La ganadería extensiva, ¿es compatible con la conservación de la biodiversidad y de los suelos?

Autores/as

  • Ana M. Cingolani Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal, CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina.
  • Imanuel Noy-Meir Fac. de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Nutrición y Calidad Ambiental, Univ. Hebrea de Jerusalén, Rehovot, Israel.
  • Daniel D. Renison Cátedra de Ecología, Fac. de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Univ. Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina.
  • Marcelo Cabido Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal, CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina.

Palabras clave:

diversidad, erosión, fauna, historia evolutiva de pastoreo, paisaje

Resumen

El efecto de la ganadería comercial sobre la conservación de la biodiversidad y de los suelos es difícil de evaluar debido a la falta de relictos sin ganado, a la heterogeneidad del paisaje y a la complejidad de las respuestas. Para describir en qué condiciones la ganadería comercial resulta compatible con la conservación de la biodiversidad y de los suelos, analizamos a distintas escalas los modelos y la información existentes. Concluimos que en sistemas que evolucionaron con altas presiones de herbívoros, ya sean domésticos o silvestres, la ganadería a cargas comerciales puede ser compatible con la conservación, y aun necesaria. Sin embargo, mientras que la biodiversidad se maximiza con una presión de herbivoría heterogénea dentro de cada uno de los diferentes ambientes que componen el paisaje, la producción ganadera tiende a optimizarse con una presión homogénea. Por ello, aún en sistemas que evolucionaron con alta presión de herbivoría, la compatibilidad con la conservación exige una cierta heterogeneidad de la presión, lo que puede disminuir la producción con respecto a la máxima posible. En sistemas que evolucionaron con baja presión de herbívoría es menos probable que la ganadería comercial resulte compatible con la conservación de la biodiversidad y de los suelos.

Citas

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2008-12-01

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Cingolani, A. M., Noy-Meir, I., Renison, D. D., & Cabido, M. (2008). La ganadería extensiva, ¿es compatible con la conservación de la biodiversidad y de los suelos?. Ecología Austral, 18(3), 253–271. Recuperado a partir de https://ojs.ecologiaaustral.com.ar/index.php/Ecologia_Austral/article/view/1374

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