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Magliano PN, Breshears DD, Murray F, Niborski MJ, Nosetto MD, Zou CB, Jobbágy EG. South American Dry Chaco rangelands: Positive effects of cattle trampling and transit on ecohydrological functioning. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2023; 33:e2800. [PMID: 36546663 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Livestock production in drylands requires consideration of the ecological applications of ecohydrological redistribution of water. Intensive cattle trampling and the associated increase of surface runoff are common concerns for rangeland productivity and sustainability. Here, we highlight a regional livestock production system in which cattle trails and trampling surrounding an artificial impoundment are purposely managed to enhance redistribution and availability of water for cattle drinking. Based on literature synthesis and field measurements, we first describe cattle production systems and surface water redistribution in the Dry Chaco rangelands of South America, and then develop a conceptual framework to synthesize the ecohydrological impacts of livestock production on these ecosystems. Critical to this framework is the pioshere-a degraded overgrazed and overtrampled area where vegetation has difficulties growing, usually close to the water points. The Dry Chaco rangelands have three key distinctive characteristics associated with the flat sedimentary environment lacking fresh groundwater and the very extensive ranching conditions: (1) cattle drinking water is provided by artificial impoundments filled by runoff, (2) heavy trampling around the impoundment and its adjacent areas generates a piosphere that favors runoff toward the impoundment, and (3) the impoundment, piosphere, and extensive forage areas are hydrologically connected with a network of cattle trails. We propose an ecohydrological framework where cattle transit and trampling alter the natural water circulation of these ecosystems, affecting small fractions of the landscape through increased runoff (compaction in piosphere and trails), surface connectivity (convergence of trails to piosphere to impoundment), and ponding (compaction of the impoundment floor) that operate together making water harvesting and storage possible. These effects have likely generated a positive water feedback on the expansion of livestock in the region with a relatively low impact on forage production. We highlight the role of livestock transit as a geomorphological agent capable of reshaping the hydrology of flat sedimentary rangelands in ways that can be managed positively for sustainable ranching systems. We suggest that the Dry Chaco offers an alternative paradigm for rangelands in which cattle trampling may contribute to sustainable seminatural production systems with implications for other dry and flat rangelands of the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricio N Magliano
- Grupo de Estudios Ambientales - IMASL, Universidad Nacional de San Luis y CONICET, San Luis, Argentina
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional de San Luis, San Luis, Argentina
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - David D Breshears
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Francisco Murray
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), AER San Luis, San Luis, Argentina
| | - Marcos J Niborski
- Grupo de Estudios Ambientales - IMASL, Universidad Nacional de San Luis y CONICET, San Luis, Argentina
- Cátedra de Manejo y Conservación de Suelos, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), CABA, Argentina
| | - Marcelo D Nosetto
- Grupo de Estudios Ambientales - IMASL, Universidad Nacional de San Luis y CONICET, San Luis, Argentina
- Cátedra de Climatología, Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad Nacional de Entre Ríos (UNER), Paraná, Argentina
| | - Chris B Zou
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Esteban G Jobbágy
- Grupo de Estudios Ambientales - IMASL, Universidad Nacional de San Luis y CONICET, San Luis, Argentina
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Fox-Rosales LA, de Oliveira TG. Habitat use patterns and conservation of small carnivores in a human-dominated landscape of the semiarid Caatinga in Brazil. Mamm Biol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s42991-022-00245-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Nanni AS, Giordano AJ, Nielsen CK, Lucherini M. Local forest proportion and proximity to large forest patches are important for native mammal conservation in Dry Chaco agroecosystems. Anim Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- A. S. Nanni
- Instituto de Ecología Regional (UNT‐CONICET) Residencia Universitaria Horco Molle Tucumán Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales Universidad Nacional de Tucumán San Miguel de Tucumán Tucumán Argentina
| | - A. J. Giordano
- S.P.E.C.I.E.S. – The Society for the Preservation of Endangered Carnivores and their International Ecological Study Ventura CA USA
| | - C. K. Nielsen
- Department of Forestry Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory Southern Illinois University Carbondale IL USA
| | - M. Lucherini
- Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas y Biomédicas del Sur (INBIOSUR‐CONICET) Bahía Blanca Argentina
- GECM, Lab. De Fisiología Animal Departamento de Biología Bioquímica y Farmacia Universidad Nacional del Sur Bahía Blanca Argentina
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