Keywords: environment, soil compaction, soil erosion, water quality
Document Type: Research Report (Reference no. 1357)
Soil and water quality can be impaired by fence-line pacing. Our hypothesis was that well designed shelter could alleviate fence-line pacing. We took intact soil samples from near the fence-line and away from the fence line in paddocks that had no, one or two shelter belts in them. Contaminants in flow (phosphorus and nitrogen fractions, suspended sediment, and the faecal indicator bacteria, E. coli) were tested and results show that more were present in flow from the fence-line paced soils than the samples from the rest of the paddock, but only E. coli was decreased in fence-line soils in the paddocks with shelter. Additional samples showed more soil compaction in fence-line paced soils, but no improvement with shelter. Although only E. coli concentrations were improved by the inclusion of shelter, benefits for improved production and animal welfare weigh heavily in favour of installing and maintaining shelter on deer farms.
Published: Jun 05
Uploaded: May 06
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