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Development of cost-effective health indicators for fescue grasslands of British Columbia

This project determined the effects of long-term cattle grazing on soil properties and vegetative characteristics of rough fescue grasslands within the Interior Douglas-fir biogeoclimatic zone in southern interior BC. Relationships among vegetation/soil indicators and health criteria for the fescue grassland ecosystems were also quantified.

Project Objectives:

Determine effects of long-term cattle grazing on soil properties and vegetative characteristics of rough fescue grasslands within the Interior Douglas-fir biogeoclimatic zone in southern interior BC.

Quantify the relationships among grazing, vegetation, and soil indicators for the fescue grassland ecosystems of BC

Sampling rough fescue grassland 2

The National Research Council (NRC) (1994) and Herrick et al., (2002) outlined three principal criteria for determination of rangeland health (1) degree of soil stability and watershed function, (2) integrity of nutrient cycles and energy flows, and (3) presence of functioning recovery mechanisms. To address these criteria various soil and vegetation properties were assessed in this study and they are listed below.

Criteria no.1. - degree of soil stability and watershed function

soil bulk density and mechanical resistance, indicators of soil compaction, hydrologic function, and soil pore stability,

soil aggregate stability, describes the resistance of soil structure to external disturbance.

Criteria no.2 - integrity of nutrient cycles and energy flows

total soil carbon and nitrogen, representing total inventory of soil organic matter,

soil polysaccharides, indicator of the most readily available source of energy for soil micro-organisms and one of the factors that enhances aggregate stability,

living above-ground biomass, an estimate of site productivity (energy capture),

dead above-ground biomass, an indicator of nutrient cycling.

Criteria no.3 - presence of functioning recovery mechanisms

density of key late seral grasses, an indication of the rate of recovery possible.

flowering culm density of key late seral grasses, an indication of reproductive capacity to determine plant recruitment potential.

Newman, R., S. Lamagna, M. Krzic, B. Wallace, R. Tucker, and F. Njenga. 2008. Development of cost-effective health indicators for fescue grasslands of British Columbia. Forest Science Program Final Report. FSP Project Number: Y081045.

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Web-based teaching tool - used in undergraduate and graduate courses of soil science, forest ecology, and agroecology at UBC.

Poster
Development of Health Indicators for Rough Fescue Grasslands. Presented at Pacific Regional Society of Soil Science Annual General Meeting, February 2008.