Estimation of the carrying capacity at paddock scale in natural grasslands of the Flooding Pampa, Argentina
We estimated the Carrying Capacity (CC) of a farm by combining satellite images, aimed at measuring the area of each plant community, with biomass measurements to estimate Aboveground Net Primary Production (ANPP) and the proportion of ANPP that can be consumed by animals (Harvest Index; HI). We estimated CC of each paddock as the mean CC of the different plant communities, weighed by the area occupied by each community within the paddock. Carrying Capacity of each community was obtained as the ratio between the product of ANPP x HI and the individual annual intake. We estimated the ANPP of the most conspicuous plant communities (B and I) within an area that had been fenced to exclude domestic herbivores two years before the beginning of this study. We estimated HI as the ratio between Consumption and ANPP, estimating animal intake from the biomass loss between entry and exit of animals from grazed paddocks. Community B showed a higher ANPP and HI than community I (4584 vs. 2969 kg DM.ha-1.yr-1 and 75% vs. 61%, respectively). The Carrying Capacity of each paddock ranged between 0.6 and 0.8 animal units.ha-1.yr-1, was associated to the proportion of the area occupied by community B, and was higher than the CC estimated from empirical models. Our results suggest that both quality and reliability of CC estimates depend on quality and reliability of available ANPP and HI data.
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Asociación Argentina de Ecología
2008
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rev-ecoaus-article-13882020-11-04T23:26:43Z Estimation of the carrying capacity at paddock scale in natural grasslands of the Flooding Pampa, Argentina Cálculo de la receptividad ganadera a escala de potrero en pastizales de la Pampa Deprimida Vecchio, María Cristina Golluscio, Rodolfo A. Cordero, Miriam I. carrying capacity aboveground net primary production harvest index plant community map capacidad de carga productividad primaria neta aérea índice de cosecha mapa de comunidades vegetales We estimated the Carrying Capacity (CC) of a farm by combining satellite images, aimed at measuring the area of each plant community, with biomass measurements to estimate Aboveground Net Primary Production (ANPP) and the proportion of ANPP that can be consumed by animals (Harvest Index; HI). We estimated CC of each paddock as the mean CC of the different plant communities, weighed by the area occupied by each community within the paddock. Carrying Capacity of each community was obtained as the ratio between the product of ANPP x HI and the individual annual intake. We estimated the ANPP of the most conspicuous plant communities (B and I) within an area that had been fenced to exclude domestic herbivores two years before the beginning of this study. We estimated HI as the ratio between Consumption and ANPP, estimating animal intake from the biomass loss between entry and exit of animals from grazed paddocks. Community B showed a higher ANPP and HI than community I (4584 vs. 2969 kg DM.ha-1.yr-1 and 75% vs. 61%, respectively). The Carrying Capacity of each paddock ranged between 0.6 and 0.8 animal units.ha-1.yr-1, was associated to the proportion of the area occupied by community B, and was higher than the CC estimated from empirical models. Our results suggest that both quality and reliability of CC estimates depend on quality and reliability of available ANPP and HI data. Se estableció la receptividad ganadera de un establecimiento de la Pampa Deprimida, combinando imágenes satelitales, destinadas a medir la superficie ocupada por distintas comunidades, con mediciones puntuales de biomasa, para estimar la productividad primaria neta aérea (PPNA) y la proporción de ésta que puede ser consumida por los animales (Índice de Cosecha, IC). La receptividad de cada potrero se estimó como el promedio de las receptividades de las comunidades que lo componen, ponderado por la superficie ocupada por cada una de ellas. La receptividad de cada comunidad fue calculada como el producto entre su PPNA y su IC dividido por el consumo individual anual. La PPNA de las comunidades más conspicuas del pastizal (comunidades B e I) fue estimada en un área excluida al pastoreo vacuno durante los dos años previos al inicio de este estudio. El IC de cada comunidad se calculó como el cociente entre el consumo y la PPNA, estimando el consumo a partir de la pérdida de biomasa entre la entrada y la salida de los animales en potreros pastoreados. La comunidad B alcanzó mayor PPNA e IC que la comunidad I (4584 vs. 2969 kg MS.ha-1.año-1 y 75% vs. 61%, respectivamente). La receptividad de cada potrero osciló entre 0.6 y 0.8 EV.ha-1.año-1, estuvo asociada a la proporción de la superficie ocupada por la comunidad B y resultó superior a la estimada a partir de modelos empíricos. Nuestros resultados sugieren que la calidad y confiabilidad de la estimación de receptividad estarán en proporción con la calidad y confiabilidad de los datos de PPNA e IC de que se disponga. Asociación Argentina de Ecología 2008-08-01 info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion Comunicaciones application/pdf https://ojs.ecologiaaustral.com.ar/index.php/Ecologia_Austral/article/view/1388 Ecología Austral; Vol. 18 No. 2 (2008); 231-222 Ecología Austral; Vol. 18 Núm. 2 (2008); 231-222 0327-5477 1667-7838 spa https://ojs.ecologiaaustral.com.ar/index.php/Ecologia_Austral/article/view/1388/752 Derechos de autor 2020 Ecología Austral |
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Asociación Argentina de Ecología |
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Vecchio, María Cristina Golluscio, Rodolfo A. Cordero, Miriam I. |
spellingShingle |
Vecchio, María Cristina Golluscio, Rodolfo A. Cordero, Miriam I. Estimation of the carrying capacity at paddock scale in natural grasslands of the Flooding Pampa, Argentina |
author_facet |
Vecchio, María Cristina Golluscio, Rodolfo A. Cordero, Miriam I. |
author_sort |
Vecchio, María Cristina |
title |
Estimation of the carrying capacity at paddock scale in natural grasslands of the Flooding Pampa, Argentina |
title_short |
Estimation of the carrying capacity at paddock scale in natural grasslands of the Flooding Pampa, Argentina |
title_full |
Estimation of the carrying capacity at paddock scale in natural grasslands of the Flooding Pampa, Argentina |
title_fullStr |
Estimation of the carrying capacity at paddock scale in natural grasslands of the Flooding Pampa, Argentina |
title_full_unstemmed |
Estimation of the carrying capacity at paddock scale in natural grasslands of the Flooding Pampa, Argentina |
title_sort |
estimation of the carrying capacity at paddock scale in natural grasslands of the flooding pampa, argentina |
description |
We estimated the Carrying Capacity (CC) of a farm by combining satellite images, aimed at measuring the area of each plant community, with biomass measurements to estimate Aboveground Net Primary Production (ANPP) and the proportion of ANPP that can be consumed by animals (Harvest Index; HI). We estimated CC of each paddock as the mean CC of the different plant communities, weighed by the area occupied by each community within the paddock. Carrying Capacity of each community was obtained as the ratio between the product of ANPP x HI and the individual annual intake. We estimated the ANPP of the most conspicuous plant communities (B and I) within an area that had been fenced to exclude domestic herbivores two years before the beginning of this study. We estimated HI as the ratio between Consumption and ANPP, estimating animal intake from the biomass loss between entry and exit of animals from grazed paddocks. Community B showed a higher ANPP and HI than community I (4584 vs. 2969 kg DM.ha-1.yr-1 and 75% vs. 61%, respectively). The Carrying Capacity of each paddock ranged between 0.6 and 0.8 animal units.ha-1.yr-1, was associated to the proportion of the area occupied by community B, and was higher than the CC estimated from empirical models. Our results suggest that both quality and reliability of CC estimates depend on quality and reliability of available ANPP and HI data. |
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Asociación Argentina de Ecología |
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2008 |
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https://ojs.ecologiaaustral.com.ar/index.php/Ecologia_Austral/article/view/1388 |
work_keys_str_mv |
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