable grazing. Segment 2: livestock production from pasture.’ (NSW Agriculture: Sydney)

Lawrie JW , Murphy BW , Packer IJ , Harte AJ (2000) Soils and sustainable farming systems. In ‘Soils: their properties and management’. (Eds PEV Charman, BW Murphy) (Oxford University Press: Melbourne)

Luxmoore RJ, Jardine PM, Wilson GV, Jones JR, Zelazny LW (1990) Physical and chemical controls of preferred path flow through a forested hillslope. Geoderma 46, 139–154.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

McKenzie DC (2001) Rapid assessment of soil compaction damage. II. Relationships between the SOILpak score, strength and aeration measurements, clod shrinkage parameters, and image analysis data on a Vertisol. Australian Journal of Soil Research 39, 127–141.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Michalk DL, Dowling PM, Kemp DR, King WM, Packer IJ, Holst PJ, Jones RE, Priest SM, Millar GD, Brisbane S, Stanley D (2003) Sustainable grazing systems for the Central Tablelands, New South Wales. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 43, 861–874.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Moran CJ, McBratney AB, Koppi AJ (1989) A rapid method for analysis of soil macropore structure. I. Specimen preparation and digital binary image production. Soil Science Society of America Journal 53, 921–928. open url image1

Nie ZN, Mackay AD, Valentine I, Barker DJ, Hodgson J (1997) Influence of pastoral fallow on plant root growth and soil physical and chemical characteristics in a hill pasture. Plant and Soil 197, 201–208.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Packer IJ (1988) ‘The effects of grazing on soils and productivity: a review.’ Technical Report No. 4. (Soil Conservation Service of New South Wales: Sydney)

Proffitt APB, Bendotti S, Howell MR, Eastham J (1993) The effect of sheep trampling and grazing on soil physical properties and pasture growth for a Red-Brown Earth. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 44, 317–331.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Proffitt APB, Bendotti S, McGarry D (1995a) A comparison between continuous and controlled grazing on a red duplex soil: 1. Effects on soil physical characteristics. Soil & Tillage Research 35, 199–210.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Proffitt APB, Jarvis RJ, Bendotti S (1995b) The impact of sheep trampling and stocking rate on the physical properties of a red duplex soil with two initially different structures. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 46, 733–747.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Rayment GE , Higginson FR (1992) ‘Australian laboratory handbook of soil and water chemical methods.’ (Inkata: Sydney)

Ridley A (1996) Drainage under perennial and annual grass pastures. In ‘Perennial pastures for recharge control’. (Eds J Taylor, C Clifton, A Ridley, P Schroder) pp. 27–34. (Centre for Land Protection Research: Bendigo, Vic.)

Rodd AV, Papadopoulos YA, Laflamme LF, McRae KB, Filmore SAE, Wilson RW (1999) Effects of rotational grazing on selected physical properties of a gleyed brunisolic grey Luvisol loam in Nova Scotia. Canadian Journal of Soil Science 79, 117–125. open url image1

SAS (1998). ‘JMP Statistical Discovery Software.’ Version 3. (SAS Institute Inc.: Cary, NC)

Shestak CJ, Busse MD (2005) Compaction alters physical but not biological indices of soil health. Soil Science Society of America Journal 69, 236–246.
|  CAS |
open url image1

Tisdall JM, Oades JM (1980) The management of ryegrass to stabilise aggregates of a red-brown earth. Australian Journal of Soil Research 18, 415–422.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

van Veen JA , Heijnen CE (1994) The fate and activity of microorganisms introduced into soil. In ‘Soil biota: management in sustainable farming systems’. (Eds CE Pankhurst, BM Doube, VVSR Gupta, PR Grace) pp. 63–71. (CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne)

Webster R , Oliver MA (1990) ‘Statistical methods in soil and land resource survey.’ (Oxford University Press: New York)

Willatt ST, Pullar DM (1984) Changes in soil physical properties under grazed pastures. Australian Journal of Soil Research 22, 343–348.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Witschi PA, Michalk DA (1979) The effect of sheep treading and grazing on pasture and soil characteristics of irrigated annual pastures. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 30, 741–750.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1