Prospective analysis on the effects of intensive grazing and silvopastoralism on soil carbon content in cow farms of Menorca

PASTOSOIL

Contracts and agreements

Project duration:

Mar 2021 to Oct 2021

Study of carbon sequestration in the soils of Menorca in relation to the type of cattle management (intensive versus regenerative)

Introduction

The aim of this project is to assess the effect of the transition from intensive management to regenerative management on the ability to store carbon in Mediterranean soils. The study includes 15 cow farms in Menorca managed under contrasting strategies on comparable soils. The conversion from intensive to sustainable management began in 2018 and the new strategy includes seeding rich-species pastures including N-fixing plants and grazing rotation. We are sampling soils for carbon content, carbon physical protection, microbial communities and functional diversity in relation with the metabolism of soil carbon. Our sampling covers the seasonal fluctuations of the ecosystem