Improving Livestock Production Assuring Natural Grassland Ecosystem Conservation: Three Key Management Practices at Farm Level

Ecosystem changes by human activities are a central topic in environmental discussions and temperate grasslands are among the most altered ecosystems on the planet (Millenium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005). The Rio de la Plata grasslands are among of the most extended temperate grasslands in the world, along with the prairie system of North America, the grasslands in east Europe and Mongolia, the grassvelds in South Africa and the New Zealand plains. They cover the central-eastern part of Argentina, Uruguay and south of Brazil. Natural grasslands are very rich in terms of number of species, reaching up to more than 3,000 vascular plants (Bilenca and Miñarro., 2004; Miñarro et al., 2008). Almost all Uruguayan lands are private property and most of them have some agriculture use. In this context, any conservation strategy must take into consideration production systems, including not only natural resources that are strongly related to production as soil and water, but also other ecosystem services, including biodiversity. On the other hand, natural grasslands have a high potential for meat production being of great economic importance for the country, and increasing the production efficiency is a main topic. Extensive livestock production seems to be compromise solution between conservation and production, but the main challenge is to maintain ecosystems functionality improving productive results. Considering all this, a re-designing production system strategy was developed with farmers in two different regions of the country. This work involved a co-innovation approach, which objective was to increase income and farmer´s family life quality involving management practices changes with none or minimum investment and ensuring environmental protection. In this article, in order to show the multi-dimensional approach for environmental information, we analyze a case study

Co-innovación para promover sistemas ganaderos familiares más sostenibles en Uruguay. Análisis de tres años de cambios en la dimensión social de la sostenibilidad

Con un enfoque de co-innovación y una metodologia de investigación-acción participativa con productores e investigadores, el proyecto "Co-innovando para el desarrollo sostenible de los sistemas de producción familiar de Rocha-Uruguay" (2012-2015) implicó el monitoreo de siete predios, en un marco de evaluación del manejo de recursos naturales incorporando indicadores de sustentabilidad (Mesmis), combinado con observación participante y entrevistas en profundidad. Los resultados incluyen un aumento en promedio de un 20% del porcentaje de preñez, un 22% en la producción de carne y un 56% en el ingreso neto de los siete predios, manteniendo los indicadores ambientales. Este articulo se centra en el análisis de los procesos de cambio social de las familias, que dieron sostén a los cambios productivos y ambientales. La calidad de vida estructural y perceptual se mantuvo, disminuyó la cantidad de trabajo dedicada a atender animales y pasturas un 25% y los productores utilizaron casi todas las tecnologias propuestas. Si bien tres años es un periodo corto, en base a los resultados se pueden sugerir algunos aspectos necesarios para apoyar la ganaderia familiar: intercambio frecuente y continuo entre técnicos y productores en un contexto de confianza y decisiones consensuadas en una relación horizontal; análisis de las decisiones y planificación basada en evidencia del predio y visión sistémica. La metodologia ha generado lecciones relevantes que podrian contribuir al diseño de un nuevo sistema de extensión para ganaderos familiares

Mercury distribution in estuarine environments from Argentina: the detoxification and recovery of salt-marshes after 15 years

Total Hg contents from abiotic (surface sediments and suspended particulate matter) and biological (crabs, fishes and halophytes) compartments from Bahía Blanca estuary and Mar Chiquita Coastal Lagoon, Argentina, have been monitored since the 1980 s. At Bahía Blanca estuary, high Hg concentrations were recorded during the early 1980 s in surface sediments (0.34 ± 0.22 μ g/g) and suspended particulate matter (0.19 ± 0.10 μ g/g). Fish species, Mustelus schmitti (0.89 ± 0.29 μ g/g), Paralichthys brasiliensis (0.85 ± 0.18 μ g/g) and Micropogonias furnieri (0.37 ± 0.11 μ g/g) also presented high Hg concentrations. The large industrial nucleus located within the estuary has been identified as the main metal source for this environment. Hg contents from the same area during 1996–1998 were significantly lower: surface sediments (0.164 ± 0.023 μ g/g), suspended particulate matter (0.048 ± 0.0017 μ g/g), fish Micropogonias furnieri (0.13 ± 0.02 μ g/g) and crab Chasmagnathus granulata (0.334 ± 0.071 μ g/g). This trend of environmental detoxification is probably related with (i) the technological changes incorporated by the local industry, (ii) a most adequate management of industrial effluents, and (iii) the removal of great sediment volume by dredging and refill. During the 1980 s Mar Chiquita Lagoon Hg concentrations reached 0.08 ± 0.01 μ g/g in surface sediments and 0.09 ± 0.025 μ g/g in suspended particulate matter, and 0.14 ± 0.04 μ g/ginthefish Basilichthys bonari- ensis and 0.22 ± 0.08 μ g/g in Paralichthys brasiliensis , and 0.08 ± 0.01 μ g/g in the crab C. granulata ,Hg concentrations were lower than at Bahía Blanca. Remote Hg sources for this Coastal Lagoon and atmospheric and stream transport of Hg is proposed as major Hg sources, since no Hg point sources exists nearby. Mercury concentrations recorded in the 1996–1998 period were lower than those recorded in the previous decade: surface sediments (0.019 ± 0.004 μ g/g), suspended particulate matter (0.030 ± 0.008 μ g/g), halophyte Spartina densiflora (0.013 ± 0.008 μ g/g) or crab C. granulata (0.011 ± 0.009 μ g/g). Both Hg bioaccumulation and biomagnification processes were verified in Bahía Blanca estuary and in Mar Chiquita Coastal Lagoon. This apparent recovery of both estuarine environments deserves to be carefully analyzed, in order to fully understand the foundations of these processes.Fil: Marcovecchio, Jorge Eduardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata; ArgentinaFil: Andrade, Santiago. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía; ArgentinaFil: Ferrer, Laura Daniela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía; ArgentinaFil: Asteasuain, Raul Oscar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía; ArgentinaFil: de Marco, Silvia Graciela. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata; ArgentinaFil: Gavio, Maria Andrea. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata; ArgentinaFil: Scarlato, Norberto. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata; ArgentinaFil: Freije, Rubén Hugo. Universidad Nacional del Sur; ArgentinaFil: Pucci, Adán E.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico; Argentin