Summary
This paper presents a quantitative modelling framework for predicting soil compaction caused by livestock grazing and subsequent recovery in pasture systems. The model integrates rheological principles (Bingham's law) with empirical soil property relationships and biological recovery processes (earthworms and roots), and was successfully validated against field data from New Zealand grazing trials. The framework enables systematic assessment of how livestock management, soil texture, and environmental conditions influence compaction impacts, with potential applications in evaluating environmental outcomes of grazing systems.
UK applicability
The modelling framework is directly applicable to UK grassland and pasture-based livestock systems, which represent a substantial land use. Calibration of model parameters using UK soil types and grazing management conditions would be necessary to inform local farm management strategies and environmental impact assessments under British rainfall and soil conditions.
Key measures
Bulk density, macroporosity, saturated hydraulic conductivity, soil compaction spatial and temporal variation, soil structure recovery rates
Outcomes reported
The study developed and validated a modelling framework that predicts soil compaction-induced changes in bulk density, porosity, and saturated hydraulic conductivity from livestock treading, incorporating soil structure recovery through biological activity. Model predictions were tested against empirical data from a grazing study at Tussock Creek, New Zealand.
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