Silvopastoral systems in native forests of Nothofagus antarctica in Southern Patagonia, Argentina

GARGAGLIONE, VERÓNICA; ROSAS, YAMINA MICAELA; PERI, PABLO LUIS; SOLER, ROSINA MATILDE; MATTENET, FRANCISCO; MARTÍNEZ PASTUR, GUILLERMO; BAHAMONDE, HECTOR; CELLINI, JUAN M.; LENCINAS, MARIA VANESSA; MÓNACO, MARTIN; MONELOS, LUCAS

Bucarest

Congreso; Forest Science for a Sustainable Forestry and Human Wellbeing in a Changing World? INCDS ?Marin Drăcea? 85 Years of Activity; 2018

Many challenges and opportunities arise for scientific institutions, rural extension agencies and public policies aiming to promote moresustainable and diversified land use systems in native forest areas. The problems associated with forest product harvesting, processing and marketing,together with the strategy of producing added-value wood and animal products also are key factors for silvopastoral system development. In thiscontext, in Argentina, National Law No. 26,331 for the Environmental Protection of Native Forests promotes the conservation of indigenous foreststhrough land planning, sustainable management and tightening the regulations associated with land-use change. This requires all the provinces todevelop a Land Use Planning Process (LUPP) with respect to native forests in a participatory fashion. Native forests have been classified according tothree conservation categories (colors in maps) determined based on a number of technical and social criteria: Red (high conservation value forestsfor ancestral uses, gathering of non-timber forest products, scientific research, ?respectful? tourism, conservation plans, ecological restoration),Yellow (medium conservation value forests for sustainable productive activities and tourism under the guidelines of management and conservationplans) and Green (low conservation value forest where land-use change is allowed). A general agreement named ?National Forest Management withIntegrated Livestock (MBGI)? aims mainly to: (i) contribute sustainable use of native forests as a tool of development and according to sustainabilitycriteria and minimum standards established by Law No. 26,331, (ii) strength the provinces by promoting capacity building for implementing MBGIplans, and (ii) establish a monitoring system. Silvopastoral systems in Nothofagus antarctica (ñire) forest became an economical, ecological and socialproductive alternative in Patagonia (Peri et al., 2016, 2017). The productivity and nutritive value (crude protein content and dry matter digestibility)of understorey grassland was dependent on the interaction of environmental (mainly soil water availability and light intensity) and managementfactors under the trees, and in turn determined animal performance. A method has been developed for carrying capacity estimation at paddock levelbased on the Potential Aboveground Net Primary Production (PANPP) that ranged from 85 to 2200 kg DM ha-1 yr-1. Planned thinning in secondaryforest stands provide wood production and also improve the undestorey DM production by increasing incoming radiation. Within a MANAGEMENT Plan, two thinning intensities depending on stands water stress conditions are proposed as well the use of Reineke's Stand Density Index (SDI) toassist in the definition of thinning intensities for different canopy covers. Livestock production is the main annual income of silvopastoral systems inN. antarctica forest where cattle and mixed livestock production (cattle+sheep) are the main activity. Animal management at the whole farm scaleinclude strategic separation in homogenous areas (grass steppe, forest and riparian meadows), stocking rate adjustment to grassland net primaryproduction and the protection of regeneration from herbivores browsing by using individual tree guard. Also, in the region we improve the knowledgeof litter decomposition, nutrient dynamic, carbon storage and aspects related to criteria and indicator (C&I) to assess ñire forest?s sustainability undersilvopastoral use and biodiversity conservation. To expand silvopastoral land use systems and farmer adoption, a multi-agency, interdisciplinary andparticipatory strategy is required.