Dynamics of CO2 and H2O fluxes in Johnson grass in the U.S. Southern Great Plains.

Johnson grass (Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers.) is rapidly spreading throughout the continental United States (U.S.). Thus, determining magnitudes and seasonal dynamics of carbon dioxide (CO2) and water vapor (H2O) fluxes in Johnson grass is crucial to understand regional changes in hydrology and carbon balance. Using eddy covariance (EC), CO2 and H2O fluxes were measured from June 2017 to October 2019 over a rainfed Johnson grass field in central Oklahoma. Hay was harvested from late May to early July each year, with biomass yield ~7.5 t ha-1. Weekly averaged daily integrated net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE), gross primary production (GPP), and evapotranspiration (ET) reached -8.28 ± 0.76 g C m-2, 20.02 ± 1.62 g C m-2, and 5.42 ± 0.26 mm, respectively. Ecosystem water use efficiency (EWUE) and ecosystem light use efficiency (ELUE) ranged from 3.22 to 3.93 g C mm-1 ET and 0.34 to 0.41 g C mol-1 PAR (photosynthetically active radiation), respectively, during peak growths. Based on aggregated fluxes for each month over the three years (2017-2019), cumulative annual NEE was -434 ± 112 g C m-2, indicating a carbon gain by the Johnson grass field. Cumulative annual ET (858 ± 72 mm) was ~86% of the average annual rainfall (996 ± 100 mm). Results showed Johnson grass could be a carbon sink from May to September in the U.S. Southern Great Plains. Both NEE and ET did not decline up to air temperature (Ta) of ~33 °C and vapor pressure deficit (VPD) of ~2 kPa, suggesting optimum Ta of ≥33 °C and VPD of ≥2 kPa for the fluxes. Results indicated that Johnson grass might be well suited for dryland production in the region. Additionally, these findings provide initial baseline information on CO2 fluxes and ET for Johnson grass relative to other forage species in the region.

Integrating eddy fluxes and remote sensing products in a rotational grazing native tallgrass prairie pasture.

Eddy covariance (EC) systems provide integrated fluxes within their footprint areas. Spatial heterogeneity of up-scaled areas and spatio-temporal mismatches between EC footprint and remote sensing pixels jeopardize the performance of most satellite-based models. To examine the impact of spatial resolution of satellite products on up-scaling of fluxes, we compared the relationships between measured eddy fluxes and enhanced vegetation index (EVI) derived from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) at 500 and 250 m spatial resolutions, Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) at 500 m spatial resolution, and Landsat at 30 m spatial resolution but integrated at the paddock-scale. The experiment was conducted over a grazed native tallgrass prairie pasture, which was divided into nine paddocks for rotational grazing. The EVI data from all satellites showed consistency in detecting vegetation phenology. Seasonality of EC-measured fluxes corresponded well with remotely-sensed vegetation phenology. Approximately 80% of contribution to eddy fluxes came from within 80 m upwind distance of the 2.7 m tall EC tower. As a result, the major contributing area for the measured fluxes was mostly limited to the paddock containing the EC tower. Different timings and duration of grazing caused some heterogeneity among paddocks within the pasture. The EVI of different spatial scales showed strong relationships with CO2 fluxes. However, Landsat-derived EVI integrated for the paddock containing the EC tower showed substantially stronger relationships with CO2 fluxes than did MODIS and VIIRS-derived EVI integrated for multiple paddocks, most likely due to similar spatial resolutions of remote sensing and EC observations. Results illustrate that satellite products of fine-scale spatial resolution that are comparable to EC footprints can help improve the performance of satellite-based models for modeling or up-scaling of eddy fluxes, especially in heterogeneous ecosystems.

A study of the level and dynamics of Eimeria populations in naturally infected, grazing beef cattle at various stages of production in the Mid-Atlantic USA.

There is little information available on the species dynamics of eimerian parasites in grazing cattle in the central Appalachian region of the United States. Therefore, the objective of this study was to describe the level of infection and species dynamics of Eimeria spp. in grazing beef cattle of various age groups over the course of a year in the central Appalachian region. Rectal fecal samples were collected from male and female calves (n=72) monthly from May through October 2005, heifers only (n=36) monthly from November 2005 to April 2006, and cows (n=72) in May, July, and September, 2005. Eimeria spp. oocysts were seen in 399 of 414 (96%) fecal samples collected from the calves from May through October. Fecal oocysts counts (FOC) in the calves were lower (P<0.05) in May than all other months and no significant differences were detected from June through September. Eimeria spp. oocysts were detected in 198 of 213 (92%) of fecal samples collected from the 36 replacement heifers monthly from November to April and monthly mean FOC did not differ during this time period. The prevalence of oocyst shedding increased to 100% in calves in September and remained near 100% in the replacement heifers during the sampling period. Eimeria spp. oocysts were also detected in 150 of 200 (75%) samples collected in May, July, and September from the cows and mean FOC did not differ significantly over the sampling period. Eimeria spp. composition was dominated by Eimeria bovis in fecal samples collected from calves, replacement heifers and cows. Mixed Eimeria spp. infections were, however, common in all groups and 13 Eimeria spp. oocysts were identified throughout the sampling period.

Fatty acid composition of traditional and novel forages.

Managing the fatty acid composition of grazing ruminant diets could lead to meat and milk products that have higher conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) concentrations, but forage fatty acid dynamics must be more fully understood for a range of forages before grazing systems can be specified. The fatty acid profiles of 13 different forages, including grasses, legumes, and forbs, grown under greenhouse conditions, were determined. Three separate harvests, at 3-week intervals, were made of each plant material. alpha-Linolenic [C18:3, 7.0-38.4 mg g(-1) of dry matter (DM)], linoleic (C18:2, 2.0-10.3 mg g(-1) of DM), and palmitic (C16:0, 2.6-7.5 mg g(-1) of DM) acids were the most abundant fatty acids in all species at each harvest, together representing approximately 93% of the fatty acids present. Concentrations of fatty acids declined as plants developed, but the fractional contribution of each fatty acid to total fatty acids remained relatively stable over time. Grasses had a uniform composition across species with a mean of 66% of total fatty acids provided by C18:3, 13% by C18:2, and 14% by C16:0. The fractional contribution of C18:3 to total fatty acids was lower and more variable in forbs than in grasses. Intake of fatty acid by grazing ruminants would be affected by the forage species consumed.