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

Grasslands of Patagonia 151
Current knowledge
• Research
• GIS
technology
• Grazing
management
Database
• Modelling
Evaluation and
diagnosis
• Soil and
vegetation
• Animal
production
• Economic
traits
Monitoring
• Soil and
vegetation
• Animal
production
• Economic
traits
Farmer
objectives
Externalities
Climate,
Market
Policies
Planning
• Grazing
management
• Flock structure
• Pre- lambing
shearing
• Reproductive,
genetic and sanitary
management
• Predator control
• Fence and water
facilities
Application
• Management
changes
Figure 4.6
Adaptive management for sustainable sheep production.
(Based on Borrelli and Oliva, 1999)
Environmental,
financial and
social constraints
The value of simple or flexible stocking strategies
Grazing management practices in Patagonia can be classified in terms of complexity
(Table 4.4). The shift from a subjective, low-knowledge-level input,
continuous stocking scheme (level 0), to an objectively-based, moderate and
flexible continuous stocking strategy (level 1) promotes the greatest progress
in grazing management (Borrelli and Oliva, 1999). Further increases in management
complexity or sophistication can be expected to have less impact,
at least in the drier and homogeneous environments of Patagonia. Level 1
recommended procedures have proved highly efficient in eliminating general-