Proportion Of Bare Ground Research Articles

Contribution of military training areas for the conservation of calcareous grasslands

Calcareous grasslands are habitats of high conservation value. These rich habitats are declining notably due to agriculture and habitat fragmentation. In France, calcareous grasslands may be found on Military Training Areas (MTA), which protect them from intensive agriculture and urban development. By analysing their floristic structure and composition, the aim of this publication is to determine the conservation status of grassland on two French MTAs, following a gradient of intensity of military use called “militarisation gradient” in the rest of the publication. Vegetation characteristics appeared different according to the level of military activities. The level of military activity increases the average height of vegetation and the proportion of bare ground as well as the heterogeneity of the environment. Also, military activities and their related management, favour rich and diversified grasslands in a good conservation status, even if it could be improved by some adapted management methods. They also allow the creation of a mosaic of habitats within the grasslands with the presence of overgrown areas. Thus, MTAs appeared to present good potential for preserving of remaining calcareous grassland.

Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) is associated with an overall reduction in plant diversity, but is more likely to co-exist with native than alien species

ABSTRACTBackground: Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard) is a widespread allelopathic invasive species in North America, but despite extensive research we do not fully understand how it impacts plant communities.Aims: We tested the hypothesis that A. petiolata facilitates the introduction of additional alien species as predicted by the invasional meltdown hypothesis.Methods: We conducted co-occurrence surveys to compare the numbers of alien and native species in communities surrounding A. petiolata plants with those surrounding an allelopathic native species. We also conducted an experiment to compare recruitment of native and alien species in pots dominated by either A. petiolata or a native species.Results: A. petiolata plots in the co-occurrence surveys had relatively high proportions of bare ground, suggesting habitat modification, plus lower species richness and disproportionately fewer alien species. There was a greater tendency for native species than alien species to establish in A. petiolata pots.Conclusions: A. petiolata does not promote additional alien species, and in fact may be a more effective competitor against alien than native species in North America. This could help explain its invasive success in disturbed habitats, and illustrates the need to consider separately alien and native species when assessing the outcomes of competition.

Application of SPOT Imagery for Landcover Mapping and Assessing Indicators of Erosion and Proportion of Bareground in Arid and Semi-arid Environment

Inappropriate land-use on a fragile ecological condition have greater impact on the natural state of rangelands making land degradation a common phenomenon. Usage of remote sensing has become an ideal choice for monitoring these natural resources. SPOT 5 imagery was used, in this study for characterizing land cover classes and mapping vegetation distribution in the North West Province, South Africa by employing the maximum likelihood classification technique. Regression technique was also used to assess relationship between rainfall distribution and proportion of bare ground. Water body, bare ground, indicators of erosion, built-up area, grass and shrubs were the LULC classes in the image classification. Except for indicators of erosion, all the land-cover classes were classified with higher accuracies (in average, >0.78 overall accuracies and 0.70 for Kappa). However, SPOT 5 imagery yielded low overall accuracy (< 0.3) for indicators of erosion. Strong coefficient of determination (r²=0.80) was detected between average rainfall and proportion of bare ground indicating that rainfall is the most important factor in controlling the spatial distribution of vegetation in the study sites.

Divergent Impacts of Two Cattle Types on Vegetation in Coastal Meadows: Implications for Management

The proportion of beef cattle in relation to the total number of cattle has increased in Europe, which has led to a higher contribution of beef cattle in the management of semi-natural grasslands. Changes in vegetation caused by this change in grazers are virtually unexplored so far. In the present study, the impacts of beef and dairy cattle on vegetation structure and composition were compared on Bothnian Bay coastal meadows. Vegetation parameters were measured in seven beef cattle, six dairy heifer pastures, and in six unmanaged meadows. Compared to unmanaged meadows, vegetation in grazed meadows was significantly lower in height and more frequently colonized by low-growth species. As expected, vegetation grazed by beef cattle was more open than that on dairy heifer pastures where litter cover and proportion of bare ground were in the same level as in the unmanaged meadows. However, the observed differences may have in part arisen from the higher cattle densities in coastal meadows grazed by beef cattle than by dairy heifers. The frequencies of different species groups and the species richness values of vegetation did not differ between the coastal meadows grazed by the two cattle types. One reason for this may be the relatively short management history of the studied pastures. The potential differences in grazing impacts of the two cattle types on vegetation structure can be utilized in the management of coastal meadows for species with divergent habitat requirements.

Grazing management and tussock distribution in elephant grass

AbstractSoil occupation capacity via lateral expansion of tussocks in elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum.) may be associated with basal tillering. As grazing management alters the proportion of basal and aerial tillers in a tiller population, the hypothesis of this work was that grazing management affects tussock size and distribution with implications for plant population stability. The objective of this study was to evaluate the tiller population stability index, the proportion of basal and aerial tillers, tussock size, and the frequency of tussocks and bare ground in rotationally managed elephant grass cv. Napier. Treatments resulted from the combination of two post‐grazing heights (35 and 45 cm) and two pre‐grazing conditions (95% and maximum canopy light interception during regrowth – LI0·95 and LIMax) and were allocated to experimental units (850 m2 paddocks) according to a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement in a randomized complete block design, with four replications. Measurements were taken from January 2011 to April 2012. The post‐grazing height treatments affected the tiller population stability index, but did not influence the pattern of tussock distribution. On the other hand, the different grazing frequencies (targets of LI pre‐grazing) altered the pattern of tussock distribution and the proportion of bare ground. In general, the tiller population stability index and frequency of tussocks were higher and the frequency of bare ground lower on swards managed with the LI0·95 target relative to those managed with the LIMax target, regardless of the post‐grazing height used, indicating a larger soil occupation capacity of plants under the more frequent defoliation regime. Such responses were associated with larger population of basal tillers and highlight the importance of tiller category and perennation pathway in defining patterns of plant growth and tussock distribution.

The influence of land use and management on soil carbon levels for crop-pasture systems in Central New South Wales, Australia

Changes in land use and management have been proposed as a way to increase soil organic carbon (SOC) in crop and pasture systems. Some of the proposed activities to improve SOC are the introduction of pasture phases in cropping systems, stubble retention, no-till cropping, improved fertilisation, introduction of more productive pasture species and grazing management. There is also growing interest in novel farming systems, such as pasture cropping (intercropping cereal crops with established perennial pastures), which may improve SOC. However, there have been few broad scale surveys to determine whether these land management changes have an impact on commercial farms. In this study, comparisons of land use were established for mixed farming and pasture cropping systems in the slopes region (average annual rainfall: 500–650mm) and for cropping and pasture in the plains region (average annual rainfall: 300–500mm) of Central West NSW, Australia. The survey aimed to determine the difference in SOC stocks (Mg C ha−1) and the composition of three soil organic carbon fractions (particulate – POC, humus – HUM and resistant – ROC). The influences of management actions and pasture composition were also assessed across pasture and cropping land uses. Cropping systems had lower SOC stocks in the soil than pasture systems in each region, but pasture cropping was not different from perennial pasture. Generally, there were larger differences in the POC due to land use and management than the other SOC fractions. Management practices in cropping systems explained greater variability in SOC than in pastures. For cropping systems, higher amounts of P fertiliser were associated with higher SOC, POC and ROC while higher amounts of N fertiliser were associated with lower SOC, POC and ROC. For pastures, the proportion of bare ground was associated with lower SOC and POC. These associations indicate there is an opportunity to increase SOC by converting cropping land to permanent pasture, increasing the frequency of pasture phases, changing crop fertiliser regimes and reducing bare ground in pastures, but further work is needed to verify the causality behind these associations.

Immature mosquitoes in agricultural wetlands of the coastal plain of Georgia, U.S.A.: Effects of landscape and environmental habitat characteristics

This study is the first to report on the relationships between immature mosquitoes (larvae and pupae) and landscape and environmental habitat characteristics in wetlands associated with row crop agriculture. Indicator species analysis (ISA) was used to test for associations among mosquito species and groups of wetland sites with similar Landscape Development Intensity (LDI) values. Results indicated that Anopheles quadrimaculatus, Culex erraticus, and Psorophora columbiae were associated with agricultural wetlands (LDI>2.0), whereas Anopheles crucians and Culex territans were associated with forested reference wetlands (LDI<2.0) in both wet and dry years. The species fidelity to wetland type, regardless of the hydrologic regime, demonstrates these species are robust indicators of wetland condition. Data on immature mosquito assemblages were compared to selected landscape and environmental habitat variables using Akaike's Information Criterion (AICc) model selection. LDI indices, dissolved oxygen concentration, the proportion of emergent vegetation, and the proportion of bare ground in wetlands were important factors associated with the selected mosquito species. These results indicate that LDI indices are useful in predicting the distributions of disease vectors or other nuisance mosquito species across broad geographic areas. Additionally, these results suggest mosquitoes are valuable bioindicators of wetland condition that reflect land use and hydrologic variability.

Ants on a mountain: spatial, environmental and habitat associations along an altitudinal transect in a centre of endemism

Mountains are biodiversity hotspots and provide spatially compressed versions of regional and continental variation. They might be the most cost effective way to measure the environmental associations of regional biotic communities and their response to global climate change. We investigated spatial variation in epigeal ant diversity along a north–south elevational transect over the Soutpansberg Mountain in South Africa, to see to what extent these patterns can be related to spatial (regional) and environmental (local) variables and how restricted taxa are to altitudinal zones and vegetation types. A total of 40,294 ants, comprising 78 species were caught. Ant richness peaked at the lowest elevation of the southern aspect but had a hump-shaped pattern along the northern slope. Species richness, abundance and assemblage structure were associated with temperature and the proportion of bare ground. Local environment and spatially structured environmental variables comprised more than two-thirds of the variation explained in species richness, abundance and assemblage structure, while space alone (regional processes) was responsible for <10%. Species on the northern aspect were more specific to particular vegetation types, whereas the southern aspect’s species were more generalist. Lower elevation species’ distributions were more restricted. The significance of temperature as an explanatory variable of ant diversity across the mountain could provide a predictive surrogate for future changes. The effect of CO2-induced bush encroachment on the southern aspect could have indirect impacts complicating prediction, but ant species on the northern aspect should move uphill at a rate proportional to their thermal tolerance and the regional increases in temperature. Two species are identified that might be at risk of local extinction.

Establishing grazing and grazing-excluded patches increases plant and invertebrate diversity in a Mediterranean oak woodland

Grazing is a global, dominant land use affecting biodiversity and ecosystem processes. In Mediterranean ecosystems grazing is a major ecological and evolutionary driver but, surprisingly, there is little information on the use of grazing as a tool to manage biodiversity in these ecosystems. We conducted an experiment to assess if establishing grazing and small scale grazing-excluded areas would increase plant and invertebrate diversity in a Mediterranean evergreen oak woodland. Plant community traits were different between treatments. Biomass of herbs (176.7 ± 18.3 g m −2 vs 100.4 ± 10.6 g m −2) and litter (291.0 ± 38.3 g m −2 vs 186.8 ± 26.4 g m −2), as well as the total cover of legumes (0.83 ± 0.05 vs 0.91 ± 0.03) were higher, and the proportion of bare ground (0.83 ± 0.05 vs 0.91 ± 0.03) was lower, in ungrazed plots. There were no differences in the number of plant species between treatments. Some plant species and invertebrate taxa were recorded exclusively in grazed or ungrazed plots. Invertebrate detritivores and sap sucking insects were more abundant in ungrazed plots. Ant assemblages were functionally different between treatments: Honeydew-gatherer ants were associated with ungrazed and higher plant biomass plots, and seed-eaters as well as aggressive predator ant species were associated with grazed, open habitat, plots. Management practices that maintain grazing and small scale grazing-excluded areas can increase habitat heterogeneity and promote herbaceous plant and invertebrate diversity at the local level.

Coexistence of grazed and grazing excluded patches increases plant and invertebrate diversity in a Mediterranean oak woodland

Grazing is a global, dominant land use affecting biodiversity and ecosystem processes. In Mediterranean ecosystems grazing is a major ecological and evolutionary driver but, surprisingly, there is little information on the use of grazing as a tool to manage biodiversity in these ecosystems. We conducted an experiment to assess if the coexistence of grazing and grazing-excluded patches would increase plant and invertebrate diversity in a Mediterranean evergreen oak woodland. Plant community traits were different between treatments. Plant and litter biomass was higher, and the proportion of bare ground was lower, in grazing-excluded plots. Grazing affected functional diversity with legumes, invertebrate detritivores and sup sucking insects being more abundant in ungrazed plots. There were no differences between treatments in the number of species but there were plant species and invertebrate taxa recorded in grazed or grazing excluded plots, only. Ant communities were functionally different between treatments. Honeydew ant eaters were associated with ungrazed and higher plant biomass plots, and seed-eater as well as aggressive predator ant species were associated with grazed, more open habitat, plots. Management practices aiming to maintain grazing and grazing-excluded patches can increase habitat heterogeneity and promote diversity at the estate level.

Coexistence of grazed and grazing excluded patches increases plant and invertebrate diversity in a Mediterranean oak woodland

AbstractGrazing is a global, dominant land use affecting biodiversity and ecosystem processes. In Mediterranean ecosystems grazing is a major ecological and evolutionary driver but, surprisingly, there is little information on the use of grazing as a tool to manage biodiversity in these ecosystems. We conducted an experiment to assess if the coexistence of grazing and grazing-excluded patches would increase plant and invertebrate diversity in a Mediterranean evergreen oak woodland. Plant community traits were different between treatments. Plant and litter biomass was higher, and the proportion of bare ground was lower, in grazing-excluded plots. Grazing affected functional diversity with legumes, invertebrate detritivores and sup sucking insects being more abundant in ungrazed plots. There were no differences between treatments in the number of species but there were plant species and invertebrate taxa recorded in grazed or grazing excluded plots, only. Ant communities were functionally different between treatments. Honeydew ant eaters were associated with ungrazed and higher plant biomass plots, and seed-eater as well as aggressive predator ant species were associated with grazed, more open habitat, plots. Management practices aiming to maintain grazing and grazing-excluded patches can increase habitat heterogeneity and promote diversity at the estate level.

Effects of the abandonment of alpine summer farms on spider assemblages (Araneae)

In parallel with the current effects and responses to climate change ongoing changes of land use strongly affect alpine areas. The aim of this study was to analyse spider assemblages occurring on farmlands with differing stages of land use intensity. We collected the ground-dwelling spider fauna of semi-natural grasslands in currently farmed and abandoned farmland in the alpine zone of Hardangervidda, Norway, using pitfall traps. Trapping during the whole vegetation period resulted in 1,548 individuals belonging to 39 species of spiders. Linyphiids and lycosids dominated. The total number of species differ little between sites, but there was a general trend of increasing proportions of lycosids, gnaphosids and thomisids individuals and species, and a decrease in the proportion of linyphiids with farmland abandonment. Two main groupings of spider assemblages were found using a principal component analysis: One grouping was characteristic of intensely disturbed sites, mainly dominated by typical pioneer species. The other was characteristic of abandoned and less disturbed sites, dominated by widespread species. The abandonment of summer farms led to a succession in spider assemblages, including a decline in spider species with a high ballooning activity and an increase of species with a larger body size. We suggest that the main reason lies in the absence of disturbance by grazing including differing vegetation architecture and the proportion of bare ground with abandonment. Spider assemblages react quickly to environmental changes that occur in alpine habitats after abandonment. Thus, it is necessary to include spiders and other invertebrate animal indicator groups in field studies and experiments dealing with grazing impacts on alpine habitats.

The western jewel butterfly (Hypochrysops halyaetus: Lycaenidae) II: factors affecting oviposition within native Banksia bushland in an urban setting

Oviposition by western jewel butterflies (Hypochrysops halyaetus Hewitson) was studied in the urban Koondoola regional bushland reserve, Western Australia in 1999. Observations were made in a small (70 × 120 m) localised breeding area the ‘microdistribution study area’, and in 14 paired 20 × 20 m quadrats randomly placed along established tracks in the interior of the northern half of the reserve. The principal host plant was Jacksoniasternbergiana with the secondary host being Daviesiadivaricata. More Jacksonia were used for oviposition and attended by ants (40 and 71%, respectively) in the microdistribution study than plants in the ‘quadrat’ study (8 and 25%, respectively). Jacksonia stems with basal diameters below 5 mm were less likely to have eggs. PCA showed Jacksonia to be associated with disturbed conditions with a high proportion of bare ground whereas Daviesia was associated with more mature vegetation. Jacksonia density was principally correlated with the proportion of bare ground and time since the last fire. Host ant (Crematogasterperthensis) presence and proportion of bare ground were the most important factors influencing oviposition. The presence of ants was closely associated with bare ground conditions and the presence of coccids. Conservation management for floristic diversity and maturity of vegetation in reserves is likely to be a widespread phenomenon, and may negatively affect the persistence of species requiring ephemeral patches of early successional vegetation. For H. halyaetus, a species dependent on disturbed/ephemeral habitat conditions, this conflict may threaten its survival, especially in small reserves, and as a result its conservation status may be underestimated. Management options are discussed.

Effects of Grazing on the Vegetation Structure and Carbon Dioxide Exchange of a Fennoscandian Fell Ecosystem

ABSTRACTWe used the chamber method to measure growing season ecosystem carbon exchange and ecosystem respiration in Finnish alpine tundra. The average ecosystem respiration in the sites was 0.8–0.9 µmol m−2 s−1 and the daytime net ecosystem exchange (NEE) was around −0.4 to −0.5 µmol m−2 s−1. There were no detectable differences in cuvette-based net ecosystem exchange or ecosystem respiration between grazed fell areas and long term reindeer exclosure. Further analysis showed that net carbon exchange as well as ecosystem respiration were significantly correlated with the dwarf shrub cover, while the proportion of lichen cover (Cladina sp.) was not correlated with ecosystem carbon exchange. Clipping experiments showed that about half of the measured ecosystem respiration was heterotrophic. Plots that had been protected from reindeer grazing had almost two times higher above-ground plant biomass than grazed plots. The reason for this was 86% lower lichen biomass on the grazed side of the fell, while the biomass of Ericaceous dwarf shrubs did not differ even though there were changes in species composition. Surprisingly, the proportion of bare ground did not differ due to grazing pressure, but the reduction in biomass lead to a less stratified vegetation cover.

Implications of White Clover Introduction in East Himalayan Grasslands

White clover (Trifolium repens) introduced in the 1970s has become the most important fodder legume in Bhutan and there is some concern about its possible negative influence on native plant communities. Detailed plant and soil observations were made across 27 sites (2600–4000 m) to evaluate the effects of white clover on plant community, P dynamics, and fodder quality. Arundinella hookeri was the dominant species up to 3500 m. Other important species with wide distribution were Eragrostis nigra, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Potentilla spp. and Schizachyrium delavayi. An increasing presence of white clover reduced the proportion of biomass from other species, the frequency of A. hookeri and Potentilla spp., and the proportion of bare ground. Biomass harvested from spots with high white clover presence had 70% higher N and 17% higher P content when compared to biomass from spots with no white clover. Soil available P (Bray) was 2.68 mg/kg for patches without white clover and 6.21 mg/kg for patches with high white clover presence. There is no indication that white clover could become a weed in permanent grassland environments of Bhutan.

Is the analysis of plant community structure better than common species-diversity indices for assessing the effects of livestock grazing on a Mediterranean arid ecosystem?

Grazing in arid Mediterranean ecosystems brings about changes in species diversity, but the best way to measure such changes is unclear. In this study we compared various methods in order to identify indicators that might be useful for the management and conservation of grazed arid Mediterranean ecosystems. Changes in community structure and composition were compared along a previously studied grazing gradient in Cabo de Gata-Nijar Natural Park. Plant diversity was measured by calculating diversity (Shannon information index), evenness (Pielou index) and richness (species number). Rarefaction curves were used to measure plant species richness and the results were compared with traditional richness values. Community structure was measured as the percentage of bare ground and the coverage of overall perennial grasses , Stipa tenacissima L., perennial shrubs and annual plants. Our results showed that the proportion of bare ground, the cover of perennial shrubs and the relative abundance of S. tenacissima are good indicators of grazing effects on vegetation. Overall plant community structure was more sensitive to the grazing gradient than were the diversity indices. Finally, the adequacy of standardized methods for comparing species richness (i.e. rarefaction curves) along a grazing gradient are discussed.

The western jewel butterfly ( Hypochrysops halyaetus): factors affecting adult butterfly distribution within native Banksia bushland in an urban setting

Adult western jewel butterflies Hypochrysops halyaetus Hewitson were studied in the Koondoola Regional Bushland Reserve on the northern outskirts of the Perth metropolitan area, Australia, in 1999. The butterfly is myrmecophilous, and the southern (Perth) form is considered to be ‘Vulnerable’. Butterfly dispersal, distribution, population size and habitat preferences were estimated using mark-recapture techniques. Butterflies were capable of moving large distances, and were widespread within the reserve but with a low density; however, one small physical area (80 × 20 m) contained a colony with large numbers of individuals. This colony, and an adjacent area of bush, was subject to a detailed microdistribution study: 1158 butterflies were marked within it over a 25-day period. The small size of the microdistribution study area compromised statistical independence assumptions: spatial autocorrelation was tested for and corrected, where appropriate, using a Markov-chain Monte-Carlo approach. Sex differences were evident in spatial autocorrelation: female data were not spatially autocorrelated, whilst male data was. The latter probably reflects the impact of the perching mode of mate location employed by males. Butterflies appeared to prefer rather degraded bush typical of a post fire/disturbance regime with high densities of the host plant Jacksonia sternbergiana. Males were positively correlated with the proportion of bare ground, again probably relating to preferred perching sites for mate location. Females were negatively correlated with Conospremum stoechadis probably indicating dense ground cover in degraded areas and Xanthorrhoea preissii probably an indicator at the site of more mature vegetation. Reserve management to improve vegetation quality may threaten the persistence of the butterfly within the reserve, whilst controlled burning to create even quite small new areas of habitat in an urban situation may be difficult to achieve. The creation of suitable habitat may be possible using mechanical means, provided the action of fire is not an essential component of habitat creation. As the western jewel appears to prefer degraded vegetation, it is possible that there may be opportunities for this species’ expansion within the urban environment provided that its mutualistic ant partner is also present.

Developmental Instability in Rhus copallinum L.: Multiple Stressors, Years, and Responses

Developmental instability, as assessed by leaf fluctuating asymmetry and stem internode allometry, was examined at nine sites, representing three levels of disturbance, over multiple years. Site selection was based on land‐use disturbance classes related to training of mechanized infantry and other land management activities at Fort Benning, Georgia. Developmental instability varied among sites and years, and there was a strong site‐by‐year interaction for many traits. Indeed, depending on the year, the same site could be ranked as having the greatest and least amount of leaf fluctuating asymmetry. Burning a site the year prior to collecting the leaves profoundly influenced measures of leaf fluctuating asymmetry. In the absence of recent burning, leaf fluctuating asymmetry declined with increasing disturbance, but burning the year prior to collecting the leaves reversed this trend. Total plant cover, proportion of bare ground, and amount of plant litter influenced the amount of leaf asymmetry in a site‐de...

Cattle Treading Effects on Sediment Loss and Water Infiltration

To quantify effects of forage canopy properties, soil surface relief, and hill slope on the hydrologic properties of the soil in a New Zealand hill land pasture, duplicate plots (15 x 3 m) with 3 canopy heights (6, 20, and 47 mm) were trodden with 0, 4, or 8 mature cows for 40 min on a moderate (15-18 degrees) slope (Trial 1), and similar plots with the low and high canopy heights were trodden by 8 mature cows for 40 min on gentle (8-14 degrees), moderate (15-18 degrees), or moderately steep (20-25 degrees) slopes (Trial 2). Pre- and post-treading measurements included canopy heights; bare soil proportions; soil moisture contents; hoof prints and skids; roughness coefficients, surface water detention storage volumes, and soil clump volumes with a 38-pin contometer; and water infiltration and sediment loss by rainfall simulation. In Trial 1, increasing canopy height resulted in lower (P < 0.01) proportions of bare ground, roughness coefficients, soil clump volumes, and sediment losses. Increasing treading damage resulted in higher (P < 0.05) post-treading roughness coefficients, proportions of bare ground, hoof print and skid densities, surface water detention volumes, and soil clump volumes. In Trial 2, soil hydrologic properties did not differ between canopy height or hill slope treatments. In the two trials, water infiltration rate was significantly related to the roughness coefficient (r2 = 0.31) and the number of hoof prints (r2 = 0.26). Results imply that a 20-mm canopy height of the forage species common on a New Zealand hill land pasture is adequate to minimize the effects of a short-term treading event on soil water infiltration rate and sediment loss. DOI:10.2458/azu_jrm_v54i2_russell

Cattle treading effects on sediment loss and water infiltration

To quantify effects of forage canopy properties, soil surface relief, and hill slope on the hydrologic properties of the soil in a New Zealand hill land pasture, duplicate plots (15 x 3 m) with 3 canopy heights (6, 20, and 47 mm) were trodden with 0, 4, or 8 mature cows for 40 min on a moderate (15-18 degrees) slope (Trial 1), and similar plots with the low and high canopy heights were trodden by 8 mature cows for 40 min on gentle (8-14 degrees), moderate (15-18 degrees), or moderately steep (20-25 degrees) slopes (Trial 2). Pre- and post-treading measurements included canopy heights; bare soil proportions; soil moisture contents; hoof prints and skids; roughness coefficients, surface water detention storage volumes, and soil clump volumes with a 38-pin contometer; and water infiltration and sediment loss by rainfall simulation. In Trial 1, increasing canopy height resulted in lower (P &lt; 0.01) proportions of bare ground, roughness coefficients, soil clump volumes, and sediment losses. Increasing treading damage resulted in higher (P &lt; 0.05) post-treading roughness coefficients, proportions of bare ground, hoof print and skid densities, surface water detention volumes, and soil clump volumes. In Trial 2, soil hydrologic properties did not differ between canopy height or hill slope treatments. In the two trials, water infiltration rate was significantly related to the roughness coefficient (r2 = 0.31) and the number of hoof prints (r2 = 0.26). Results imply that a 20-mm canopy height of the forage species common on a New Zealand hill land pasture is adequate to minimize the effects of a short-term treading event on soil water infiltration rate and sediment loss.