Rotational Grazing Strategies Minimally Impact Soil Microbial Communities and Carbon Dynamics—A Texas Case Study

Jennifer M. Moore (), Daniel K. Manter and Kristie A. Maczko
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Jennifer M. Moore: USDA—Agricultural Research Service, Forage Seed and Cereal Research Unit, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
Daniel K. Manter: USDA—Agricultural Research Service, Soil Management and Sugar Beet Research Unit, Fort Collins, CO 80526, USA
Kristie A. Maczko: Sustainable Rangelands Roundtable, Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA

Land, 2023, vol. 12, issue 8, 1-18

Abstract: The goal of our study was to evaluate the long-term (>12 years) influence of stocking density and herd rotation frequency on plant and soil microbial community and carbon dynamics in three working ranches in Texas. One ranch utilized a high stocking density and high-frequency (HIGH) rotation where cattle were moved multiple times each day; the second ranch used a medium stocking density and rotation frequency (MED) where herds were moved every 2–3 weeks; and the third ranch used a low stocking density with continuous grazing (LOW). Neither plant nor microbial diversity measures differed between the ranches, but plant functional and microbial community compositions differentiated management strategies. The MED ranch was characterized by a plant community dominated by little bluestem ( Schizachyrium scoparium ) and had the greatest soil organic matter content (2.8%) and soil respiration rates compared to the LOW (SOM = 2.2%) and HIGH (SOM = 2.1%) ranches. The HIGH ranch had a relatively high abundance and diversity of forbs and introduced grasses, and the LOW ranch had an even mixture of tall, introduced, and cool-season grasses. All three ranches had relatively high levels of Gram-positive bacteria (>70%) with MED having a higher relative abundance of bacteria important for carbon cycling. Furthermore, network analyses suggest that soil microbial communities at all ranches were highly synergistic and exhibited well-defined ecological niches. Differences in soil properties between ranches tended to be minor and suggest that grazing strategies can differ without any substantial shifts in soil and microbial function.

Keywords: rotational grazing; stocking density; soil health; soil microbial community composition (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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