Soil carbon stocks under different pastures and pasture management in the higher rainfall areas of south-eastern Australia
Abstract
In Australia, pastures form the basis of the extensive livestock industries and are important components of crop rotation systems. Despite recent interest in the soil carbon sequestration value of pastures in the mitigation of climate change, little information is available on the soil carbon sequestration potential of pastures in New South Wales farming systems. To quantify the soil carbon stocks under different pastures and a range of pasture management practices, a field survey of soil carbon stocks was undertaken in 2007 in central and southern NSW as well as north-eastern Victoria, using a paired-site approach. Five comparisons were included: native v. introduced perennial, perennial v. annual, continuous v. rotational grazing, pasture cropping v. control, and improved v. unimproved pastures. Results indicated a wide range of soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks over 0-0.30m (22.4-66.3tC/ha), with little difference when calculated based on either constant soil depth or constant soil mass. Significantly higher SOC stocks were found only as a result of pasture improvement using P application compared with unimproved pastures. In this case, rates of sequestration were estimated to range between 0.26 and 0.72tC/ha.year, with a mean rate of 0.41tC/ha.year. Lack of significant differences in SOC stocks for the other pastures and pasture management practice comparisons could be due to inherent problems associated with the paired-site survey approach, i.e. large variability, difficu…
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Chan et al. [28] found significantly higher SOC stocks in native and introduced pastures which had been improved with phosphorus often associated with the addition of legumes (grazing management controlled for).
“Chan et al. [28] found significantly higher SOC stocks in native and introduced pastures which had been improved with phosphorus often associated with the addition of legumes (grazing management controlled for), but no significant differences in SOC between rotational and continuous grazing management in central and southern NSW.”
From Impacts of Rotational Grazing on Soil Carbon in Native Grass-Based Pastures in Southern Australia (2015) · cites this paper as [28]
The variance around that mean value was large and in many individual studies the data were insignificantly different between management categories.
“However, the variance around that mean value was large and in many individual studies the data were insignificantly different between management categories [27], [28], [29].”
From Impacts of Rotational Grazing on Soil Carbon in Native Grass-Based Pastures in Southern Australia (2015) · cites this paper as [28]
Chan et al. [28] found no significant differences in SOC between rotational and continuous grazing management in central and southern NSW.
“Chan et al. [28] found significantly higher SOC stocks in native and introduced pastures which had been improved with phosphorus often associated with the addition of legumes (grazing management controlled for), but no significant differences in SOC between rotational and continuous grazing management in central and southern NSW.”
From Impacts of Rotational Grazing on Soil Carbon in Native Grass-Based Pastures in Southern Australia (2015) · cites this paper as [28]
The scientific literature is mixed on SOC responses to rotational grazing: some studies show positive responses, many show no significant difference, and a few suggest a slight negative response.
“The scientific literature is decidedly mixed with some studies showing positive SOC responses to rotational grazing (e.g. [56], [57]), many showing no significant difference (e.g. [28], [29]) and a few suggesting a slight negative SOC response (e.g. [27], [58]).”
From Impacts of Rotational Grazing on Soil Carbon in Native Grass-Based Pastures in Southern Australia (2015) · cites this paper as [28]
The inherent variability in SOC within paddocks and across small regions makes detecting small but real improvements in SOC difficult.
“As seen in this study and others [28], [29], the inherent variability in SOC within paddocks and across small regions makes detecting small but real improvements in SOC difficult.”
From Impacts of Rotational Grazing on Soil Carbon in Native Grass-Based Pastures in Southern Australia (2015) · cites this paper as [28]
Cites
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GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT AND CONVERSION INTO GRASSLAND: EFFECTS ON SOIL CARBON
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Impacts of Rotational Grazing on Soil Carbon in Native Grass-Based Pastures in Southern Australia
Sanderman, J., Reseigh, J., Wurst, M., Young, M.-A., & Austin, J. (2015) · PLOS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0136157 · Cited by 67 · see citing works
- Authors
- Chan, K. Y., Oates, A., Li, G. D., Conyers, M. K., Prangnell, R. J., Poile, G., Liu, D. L., & Barchia, I. M.
- Affiliations
- AE.H. Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation, Wagga Wagga Agricultural Institute, PMB, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2650, Australia.
- CIndustry & Investment NSW, Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute, PMB 8, Menangle, NSW 2570, Australia.
- Corresponding author
- Chan, K. Y.
- Venue
- Soil Research
- Publisher
- CSIRO Publishing
- Published
- 2010-02-26
- Volume
- 48
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 7-15
- ISSN
- 0004-9573 (ISSN-L)
- 1838-675X
- 1838-6768
- OpenAlex
- W2005718424
- Cited by
- 103
- References
- 3
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 11 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 12 · 2012: 5
- FWCI
- 14.81
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Soil Research (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- NSW Department of Primary Industries
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science › Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Forestry › Pasture and Agricultural Systems
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science › Soil erosion and sediment transport
- Keywords
- soil organic carbon stocks, soil carbon sequestration, pasture, pasture management, rotational grazing, continuous grazing, pasture improvement, phosphorus fertilization, native perennial grasses, annual grasses, New South Wales, south-eastern Australia
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