Rangeland Ecology & Management

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Rangeland management impacts on soil biological indicators in southern Alberta
Author
Dormaar, J. F.
Willms, W. D.
Publisher
Society for Range Management
Publication Year
2000-03-01
Body

Quantitative techniques are needed to determine the effects of cultivation and livestock grazing on biological indicators of soils of the Northern Great Plains. Our objective was to determine how various management practices, which were representative of those used since European settlement in the 1880's, affected 3 biological indicators of soil quality. The study was conducted at 3 sites that are representative of the major grassland ecosystems in Canada: a Mixed Prairie site with Stipa comota Trin. Rupr. dominant in the Brown (Aridic Haploboroll) Soil Zone, a Mixed Prairie site with S. comata Trin. Rupr. and S. viridula Trin. dominant in the Dark Brown (Typic Haploboroll) Soil Zone, and a Fescue Prairie site with Festuca campestris Rydb. dominant in the Black (Udic Haploboroll) Soil Zone. At each site, 6 treatments representing common production practices were imposed and compared with the native community in a randomized complete block design with 4 replicates and a plot size of 3 x 10 m. The treatments included: 1) monoculture seeding of 2 grass species; 2) alfalfa (Medicago sativa L. 'Beaver'); 3) continuous spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L. 'Katepwa'): 4) spring wheat and fallow rotation; and 5) abandoned cultivated land. Our hypothesis that mineralizable-N, and phosphatase and dehydrogenase activities would be influenced by cultivation was confirmed by significant changes in these indicators that were detected after only 180 days after treatment establishment. The pool of readily decomposable organic matter was reduced with cultivation and not replenished over the period of the study. The 3 biological indicators were sensitive to not only time following external management changes, but also to seasonal fluctuations. We conclude that soil biological indicators can be used to quantify temporal and botanical changes in diverse ecotypes within the Northern Great Plains. 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)
10.2307/4003289
Additional Information
Dormaar, J. F., & Willms, W. D. (2000). Rangeland management impacts on soil biological indicators in southern Alberta. Journal of Range Management, 53(2), 233-238.
IISN
0022-409X
OAI Identifier
oai:repository.arizona.edu:10150/643754
Journal Volume
53
Journal Number
2
Journal Pages
233-238
Journal Name
Journal of Range Management
Keywords
ecotypes
cultivation
abandoned land
fallow
black soils
oxidoreductases
phosphoric monoester hydrolases
bioindicators
soil zonation
brown soils
dark brown soils
soil organic matter
moisture content
enzyme activity
Hesperostipa comata
sowing
Nassella viridula
Bouteloua
Agropyron
soil types
Festuca campestris
soil fertility
Alberta
nitrogen content
prairies
introduced species
botanical composition