NDRG soil depth Targeted loci environmental
This study explored how low-intensity summer grazing affects soil health up to 60 cm deep, moving beyond traditional topsoil-only research. Using a long-term site in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, we compared grazed and ungrazed lands to assess physicochemical and microbial changes.Soil Chemistry: Moisture and NH4-N, were lower in grazed areas. Most other properties changed based on depth rather than grazing.Microbial Trends: Fungal diversity and microbial biomass (C and N) decreased with depth, while bacterial diversity remained constant.Stratification: A clear transition in microbial communities occurs between 15-30 cm, separating topsoil from subsoil.GrazingImpact: While grazing didn't change the total number of species (diversity), it did change the population levels of specific microbial groups as deep as 30 cm.