Nutrient Dynamics in Wetlands of the Middle Paraná River Subjected to Rotational Cattle Management

MESA L; MAYORA G; SAIGO M; GIRI F

WETLANDS

SPRINGER

Lugar: Berlin; Año: 2015

0277-5212

The progressive degradation of wetlands hasstressed the need of developing sustainable management strategiesfor maintaining their ecological character within thecontext of sustainable development. Rotational cattle grazingis a common grazing strategy in aquatic systems but its effecton nutrient dynamics in lakes is scarcely known. The objectivesof this study were to evaluate if cattle produces a significantincrease of TN and TP in wetlands, and if the value ofthese nutrients decrease after cattle are removed. Samples ofwater, sediment and macrophytes were collected for nutrient,organic matter and other chemical analyses. Results showed asignificant increase in water nutrients during the presence ofcattle, decreasing during their absence. These changes occurredsurprisingly rapid, suggesting a high resilience of thesesystems to this impact. The presence of submerged vegetationin lakes ameliorated the effect of cattle on water nutrients,suggesting an important role of these plants in ecosystemmanagement. Rotational management would minimize the increaseof nutrients in water, maintaining the ecological integrityof wetlands.