Spatial Variability of Soil Carbon Stocks in Relation to Grazing Management and Soil Properties.

There is a growing interest in the potential of rangelands as sinks for carbon (C) sequestration. Robust estimations of soil C stocks need to account for soil and landscape variability. In addition, rangeland soil monitoring needs to account for the temporal and spatial impact of grazing strategies on C and nutrient inputs to soil. In this study we evaluate the spatial variability of soil carbon stocks in relation to grazing strategies and soil properties. We used satellite imagery, EC mapping, soil survey maps, and grid soil sampling to assess the spatial variability of soil and landscape properties on four locations each having 3 grazing strategies: mob-grazing, rotational grazing, hay. With this information we have delineated distinct areas in the field to monitor changes in soil C stocks over time associated to grazing strategies.