Structural and functional recovery of intershrub spaces after 10-years of grazing exclusion in a semiarid steppe of northeastern Patagonia
In shrubby steppes of northeastern Patagonia, overgrazing of domestic livestock produces the formation of shrub islands distributed in a degraded matrix of bare soil or sparce vegetation cover. The structural and functional recovery of intershrub spaces through livestock removal would depend on the magnitude of degradation. If the system has crossed a critical threshold of degradation, the sole removal of the disturbance would be not sufficient to reverse the changes caused by grazing. The objective of this study was to assess the recovery of intershrub spaces in a site representative of the study system after 10 years of livestock grazing exclusion, by comparing soil coverage and soil physicochemical properties between ungrazed and grazed areas. Data sets were collected in four plots excluded from grazing and in areas adjacent to each plot that remained under continuous grazing. We measured the size of the intershrub spaces, and soil coverage (vegetation, erosion pavement, biological soil crusts, litter and bare soil), texture, nutrient content and infiltration rate. We found that the aerial coverage of perennial grasses and biological soil crusts was higher in ungrazed areas (27% and 45%, respectively) than in grazed areas (<1% and 3%, respectively). The size of the intershrub spaces was higher in grazed areas than in ungrazed areas. The physicochemical properties of soil and infiltration rate did not differ between ungrazed and grazed areas, except that bulk density and sand content in the soil-surface layers were slightly higher (7% and 3%, respectively) in grazed areas. The sole exclusion of grazing for a period of 10 years allowed the recovery of perennial grasses and biological crusts, suggesting that the structural and functional alterations of the intershrub spaces has not yet exceeded a critical threshold of degradation.
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Asociación Argentina de Ecología
2012
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Funk, Flavia A. Peter, Guadalupe Loydi, Alejandro Kröpfl, Alicia I. Distel, Roberto A. |
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Funk, Flavia A. Peter, Guadalupe Loydi, Alejandro Kröpfl, Alicia I. Distel, Roberto A. Structural and functional recovery of intershrub spaces after 10-years of grazing exclusion in a semiarid steppe of northeastern Patagonia |
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Funk, Flavia A. Peter, Guadalupe Loydi, Alejandro Kröpfl, Alicia I. Distel, Roberto A. |
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Funk, Flavia A. |
| title |
Structural and functional recovery of intershrub spaces after 10-years of grazing exclusion in a semiarid steppe of northeastern Patagonia |
| title_short |
Structural and functional recovery of intershrub spaces after 10-years of grazing exclusion in a semiarid steppe of northeastern Patagonia |
| title_full |
Structural and functional recovery of intershrub spaces after 10-years of grazing exclusion in a semiarid steppe of northeastern Patagonia |
| title_fullStr |
Structural and functional recovery of intershrub spaces after 10-years of grazing exclusion in a semiarid steppe of northeastern Patagonia |
| title_full_unstemmed |
Structural and functional recovery of intershrub spaces after 10-years of grazing exclusion in a semiarid steppe of northeastern Patagonia |
| title_sort |
structural and functional recovery of intershrub spaces after 10-years of grazing exclusion in a semiarid steppe of northeastern patagonia |
| description |
In shrubby steppes of northeastern Patagonia, overgrazing of domestic livestock produces the formation of shrub islands distributed in a degraded matrix of bare soil or sparce vegetation cover. The structural and functional recovery of intershrub spaces through livestock removal would depend on the magnitude of degradation. If the system has crossed a critical threshold of degradation, the sole removal of the disturbance would be not sufficient to reverse the changes caused by grazing. The objective of this study was to assess the recovery of intershrub spaces in a site representative of the study system after 10 years of livestock grazing exclusion, by comparing soil coverage and soil physicochemical properties between ungrazed and grazed areas. Data sets were collected in four plots excluded from grazing and in areas adjacent to each plot that remained under continuous grazing. We measured the size of the intershrub spaces, and soil coverage (vegetation, erosion pavement, biological soil crusts, litter and bare soil), texture, nutrient content and infiltration rate. We found that the aerial coverage of perennial grasses and biological soil crusts was higher in ungrazed areas (27% and 45%, respectively) than in grazed areas (<1% and 3%, respectively). The size of the intershrub spaces was higher in grazed areas than in ungrazed areas. The physicochemical properties of soil and infiltration rate did not differ between ungrazed and grazed areas, except that bulk density and sand content in the soil-surface layers were slightly higher (7% and 3%, respectively) in grazed areas. The sole exclusion of grazing for a period of 10 years allowed the recovery of perennial grasses and biological crusts, suggesting that the structural and functional alterations of the intershrub spaces has not yet exceeded a critical threshold of degradation. |
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Asociación Argentina de Ecología |
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2012 |
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https://ojs.ecologiaaustral.com.ar/index.php/Ecologia_Austral/article/view/1226 |
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rev-ecoaus-article-12262023-11-02T20:59:51Z Structural and functional recovery of intershrub spaces after 10-years of grazing exclusion in a semiarid steppe of northeastern Patagonia Recuperación estructural y funcional de los espacios entre arbustos al cabo de 10 años de exclusión del pastoreo en una estepa semiárida del noreste de la Patagonia Funk, Flavia A. Peter, Guadalupe Loydi, Alejandro Kröpfl, Alicia I. Distel, Roberto A. desertification rangeland degradation perennial grasses infiltration bulk density soil fertility desertificación degradación de pastizales gramíneas perennes infiltración densidad aparente fertilidad del suelo In shrubby steppes of northeastern Patagonia, overgrazing of domestic livestock produces the formation of shrub islands distributed in a degraded matrix of bare soil or sparce vegetation cover. The structural and functional recovery of intershrub spaces through livestock removal would depend on the magnitude of degradation. If the system has crossed a critical threshold of degradation, the sole removal of the disturbance would be not sufficient to reverse the changes caused by grazing. The objective of this study was to assess the recovery of intershrub spaces in a site representative of the study system after 10 years of livestock grazing exclusion, by comparing soil coverage and soil physicochemical properties between ungrazed and grazed areas. Data sets were collected in four plots excluded from grazing and in areas adjacent to each plot that remained under continuous grazing. We measured the size of the intershrub spaces, and soil coverage (vegetation, erosion pavement, biological soil crusts, litter and bare soil), texture, nutrient content and infiltration rate. We found that the aerial coverage of perennial grasses and biological soil crusts was higher in ungrazed areas (27% and 45%, respectively) than in grazed areas (<1% and 3%, respectively). The size of the intershrub spaces was higher in grazed areas than in ungrazed areas. The physicochemical properties of soil and infiltration rate did not differ between ungrazed and grazed areas, except that bulk density and sand content in the soil-surface layers were slightly higher (7% and 3%, respectively) in grazed areas. The sole exclusion of grazing for a period of 10 years allowed the recovery of perennial grasses and biological crusts, suggesting that the structural and functional alterations of the intershrub spaces has not yet exceeded a critical threshold of degradation. En las estepas arbustivas del noreste de la Región Patagónica, el sobrepastoreo del ganado doméstico genera la formación de islas arbustivas distribuidas en una matriz degradada de suelo desnudo o con escasa cobertura vegetal. La recuperación estructural y funcional de los espacios entre arbustos mediante la remoción del ganado dependería de la magnitud de la degradación. Si el sistema ha atravesado un umbral crítico de degradación, la sola remoción del disturbio no sería suficiente para revertir las alteraciones provocadas por el pastoreo. El objetivo del trabajo fue evaluar la recuperación de espacios entre arbustos en un sitio representativo del sistema en estudio luego de 10 años de exclusión del pastoreo, mediante la comparación de la cobertura y propiedades físicoquímicas del suelo entre áreas clausuradas y pastoreadas. Se realizaron mediciones en cuatro áreas clausuradas y en áreas aledañas sometidas a pastoreo continuo. Se comparó la cobertura (vegetación, pavimento de erosión, costra biológica, suelo desnudo y broza), el tamaño de los espacios entre arbustos, la tasa de infiltración, la textura y el contenido de nutrientes del suelo. La cobertura aérea de gramíneas perennes y de costras biológicas fue mayor en las áreas clausuradas (27% y 45%, respectivamente) que en las pastoreadas (<1% y 3%). El tamaño de los espacios entre arbustos fue mayor en las áreas pastoreadas que en las clausuradas. La tasa de infiltración y las propiedades físicoquímicas del suelo no difirieron entre las condiciones de clausura y pastoreo, aunque la densidad aparente y el contenido de arena en la capa superficial del suelo fueron ligeramente mayores (7% y 3%, respectivamente) en las áreas pastoreadas. La exclusión del pastoreo por un período de 10 años resultó en el restablecimiento de gramíneas perennes y costras biológicas, sugiriendo que la alteración estructural y funcional de los espacios entre arbustos aún no ha superado un umbral crítico de degradación. Asociación Argentina de Ecología 2012-12-01 info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion Articles Artículos application/pdf https://ojs.ecologiaaustral.com.ar/index.php/Ecologia_Austral/article/view/1226 10.25260/EA.12.22.3.0.1226 Ecología Austral; Vol. 22 No. 3 (2012): December 2012, Pages 159-220; 195-202 Ecología Austral; Vol. 22 Núm. 3 (2012): December 2012, Pages 159-220; 195-202 1667-782X 0327-5477 spa https://ojs.ecologiaaustral.com.ar/index.php/Ecologia_Austral/article/view/1226/611 Derechos de autor 2020 Flavia A. Funk, Guadalupe Peter, Alejandro Loydi, Alicia I. Kröpfl, Roberto A. Distel https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ |