Rangeland Ecology & Management

Get reliable science

Soil properties and species diversity of grazed crested wheatgrass and native rangelands
Author
Krzic, M.
Broersma, K.
Thompson, D. J.
Bomke, A. A.
Publisher
Society for Range Management
Publication Year
2000-05-01
Body

Crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum (L.) Gaertn.) is an introduced grass used extensively for rangeland revegetation in the semiarid and arid regions of western North America. The long-term effects of crested wheatgrass on soil properties and plant community were evaluated on 5 grazed sites in the southern interior of British Columbia, Canada. Each site included plant communities of native bluebunch wheatgrass (Pseudoroegneria spicata (Pursh) Scribn. & Smith) and 14- to 60-year-old stands of crested wheatgrass. Soil samples and plant data were collected in June 1997. Species numbers were similar for native and crested wheatgrass rangelands, while the diversity index of crested wheatgrass rangeland was lower due to lower evenness. Crested wheatgrass and native grasses were observed to produce similar amounts of root biomass. Most soil properties were similar under the 2 rangelands. One of the exceptions was soil carbon at 0–7.5 and 7.5–15 cm depths, which was higher on crested wheatgrass than native rangeland. Soil nitrogen at 15–30 cm depth was also higher on crested wheatgrass rangeland. Greater soil penetration resistance was observed at 7.5 and 9 cm depths on crested wheatgrass than native rangeland. Higher soil compaction was caused by grazing of crested wheatgrass earlier in the season when soils are wetter relative to the native rangeland. The results of this study indicate that seeding of crested wheatgrass combined with the long-term grazing by cattle did not result in the degradation of soil properties, but plant diversity was reduced relative to grazed native, bluebunch wheatgrass rangeland. The Journal of Range Management archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact lbry-journals@email.arizona.edu for further information. Migrated from OJS platform August 2020

Language
en
Resource Type
Text
Document Type
Journal Issue/Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.2307/4003445
Additional Information
Krzic, M., Broersma, K., Thompson, D. J., & Bomke, A. A. (2000). Soil properties and species diversity of grazed crested wheatgrass and native rangelands. Journal of Range Management, 53(3), 353-358.
IISN
0022-409X
OAI Identifier
oai:repository.arizona.edu:10150/643774
Journal Volume
53
Journal Number
3
Journal Pages
353-358
Journal Name
Journal of Range Management
Keywords
resistance to penetration
soil physical properties
carbon
Pseudoroegneria spicata
soil density
soil properties
British Columbia
roots
species diversity
Agropyron cristatum
nitrogen content
biomass
botanical composition
infiltration
soil compaction
Soil C
soil N
penetration resistance
aggregate stability
root biomass
bluebunch wheatgrass