Mapfumo et al. studied the impacts of grazing on the soil compaction and soil bulk density under annual forages. In meadow bromegrass (Bromus riparius), the heavy grazing treatment had higher average surface bulk density. This was also found in the triticale (Triticosecale wittmark) pasture, although generally the average bulk densities at all depths were not different between species. Only the heavily grazed treatment had a relative compaction greater than or equal to 90%, which is critical for plant growth. Surface penetration resistance was variable between grazing treatments, but was much higher in heavily grazed meadow bromegrass than lightly grazed treatments in the fall of 1995. There were no differences in penetration resistances in triticale in fall 1995. In all, compaction by animal traffic was mostly confined to the top 2.5 cm of soil. These effects were manifested only in the fall 1995 and not later in the study, although this may be due to the high-quality soil at the study site. This study showed that annual forages are not more prone to soil compaction by animals than perennials.
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