Estimating aerial biomass of six woody Leguminosae of the Arid Chaco (Argentina)

La posibilidad de contar con estimaciones confiables de la biomasa aérea de la vegetación leñosa resulta imprescindible para el manejo productivo, la conservación o la restauración de los ecosistemas de bosque. Sin embargo, no siempre se dispone de técnicas relativamente sencillas y no destructivas. Este trabajo presenta modelos de regresión para estimar la biomasa aérea total de seis especies arbustivas y arbóreas de la familia Fabaceae, nativas del Chaco Árido (Prosopis flexuosa, Geoffroea decorticans, Cercidium praecox, Acacia furcatispina, Mimoziganthus carinatus y Prosopis torquata). Los modelos incluyeron distintas combinaciones del diámetro a la base (DAB) y la altura de los individuos. Todos ellos predijeron aceptablemente la biomasa por especie, si bien el de regresión lineal que utiliza el DAB2 como variable independiente presentó el mejor ajuste. Las especies fueron agrupadas según sus rasgos comunes en: monopódicas de madera dura, multitallares de madera extremadamente pesada, monopódica de madera excesivamente pesada y monopódica y multitallar de madera extremadamente pesada y para cada uno de los grupos se generó una ecuación.Reliable estimates of biomass forthe vegetation of the Arid Chaco forest is critical for its management, conservation or restoration. However, simple and non destructive techniques are not largely available. This study provides regression models aimed at estimating the aerial biomass of native shrub and tree species from the Arid Chaco, belonging to the Fabaceae family (Prosopis flexuosa, Geoffroea decorticans, Cercidium praecox, Acacia furcatispina, Mimoziganthus carinatus and Prosopis torquata). An additional objective was to explore the feasibility of using a single equation for several species. The wood density differed significantly between species. Linear and nonlinear regression models of aerial biomass were adjusted for species, with different combinations of base diameter (DAB) and height as independent variables. The models properly predicted the biomass by species, the most appropriate being the linear regression model using DAB2 as an independent variable. To establish differences in the behavior of species and, more precisely, in the ratio between total dry weight and DAB, the slope homogeneity was analyzed using a regression model with auxiliary variables. Taking into account the results obtained and the basic wood density and morphological growth structure, four groups of species have been postulated, and it was feasible to apply a single equation per group. The proposed groups are: (1) monopodial hardwood (Geoffroea decorticans and Cercidium praecox), (2) multi-stem shrubs of extremely heavy wood (Acacia furcatispina and Mimoziganthus carinatus), (3) monopodial of very heavy wood (Prosopis flexuosa) and (4) monopodial and multi-stem of extremely heavy wood (Prosopis torquata).Fil: Iglesias, María del Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Cs.agropecuarias. Cátedra de Ecología Agrícola; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Barchuk, Alicia Haydee. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Cs.agropecuarias. Cátedra de Ecología Agrícola; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Disentangling the effects of shrubs and herbivores on tree regeneration in a dry Chaco forest (Argentina)

Successful persistence of dry forests depends on tree regeneration, which depends on a balance of complex biotic interactions. In particular, the relative importance and interactive effects of shrubs and herbivores on tree regeneration are unclear. In a manipulative study, we investigated if thornless shrubs have a direct net effect, an indirect positive effect mediated by livestock, and/or an indirect negative effect mediated by small vertebrates on tree regeneration of two key species of Chaco forest (Argentina). In a spatial association study, we also explored the existence of net positive interactions from thorny and thornless shrubs. The number of Schinopsis lorentzii seedlings was highest under artificial shade with native herbivores and livestock excluded. Even excluding livestock, no seedlings were found with natural conditions (native herbivores present with natural shade or direct sunlight) at the end of the experiment. Surprisingly, seedling recruitment was not enhanced under thornless shrubs, because there was a complementary positive effect of shade and interference. Moreover, thornless shrubs had neither positive nor negative effects on regeneration of S. lorentzii. Regeneration of Aspidosperma quebracho-blanco was minimal in all treatments. In agreement with the experiment, spatial distributions of saplings of both tree species were independent of thornless shrubs, but positively associated with thorny shrubs. Our results suggest that in general thornless shrubs may have a negligible effect and thorny shrubs a net positive effect on tree regeneration in dry forests. These findings provide a conceptual framework for testing the impact of biotic interactions on seedling recruitment in other dry forests.Fil: Tálamo, Andrés. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Bio y Geociencias del NOA. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales. Museo de Ciencias Naturales. Instituto de Bio y Geociencias del NOA; ArgentinaFil: Barchuk, Alicia Haydee. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias; ArgentinaFil: Garibaldi, Lucas Alejandro. Universidad Nacional de Rio Negro. Sede Andina; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Trucco Aleman, Carlos Eduardo. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Cardozo, Silvana. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Mohr, Federico. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales; Argentin

A woody plant community and tree-cacti associations change with distance to a water source in a dry Chaco forest of Argentina

In semiarid regions, livestock is concentrated around water sources generating a piosphere pattern (gradients of woody vegetation degradation with increasing proximity to water). Close to the water source, livestock may affect the composition, structure and regeneration strategies of woody vegetation. We used the proximity from a water source as a proxy of grazing pressure. Our objectives were (1) to compare woody vegetation attributes (richness, diversity, species composition, density and basal area) and ground cover between sites at two distances to a water source: near (higher grazing pressure) and far from the water source (lower grazing pressure), and (2) to quantify and compare cases of spatial association among the columnar cacti Stetsonia coryne (Salm-Dyck) Britton and Rose (Cactaceae), and the dominant tree Bulnesia sarmientoi Lorentz ex Griseb. (Zygophyllaceae). We used a paired design with eight pairs of rectangular plots distributed along a large and representative natural water source. We found lower total species richness, plant density and soil cover near than far from water source, and more cases of spatial associations between the two species studied. Our results show evidence of increased livestock impacts around water sources. However, we found no difference in terms of species composition or basal area at near versus far sites. We conclude that grazing pressure might be changing some attributes of the woody plant community, and that the association of young trees with thorny plants (grazing refuge) could be a regeneration mechanism in this semiarid forest with high grazing pressure.Fil: Trigo, Carolina Beatriz. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Bio y Geociencias del NOA. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales. Museo de Ciencias Naturales. Instituto de Bio y Geociencias del NOA; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Tálamo, Andrés. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Bio y Geociencias del NOA. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales. Museo de Ciencias Naturales. Instituto de Bio y Geociencias del NOA; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Núñez Regueiro, Mauricio Manuel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. University of Florida; Estados UnidosFil: Derlindati, Enrique Javier. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Marás, Gustavo Arnaldo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Barchuk, Alicia Haydee. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias; ArgentinaFil: Palavecino, Antonio. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales; Argentin