Theme 1-2: Rangeland/Grassland Ecology--Poster Sessions

Description

Magallanes region, located southern Chile, contains about 1.9 million sheep heads, in about 5 million hectares of rangelands. However, forage production is concentrated in small wetlands meadows called locally “Vegas” that only represent about 300.000 hectares. Those ecosystems that sustain patagonian ranches, produce 20 times more forage biomass than the surrounding natural rangelands. Patagonian vegas have concave topography with a hydrophyte (wet) center, and mesic slopes and xeric highlands of Festuca gracillima. Although the moisture content is controled by topography, there is scarce information about the movement of water through this concave topography. Also, the spatial variability of the soil between the Xeric to the Hydrophyte parts must be taking in account. It is essential to evaluate the movement of water inside the soil, to define agronomic managements to promote the storage and conduction of water. The study was conducted in a watershed dominated by vegas at the Kampenaike Experimental Station in Magallanes region, in Chilean Patagonia (-52,7 ° Lat.; -70.97° Long). Soil was monitored by instruments in five pits, two at East and West of Xeric side; two at East and West of mesic side; and the last at the middle of the vega. Soil moisture sensors (n = 2) and water tension (n = 1) were placed in three soil horizons (5, 30 and 80 cm deep). A weather station was set up in the middle of the vega. Differences in the physical properties that govern the storage and conduction of water between all the sectors were founded. The differences were due to the great spatial variability of the type of soil, because the topography and the genesis.

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Soil Water Movement in a Watershed in the Chilean Patagonia

Magallanes region, located southern Chile, contains about 1.9 million sheep heads, in about 5 million hectares of rangelands. However, forage production is concentrated in small wetlands meadows called locally “Vegas” that only represent about 300.000 hectares. Those ecosystems that sustain patagonian ranches, produce 20 times more forage biomass than the surrounding natural rangelands. Patagonian vegas have concave topography with a hydrophyte (wet) center, and mesic slopes and xeric highlands of Festuca gracillima. Although the moisture content is controled by topography, there is scarce information about the movement of water through this concave topography. Also, the spatial variability of the soil between the Xeric to the Hydrophyte parts must be taking in account. It is essential to evaluate the movement of water inside the soil, to define agronomic managements to promote the storage and conduction of water. The study was conducted in a watershed dominated by vegas at the Kampenaike Experimental Station in Magallanes region, in Chilean Patagonia (-52,7 ° Lat.; -70.97° Long). Soil was monitored by instruments in five pits, two at East and West of Xeric side; two at East and West of mesic side; and the last at the middle of the vega. Soil moisture sensors (n = 2) and water tension (n = 1) were placed in three soil horizons (5, 30 and 80 cm deep). A weather station was set up in the middle of the vega. Differences in the physical properties that govern the storage and conduction of water between all the sectors were founded. The differences were due to the great spatial variability of the type of soil, because the topography and the genesis.