Publication Date
1997
Description
The Argentine Flooding Pampa is a large humid rangeland, severely deteriorated by cattle grazing, to the point of causing the local extinction of many native grasses and important alterations in ecosystem function. Among grassland communities exist those that vegetate halomorphic soils, highly degraded due continuous grazing by domestic herbivores causing soil denudation and increased aridity. An alternate grazing method, that controls the periodicity and moment of important rest periods followed by disturbance events, should increase cover and favor water availability. This succession process will determine more vigorous and abundant foraging species in the degraded communities. After six years of controlled grazing implementation, grasses show a higher water potential recuperation capacity than those grazed continuously. These results are related to an increase in soil cover, a better water status which decreases the aridity level and allows seedling establishment.
Citation
Ansin, O E. and Deregibus, V A., "Effect of Cattle Grazing on the Aridity Level of Humid Halomorphic Grass Communities of the Flooding Pampa (Argentina)" (2024). IGC Proceedings (1993-2023). 3.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/1997/session21/3
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Effect of Cattle Grazing on the Aridity Level of Humid Halomorphic Grass Communities of the Flooding Pampa (Argentina)
The Argentine Flooding Pampa is a large humid rangeland, severely deteriorated by cattle grazing, to the point of causing the local extinction of many native grasses and important alterations in ecosystem function. Among grassland communities exist those that vegetate halomorphic soils, highly degraded due continuous grazing by domestic herbivores causing soil denudation and increased aridity. An alternate grazing method, that controls the periodicity and moment of important rest periods followed by disturbance events, should increase cover and favor water availability. This succession process will determine more vigorous and abundant foraging species in the degraded communities. After six years of controlled grazing implementation, grasses show a higher water potential recuperation capacity than those grazed continuously. These results are related to an increase in soil cover, a better water status which decreases the aridity level and allows seedling establishment.
