Rangeland Soil Practice Exam

Soil compaction from grazing happens most when the ground is wet because wet soil is soft and easily deformed by hoof pressure, which reduces pore space and infiltration. The way to limit that is to lower the amount of trampling in any given area and to give the soil time to recover between grazing bouts. Rest-rotation grazing does exactly that by spreading grazing across more paddocks and longer periods, so animals aren’t continually trampling the same spots. This spacing reduces peak soil pressure, helps maintain plant cover and root systems, and supports soil structure and porosity that promote infiltration. Avoiding grazing when soils are wet keeps the hoof traffic off the soil during the most vulnerable times, preventing the formation of compacted layers and puddling. Other options either keep high trampling pressure on susceptible conditions or involve practices that don’t protect soil structure—continuous grazing or grazing when soils are wet, or pairing grazing with high stocking rates, can still compact the soil. Grazing when soils are dry helps a bit, but it doesn’t provide the recovery and distribution benefits of rest-rotation, and bare fallow leaves soil unprotected and does not address compaction risk.