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

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Grasslands of the world
could be loaded into a GIS database. Modelling would provide integration of
different sources of information, to assist range managers and scientists to predict
probable outcomes of specific problems at farm and regional scales, such
as: flock allocation , mixed grazing , native flora and fauna conservation , spatial
heterogeneity of grazing, long-term vegetation changes, economic evaluation
of grazing strategies, and many other parameters (Bosch et al., 1996). Feedback
information from associated farmers would be used to improve the power
of predictive models . The development of DSS should increase the accuracy
and soundness of grazing management strategies and also allow for further
reduction in the labour and time costs associated with range evaluation and
management.
Priorities for development programmes and research
Development programme priorities for Argentinian Patagonia over the next
five years, as set out by INTA (Carlos Paz, pers. comm.) involve developing
or adapting technology for: sustainable sheep farming systems (including the
development of eco-certification protocols); management and reclamation of
degraded grazing land , in particular areas that have been severely disturbed by
mining or oil extraction; regional GIS to develop DSS; genetic improvement of
ultra-fine Merino sheep and Angora goats (including the use of biotechnology);
and improvement of wildlife use (guanacos and rheas ).
Sustainable sheep farming priorities include both the development of ultrafine
Merino wool production systems , especially in the provinces of Chubut,
Río Negro and Neuquén, and the improvement of meat production systems on
sheep farms of the grass -steppe biozone , either along the Andes foothills or on
the Magellanic steppes in southern Santa Cruz and northern Tierra del Fuego.
The latter include the development of quality protocols. Rangeland management
and reclamation priorities include the development of routines for longterm
monitoring of pasture vegetation , the improvement of technology to
reclaim old mining and oil field areas, areas severely overgrazed by sheep (with
particular emphasis on riparian meadow ecosystems ), and the development of
GIS to run DSS at both regional and single-farm scales (INTA-CRPS, 2001b;
INTA-CRPN, 2001). Besides these main lines of development, agrotourism
programmes will also continue to be developed, especially in areas with outstanding
scenic values and adequate infrastructure support.
Research priorities are obviously related (but not limited) to development
priorities for the region mentioned above. The main priorities as stated by
the Secretaría para la Tecnología, la Ciencia y la Innovación Productiva
(National Science and Technology Department) (one of the few local science
and technology funding agencies) for the next five years are (SETCIP, 2000):
impact of climate change at regional scales; study of ozone-layer dynamics
and the consequences of increased ultraviolet radiation levels; catchment
conservation and management for improved soil and water quality; evaluation