Grazing Management and Provision of Ecosystem Services in Patagonian Arid Rangelands

GASTÓN R. OÑATIBIA

Ecosystem Services in Patagonia

Springer International Publishing

Lugar: Cham; Año: 2021; p. 47 - 74

This chapter discusses how different sheep grazing management of Patagonianarid rangelands impacts on the provision of critical ecosystem services (ES):plant primary productivity (supporting service), forage supply (provisioningservice), C and N storage (regulating services), and plant diversity (biodiversity).Particularly, it is evaluated how grazing pressure (land-use intensification),strategic grazing-rests, and herbivore distribution affect these ES, analyzingthe synergies and trade-offs among them. Besides, it is assessed how ariditylevel interacts with grazing management to determine plant attributes linkedto the ES of forage supply and plant primary productivity. Moderating thestocking rate, applying strategic grazing-rests according to each ecologicalsite characteristics (mainly the aridity level), and promoting a homogeneousherbivore distribution within each management unit are useful managementtechnologies to maximize the provision of ES, promoting synergies amongthem. Assessing diverse ES responses and including them in grazingmanagement decisions is critical to promote the sustainability of Patagonianarid rangelands and meet current and future stakeholder needs.