Impact of Grazing Management on the Productivity of Cold Temperate Grasslands of Southern Patagonia - A Critical Assessment

Abstract

The contention that productivity of cold temperate grasslands of southern Patagonia have been greatly affected by domestic herbivore grazing in the past is fairly widespread. The consequences of spatiotemporal interactions between grazing and abiotic factors on the overall productivity of such systems, however, are still poorly understood. Predictions of both short- and long-term impacts of grazing management strategies on grassland productivity require a better understanding of these interactions. In this paper we make a critical assessment of the impact of grazing management on long-term sustainability of the grass steppes of southern Patagonia (Argentina). We discuss this issue in the context of current understanding of structure and function of these grass steppes, and of present-day global change concerns. We explore the capabilities of present-day tools to integrate biotic and abiotic factors at the landscape level to improve grazing management decisions.