INVESTIGADORES
BALDI ricardo
capítulos de libros
Título:
Guanaco management in Patagonian rangelands: a conservation opportunity on the brink of collapse
Autor/es:
BALDI R.; NOVARO A.; FUNES M.; WALKER S.; FERRANDO P.; FAILLA M.; CARMANCHAHI P.
Libro:
Wild rangelands. Conserving wildlife while maintaining livestock in semi-arid ecoystems.
Editorial:
Blackwell
Referencias:
Lugar: Oxford; Año: 2010; p. 266 - 290
Resumen:
Guanacos, as well as other native species, were alien to the model of development applied in Patagonia. Nearly all Patagonian private ranches were dedicated to sheep husbandry throughout the 20th century. Traditional European farming activities exported to Patagonia did not consider the use of native species complementary to domestic livestock production. Instead, guanacos were viewed as an obstacle to sheep ranching and killed, either illegally or in accordance with government authorisation . With ranching monopolising Patagonia’s most productive areas – and the associated competition with sheep, hunting and habitat modification – guanacos have been relegated to marginal lands with poor vegetation. We envision a network of functional guanaco populations throughout Patagonia, which must be protected at specified reserve-sites. These guanacos will be distributed across a connecting matrix where functional populations can coexist with livestock at lower densities, while guanacos can be managed as an alternative way of production for human development. Productive activities such as sustainable live shearing, culling or tourism are still a possibility depending on local conditions. Either we use the available expertise and social and economic interests to ensure the long-term persistence of wild guanaco populations, to stop habitat degradation and to benefit the local economy by diversifying productive initiatives, or it will be too late. Because we only have one chance, we have no time left for indifference.