Grazing Affects Soil Organic Carbon Stocks Directly and Indirectly Through Herbaceous Species Diversity in Sahelian Savanna Ecosystems
2025
Gebremedhn, Haftay, Hailu | Taugourdeau, Simon | Mensah, Sylvanus | Chapuis Lardy, Lydie | Tagesson, Torbern | Moulin, Patricia | Ndiaye, Ousmane | Wieckowski, Aleksander | Salgado, Paulo | Haramaya University (HU) | Institut sénégalais de recherches agricoles [Dakar] (ISRA) | Département Environnements et Sociétés (Cirad-ES) ; Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (Cirad) | Systèmes d'élevage méditerranéens et tropicaux (UMR SELMET) ; Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (Cirad)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE)-Institut Agro Montpellier ; Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (Institut Agro)-Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (Institut Agro) | Université d’Abomey-Calavi = University of Abomey Calavi (UAC) | Ecologie fonctionnelle et biogéochimie des sols et des agro-écosystèmes (UMR Eco&Sols) ; Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (Cirad)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE)-Institut Agro Montpellier ; Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (Institut Agro)-Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (Institut Agro) | Lund University | DP-Pôle Pastoralisme Zones Sèches (Dispositif de Partenariat) (PPZS) ; Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (Cirad)-CSE-Université Cheikh Anta DiopEcole Nationale d'Economie Appliquée-Institut sénégalais de recherches agricoles [Dakar] (ISRA) | AgResearch Ltd, as part of the Wiley - AgResearch Ltd agreement via the Council of Australian University Librarians FOOD/2019/410-169: 2021-00644 | New Zealand Government as part of the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases initiative
International audience
Show more [+] Less [-]English. The impact of livestock grazing on soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks in the Sahel has been poorly documented due to a lack of data from different grazing intensities. This study evaluated SOC stocks under four grazing intensities within 0-30 cm soil depth in dry savanna ecosystems of Senegal. It also examined possible indirect relationships between grazing and SOC through herbaceous species diversity, herbaceous biomass, and carbon-nitrogen ratio. Four sites representing high, moderate, light, and no grazing intensity levels were selected. Transect survey methods were used for sampling soil and vegetation data within each of the sites. Data were analyzed using mixed-effects models and piecewise structural equation modeling (pSEM). SOC stocks were significantly different among the four grazing intensities, and higher stocks were observed with increased intensity. Furthermore, high-intensity grazing was shown to reduce the carbon-nitrogen ratio by negatively affecting the diversity of herbaceous species, which indirectly promoted SOC stocks. In conclusion, this study found that increased grazing intensity promoted SOC stocks both directly and indirectly through herbaceous species diversity.
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