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Long-Term Grazing Accelerated Litter Decomposition in Northern Temperate Grasslands

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Abstract

Livestock grazing affects plant community composition, diversity, and carbon (C) and nutrient cycling in grasslands. Grazing leads to plant communities that have higher relative abundance of grazing-tolerant species, which in turn may alter the chemical composition of biomass and subsequent litter decomposition rates. To better understand the effects of long-term grazing and associated vegetation shifts on biogeochemical cycling in northern temperate grasslands of western Canada, we studied litter decomposition over 18 months at 15 locations, stratified across the Mixed-grass Prairie, Central Parkland, and Foothills Fescue natural subregions. At each location, we examined decomposition in an area exposed to grazing and an area where cattle were excluded. We used litterbags containing leaf litter from seven major grass species representing different grazing tolerances and included a local source of community litter from each study site and cellulose paper as standards. Decomposition was affected by litter types, with litter from grazing-tolerant species such as Poa pratensis and Bouteloua gracilis having faster decomposition rates compared to grazing-intolerant species, supporting the hypothesis that changes in vegetation composition due to grazing influences biogeochemical cycling by modifying litter decomposition in grasslands. Litter decomposition was also overall most rapid in the cool–wet Foothills Fescue, followed by the temperate mesic Central Parkland, and slowest in the warmer–drier Mixed-grass Prairie. Combined with known grazing-induced changes in grassland composition, these findings indicate that livestock grazing may accelerate litter decomposition rates in the more mesic Foothills Fescue and parkland regions, but not the more arid Mixed-grass Prairie. Overall, this study elucidates the role of livestock grazing and its associated effects on litter decomposition and ecosystem processes in northern grassland ecosystems.

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Acknowledgements

We thank H. Feng, D. Nguyen, L. Rodvang, E, Stolnikova, M. Oloroso, G. Carscallen, K. Linquist, C. Kisko, J. King, and S. Morstad for providing field and laboratory assistance throughout the study, and M. Lyseng for litter harvesting. We are grateful to Alberta Environment and Parks for providing access to the Rangeland Reference Area study locations, and appreciate all the land owners and lease holders who generously provide access to their properties. We appreciate constructive feedback from two anonymous reviewers. This study was funded by a joint grant from the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency and Alberta Innovates BioSolutions (Grant# 2014E007R to DBH, SXC, CNC and EWB).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2P5, Canada

    Xiaozhu Chuan, Cameron N. Carlyle & Edward W. Bork

  2. Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2H1, Canada

    Scott X. Chang

  3. Biology Department, Fogarty Life Science, Rhode Island College, Providence, Rhode Island, 02908, USA

    Daniel B. Hewins

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  1. Xiaozhu Chuan
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  2. Cameron N. Carlyle
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Correspondence to Daniel B. Hewins.

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Authors’ Contributions

DBH, EWB, CNC, and SXC designed the experiment. XC and DBH conducted the field study, and XC processed samples in the laboratory. All authors contributed to data analysis and writing of the manuscript.

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Chuan, X., Carlyle, C.N., Bork, E.W. et al. Long-Term Grazing Accelerated Litter Decomposition in Northern Temperate Grasslands. Ecosystems 21, 1321–1334 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-018-0221-9

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