Date of Award:

5-1990

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Wildland Resources

Department name when degree awarded

Range Science

Committee Chair(s)

Charles W. Gay

Committee

Charles W. Gay

Committee

Roger E. Banner

Committee

Brian E. Norton

Committee

Richard F. Fisher

Committee

Derrick J. Thom

Abstract

This study evaluated the effectiveness of chiselling and elemental sulfur fertilization in improving an upland and a swale range site with fine loamy, carbonatic, typic calcixeroll soils in the Ait Rbaa Perimeter of central Morocco. Ponding infiltration, soil water content on a mass basis of the 0- to 10-cm and 10- to 20-cm soil layers, peak season biomass production, and botanical composition were monitored during the two growing seasons following the treatments (1984/85 and 1985/86). Chiselling significantly improved infiltration on both sites, although the improvement was greater on the finer and less stony swale site, where chiselling resulted in more stable ridges. The land treatment also increased the average water content by weight of the 0- to 20-cm soil layer. The increase was more frequent on the upland site and most pronounced on its o- to 10-cm surface soil layer. In the chiselled treatments, average soil water content decreased with soil depth on the upland site while it increased on the swale site because of differential furrow stability and soil texture. Both the average infiltration rates of 5 cm of water and the average water content varied with sampling time, although generally in opposite directions. The application of elemental sulfur at the rates of 0, 30, and 60 kg ha-1 did not significantly affect any of the measured variables. Average peak season biomass production was 11% greater with chiselling. Chiselling also positively affected botanical composition on the upland site by depressing average forb proportion and increasing legume ratio in the first growing season. The gain in biomass does not seem to be high enough to strongly recommend chiselling in the Ait Rbaa Perimeter before performing an economic analysis of the operation.

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