Grazing intensity affects soil carbon sequestration in an altitudinal gradient

Grassland management affects soil carbon content and many management practices have been proposed to sequester carbon. One of them livestock grazing has the potential to modify soil carbon content as it affects the soil – plant system, altering the C cycle. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of grazing intensity on soil organic carbon in grasslands along an altitudinal gradient in the Mediterranean region. Three grasslands were selected at three different altitude ranges between (800 – 1000 m, 1000 – 1200 m and 1200 – 1500 m) at Central Greece that were under grazing conditions for a long time with different grazing species. Forage production, utilization rate, species richness and soil parameters were measured at each grassland. Species diversity and forage production increased respectively by 25.8% and 56.5% along altitude gradient while forage utilization rate decreased by 53.5%. The results also showed that soil organic carbon increased as grazing intensity decreased at elevated altitudes. These results revealed that moderate grazing intensity could enhance soil carbon accumulation at higher altitudes, contributing to climate change mitigation.