Bermudagrass Management in the Southern Piedmont USA: VII. Soil-Profile Organic Carbon and Total Nitrogen

al., 1994). Summed to 1-m depth, SOC content was not different between cropland and conservation reserve. Estimates of potential soil organic C (SOC) and total N (TN) In a shortgrass-steppe with 56 yr of grazing in Colorado, sequestration at depths below the traditional plow layer (i.e., 0–0.3 m) in agricultural systems are needed to improve our understanding of SOC was not different between unharvested and lightly management influences on nutrient cycling and potential greenhouse grazed rangeland at any soil depth increment to 0.9-m gas mitigation. We evaluated the factorial combination of nutrient depth (Reeder et al., 2004). In contrast, SOC was greater source (inorganic, inorganic cover crop, and broiler litter) and in four of seven depth increments to 0.9-m depth under forage utilization (unharvested, hayed monthly, and low and high heavily grazed compared with unharvested rangeland. grazing pressure) on profile distribution of and changes in SOC and At the end of 12 yr of grazing on a previously ungrazed TN during the first 5 yr of ‘Coastal’ bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon mixed-grass rangeland in Wyoming, SOC and TN were (L.) Pers.] management. Nutrient source did not affect SOC and TN greater with light and heavy stocking than an ungrazed in the soil profile.