Spatial quantification of soil ecosystem services in a mid-term rotational grazing study

Traditional pasture-based dairy sheep production systems have been intensified in the Basque Country (northern Spain) during the past few decades. This could have an impact on pasture soils, which perform a set of functions and associated ecosystem services of enormous importance (e.g. plant production, matter cycling, carbon sequestration, filter and buffer for water and habitat for biological activity). The goal of regenerative farming systems such as rotational grazing is to improve soil quality in farmland while producing nourishing farm products profitably. The aim of this study was to spatially quantify the effect of a rotational pasture grazing management in the five soil ecosystem services mentioned above and to assess synergies and trade-offs between them. For that, the experimental pastures (4.5 ha) and flock (135 Latxa breed ewes) of NEIKER-Tecnalia were homogeneously divided and two grazing management regimes were implemented during six consecutive years: free grazing with between 6-10 days and 15 days of grazing and rest periods, respectively vs. rotational grazing with 1-2 days and 24 days of grazing and rest periods, respectively. After these years, vegetation and soils were sampled following a grid design in a total of 84 points. Among other parameters, soil prokaryotic diversity was determined through 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing.