Little is known about how basic soil properties respond to contrasting grazing intensities in the Karoo biome, South Africa. The aim of this study was to investigate impacts of long\uffe2\uff80\uff90term (>75 years) grazing at 1.18 heads ha\uffe2\uff88\uff921 (heavy; CGH), 0.78 heads ha\uffe2\uff88\uff921 (light; CGL), and exclosure on selected soil properties. Soil samples were collected to a depth of 60 cm from the long\uffe2\uff80\uff90term experimental site of Grootfontein Agricultural Development Institute, Eastern Cape. The samples were analyzed for C, N, bulk density and infiltration rate, among others.
RESULTSGenerally, heavy and light grazing reduced soil N storage by 27.5% and 22.6%, respectively, compared with the exclosure. Animal exclusion improved water infiltration rate and C stocks significantly (P < 0.05), which was 0.128, 0.097, and 0.093 Mg ha\uffe2\uff88\uff921 yr\uffe2\uff88\uff921 for exclosure, CGL and CGH, respectively. Soil penetration resistance was higher for grazing treatments in the top 3\uffe2\uff80\uff937 cm soil layer but for exclosure at the top 1 cm soil surface.
CONCLUSIONAlthough livestock exclusion has the potential to improve C sequestration, a sufficient resting period for 1\uffe2\uff80\uff932 years followed by three consecutive grazing years at light stocking rate would be ideal for sustainable livestock production in this arid region of South Africa. \uffc2\uffa9 2015 Society of Chemical Industry
", "keywords": ["570", "Livestock", "Time Factors", "Nitrogen", "[SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio]", "continuous grazing", "01 natural sciences", "630", "nitrogen", "Soil", "South Africa", "arid lands", "Animals", "exclosure", "Ecosystem", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences", "2. Zero hunger", "carbon", "Feeding Behavior", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "Plants", "15. Life on land", "Carbon", "6. Clean water", "[SDV] Life Sciences [q-bio]", "soil properties", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.7302"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Journal%20of%20the%20Science%20of%20Food%20and%20Agriculture", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1002/jsfa.7302", "name": "item", "description": "10.1002/jsfa.7302", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1002/jsfa.7302"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2015-07-03T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1007/s00267-003-9106-5", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-07-26T16:14:17Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2004-03-22", "title": "Response Of Organic And Inorganic Carbon And Nitrogen To Long-Term Grazing Of The Shortgrass Steppe", "description": "We investigated the influence of long-term (56 years) grazing on organic and inorganic carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) contents of the plant-soil system (to 90 cm depth) in shortgrass steppe of northeastern Colorado. Grazing treatments included continuous season-long (May-October) grazing by yearling heifers at heavy (60-75% utilization) and light (20-35% utilization) stocking rates, and nongrazed exclosures. The heavy stocking rate resulted in a plant community that was dominated (75% of biomass production) by the C4 grass blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis), whereas excluding livestock grazing increased the production of C3 grasses and prickly pear cactus (Opuntia polycantha). Soil organic C (SOC) and organic N were not significantly different between the light grazing and nongrazed treatments, whereas the heavy grazing treatment was 7.5 Mg ha(-1) higher in SOC than the nongrazed treatment. Lower ratios of net mineralized N to total organic N in both grazed compared to nongrazed treatments suggest that long-term grazing decreased the readily mineralizable fraction of soil organic matter. Heavy grazing affected soil inorganic C (SIC) more than the SOC. The heavy grazing treatment was 23.8 Mg ha(-1) higher in total soil C (0-90 cm) than the nongrazed treatment, with 68% (16.3 Mg ha(-1)) attributable to higher SIC, and 32% (7.5 Mg ha(-1)) to higher SOC. These results emphasize the importance in semiarid and arid ecosystems of including inorganic C in assessments of the mass and distribution of plant-soil C and in evaluations of the impacts of grazing management on C sequestration.", "keywords": ["Cactaceae", "2. Zero hunger", "Colorado", "Nitrogen", "Feeding Behavior", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "Poaceae", "01 natural sciences", "Carbon", "Soil", "Animals", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "Cattle", "Biomass", "Desert Climate", "Organic Chemicals", "Plants", " Edible", "Ecosystem", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences"], "contacts": [{"organization": "Jack A. Morgan, Daniel R. LeCain, Gerald E. Schuman, Jean D. Reeder,", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-003-9106-5"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Environmental%20Management", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1007/s00267-003-9106-5", "name": "item", "description": "10.1007/s00267-003-9106-5", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1007/s00267-003-9106-5"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2004-03-23T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1007/s00267-012-9919-1", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-07-26T16:14:17Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2012-07-24", "title": "Effects Of Grazing Exclusion On Soil Properties And On Ecosystem Carbon And Nitrogen Storage In A Sandy Rangeland Of Inner Mongolia, Northern China", "description": "The Horqin sandy rangeland of northern China is a seriously desertified region with a fragile ecology. The sandy alluvial and aeolian sediments have a coarse texture and loose structure and are therefore vulnerable to damage caused by grazing animals and wind erosion. We investigated whether grazing exclusion could enhance ecosystem carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) storage and thereby improve overall soil quality. We compared soil properties, C and N storage in biomass (aboveground and below-ground), and the total and light fraction soil organic matter between adjacent areas with continuous grazing and a 12-year grazing exclosure. The soil silt\u00a0+\u00a0clay content, organic C, total Kjeldahl N, available N and K, and cation-exchange capacity were significantly (P\u00a0<\u00a00.05) greater in the exclosure. We found that to a depth of 100\u00a0cm, the exclosure plots had greater light fraction C storage (by 267.2\u00a0g\u00a0m(-2)\u00a0=\u00a073.3\u00a0%), light fraction N storage (by 16.6\u00a0g\u00a0m(-2)\u00a0=\u00a0105.7\u00a0%), total soil C storage (by 1174.4\u00a0g\u00a0m(-2)\u00a0=\u00a043.9\u00a0%), and total N storage (by 91.1\u00a0g\u00a0m(-2)\u00a0=\u00a031.3\u00a0%). Biomass C and N storage were also 205.0 and 8.0\u00a0g\u00a0m(-2) greater (154.8 and 181.8\u00a0%, respectively). The increase was greatest in the light fraction organic matter and biomass and decreased with increasing depth in the soil. The results suggest that light fraction C and N respond more rapidly than total soil C and N to grazing exclusion and that vegetation recovers faster than soil. Our results confirmed that the degraded sandy rangeland is recovering and sequestering C after the removal of grazing pressure.", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "China", "Conservation of Natural Resources", "Livestock", "Nitrogen", "Plant Development", "Feeding Behavior", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "Plants", "15. Life on land", "Carbon", "Soil", "13. Climate action", "Animals", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "Biomass", "Ecosystem"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-012-9919-1"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Environmental%20Management", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1007/s00267-012-9919-1", "name": "item", "description": "10.1007/s00267-012-9919-1", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1007/s00267-012-9919-1"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2012-07-25T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1007/s00442-009-1427-5", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-07-26T16:14:25Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2009-08-22", "title": "Herbivore Impacts To The Moss Layer Determine Tundra Ecosystem Response To Grazing And Warming", "description": "Herbivory and climate are key environmental drivers, shaping ecosystems at high latitudes. Here, we focus on how these two drivers act in concert, influencing the high arctic tundra. We aim to investigate mechanisms through which herbivory by geese influences vegetation and soil processes in tundra ecosystems under ambient and warmed conditions. To achieve this, two grazing treatments, clipping plus faecal additions and moss removal, were implemented in conjunction with passive warming. Our key finding was that, in many cases, the tundra ecosystem response was determined by treatment impacts on the moss layer. Moss removal reduced the remaining moss layer depth by 30% and increased peak grass biomass by 27%. These impacts were probably due to observed higher soil temperatures and decomposition rates associated with moss removal. The positive impact of moss removal on grass biomass was even greater with warming, further supporting this conclusion. In contrast, moss removal reduced dwarf shrub biomass possibly resulting from increased exposure to desiccating winds. An intact moss layer buffered the soil to increased air temperature and as a result there was no response of vascular plant productivity to warming over the course of this study. In fact, moss removal impacts on soil temperature were nearly double those of warming, suggesting that the moss layer is a key component in controlling soil conditions. The moss layer also absorbed nutrients from faeces, promoting moss growth. We conclude that both herbivory and warming influence this high arctic ecosystem but that herbivory is the stronger driver of the two. Disturbance to the moss layer resulted in a shift towards a more grass-dominated system with less abundant mosses and shrubs, a trend that was further enhanced by warming. Thus herbivore impacts to the moss layer are key to understanding arctic ecosystem response to grazing and warming.", "keywords": ["0106 biological sciences", "Arctic Regions", "Bryophyta", "Feeding Behavior", "15. Life on land", "Cold Climate", "Poaceae", "Global Warming", "01 natural sciences", "Soil", "13. Climate action", "Geese", "Animals", "Biomass", "Ecosystem"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-009-1427-5"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Oecologia", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1007/s00442-009-1427-5", "name": "item", "description": "10.1007/s00442-009-1427-5", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1007/s00442-009-1427-5"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2009-08-23T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1016/j.marpolbul.2005.09.017", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-07-26T16:16:25Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2005-10-25", "title": "The Impact Of Sika Deer Grazing On The Vegetation And Infauna Of Arne Saltmarsh", "description": "Arne saltmarsh, an RSPB reserve, is situated in Poole Harbour on the English south coast. In recent years, there has been concern about possible changes in the suitability of the site for Redshank (Trigna totanus) due to sika deer (Cervus nippon) grazing. In order to assess these changes, 50 plots were established in three different locations: 20 in grazed areas, 20 in ungrazed areas and 10 fenced enclosures. Deer grazing was found to significantly affect structural and species diversity of the saltmarsh vegetation. Spartina anglica dominated in ungrazed areas whilst Salicornia ramosissima and, to a lesser extent, Puccinellia maritima dominated in grazed sites. In grazed areas the vegetation cover was significantly lower, as was vegetation height and volume. In addition, significant changes were observed in the root biomass, which was lower in grazed areas. Infaunal diversity was generally low throughout the survey area. However, significant variations were observed. Invertebrates abundance was more abundant in grazed plots than in ungrazed plots, and least abundant in fenced plots. The study indicated that in its current condition, localised areas of Arne saltmarsh do not provide adequate habitat requirements for Tringa totanus.", "keywords": ["0106 biological sciences", "Conservation of Natural Resources", "Deer", "Population Dynamics", "Animals", " Wild", "Biodiversity", "Feeding Behavior", "15. Life on land", "Poaceae", "01 natural sciences", "England", "Species Specificity", "Animals", "Ecosystem", "Environmental Monitoring"], "contacts": [{"organization": "Justine Hannaford, Eunice Pinn, Anita Diaz,", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2005.09.017"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Marine%20Pollution%20Bulletin", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1016/j.marpolbul.2005.09.017", "name": "item", "description": "10.1016/j.marpolbul.2005.09.017", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2005.09.017"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2006-01-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1038/nature02048", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-07-26T16:17:28Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2003-10-29", "title": "Neuroanatomy Of Flying Reptiles And Implications For Flight, Posture And Behaviour", "description": "Comparison of birds and pterosaurs, the two archosaurian flyers, sheds light on adaptation to an aerial lifestyle. The neurological basis of control holds particular interest in that flight demands on sensory integration, equilibrium, and muscular coordination are acute. Here we compare the brain and vestibular apparatus in two pterosaurs based on high-resolution computed tomographic (CT) scans from which we constructed digital endocasts. Although general neural organization resembles birds, pterosaurs had smaller brains relative to body mass than do birds. This difference probably has more to do with phylogeny than flight, in that birds evolved from nonavian theropods that had already established trends for greater encephalization. Orientation of the osseous labyrinth relative to the long axis of the skull was different in these two pterosaur species, suggesting very different head postures and reflecting differing behaviours. Their enlarged semicircular canals reflect a highly refined organ of equilibrium, which is concordant with pterosaurs being visually based, aerial predators. Their enormous cerebellar floccular lobes may suggest neural integration of extensive sensory information from the wing, further enhancing eye- and neck-based reflex mechanisms for stabilizing gaze.", "keywords": ["0301 basic medicine", "0303 health sciences", "Behavior", " Animal", "Fossils", "Body Weight", "Posture", "Skull", "Brain", "Reptiles", "Feeding Behavior", "Organ Size", "Birds", "Neuroanatomy", "03 medical and health sciences", "Flight", " Animal", "Animals", "Head"], "contacts": [{"organization": "Sankar Chatterjee, Lawrence M. Witmer, Timothy B. Rowe, Jonathan Franzosa,", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.1038/nature02048"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Nature", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1038/nature02048", "name": "item", "description": "10.1038/nature02048", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1038/nature02048"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2003-10-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1111/j.1461-0248.2010.01486.x", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-07-26T16:18:48Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2010-05-12", "title": "Introduced Grazers Can Restrict Potential Soil Carbon Sequestration Through Impacts On Plant Community Composition", "description": "Ecology Letters(2010) 13: 959\uffe2\uff80\uff93968
AbstractGrazing occurs over a third of the earth\uffe2\uff80\uff99s land surface and may potentially influence the storage of 109Mg\uffe2\uff80\uff83year\uffe2\uff88\uff921of greenhouse gases as soil C. Displacement of native herbivores by high densities of livestock has often led to overgrazing and soil C loss. However, it remains unknown whether matching livestock densities to those of native herbivores can yield equivalent soil C sequestration. In the Trans\uffe2\uff80\uff90Himalayas we found that, despite comparable grazing intensities, watersheds converted to pastoralism had 49% lower soil C than watersheds which retain native herbivores. Experimental grazer\uffe2\uff80\uff90exclusion within each watershed type, show that this difference appears to be driven by indirect effects of livestock diet selection, leading to vegetation shifts that lower plant production and reduce likely soil C inputs from vegetation byc.25\uffe2\uff80\uff83gC\uffe2\uff80\uff83m\uffe2\uff88\uff922\uffe2\uff80\uff83year\uffe2\uff88\uff921. Our results suggest that while accounting for direct impacts (stocking density) is a major step, managing indirect impacts on vegetation composition are equally important in influencing soil C sequestration in grazing ecosystems.
", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "Greenhouse Effect", "Population Density", "0106 biological sciences", "Plant Development", "Biodiversity", "Feeding Behavior", "15. Life on land", "Models", " Biological", "01 natural sciences", "Carbon", "Diet", "Soil", "13. Climate action", "Animals", " Domestic", "Animals", "Ecosystem"], "contacts": [{"organization": "Sumanta Bagchi, Mark E. Ritchie,", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1461-0248.2010.01486.x"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Ecology%20Letters", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1111/j.1461-0248.2010.01486.x", "name": "item", "description": "10.1111/j.1461-0248.2010.01486.x", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1111/j.1461-0248.2010.01486.x"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2010-07-14T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1111/gcb.12144", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-07-26T16:18:32Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2013-01-20", "title": "Effects of grazing on grassland soil carbon: a global review", "description": "AbstractSoils of grasslands represent a large potential reservoir for storingCO2, but this potential likely depends on how grasslands are managed for large mammal grazing. Previous studies found both strong positive and negative grazing effects on soil organic carbon (SOC) but explanations for this variation are poorly developed. Expanding on previous reviews, we performed a multifactorial meta\uffe2\uff80\uff90analysis of grazer effects onSOCdensity on 47 independent experimental contrasts from 17 studies. We explicitly tested hypotheses that grazer effects would shift from negative to positive with decreasing precipitation, increasing fineness of soil texture, transition from dominant grass species with C3to C4photosynthesis, and decreasing grazing intensity, after controlling for study duration and sampling depth. The six variables of soil texture, precipitation, grass type, grazing intensity, study duration, and sampling depth explained 85% of a large variation (\uffc2\uffb1150\uffc2\uffa0g\uffc2\uffa0m\uffe2\uff88\uff922\uffc2\uffa0yr\uffe2\uff88\uff921) in grazing effects, and the best model included significant interactions between precipitation and soil texture (P\uffc2\uffa0=\uffc2\uffa00.002), grass type, and grazing intensity (P\uffc2\uffa0=\uffc2\uffa00.012), and study duration and soil sampling depth (P\uffc2\uffa0=\uffc2\uffa00.020). Specifically, an increase in mean annual precipitation of 600\uffc2\uffa0mm resulted in a 24%decreasein grazer effect size on finer textured soils, while on sandy soils the same increase in precipitation produced a 22%increasein grazer effect onSOC. Increasing grazing intensity increasedSOCby 6\uffe2\uff80\uff937% on C4\uffe2\uff80\uff90dominated and C4\uffe2\uff80\uff93C3mixed grasslands, but decreasedSOCby an average 18% in C3\uffe2\uff80\uff90dominated grasslands. We discovered these patterns despite a lack of studies in natural, wildlife\uffe2\uff80\uff90dominated ecosystems, and tropical grasslands. Our results, which suggest a future focus on why C3vs. C4\uffe2\uff80\uff90dominated grasslands differ so strongly in their response ofSOCto grazing, show that grazer effects onSOCare highly context\uffe2\uff80\uff90specific and imply that grazers in different regions might be managed differently to help mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.
", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "Soil", "Food Chain", "Livestock", "Animals", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "Feeding Behavior", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "Poaceae", "Carbon", "Ecosystem"], "contacts": [{"organization": "Megan E. McSherry, Mark E. Ritchie,", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.12144"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Global%20Change%20Biology", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1111/gcb.12144", "name": "item", "description": "10.1111/gcb.12144", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1111/gcb.12144"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2013-02-26T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1371/journal.pone.0083344", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-07-26T16:19:21Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2013-12-16", "title": "Pastoral Practices To Reverse Shrub Encroachment Of Sub-Alpine Grasslands: Dung Beetles (Coleoptera, Scarabaeoidea) Respond More Quickly Than Vegetation", "description": "In recent decades, pastoral abandonment has produced profound ecological changes in the Alps. In particular, the reduction in grazing has led to extensive shrub encroachment of semi-natural grasslands, which may represent a threat to open habitat biodiversity. To reverse shrub encroachment, we assessed short-term effects of two different pastoral practices on vegetation and dung beetles (Coleoptera, Scarabaeoidea). Strategic placement of mineral mix supplements (MMS) and arrangement of temporary night camp areas (TNCA) for cattle were carried out during summer 2011 in the Val Troncea Natural Park, north-western Italian Alps. In 2012, one year after treatment, a reduction in shrub cover and an increase in bare ground cover around MMS sites was detected. A more intense effect was detected within TNCA through increases in forage pastoral value, and in the cover and height of the herbaceous layer. Immediately after treatment, changes in dung beetle diversity (total abundance, species richness, Shannon diversity, taxonomic and functional diversity) showed a limited disturbance effect caused by high cattle density. In contrast, dung beetle diversity significantly increased one year later both at MMS and TNCA sites, with a stronger effect within TNCA. Multivariate Regression Trees and associated Indicator Value analyses showed that some ecologically relevant dung beetle species preferred areas deprived of shrub vegetation. Our main conclusions are: i) TNCA are more effective than MMS in terms of changes to vegetation and dung beetles, ii) dung beetles respond more quickly than vegetation to pastoral practices, and iii) the main driver of the rapid response by dung beetles is the removal of shrubs. The resulting increase in dung beetle abundance and diversity, which are largely responsible for grassland ecosystem functioning, may have a positive effect on meso-eutrophic grassland restoration. Shrub encroachment in the Alps may therefore be reversed, and restoration of grassland enhanced, by using appropriate pastoral practices.", "keywords": ["0106 biological sciences", "2. Zero hunger", "Time Factors", "Behavior", " Animal", "Science", "Q", "R", "Plant Development", "Biodiversity", "Feeding Behavior", "Plants", "15. Life on land", "Poaceae", "01 natural sciences", "Coleoptera", "Italy", "13. Climate action", "Medicine", "Animals", "Cattle", "Herbivory", "Seasons", "Ecosystem", "Research Article"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://iris.unito.it/bitstream/2318/139833/1/Tocco%20et%20al.%202013.pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0083344"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/PLoS%20ONE", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1371/journal.pone.0083344", "name": "item", "description": "10.1371/journal.pone.0083344", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1371/journal.pone.0083344"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2013-12-16T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1371/journal.pone.0109063", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-07-26T16:19:22Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2015-10-14", "title": "Managing Semi-Arid Rangelands For Carbon Storage: Grazing And Woody Encroachment Effects On Soil Carbon And Nitrogen", "description": "Open AccessHigh grazing intensity and wide-spread woody encroachment may strongly alter soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) pools. However, the direction and quantity of these changes have rarely been quantified in East African savanna ecosystem. As shifts in soil C and N pools might further potentially influence climate change mitigation, we quantified and compared soil organic carbon (SOC) and total soil nitrogen (TSN) content in enclosures and communal grazing lands across varying woody cover i.e. woody encroachment levels. Estimated mean SOC and TSN stocks at 0-40 cm depth varied across grazing regimes and among woody encroachment levels. The open grazing land at the heavily encroached site on sandy loam soil contained the least SOC (30 \u00b1 2.1 Mg ha-1) and TSN (5 \u00b1 0.57 Mg ha-1) while the enclosure at the least encroached site on sandy clay soil had the greatest mean SOC (81.0 \u00b1 10.6 Mg ha-1) and TSN (9.2 \u00b1 1.48 Mg ha-1). Soil OC and TSN did not differ with grazing exclusion at heavily encroached sites, but were twice as high inside enclosure compared to open grazing soils at low encroached sites. Mean SOC and TSN in soils of 0-20 cm depth were up to 120% higher than that of the 21-40 cm soil layer. Soil OC was positively related to TSN, cation exchange capacity (CEC), but negatively related to sand content. Our results show that soil OC and TSN stocks are affected by grazing, but the magnitude is largely influenced by woody encroachment and soil texture. We suggest that improving the herbaceous layer cover through a reduction in grazing and woody encroachment restriction are the key strategies for reducing SOC and TSN losses and, hence, for climate change mitigation in semi-arid rangelands.", "keywords": ["Cation-exchange capacity", "01 natural sciences", "nitrogen", "Agricultural and Biological Sciences", "Soil", "Biodiversity Conservation and Ecosystem Management", "Soil water", "Rangeland Degradation and Pastoral Livelihoods", "2. Zero hunger", "Ecology", "Q", "R", "Life Sciences", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "Wood", "Soil carbon", "Droughts", "Grazing", "climate change", "Physical Sciences", "Medicine", "Rangeland", "Research Article", "Conservation of Natural Resources", "Nitrogen", "Science", "Plant Development", "Soil Science", "Management", " Monitoring", " Policy and Law", "Environmental science", "soil", "savannas", "Animals", "grazing", "Agroforestry", "Woody plant", "Soil Carbon Sequestration", "Biology", "Ecosystem", "Nature and Landscape Conservation", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences", "ecosystem", "Soil science", "Soil Fertility", "carbon", "Research Subject Categories::NATURAL SCIENCES", "Feeding Behavior", "15. Life on land", "Carbon", "Loam", "Agronomy", "13. Climate action", "FOS: Biological sciences", "Environmental Science", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "Soil Carbon Dynamics and Nutrient Cycling in Ecosystems"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0109063"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/PLOS%20ONE", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1371/journal.pone.0109063", "name": "item", "description": "10.1371/journal.pone.0109063", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1371/journal.pone.0109063"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2015-10-13T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1371/journal.pone.0199127", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-07-26T16:19:23Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2018-06-20", "title": "Fungal communities associated with almond throughout crop development: Implications for aflatoxin biocontrol management in California", "description": "Interactions between pathogenic and nonpathogenic fungal species in the tree canopy are complex and can determine if disease will manifest in the plant and in other organisms such as honey bees. Seasonal dynamics of fungi were studied in an almond orchard in California where experimental release of the atoxigenic biopesticide Aspergillus flavus AF36 to displace toxigenic Aspergillus strains has been conducted for five years. The presence of the vegetative compatibility group (VCG) YV36, to which AF36 belongs, in the blossoms, and the honey bees that attend these blossoms, was assessed. In blossoms, A. flavus frequencies ranged from 0 to 4.5%, depending on the year of study. Frequencies of honey bees carrying A. flavus ranged from 6.5 to 10%. Only one A. flavus isolate recovered from a blossom in 2016 belonged to YV36, while members of the VCG were not detected contaminating honey bees. Exposure of pollinator honey bees to AF36 was detected to be very low. The density of several Aspergillus species was found to increase during almond hull split and throughout the final stages of maturation; this also occurred in pistachio orchards during the maturation period. Additionally, we found that AF36 effectively limited almond aflatoxin contamination in laboratory assays. This study provides knowledge and understanding of the seasonal dynamics of Aspergillus fungi and will help design aflatoxin management strategies for almond. The evidence of the low levels of VCG YV36 encountered on almond blossoms and bees during pollination and AF36's effectiveness in limiting aflatoxin contamination in almond provided additional support for the registration of AF36 with USEPA to use in almond in California.", "keywords": ["honey bees", "Crop and Pasture Production", "Crops", " Agricultural", "0301 basic medicine", "aflatoxins", "570", "General Science & Technology", "Science", "Veterinary and Food Sciences", "Crops", "Food Contamination", "Flowers", "Microbiology", "630", "California", "Trees", "03 medical and health sciences", "aspergillus flavus", "Aflatoxins", "Species Specificity", "Animals", "Nuts", "california", "Pest Control", " Biological", "Pollination", "2. Zero hunger", "Agricultural", "Q", "R", "almonds", "Feeding Behavior", "Biological Sciences", "Bees", "Biological", "Prunus dulcis", "Emerging Infectious Diseases", "Infectious Diseases", "Pistacia", "Food Microbiology", "Medicine", "Pest Control", "Research Article", "Aspergillus flavus", "Mycobiome"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://escholarship.org/content/qt84b3j5md/qt84b3j5md.pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0199127"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/PLOS%20ONE", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1371/journal.pone.0199127", "name": "item", "description": "10.1371/journal.pone.0199127", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1371/journal.pone.0199127"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2018-06-20T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1371/journal.pone.0215223", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-07-26T16:19:23Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2019-04-22", "title": "Effects of grazing patterns on grassland biomass and soil environments in China: A meta-analysis", "description": "Grazing has important influences on the structures and functions of grassland ecosystems, but the effects of grazing patterns on grassland biomass and soil environments in China remain unclear.We employed a meta-analysis to identify the response of biomass and soil environments to different grazing patterns in China.Peer-reviewed journal articles were searched using the Web of Science and China National Knowledge to compile a database. A total of 1011 sets of sample observations satisfied the sampling standards; these were derived from 140 study sites and were obtained from 86 published articles. We conducted random effects meta-analyses and calculated correlation coefficients with corresponding 95% confidence intervals.Grazing significantly decreased the total biomass, aboveground biomass (AGB), belowground biomass (BGB), soil organic matter, soil total nitrogen, soil total phosphorus and soil water content but increased the root-to-shoot ratio, soil available nitrogen, soil pH and bulk density. Generally, increasing grazing intensity and duration significantly increased the effects of grazing on the biomass and soil environment. Additionally, the smallest effects of grazing on the biomass and soil environments were observed under light grazing and cattle grazing alone. Moreover, non-growing season grazing significantly increased AGB, while annual grazing and growing-season grazing significantly reduced AGB. Furthermore, AGB was positively correlated with soil organic matter, soil available phosphorus and bulk density, while BGB was negatively correlated with pH.These findings highlight the importance of grazing patterns in the biomass and soil environment response to grazing and suggest that cattle grazing alone and grazing during the non-growing season are beneficial for improving the quality of grassland in China.", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "China", "Nitrogen", "Science", "Q", "R", "Water", "Phosphorus", "Feeding Behavior", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "Hydrogen-Ion Concentration", "15. Life on land", "Grassland", "Carbon", "Soil", "13. Climate action", "Medicine", "Animals", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "Cattle", "Biomass", "Herbivory", "Seasons", "Ecosystem", "Research Article"], "contacts": [{"organization": "Yunqing Hao, Yunqing Hao, Zhengwei He,", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0215223"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/PLOS%20ONE", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1371/journal.pone.0215223", "name": "item", "description": "10.1371/journal.pone.0215223", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1371/journal.pone.0215223"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2019-04-22T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1890/05-0685", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-07-26T16:19:45Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2007-06-06", "title": "Experimental Warming, Not Grazing, Decreases Rangeland Quality On The Tibetan Plateau", "description": "We investigated experimental warming and simulated grazing (clipping) effects on rangeland quality, as indicated by vegetation production and nutritive quality, in winter-grazed meadows and summer-grazed shrublands on the Tibetan Plateau, a rangeland system experiencing climatic and pastoral land use changes. Warming decreased total aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) by 40 g x m(-2) x yr(-1) at the meadow habitats and decreased palatable ANPP (total ANPP minus non-palatable forb ANPP) by 10 g x m(-2) x yr(-1) at both habitats. The decreased production of the medicinal forb Gentiana straminea and the increased production of the non-palatable forb Stellera chamaejasme with warming also reduced rangeland quality. At the shrubland habitats, warming resulted in less digestible shrubs, whose foliage contains 25% digestible dry matter (DDM), replacing more digestible graminoids, whose foliage contains 60% DDM. This shift from graminoids to shrubs not only results in lower-quality forage, but could also have important consequences for future domestic herd composition. Although warming extended the growing season in non-clipped plots, the reduced rangeland quality due to decreased vegetative production and nutritive quality will likely overwhelm the improved rangeland quality associated with an extended growing season. Grazing maintained or improved rangeland quality by increasing total ANPP by 20-40 g x m(-2) x yr(-1) with no effect on palatable ANPP. Grazing effects on forage nutritive quality, as measured by foliar nitrogen and carbon content and by shifts in plant group ANPP, resulted in improved forage quality. Grazing extended the growing season at both habitats, and it advanced the growing season at the meadows. Synergistic interactions between warming and grazing were present, such that grazing mediated the warming-induced declines in vegetation production and nutritive quality. Moreover, combined treatment effects were nonadditive, suggesting that we cannot predict the combined effect of global changes and human activities from single-factor studies. Our findings suggest that the rangelands on the Tibetan Plateau, and the pastoralists who depend on them, may be vulnerable to future climate changes. Grazing can mitigate the negative warming effects on rangeland quality. For example, grazing management may be an important tool to keep warming-induced shrub expansion in check. Moreover, flexible and opportunistic grazing management will be required in a warmer future.", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "Hot Temperature", "Time Factors", "Population Dynamics", "Agriculture", "Feeding Behavior", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "Plants", "15. Life on land", "Tibet", "01 natural sciences", "13. Climate action", "Animals", " Domestic", "Animals", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "Ecosystem", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences"], "contacts": [{"organization": "Julia A. Klein, John Harte, Xinquan Zhao,", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.1890/05-0685"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Ecological%20Applications", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1890/05-0685", "name": "item", "description": "10.1890/05-0685", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1890/05-0685"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2007-03-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1890/07-1601.1", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-07-26T16:19:45Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2008-08-06", "title": "Habitat Type Determines Herbivory Controls Over Co2 Fluxes In A Warmer Arctic", "description": "High-latitude ecosystems store large amounts of carbon (C); however, the C storage of these ecosystems is under threat from both climate warming and increased levels of herbivory. In this study we examined the combined role of herbivores and climate warming as drivers of CO2 fluxes in two typical high-latitude habitats (mesic heath and wet meadow). We hypothesized that both herbivory and climate warming would reduce the C sink strength of Arctic tundra through their combined effects on plant biomass and gross ecosystem photosynthesis and on decomposition rates and the abiotic environment. To test this hypothesis we employed experimental warming (via International Tundra Experiment [ITEX] chambers) and grazing (via captive Barnacle Geese) in a three-year factorial field experiment. Ecosystem CO2 fluxes (net ecosystem exchange of CO2, ecosystem respiration, and gross ecosystem photosynthesis) were measured in all treatments at varying intensity over the three growing seasons to capture the impact of the treatments on a range of temporal scales (diurnal, seasonal, and interannual). Grazing and warming treatments had markedly different effects on CO2 fluxes in the two tundra habitats. Grazing caused a strong reduction in CO2 assimilation in the wet meadow, while warming reduced CO2 efflux from the mesic heath. Treatment effects on net ecosystem exchange largely derived from the modification of gross ecosystem photosynthesis rather than ecosystem respiration. In this study we have demonstrated that on the habitat scale, grazing by geese is a strong driver of net ecosystem exchange of CO2, with the potential to reduce the CO2 sink strength of Arctic ecosystems. Our results highlight that the large reduction in plant biomass due to goose grazing in the Arctic noted in several studies can alter the C balance of wet tundra ecosystems. We conclude that herbivory will modulate direct climate warming responses of Arctic tundra with implications for the ecosystem C balance; however, the magnitude and direction of the response will be habitat-specific.", "keywords": ["Greenhouse Effect", "0106 biological sciences", "Barnacle Goose", "herbivory", "Arctic Regions", "Temperature", "Branta leucopsis", "Feeding Behavior", "Carbon Dioxide", "Plants", "15. Life on land", "01 natural sciences", "Random Allocation", "Arctic", "climate change", "vegetation", "13. Climate action", "Geese", "Animals", "carbon fluxes", "Ecosystem"], "contacts": [{"organization": "Sjogersten, Sofie, Van der Wal, Rene, Woodin, Sarah J.,", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.1890/07-1601.1"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Ecology", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1890/07-1601.1", "name": "item", "description": "10.1890/07-1601.1", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1890/07-1601.1"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2008-08-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.2134/jeq2017.08.0313", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-07-26T16:20:00Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2018-04-05", "title": "A Global Meta-Analysis of Grazing Impacts on Soil Health Indicators", "description": "Grazing lands support the livelihoods of millions of people across nearly one\uffe2\uff80\uff90half of the globe. Soils are the backbone of stability and resilience in these systems. To determine livestock grazing impacts on soil health, we conducted a global meta\uffe2\uff80\uff90analysis of soil organic carbon (SOC), total N, C/N ratio, and bulk density responses to grazing strategies (continuous, rotational, and no grazing) and intensities (heavy, moderate, and light grazing) from 64 studies around the world. Across all studies and grazing intensities, continuous grazing significantly reduced SOC, C/N, and total N compared with no grazing. Soil compaction (i.e., increased bulk density) was greater under both continuous and rotational grazing compared with no grazing; however, rotational grazing had lower bulk density than continuous grazing. Rotational grazing had greater SOC than continuous grazing and was not different from no grazing. The positive responses of SOC to rotational grazing could create climate change mitigation opportunities. Grazing strategy comparisons were minimally conditioned by aridity class (i.e., arid, subhumid, and humid); however, complete observations were notably limited or missing for many rotational grazing comparisons. For continuous and no grazing strategy comparisons, we found that grazing management can significantly influence soil function and health outcomes; however, site\uffe2\uff80\uff90specific environmental factors play important moderating roles. Greater coordination across regional, national, and global efforts, as well as consistent guidelines for soil health evaluation, would help overcome these knowledge gaps and vastly improve our collective understanding of grazing impacts on soil health, providing greater management and policy impacts.
Core Ideas
Grazing increases soil compaction relative to no grazing.
Rotation improves soil bulk density and organic carbon over continuous grazing.
Reduced grazing intensity improves soil bulk density and organic carbon.
Site\uffe2\uff80\uff90specific environmental factors play important moderating roles.
Rotational grazing strategies could create climate change mitigation opportunities.
", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "Soil", "Livestock", "13. Climate action", "Animals", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "Feeding Behavior", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "Carbon"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq2017.08.0313"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Journal%20of%20Environmental%20Quality", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.2134/jeq2017.08.0313", "name": "item", "description": "10.2134/jeq2017.08.0313", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.2134/jeq2017.08.0313"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2018-07-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.2527/jas.2007-0774", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-07-26T16:20:23Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2008-05-09", "title": "Methane Output And Diet Digestibility In Response To Feeding Dairy Cows Crude Linseed, Extruded Linseed, Or Linseed Oil", "description": "This experiment studied the effect of 3 forms of presentation of linseed fatty acids (FA) on methane output using the sulfur hexafluoride tracer technique, total tract digestibility, and performance of dairy cows. Eight multiparous lactating Holstein cows (initial milk yield 23.4 +/- 2.2 kg/d) were assigned to 4 dietary treatments in a replicated 4 x 4 Latin square design: a control diet (C) consisting of corn silage (59%), grass hay (6%), and concentrate (35%) and the same diet with crude linseed (CLS), extruded linseed (ELS), or linseed oil (LSO) at the same FA level (5.7% of dietary DM). Each experimental period lasted 4 wk. All the forms of linseed FA significantly decreased daily CH(4) emissions (P < 0.001) but to different extents (-12% with CLS, -38% with ELS, -64% with LSO) compared with C. The same ranking among diets was observed for CH(4) output expressed as a percentage of energy intake (P < 0.001) or in grams per kilogram of OM intake (P < 0.001). Methane production per unit of digested NDF was similar for C, CLS, and ELS but was less for LSO (138 vs. 68 g/kg of digested NDF, respectively; P < 0.001). Measured as grams per kilogram of milk or fat-corrected milk yield, methane emission was similar for C and CLS and was less for ELS and LSO (P < 0.001), LSO being less than ELS (P < 0.01). Total tract NDF digestibility was significantly less (P < 0.001) for the 3 supplemented diets than for C (-6.8% on average; P < 0.001). Starch digestibility was similar for all diets (mean 93.5%). Compared with C, DMI was not modified with CLS (P > 0.05) but was decreased with ELS and LSO (-3.1 and -5.1 kg/d, respectively; P < 0.001). Milk yield and milk fat content were similar for LSO and ELS but less than for C and CLS (19.9 vs. 22.3 kg/d and 33.8 vs. 43.2 g/kg, on average, respectively; P < 0.01 and P < 0.001). Linseed FA offer a promising dietary means to depress ruminal methanogenesis. The form of presentation of linseed FA greatly influences methane output from dairy cows. The negative effects of linseed on milk production will need to be overcome if it is to be considered as a methane mitigation agent. Optimal conditions for the utilization of linseed FA in ruminant diets need to be determined before recommending its use for the dairy industry.", "keywords": ["DAIRY COW", "Linseed Oil", "LINSEED OIL", "630", "0403 veterinary science", "METHANE", "DIGESTION", "Flax", "LINSEED", "Animals", "Lactation", "[SDV.SA.SPA] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Agricultural sciences/Animal production studies", "2. Zero hunger", "0402 animal and dairy science", "Feeding Behavior", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "Animal Feed", "Diet", "Dairying", "Milk", "[SDV.SA.SPA]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Agricultural sciences/Animal production studies", "FATTY ACID", "Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena", "Cattle", "Digestion", "Female", "Methane"], "contacts": [{"organization": "Yves Chilliard, Christine Martin, J. Rouel, Jean-Pierre Jouany, Michel Doreau,", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.2527/jas.2007-0774"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Journal%20of%20Animal%20Science", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.2527/jas.2007-0774", "name": "item", "description": "10.2527/jas.2007-0774", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.2527/jas.2007-0774"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2008-10-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10568/96134", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-07-26T16:24:48Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2018-06-20", "title": "Fungal communities associated with almond throughout crop development: Implications for aflatoxin biocontrol management in California", "description": "Interactions between pathogenic and nonpathogenic fungal species in the tree canopy are complex and can determine if disease will manifest in the plant and in other organisms such as honey bees. Seasonal dynamics of fungi were studied in an almond orchard in California where experimental release of the atoxigenic biopesticide Aspergillus flavus AF36 to displace toxigenic Aspergillus strains has been conducted for five years. The presence of the vegetative compatibility group (VCG) YV36, to which AF36 belongs, in the blossoms, and the honey bees that attend these blossoms, was assessed. In blossoms, A. flavus frequencies ranged from 0 to 4.5%, depending on the year of study. Frequencies of honey bees carrying A. flavus ranged from 6.5 to 10%. Only one A. flavus isolate recovered from a blossom in 2016 belonged to YV36, while members of the VCG were not detected contaminating honey bees. Exposure of pollinator honey bees to AF36 was detected to be very low. The density of several Aspergillus species was found to increase during almond hull split and throughout the final stages of maturation; this also occurred in pistachio orchards during the maturation period. Additionally, we found that AF36 effectively limited almond aflatoxin contamination in laboratory assays. This study provides knowledge and understanding of the seasonal dynamics of Aspergillus fungi and will help design aflatoxin management strategies for almond. The evidence of the low levels of VCG YV36 encountered on almond blossoms and bees during pollination and AF36's effectiveness in limiting aflatoxin contamination in almond provided additional support for the registration of AF36 with USEPA to use in almond in California.", "keywords": ["honey bees", "Crop and Pasture Production", "Crops", " Agricultural", "0301 basic medicine", "aflatoxins", "570", "General Science & Technology", "Science", "Veterinary and Food Sciences", "Crops", "Food Contamination", "Flowers", "Microbiology", "630", "California", "Trees", "03 medical and health sciences", "aspergillus flavus", "Aflatoxins", "Species Specificity", "Animals", "Nuts", "california", "Pest Control", " Biological", "Pollination", "2. 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