Grasslands of the World.pdf - Disasters and Conflicts - UNEP

V.A. DEREGIBUS & M.F. GARBULSKY
Grasslands of Patagonia 143
Because sheep are selective grazers, continuous year-long grazing tends to
intensify the pattern of uneven utilization. Grazing systems have been tested
at several sites in the grass -steppe biome as a possible means of attenuating
the undesired effects of sheep selectivity. The results of these trials, in terms
of both animal production and range condition trend, were mostly comparable
to the continuous moderately grazed system (Borrelli, 1999; Anchorena
et al., 2000, but see also Paruelo, Golluscio and Deregibus, 1992). In most
cases, the application of flexible moderate stocking rates (even in year-long
grazing schemes) may be the most reasonable way to manage Patagonia ’s
steppes for long-term sustainability .
ONGOING RESEARCH, MANAGEMENT , RESTORATION AND
BIODIVERSITY MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES
Research activities
A review of abstracts of both poster and oral presentations of current research
in the arid and semi -arid ecosystems and published in the proceedings of recent
meetings of the Argentine Ecological Association (April 2001 meeting) and
the Argentine Association for Animal Science (October 2000 meeting) was
undertaken to assess research trends. Approximately 30 percent of research
in Patagonia is in the Monte region, close to 40 percent on the shrub and
shrub-grass steppes and about 20 percent on the Patagonian grass steppe.
The remaining 10 percent is regional-scale, greenhouse or riparian meadow
(Plate 4.6) research. A common feature of the results reviewed is the relative
Plate 4.6
Winter view of a riparian meadow or mallin.