Assessment of soil health under intensive season long grazing, rotational grazing, and a lightly grazed Bromus inermis pasture in the Missouri Coteau. Volk, Jay^*,1, Richardson, Jimmie², Barker, William³, Utter, Rodney⁴, Nyren, Paul⁵, Piper, Carl⁶, Limb, Ryan⁷, Foss, Lynn⁸, ¹ Dept. of Animal and Range Sciences, Hultz Hall, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND² Dept. of Soil Science, Walster Hall, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND³ Dept. of Animal and Range Sciences, Hultz Hall, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND⁴ Dept. of Soil Science, Walster Hall, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND⁵ Central Grasslands Research and Extension Center, 4824 48th ave. SE, Streeter, ND⁶ Dept. of Animal and Range Sciences, Hultz Hall, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND⁷ Dept. of Animal and Range Sciences, Hultz Hall, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND⁸ Dept. of Animal and Range Sciences, Hultz Hall, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND

ABSTRACT- The key to soil health is that the soil does not function alone, but within a larger system. To better understand how soil health and specific soil properties function under different land uses would be invaluable in the Coteau region of North Dakota. The objective of this study was, for a silty range site, to determine the relationship between three selected land uses and the resulting soil health at a single point in the grazing season. One pit 9 m long by 1.5 m deep consisting of three replications, was dug in each of three separate pastures consisting of intensive season long grazing (SL), rotational grazing (RO), and minimal late season grazing on a Bromus inermis pasture (ID). All three sites were topographically similar and had Bowbells soil series. Soil health is being evaluated by several soil properties including aggregate stability, macro porosity, bulk density, texture, total carbon, calcium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate extractable phosphorus, and saturated hydraulic conductivity. With the previous soil properties and examining rooting biomass at depth, comparisons of the SL, RO, and ID pastures will be made with regards to soil health in the mixed grass prairie of the Missouri Coteau.

KEY WORDS: Roots, Soils, Grazing, Health