Chen, W., McCaughey, W. P., Grant, C. A. and Bailey, L. D. 2001. Pasture type and fertilization effects on soil chemical properties and nutrient redistribution. Can. J. Soil Sci. 81: 395–404. Soil samples were collected from beef pastures varying in species composition and fertilizer inputs after being grazed by cow-calf pairs for 4 yr (1995–1998) near Brandon, Manitoba. The objective of this e...

and Implications Forage mass and nutritional quality were measured in the total forage monthly from May through September and in live forage in the upper half of the sward in June and August and related to body weights, body condition scores and daily methane emissions in pastures grazed at a stocking rate of 1.98 cows per hectare by continuous, rotational or strip-stocking at a limited forage ...

A modified litter-bag method was used to measure plant fineroot decomposition in relation to biomass quality in a mixedgrass prairie. Measurements were made during three years on moderately and heavily grazed pastures that had been under cattle grazing for 17 years prior to sampling. Although we found no significant difference in initial fine-root litter quality between grazing treatments, nitr...

Canada thistle remains the most common and troublesome weed of pastures, roadsides and other areas of low-maintenance sods. Even though numerous herbicides have excellent activity on Canada thistle, the extensive root system of this species complicates longterm management. This paper will discuss recent research conducted in Alberta, Canada investigating the role of pasture fertilization in Can...

Most Australian soils are derived from parent material which is low in phosphorus. Soils of low phosphorus status support early maturing, grass dominant pastures with a short summer growth period and hence lengthy period of senescence. Phosphorus in these grasses may be as low as 0.02 g P/100 g OM during senescence (Robinson and Sageman 1967) and may only reach 0.15 g.P/lOO g OM during active g...

Some ewes grazing oestrogenic pasture consistently produce viable offspring and are therefore considered to be resistant to Clover Disease. In a search for factors associated with this resistance Obst, Seamark and McGowan (1971) reported a significant association between ewe fertility and haemoglobin type (Hb) in a small flock of Merino ewes grazing Yarloop clover pastures. Low fertility and hi...

New Zealand Journal of Ecology (1998) 22(1): 87-93 ©New Zealand Ecological Society As part of a larger study on the biophysical indicators of sustainability in pastoral ecosystems (Lambert et al., 1996) earthworm numbers have been measured in pastures with differing managements. The native New Zealand earthworm Octochaetus multiporus (Beddard, 1885) was commonly found during the routine winter ...

Small mammals can be an important bioindicator of ecosystem health. They serve as both predator and prey in many ecosystems. By means of live trapping and nest monitoring, we studied the ecological relationships between small mammals, avian nest survival, and vegetation composition and structure on six private ranches in the Sandhills of Nebraska during 2004. Our study documented six species (1...

Wild geese foraging on farmland cause increasing conflicts with agricultural interests, calling for a strategic approach to mitigation. In central Norway, conflicts between farmers and spring-staging pink-footed geese feeding on pastures have escalated. To alleviate the conflict, a scheme by which farmers are subsidized to allow geese to forage undisturbed was introduced. To guide allocation of...

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether sheep grazing communal alpine pastures with cattle can transmit Border disease virus (BDV) to cattle. A total of 1170 sheep and 923 cattle were tested for BDV using RT-PCR (sheep) and for pestivirus antibodies using an ELISA (cattle), respectively, before being moved to one of 4 pastures (A, B, C and D). Eight sheep from pasture C were viraem...