Zonificación agroecológica del partido de Tandil e incidencia de las transformaciones agropecuarias sobre los servicios ecosistémicos (1989-2004-2019)
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Date
2022
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Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Universidad Nacional de Rosario
Abstract
La actividad agrícola aumenta la productividad y rentabilidad a la vez que incrementa
los costos ambientales. Sin embargo, si la sustentabilidad de los agroecosistemas se ve
alterada, a partir de la expansión e intensificación productiva, éstos se convertirán en
sistemas degradados y dejarán progresivamente de proveer servicios ecosistémicos. Esta
insuficiencia tiende a generar la reducción de la capacidad inherente a los ecosistemas
de sostener no sólo la actividad económica sino también del resto de actividades
humanas. El objetivo de esta investigación es evaluar la incidencia de las
transformaciones agroproductivas temporalmente (1989 – 2004 - 2019) sobre la
provisión de servicios ecosistémicos en las Unidades Ambientales de Tandil, a fin de
detallar estrategias que contribuyan a la planificación ambiental de los recursos
naturales de un área representativa de la Región Pampeana Austral.
Para ello, en primera instancia se definieron trece Unidades Agroecológicas, zonas
homogéneas en cuanto a sus principales características ecológicas y agrarias. Las
unidades pertenecientes al sistema de serranías resultan más vulnerables debido a la
escasa profundidad de las formaciones superficiales. En áreas de Llanura periserrana y
de Planicie distal los elementos más vulnerables son las lomas con pendientes que si
bien en condiciones naturales presentan una susceptibilidad a la erosión relativamente
baja la sustitución de la vegetación nativa por agroecosistemas ocasiona que la
vulnerabilidad se incremente e intensifique con el proceso de agriculturización.
En segunda instancia las Unidades de Agriculturización, derivadas del análisis de
clasificaciones supervisadas y relevamientos de campo, permitieron conocer cómo ha
sido la dinámica del arraigo del modelo del agronegocio en el territorio y la adopción de
paquetes devenidos de la Revolución Verde desde 1989 hasta 2019 de acuerdo a las
particularidades agroecológicas de los distintos paisajes del Partido. La mayor parte del
territorio exhibe una agriculturización de intensidad alta asociada en una segunda etapa
a la expansión de la actividad a sectores de mayores riesgos productivos y ecológicos.
En tercera instancia la fusión de aspectos ecológicos, productivos y asociados a la
dinámica e intensidad del proceso de agriculturización en Sistemas de Información
Geográfica dio lugar a ocho Unidades Ambientales. El análisis integrado de distintos
atributos permitió el reconocimiento de potencialidades y restricciones de las unidades
territoriales para tender a la sustentabilidad agroproductiva. En la Llanura periserrana,
las UA1, UA2 y, en menor media la UA3, han sido el escenario donde las mutaciones
descriptas fueron radicales. La superficie correspondiente a dichas unidades ha sido
convertida en más del 75% entre 1989 y 2019. Las UA4, UA5 y UA6, ubicadas en la
Planicie distal, son áreas de PyP en la cuales la actividad ganadera aún persiste (no sólo
intensivamente en sistemas de engorde a corral). En las Serranías, las UA 7 y UA8
poseen áreas de pastizales naturales en donde deberían enfocarse posibles actividades de
conservación de vegetación nativa. Debido a sus peculiaridades ecológicas son las
unidades de mayor vulnerabilidad ante el avance agrícola.
Luego, fueron empleados indicadores de sustentabilidad para determinar cuáles son las
áreas de paisaje donde la aplicación de criterios referidos a la planificación y gestión
ambiental es crucial. Particularmente, se evalúa el estado de provisión de servicios de
conservación de la biodiversidad, de la calidad de suelo y agua, de conservación del
stock de carbono orgánico del suelo y de control de la erosión hídirca. Los indicadores
empleados fueron fusionados en un Índice de Provisión de Servicios Ecosistémicos de
Regulación.
Por otro lado, considerando los agroecosistemas como sistemas ambientales resultó
pertinente contemplar no sólo cuestiones biofísicas relacionadas a su desempeño
ambiental sino también características sociales y culturales expresadas mediante el
Índice de Provisión de Servicios Ecosistémicos Culturales que expone, durante los
últimos 30 años, que las transformaciones en la estructura agraria han generado un
deterioro en la provisión de éstos servicios y que son la traducción social de los
impactos asociados a la adopción del modelo de agronegocio.
Finalmente, fueron listadas estrategias de planificación ambiental rural para la gestión
que contribuyan particularmente al sostenimiento de las funciones y servicios de los
ecosistemas del Partido y a la sustentabilidad agroecológica de la región. Se espera, a
partir del diagnóstico ambiental agroecológico del área de estudio, favorecer e
incentivar el desarrollo de esfuerzos conjuntos (por parte de productores individuales y
de instituciones municipales y estatales) que motoricen cambios paulatinos, y no
drásticos, tendientes a la adopción de prácticas de manejo que ayuden a preservar uno
de los pilares de la producción agrícola de nuestra región que son los servicios
ecosistémicos.
Agricultural activity increases productivity and profitability while increasing environmental costs. However, if the sustainability of agroecosystems is altered, from the expansion and intensification of production, they will become degraded systems and will progressively stop providing ecosystem services. This insufficiency will generate the reduction of the inherent capacity of ecosystems to sustain not only economic activity but also other human activities. The objective is to evaluate the incidence of agro-productive transformations temporarily (1989 - 2004 - 2019) on the provision of ecosystem services in the Environmental Units of Tandil, in order to detail strategies that contribute to the environmental planning of the natural resources of a representative area. of the Austral Pampean Region. For this, in the first instance, thirteen Agroecological Units were defined, homogeneous zones in terms of their main ecological and agrarian characteristics. The units belonging to the mountain range system are more vulnerable due to the shallow depth of the surface formations. In areas of Peri-mountain Plains and Distal Plains, the most vulnerable elements are hills with slopes, which although under natural conditions have a relatively low susceptibility to erosion, the replacement of native vegetation by agroecosystems causes vulnerability to increase and intensify with the agricultural process. In the second instance, the Agriculturization Units, derived from the analysis of supervised classifications and field surveys, allowed us to know how the dynamics of the agribusiness model rooted in the territory and the adoption of packages that became the Green Revolution from 1989 to 2019. According to the agroecological particularities of the different landscapes of the Country. Most of the territory exhibits high-intensity farming associated, in a second stage, with the expansion of the activity to sectors with higher production and ecological risks. Then, the fusion of ecological, productive aspects and the dynamics and intensity of the agriculturization process, in Geographic Information Systems, gave rise to eight Environmental Units. The integrated analysis of different attributes allows the recognition of potentialities and restrictions of the territorial units to tend to agro productive sustainability. In the Periserrana Plain, UA1, UA2 and, to a lesser extent, UA3, have been the scenario where the described mutations were radical. The area corresponding to these units has been converted by more than 75% between 1989 and 2019. UA4, UA5 and UA6, located in the Distal Plain, are P&P areas in which livestock activity still persists (not only intensively in systems feedlot). In the Serranías, UA 7 and UA 8 have natural grassland areas where possible native vegetation conservation activities should be focused. Due to their ecological peculiarities, they are the most vulnerable units in the face of agricultural advance. Moreover, adapted sustainability indicators were used to determine which are the landscape areas where the application of criteria related to environmental management is crucial. In particular, the state of provision of biodiversity conservation services, soil and water quality, conservation of soil organic carbon stock and control of water erosion is evaluated. The indicators used were merged into an Index of Provision of Ecosystem Services of Regulation, which refers to the general state of provision of ecosystem services of regulation in the Environmental Units of the Country. Particularly, in the UA1 the index evolves from a critical situation to a deficient one; in the case of UA2 it is critical throughout the study period; in UA3 it is acceptable between 1989 and 2004 and poor in the second study period; in UA4, UA5 and UA6 the value of the index deteriorates from the first to the second period (going from moderate to critical, from very good to acceptable, and from acceptable to poor, respectively); in the AU7 the index corresponds to a moderate category in both periods; the UA8 obtained index values that are positively modified from a poor condition to a very good one. On the other hand, considering agroecosystems as environmental systems, it was pertinent to contemplate not only biophysical issues related to their environmental performance, but also social and cultural characteristics expressed through the Index of Provision of Cultural Ecosystem Services that exposes, during the last 30 years, that the transformations in the agrarian structure have generated a deterioration in the provision of these services and that are the social translation of the impacts associated with the adoption of the agribusiness model. It is expected, based on the agroecological environmental diagnosis of the study area, to favor and encourage the development of joint efforts (by individual producers and municipal and state institutions) that promote gradual changes, and not drastic ones, tending to the adoption of practices management that help preserve one of the pillars of agricultural production in our region, which are ecosystem services.
Agricultural activity increases productivity and profitability while increasing environmental costs. However, if the sustainability of agroecosystems is altered, from the expansion and intensification of production, they will become degraded systems and will progressively stop providing ecosystem services. This insufficiency will generate the reduction of the inherent capacity of ecosystems to sustain not only economic activity but also other human activities. The objective is to evaluate the incidence of agro-productive transformations temporarily (1989 - 2004 - 2019) on the provision of ecosystem services in the Environmental Units of Tandil, in order to detail strategies that contribute to the environmental planning of the natural resources of a representative area. of the Austral Pampean Region. For this, in the first instance, thirteen Agroecological Units were defined, homogeneous zones in terms of their main ecological and agrarian characteristics. The units belonging to the mountain range system are more vulnerable due to the shallow depth of the surface formations. In areas of Peri-mountain Plains and Distal Plains, the most vulnerable elements are hills with slopes, which although under natural conditions have a relatively low susceptibility to erosion, the replacement of native vegetation by agroecosystems causes vulnerability to increase and intensify with the agricultural process. In the second instance, the Agriculturization Units, derived from the analysis of supervised classifications and field surveys, allowed us to know how the dynamics of the agribusiness model rooted in the territory and the adoption of packages that became the Green Revolution from 1989 to 2019. According to the agroecological particularities of the different landscapes of the Country. Most of the territory exhibits high-intensity farming associated, in a second stage, with the expansion of the activity to sectors with higher production and ecological risks. Then, the fusion of ecological, productive aspects and the dynamics and intensity of the agriculturization process, in Geographic Information Systems, gave rise to eight Environmental Units. The integrated analysis of different attributes allows the recognition of potentialities and restrictions of the territorial units to tend to agro productive sustainability. In the Periserrana Plain, UA1, UA2 and, to a lesser extent, UA3, have been the scenario where the described mutations were radical. The area corresponding to these units has been converted by more than 75% between 1989 and 2019. UA4, UA5 and UA6, located in the Distal Plain, are P&P areas in which livestock activity still persists (not only intensively in systems feedlot). In the Serranías, UA 7 and UA 8 have natural grassland areas where possible native vegetation conservation activities should be focused. Due to their ecological peculiarities, they are the most vulnerable units in the face of agricultural advance. Moreover, adapted sustainability indicators were used to determine which are the landscape areas where the application of criteria related to environmental management is crucial. In particular, the state of provision of biodiversity conservation services, soil and water quality, conservation of soil organic carbon stock and control of water erosion is evaluated. The indicators used were merged into an Index of Provision of Ecosystem Services of Regulation, which refers to the general state of provision of ecosystem services of regulation in the Environmental Units of the Country. Particularly, in the UA1 the index evolves from a critical situation to a deficient one; in the case of UA2 it is critical throughout the study period; in UA3 it is acceptable between 1989 and 2004 and poor in the second study period; in UA4, UA5 and UA6 the value of the index deteriorates from the first to the second period (going from moderate to critical, from very good to acceptable, and from acceptable to poor, respectively); in the AU7 the index corresponds to a moderate category in both periods; the UA8 obtained index values that are positively modified from a poor condition to a very good one. On the other hand, considering agroecosystems as environmental systems, it was pertinent to contemplate not only biophysical issues related to their environmental performance, but also social and cultural characteristics expressed through the Index of Provision of Cultural Ecosystem Services that exposes, during the last 30 years, that the transformations in the agrarian structure have generated a deterioration in the provision of these services and that are the social translation of the impacts associated with the adoption of the agribusiness model. It is expected, based on the agroecological environmental diagnosis of the study area, to favor and encourage the development of joint efforts (by individual producers and municipal and state institutions) that promote gradual changes, and not drastic ones, tending to the adoption of practices management that help preserve one of the pillars of agricultural production in our region, which are ecosystem services.
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Keywords
Zonificación agroecológica, Tandil, Medio ambiente, Agriculturización, Efectos