Effects on Pastures


Ashfalling on pasture land does not only impact on the livestock ingesting it, but can also result in long term damage to the land. These impacts include:

  • Thickness of ash burial
  • Consolidation of the ash from rain or weight
  • Composition of the ash matter
  • Duration of the ashfall
  • Acid rain

  • Physical impacts tend to have a greater impact than chemical influence of the ash to pasture growth and recovery (Wilson, 2009).

    It is worth noting though that minimal coverage, especially of fine ash, can be beneficial to growth of pasture (Wilson, 2009).