Spatial and temporal variation of the vegetation of the semiarid Puna in a pastoral system in the Pozuelos Biosphere Reserve

PÉREZ, C.; ROJO, VERÓNICA; BALDO, J.; ARZAMENDIA, Y.; VILÁ, B. L.

ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT

SPRINGER

Lugar: Berlin; Año: 2019 vol. 191 p. 635 - 653

0167-6369

This study aimed to analyze the spatial andtemporal variation of the vegetation in the northernArgentine Puna, utilizing both field sampling andremote-sensing tools. The study was performed withinthe Pozuelos Biosphere Reserve (Jujuy province, Argentina),which aims to generate socio-economic developmentcompatible with biodiversity conservation. Ourstudy was designed to analyze the dynamics of the Punavegetation at local scale and assess and monitor theseasonal (dry and wet seasons), interannual, and spatialvariation of the vegetation cover, biomass, dominantspecies, and vegetation indices. Ten vegetation units(with differences in composition, cover, and high andlow stratum biomass) were identified at our study site.The diversity of these vegetation units correlated withgeomorphology and soil type. In the dry season, thevegetation unit with greatest vegetation cover and biomasswas the Festuca chrysophylla grassland, whereasin the wet season, the units with greatest cover andbiomass were vegas (peatlands) and short grasslands.The Festuca chrysophylla grasslands and short grasslandswere located in areas with clay soils, exceptpeatlands, associated with valleys and coarse-texturesoils. The vegetation indices used (NDVI, SAVI, andMSAVI2) were able to differentiate functional types ofvegetation and showed a good statistical fit with covervalues. Our results suggest that the integrated utilizationof remote-sensing tools and field surveys improves theassessment of the Puna vegetation and would allow aperiodic monitoring at production unit scale taking intoaccount its spatial and temporal variation.