Recovery of natural vegetation by grazing exclusion in a mountainous area of northwestern Argentina
Ayarde, Hugo; Juan A. González. 2013. “Recovery of natural vegetation by grazing exclusion in a mountainous area of northwestern Argentina”. Lilloa 50 (2). The cattle grazing in mountain areas is considered as one of the factors causing the degradation of the vegetation cover and the main trigger of erosion processes that occur in the lower basins. This paper studies the effects of grazing on the composition and aboveground biomass production in a mountain area of northwestern Argentina. The study was conducted in Agua Rica (Andalgalá, Catamarca, Argentina) following the methodology of closures, which were installed in two places: Filo de Melcho (3,250 m) and Cumbre de Los Pozos (2,800 m). The results after three periods of vegetation growth, even with little changes in floristic richness, shows good vegetation recovery, in terms of aboveground biomass production, about 700- 1,300 kg DM / ha. The recovery site is greater at lower altitudes, which is explained by the increased presence of introduced herbivores and better environmental conditions of the site. These results demonstrate, firstly, the negative effect of cattle grazing in mountain environments where weather conditions are severe and, secondly, resilience having the system when you remove the pressure factor. This envisages a possibility of sustainable resource management in environments as important as fragile as are mountain environments
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| Format: | Digital revista |
| Language: | spa |
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Fundación Miguel Lillo
2013
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| Online Access: | http://www.lillo.org.ar/journals/index.php/lilloa/article/view/376 |
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