THE EFFECTS OF BURNING AND MOWING ON THE PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF SOIL IN A RESTORED PRAIRIE IN EASTERN NEBRASKA

Rangeland has long been managed by burning or mowing to maintain productivity and to reduce unwanted vegetation. The benefits and risks of these practices are still not well understood, especially the effects of burning and mowing on soil physical properties. Here we seek to quantify the effects of burning and mowing on the physical properties of the soil at the Glacier Creek Preserve in Eastern Nebraska. To determine differences in the response of soil physical properties to burning, mowing or no management (control), we measured permeability (ASTM D5084 Method C), particle size analysis (ASTM D1447), field vane shear test (ASTM D2573), and organic matter content (ASTM D2974). Core samples were taken with 3-inch diameter thin-walled sampling tubes. Tested portions of the sample were taken from just below the root zone (approximately 20 cm). We expect that the soils under burned plots will have lower organic matter content and thus may have decreased hydraulic conductivity. Finer particles in the grain size distribution of the burned plots is also expected. Results from this study will help us understand how land use decisions affect soil physical properties.