Artículo
Relationships between landscape features, soil properties, and vegetation determine ecological sites in a semiarid savanna of central Argentina
Frank Buss, María Elisa
; Leizica, Jesús Emmanuel
; Peinetti, Hector Raul; Noellemeyer, Elke Johanna
Fecha de publicación:
02/2020
Editorial:
Academic Press Ltd - Elsevier Science Ltd
Revista:
Journal of Arid Environments
ISSN:
0140-1963
e-ISSN:
1095-922X
Idioma:
Inglés
Tipo de recurso:
Artículo publicado
Clasificación temática:
Resumen
Semiarid grasslands are still managed without considering site-specific differences in productivity. A better understanding of spatial heterogeneity would improve land management and might avoid desertification in semiarid systems. We studied a toposequence in the semiarid savanna of central Argentina. By using Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) for toposequence characterization, and radar images to identify a site with small area, we differentiated four ecological sites (ESs): valley floor, slope, plateau and deflation pits. Plateau presented the shallowest soil because of caliche layer present, while valley floor and deflation pit had the deepest CaCO3 accumulation. Moreover, valley floor had the thinnest A horizon (6.7 cm) while deflation pit had the thickest one (26.3 cm). Slope and deflation pit showed the highest organic matter (OM) contents (about 32 g kg−1). Total woody plant density was greater in slope and lower in valley floor. Plateau had higher shrubby Prosopis spp. density, and deflation pits higher tree Prosopis spp. density. Besides, we found a positive linear regression between OM content and woody plant cover, and an exponential relation between CaCO3 depth and shrub density. Chosen indicators explained ES variation, and the methodology allows to create ES maps and prescribe management strategies according to site limitations.
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Articulos(CCT - PATAGONIA CONFLUENCIA)
Articulos de CTRO.CIENTIFICO TECNOL.CONICET - PATAGONIA CONFLUENCIA
Articulos de CTRO.CIENTIFICO TECNOL.CONICET - PATAGONIA CONFLUENCIA
Citación
Frank Buss, María Elisa; Leizica, Jesús Emmanuel; Peinetti, Hector Raul; Noellemeyer, Elke Johanna; Relationships between landscape features, soil properties, and vegetation determine ecological sites in a semiarid savanna of central Argentina; Academic Press Ltd - Elsevier Science Ltd; Journal of Arid Environments; 173; 2-2020; 1-9
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