| My research involves assessing the agroecological effects of grassland management in cool season pasture. Livestock grazing of pastures is a growing phenomenon among beef and dairy producers of the upper Midwest. Management intensive rotational grazing (MIRG) is especially popular because of its low capital requirements, benefits to forage production, and perceived lifestyle benefits. Rotational grazing is contrasted with less intensive continuous grazing, and confinement operations where pastures are mechanically harvested for feed. While MIRG's benefits for production are well established, its ecological consequences remain mostly anecdotal. Pasture management alternatives will influence ecosystem function, biodiversity, and economic viability. Specifically, I examine the effects of altering livestock management in cool season pasture on 1) microbial biomass, composition, and functional diversity, 2) net ecosystem carbon budget- soil and plant carbon accumulation/loss within a well defined boundary, and 3) forage quality and quantity. Grazing treatments are set up to mimic MIRG, continuous extensive grazing, periodic harvest of pasture forage for hay, and removal of land from production. |
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