La intensificación del uso de la tierra disminuye el carbono orgánico del suelo en bosques del Chaco Seco, Córdoba

M. Betania Naldini; Natalia Pérez-Harguindeguy; Esteban Kowaljow

doi:10.25260/EA.23.33.3.0.2072

Autores/as

M. Betania Naldini Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas [CONICET]- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba). Córdoba, Argentina
Natalia Pérez-Harguindeguy Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas [CONICET]- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba). Córdoba, Argentina. Departamento de Diversidad Biológica y Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Córdoba, Argentina
Esteban Kowaljow Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas [CONICET]- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba). Córdoba, Argentina. Departamento de Diversidad Biológica y Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Córdoba, Argentina

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25260/EA.23.33.3.0.2072

Palabras clave:

tala, pastoreo, materia orgánica particulada, materia orgánica asociada a minerales, respiración microbiana potencial

Resumen

Los cambios en el uso de la tierra han reducido de forma drástica los bosques del Chaco Seco del centro de la Argentina. En particular, la conversión de bosques a cultivos ha generado pérdidas significativas en el carbono orgánico del suelo (COS) y en los servicios ecosistémicos asociados al mismo. Por su parte, cambios menos drásticos en el uso, como la conversión de bosques a arbustales producto de la intensificación en la tala y la ganadería, también pueden afectar considerablemente la dinámica del COS. En este trabajo evaluamos el COS total, el COS presente en la materia orgánica particulada (C-MOP) y en la materia orgánica asociada a minerales (C-MOAM), y la respiración microbiana potencial de los 0-10 cm de suelo bajo condiciones controladas en cuatro fisonomías vegetales del Chaco Seco de Córdoba, resultantes de la intensificación en la tala y en la ganadería. El contenido de COS disminuyó un 73% en la fisonomía con mayor intensidad de uso (arbustal abierto) en relación con el bosque conservado. Esto se reflejó en una disminución del C-MOP (-85%), considerado más sensible al manejo, y en una disminución en el C-MOAM (-54%), considerado más estable. La intensificación en el uso también disminuyó hasta un 62% la actividad microbiana. Sin embargo, las pérdidas de carbono por respiración microbiana podrían intensificarse por una reducción de la protección física en las fisonomías vegetales con mayor uso. Nuestros resultados sugieren que la tala y el pastoreo en bosques del Chaco Seco pueden generar importantes alteraciones en el almacenamiento y en la estabilización del COS, lo que puede conducir a la degradación del suelo y a la pérdida de servicios ecosistémicos clave.

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