Multiple years of drought can result in lower overall forage production on pastureland. Impacts of the prolonged drought not only reduce the amount of plant material available for livestock consumption but reduce the amount of plant material retained as carryover litter on the soil surface at the end of the grazing season.
Litter refers to the old plant material left over from previous years of grazing; it can be either standing, recently fallen to the ground or partially decomposing material. Litter benefits pastureland functioning through nutrient cycling, improved water infiltration and better moisture retention (i.e., snow trapping or slowing soil moisture evaporation by reducing direct solar energy). When moisture is scarce during a drought, rangelands with adequate litter will produce more forage than those with low to absent litter levels. On native pastureland in the southern prairies, litter is so important that approximately 50 per cent of the yield in any given year can be attributed to litter.
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