Spatial monitoring technologies for coupling the soil plant water animal nexus

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 12; no. 1; p. 3508
• Main Authors: Ashworth, Amanda J., Kharel, Tulsi, Sauer, Tom, Adams, Taylor C., Philipp, Dirk, Thomas, Andrew L., Owens, Phillip R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 03-03-2022; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 631/449; 631/553; 704/172; Animal Feed; Animal Husbandry; Animals; Biomass; Cattle; Environmental monitoring; Experiments; Global positioning systems; GPS; Grasses; Grazing; Humanities and Social Sciences; Lignin; Livestock; multidisciplinary; Nutritive value; Phosphorus; Plant growth; Plant production; Plants; Poaceae; Potassium; Poultry; Reproductive technologies; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Soil; Soil fertility; Soil properties; Topography; Trees; Trends; Water
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-07366-2

Systems-level studies aimed at determining how soil properties are linked to plant production and ultimately animal response spatially are lacking. This study aims to identify if grazing pressure is linked to soil properties, terrain attributes, and above-ground plant accumulation and nutritive value in a silvopastoral (or integrated tree-livestock) system. Overall, cattle prefer grazing native grasses (2.81 vs. 1.24 h ha
−1
AU
−1
) and udic (dry) landscape positions compared to aquic (wet) areas (2.07 vs. 1.60 h ha
−1
AU
−1
). Greater grazing frequency occurs in udic soils with greater phosphorus and potassium contents and with accumulated forage with less lignin (
P
 ≤ 0.05), which correspond to reduced elevation and greater tree height and diameter (shade) during summer mob grazing. Combining spatial monitoring technologies (both soil and animal) with forage allowance can optimize grazing systems management and sustainability spatially and temporally.