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Moving towards sustainable livestock grazing in the Jujuy Model Forest, northwestern Argentina

University of British Columbia

Natural resource managers are concerned that domestic livestock grazing is negatively impacting subtropical Yungas forests, and subsistence-scale livestock owners report annual cattle deaths due to inadequate native forage in the Yungas of Jujuy province, Argentina. This study was carried out to assist livestock owners and landowners in the Jujuy Model Forest to move towards more sustainable livestock grazing. Annual herbaceous forage production was measured within grazing exclosures, and annual forage from woody plants was estimated at six sites within each of the deciduous forest, anthropogenic pasture, and highland pasture ecological zones. The anthropogenic pasture had significantly greater annual forage production and recommended stocking rates than the deciduous forest. A high proportion of unpalatable plants within the anthropogenic pasture limited potential forage production. Annual forage production in the highland pasture was not directly measured due to uncertainty regarding what portion of tussock grasses is annual growth. Forest structure, as measured by tree basal area, density, frequency, and importance value, suggests that heavy livestock grazing in the anthropogenic pasture, along with firewood and timber harvesting, has led to changes in arboreal composition and decreased sapling density in relation to the deciduous forest. Indicators of soil quality measured along four transects at each study site, including soil cover, organic C, total N , and penetration resistance, suggested that land use in the anthropogenic pasture is leading to declines in soil quality in relation to the deciduous forest. Potential solutions to current challenges related to livestock grazing include reducing livestock numbers to recommended stocking rates, and implementation of deferred, rotational grazing. There is interest among livestock owners and landowners in broadening their understanding of range management principles, and learning how to improve animal health and productivity. Agroforestry systems could provide benefits such as rehabilitation of degraded anthropogenic pastures, income diversification, increased food security, and improved demarcation of pastures. Open, unregulated access to public land, and precarious land tenancy for livestock owners, are the two most significant challenges to sustainable livestock grazing. The success of proposed solutions depends upon further community-based learning, and increased cooperation among land owners and livestock owners.

Text

2011-03-09

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/32194

Soil Science

University of British Columbia

Graduate