Ecological Restoration and Productive Recovery of Saline Environments from the Argentine Monte Desert Using Native Plants

Villagra, Pablo E.; Passera, Carlos B.; Greco, Silvina; Sartor, Carmen Elena; Meglioli, Pablo A.; Andreu, Joaquín; Dágata, Sofía; Riveros, Cecilia Vega; Allegretti, L.; Fernández, María Emilia; Guida‐Johnson, Bárbara; Lana, Nerina Belén; Cony, Mariano A.

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-52592-7_17

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…Similar results were reported by Zerda and Tiedemann (2010), where they nd that there is greater stability in NDVI in woodland sites than in grasslands. This pattern is a consequence of the fact that woody species are generally more independent of rainfall, as they have deep roots with access to water from lower soil horizons, while grasses with shallow roots, only experience growth pulses linked to events of rainfall and soil moisture in the upper horizons (Schwinning and Sala 2004;Villagra et al 2011). However, climate change and intense biomass removal disturbances can generate profound temporal mismatches between resource pulses and the consumers of those pulses, impacting various ecosystem processes (Schwinning and Sala 2004).…”

Section: B) Increases Temporal Variability Of Primary Production and mentioning

confidence: 99%

In Search of Sustainable Livestock Management in the Dry Chaco: Effects of Different Shrub Removal Practices on Vegetation and Soil

et al. 2021

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Background: In arid and semi-arid ecosystems in Argentina, dominance of shrublands and the search to increase the forage supply for livestock motivates interventions such as roller-chopping and hand-cutting to reduce the abundance of shrubs. However, an integral analysis of the effects of these practices from a sustainability point of view, including not only forage productivity but also other ecosystem service is still missing. We evaluated at the ecosystem level the impact of shrub removal on total production and phenology; at the local level the responses in cover, botanical composition and diversity of vegetation functional groups, as well as the effects on soil physical properties. We combined evaluation methodologies with remote sensing and field sampling in control (woodland, shrubland) and treated (roller chopping, hand cutting) sites in 16 paddocks.Results: In treated sites, grass cover increased significantly compared to untreated sites. However, total production, growing season length were reduced. Tree cover was lower in treated sites, while shrub cover was reduced in the hand-cutting compared to the other treatments. Forbs cover was not modified. In addition, species richness decreased in the treated sites, being higher in roller-chopped sites than in the hand-cut sites, while the species diversity index was only reduced in the latter type of disturbance. Soil mechanical resistance and bulk density were higher in treated sites, while infiltration rate did not change.Conclusions: shrub removal and pasture seeding on woodland and shrubland sites increases herbaceous forage production, but decreases total production and increases its temporal variability and rainfall dependence; it decreases functional diversity and increases surface soil compaction. These responses depend on the intensity of the woody biomass removal disturbance (roller-chopping or hand-cutting). In this respect, roller chopping appears to be a more conservative practice than hand cutting, as it maintains high levels of herbaceous forage production and functional diversity. However, it is necessary to consider the importance of maintaining native forest regeneration, as both types of disturbance affected this process. Our study highlights the importance to design selective interventions in the vegetation, compatible with the maintenance of functional diversity, the regeneration of tree strata and the increase in grass production.

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Section: B) Increases Temporal Variability Of Primary Production and mentioning

confidence: 99%

In Search of Sustainable Livestock Management in the Dry Chaco: Effects of Different Shrub Removal Practices on Vegetation and Soil

et al. 2021

Preprint

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“…One of the strategies to counteract land degradation problems is to reseed degraded areas with species capable of surviving in these ecosystems. Native species from arid environments are potentially valuable genetic resources for revegetation and rehabilitation of degraded drylands (Villagra et al, 2021). In this context, the selection of drought-tolerant species, and genotypes within a species, along with the use of adequate and sustainable management practices, are critical for a successful revegetation program with native species.…”

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confidence: 99%

Genetic diversity for drought tolerance in the native forage grass Trichloris crinita and possible morpho-physiological mechanisms involved

et al. 2023

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IntroductionThe use of drought tolerant genotypes is one of the main strategies proposed for coping with the negative effects of global warming in dry lands. Trichloris crinita is a native forage grass occupying extensive arid and semi-arid regions in the American continent, and used for range grazing and revegetation of degraded lands.MethodsTo identify drought-tolerant genotypes and possible underlying physiological mechanisms, this study investigated drought tolerance in 21 genetically diverse T. crinita genotypes under natural field conditions. The accessions were grown under irrigated (control) and drought conditions for 84 days after initiation of the drought treatment (DAIDT), which coincided with flowering initiation. Various morpho-physiological traits were monitored, including total-, foliage-, and root biomass yield, dry matter partitioning to individual plant organs (roots, leaves, stems, and panicles), total leaf area, chlorophyll content, photochemical efficiency of photosystem II, stomatal conductance, and number of panicles per plant.Results and discussionBroad and significant variation (p<0.001) was found among the accessions for all the traits. Three highly tolerant and three very sensitive accessions were identified as the most contrasting materials, and their responses to drought stress were confirmed over two years of experiments. Under prolonged drought conditions (84 DAIDT), the tolerant accessions were generally more productive than the rest for all the biomass yield components analyzed, and this was associated with a postponed and more attenuated decrease in variables related to the plant photosynthetic activity, such as stomatal conductance, chlorophyll content, and photochemical efficiency. In contrast to previous findings, our data indicate no direct relationship between drought tolerance and the level of aridity in the accessions natural habitats, but rather suggest genetic heterogeneity and ample variation for drought tolerance in T. crinita natural populations derived from a particular location or environment. Also, having low total and forageable biomass yield, or increased biomass allocation to the roots (i.e., lower foliage/root ratio), under optimal water availability, were not associated with greater drought tolerance. The drought-tolerant accessions identified are of value for future genetic research and breeding programs, and as forage for range grazing and revegetation in arid regions.

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Ecological Restoration and Productive Recovery of Saline Environments from the Argentine Monte Desert Using Native Plants

Cited by 2 publications

References 54 publications

In Search of Sustainable Livestock Management in the Dry Chaco: Effects of Different Shrub Removal Practices on Vegetation and Soil

In Search of Sustainable Livestock Management in the Dry Chaco: Effects of Different Shrub Removal Practices on Vegetation and Soil

Genetic diversity for drought tolerance in the native forage grass Trichloris crinita and possible morpho-physiological mechanisms involved

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