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Field measurements of grassland poaching

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

Patricia A. Davies
Affiliation:
Field Drainage Experimental Unit, Trumpington, Cambridge
A. Armstrong
Affiliation:
Field Drainage Experimental Unit, Trumpington, Cambridge

Summary

Poaching damage to a new grass ley was measured over a period of time using a surface profile meter. Individual profiles obtained on different drainage treatments in the ley showed little change over 3 years of measurements. Poaching could be denned visually as a depression greater than 4 cm depth on this site. Degree of poaching was adequately described by the standard deviation of the soil surface. Typically, standard deviations along a poached, undrained transect were twice those of an unpoached, drained one. In this experiment drainage with pipes alone at 12 m spacing controlled poaching as well as mole drainage at 2 m with pipes at 40 m spacing even though watertable levels were usually not lower than those of the undrained control.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1986

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References

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