Changes in select soil properties of lightly grazed highland rangelands.

Changes in soil quality as a result of climate change and grazing regimens have become an important issue for rangeland sustainability. Although there has been much research on the impacts of overgrazing on soil in highland rangelands, Turkey, there has been little on the effects of light grazing on the soils. This study aimed to examine select soil parameters in the lightly grazed (LGR) and ungrazed rangelands (UGR) to evaluate the sustainability of the rangeland soils under the light grazing. Soil penetration resistance (SPR) was measured at depths of 0-10, 10-20, and 20-30 cm. Soil samples were taken from the points where SPR measurements were made, and soil texture, soil bulk density (SBD), soil organic matter (SOM), soil organic carbon (SOC), and soil total nitrogen (TN) were determined. According to this study's findings, SOM, SOC, TN, SPR, and SBD levels were higher in LGR sites than in UGR sites. Although SPR was higher in the grazing site, it was discovered that this excess was smaller than the critical penetration resistance values. Because SPR is lower than the necessary resistance value for root development and SOM, SOC, and TN values are high, light grazing can be considered a sustainable approach. However, soil measurements should be conducted periodically to support sustainable rangeland management due to climate change.
(© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)