Grazing impacts on infiltration in mixed prairie and fescue grassland ecosystems of Alberta

Abstract

Infiltration was measured with double ring infiltrometers. Heavy intensity and/or early season grazing had greater impact on infiltration than light intensity and/or late season grazing. In mixed prairie, initial and steady state infiltration rates in the control were 1.5 and 1.7 times higher, respectively, than those in the early season grazed treatment. In parkland fescue, initial rates were lowest in June grazed treatments and steady state rates were highest in light autumn grazed and control treatments. Initial infiltration rates in foothills fescue control and light grazed treatments were 1.5-2.3 times those in heavy and very heavy grazed treatments. Steady state rates were 1.5-2 times higher in light grazed and control treatments than in moderate, heavy, and very heavy grazed treatments. -from Authors