The authors worked to quantify soil compaction caused by animal traffic on red winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) pasture, and determined how deep this soil compaction takes place. Soil bulk density and soil strength increased under animal traffic, showing that soil compaction occurred. The depth to which this compaction took place varied by location, extending as deep as 12-13 inches. The greatest compaction took place in the top 1 inch of soil. Soil water content was lower under grazing at two of the three locations tested, possibly from reduction in the number of large pores. The compactive effect in this study was partly due to the magnitude of the compactive effort, i.e., the greater the intensity of grazing, the greater the severity of compaction.
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