Vegetation and soil responses to short-duration grazing on fescue grasslands

Dormaar et al. test the claim that a short-duration grazing system can improve range condition, even under intense stocking rates, by using grazing exclosures in this 5-year Alberta study. In grazed plots, soil moisture and hydraulic conductivity were lower and bulk density was higher than in exclosures, indicating the negative effects of short-duration grazing on soil physical properties. Grazed areas also had lower C and N contents, lower soil polysaccharides of a microbial nature and less litter deposited into the soil than ungrazed areas. This indicates the negative effects of this management on soil chemical properties. After five years, short-duration grazing negatively affected range condition and the physical and chemical characteristics of the soils at this site, suggesting that the claims made about this grazing management technique are not applicable to this study area and may need to be re-evaluated.