MAERC
at Buck Island Ranch
300 Buck Island Ranch Road 
Lake Placid, Florida 33852 USA
Phone: 863-699-0242
FAX: 863-699-2217
Email: maerc@archbold-station.org
Influence of Cattle Stocking Rate on Runoff Water Quality
(1998-2003)
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MacArthur Agro-ecology Research Center (MAERC)
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History and Rationale
In order to address the interrelated
ecological and economic aspects of ranchland agro-ecosystems, MAERC has
formed a partnership with the University of Florida Institute of Food and
Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), South Florida Water Management District
(SFWMD), USDA-ARS Sub-Tropical Agricultural Research Station (USDA-STARS),
and Florida Cattlemen’s Association (FCA). The goal of this partnership
is to design sustainable environmentally sensitive management practices
cattle grazing operations. The partnership has developed a plan for a
comprehensive research program to increase understanding of the
interrelationships among commercial livestock, native range flora and
fauna, nutrient cycling soil microorganisms, and surface water quality.
The research program is centered at Buck Island Ranch near Lake Placid,
Florida. The 4,170 hectare
ranch is home to 2,800 head of brood cows and the site of (MAERC). The
ranch has become a working laboratory for investigating the effects of
ranching activities on selected indicators of environmental and economic
sustainability.
Sixteen experimental pastures, eight each of improved summer pasture and semi-improved or semi-native winter pasture, have been constructed at MAERC to examine the effects of cattle stocking densities on water quality, wildlife, soils, and economics (see figure below).
The pastures are hydrologically separated and fully instrumented to continuously monitor volume and chemistry of surface runoff. Instrumented groundwater wells in each pasture continuously measure the depth to the water table and are used for taking groundwater samples.
Summer and winter pastures are 50 and 80 acres (20.23 and 32.38 ha.), respectively, and are stocked at three different animal densities ranging from 0.75 to 1.35 ha per cow-calf pair in the improved pastures and 0.92 to 2.16 ha per cow calf pair in the semi-native pasture, with an additional ungrazed control. The experimental arrays simulate normal ranching practices in the region. In central Florida, ranchers often have two major pasture systems, which involve some variation of an extensive seasonal rotation. In the summer (May-Oct.), cattle are generally stocked on improved pastures that are planted in Bahaia grass (Paspalum notatum) or other introduced forage grasses and are fertilized annually. In the winter (Nov.-Apr) cattle are moved to wet prairies, which are dominated by native grasses (Andropogon virginicus, Andropogon glomeratus, Paspalum laeve, Axonopus affinis) and are not fertilized.
Each test herd occupies summer pastures during May–October and winter pastures during November–April. Study animals (4-9 year-old “Braford” cows) to be included in the test herds were selected randomly from one of the commercial herds at Buck Island Ranch and moved into the winter pastures in October, 1998. Each study animal will remains with the same herd for the life of the project. Replacement females are selected as needed from the same herd to maintain the appropriate number of cow-calf units in each herd.
South Florida Water Management District
USDA National Research Initiative Competitive Grants Agricultural Systems
Florida Department of Environmental Protection/USEPA 319
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services