Land use change in the Rio de la Plata Basin: Linking biophysical and human factors to predict trends, assess impacts, and support viable land use strategies for the future (CRN 2031)
1) Plata Basin territory – Whole-basin studies use existing databases and remote sensing tools.
2) Soybean plot in the dry forest area of San Luis. Researchers are installing a groundwater observation well.
3) Interviewing local stakeholders in a town with challenging water supply issues
Project information
UBA, Facultad de Agronomía, LART-IFEVA (Argentina)
This research continued in SGP-CRA 2031, with the same title
Executive summary
Food and biofuel production drive large-scale ecosystem conversion; in the La Plata basin alone it has resulted in the conversion of some 30 million hectares over the past 25 years. Yet, ecosystems provide fresh water, store carbon, and regulate the climate. What are the trade-offs and synergies between agriculture and ecosystem services? How can we optimize both?
Goal
Characterize patterns and drivers and assess the consequences of land use change, explore feedbacks and trade-offs. Develop tools for rational land use planning.
Some results
Expansion of crops in the La Plata basin over the last 25 years has reduced soil carbon (C) by about 30%, at loss rates of 28 million metric tons (MMT) of C per year. Intensively grazed pastures are also losing C, at rates near 1.7 MMT per year.
Some of this conversion is now driven by a desire to substitute fossil fuels by “carbon-neutral” biofuels. However, letting the natural vegetation recover on former agricultural land is better for the carbon balance than growing biofuel crops. Carbon released from soil under corn grown for ethanol completely compensates for carbon gains from bio-alcohol for 50 years. Also, carbon was higher in soils under recovered grassland than the possible C credits from corn ethanol on the same land for 40 years, with equal or greater economic value.
Strong human interventions in landscapes affect regional hydrology. Tree plantations in humid areas of the La Plata basin have lower albedo (reflectance to sunlight) than grasslands. Pine stands decreased (region’s) albedo by 30% compared to grasslands. Afforested grasslands also decreased water yield by 50%, and caused soils to acidify. This was most marked under Eucalypt stands.
Map of land cover changes showing regions of C sequestration and losses on the continent (http://lechusa.unsl.edu.ar/).
This project provides insight for governments, industry and NGOs to develop sustainable strategies for land use and eventual substitution of fossil fuels.
Outreach
LechuSA: Changes in South American ecosystems (http://lechusa.unsl.edu.ar/)
The value of ecosystem services: Concepts, tools and applications in land planning (PDF in Spanish)
Editors: Pedro Laterra, Esteban G. Jobbagy and José M. Paruelo
Expansión de la frontera agropecuaria en Argentina y su impacto ecológico-ambiental (PDF in Spanish) Authors: Ernesto Viglizzo and Esteban Jobbagy/p>
Project investigators
Esteban Jobbágy – jobbagy@unsl.edu.ar
UBA, Facultad de Agronomía, LART-IFEVA (Argentina)
Co-Investigators
Alice Altesor – Universidad de la República, Uruguay
Daniel Panario – Universidad de la República, Uruguay
Diego E. Piñeiro – Universidad de la República, Uruguay
Genaro Coronel -Universidad Nacional de Asunción,Paraguay
Heitor L. Coutinho – Embrapa Solos, Brazil
Maggie Meirelles – Embrapa Solos, Brazil
Howard E. Epstein – University of Virginia, USA
William A. Hoffmann – North Carolina State University, USA
Robert B. Jackson – Duke University, USA
Juan Carlos Maceira – Secretaría de Agricultura, Ganadería, Pesca y Alimentación, Argentina
Elke Noellemeyer – Universidad Nacional de La Pampa, Argentina
José Paruelo – Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
Martín Oesterheld – Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
Guillermo P. Podestá -RSMAS, UM, USA
Carlos Di Bella – INTA, Argentina
Tomas Schlichter – INTA, Argentina
Ernesto F. Viglizzo – INTA, Argentina
Students
Ana Acosta, Undergraduate, Grupo de Estudios Ambientales, Argentina.
Andrea Pia, Master, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Antonio Graciano, Master, Universidad de la República, Argentina.
Arturo Melchiori, Master, INTA, Argentina.
Brian Belcher, Undergraduate, Universidad Nacional de La Pampa, Argentina.
Carla Rueda, PHD, Grupo de Estudios Ambientales, Argentina.
Carolina Gaggioli, Undergraduate, Universidad Nacional de La Pampa, Argentina.
Celina Santoni, PHD, Grupo de Estudios Ambientales, Argentina.
Constanza Caride, Master, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Cristiane Filgueiras, Post PHD, EMBRAPA, Brazil.
Damien Arvor, PHD, EMBRAPA, Francia.
Dario Aimar, Undergraduate, Universidad Nacional de La Pampa, Argentina.
Dario Ceballos, Master, INTA, Argentina.
Deborah Leite, Master, EMBRAPA, Brazil.
Diego Riestra, Undergraduate, Universidad Nacional de La Pampa, Argentina.
Domingo Alcaraz, Post PHD, University of Virginia, Spain.
Eduardo Méndez, Master, Universidad de la República, Argentina.
Elsa Leoni, Master, Universidad de la República, Argentina.
Emilio Fernandez, Master, Universidad de la República, Argentina.
Ernesto Vega, Post PHD, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Mexico.
Esteban Dagnino, Undergraduate, Universidad Nacional de La Pampa, Argentina.
Federico Bert, PHD, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Felipe Lezama, PHD, Universidad de la República, Uruguay.
Fernando Pío Barrios, PHD, Universidad Autonoma de Asuncion, Paraguay.
Florencia Ricard, PHD, INTA, Argentina.
Florencia Rositano, Master, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Gastón Fernandez, Master, Universidad de la República, Uruguay.
German Baldi, PHD, Universidad Nacional de San Luis, Argentina.
Germán Morazzo, PHD, Universidad Nacional de La Pampa, Argentina.
Gervasio Piñeiro, Post PHD, Grupo de Estudios Ambientales, Uruguay.
Gonzalo Irisarri, PHD, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Guillermo Diaz, Undergraduate, Universidad Nacional de La Pampa, Argentina.
Hernán Pereira, PHD, INTA, Argentina.
Ivan Perino, Master, Grupo de Estudios Ambientales, Argentina.
Ivana Cúrbelo, Master, Universidad de la República, Brazil.
Jimena Vázquez, Master, Universidad de la República, Uruguay.
John Kim, PHD, Duke University.
Joyce Costa Barbosa, Master, EMBRAPA, Brazil.
Juan Cruz Bazan, Undergraduate, Universidad Nacional de La Pampa, Argentina.
Juan Pablo Martini, Master, Universidad Nacional de La Pampa, Argentina.
Julieta Verónica Straschnoy, Master, INTA, Argentina.
Karina Cetolini, Undergraduate, Universidad Nacional de La Pampa, Argentina.
Lorena Carreño, PHD, INTA, Argentina.
Luis López, Master, Universidad de la República, Uruguay.
Marcela Aboim, Post PHD, EMBRAPA, Brazil.
Marcelo Cavigliaso, Master, Universidad Nacional de La Pampa, Argentina.
Marcelo Nosetto, PHD, Grupo de Estudios Ambientales, Argentina.
Marconi Beata, Master, EMBRAPA, Brazil.
Marcos Teixeira, PHD, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Uruguay.
María de Los Angeles Fischer, Master, INTA, Argentina.
Maria Helena Hume, Master, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, Paraguay.
Mariano Bustos, Master, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Martin Ariztimuno, Undergraduate, Universidad Nacional de La Pampa, Argentina.
Martín Durante, Undergraduate, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
Matías Barraza, Undergraduate, Universidad Nacoinal de Cuyo, Argentina
Matías Carambula , PHD, Universidad de la República, Uruguay.
Mauricio Perez, Undergraduate, Universidad Nacional de La Pampa, Argentina.
Mayra Milcovic, Master, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Michele de O Macedo , Post PHD, EMBRAPA, Brazil.
Natália Vibel , Master, Universidad de la República, Brazil.
Paola Eclesia, Master, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Ramiro Bagnato, Undergraduate, Universidad Nacional de La Pampa, Argentina.
Ricardo Paez, Undergraduate, Grupo de Estudios Ambientales, Argentina.
Rodrigo Ferraz, PHD, EMBRAPA, Brazil.
Román Trucco, Master, Universidad Nacional de La Pampa, Argentina.
Roxana Aragón, Post PHD, Grupo de Estudios Ambientales, Argentina.
Sandro Pereira, Master, EMBRAPA, Brazil.
Santiago Baeza, PHD, Universidad de la República, Uruguay.
Santiago Veron, Post PHD, INTA, Argentina,
Sean Berthrong, PHD, Duke University, Canada.
Sebastián Massilli, Master, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Sergio Contreras, Post PHD, Grupo de Estudios Ambientales, Spain.
Silvina Ballesteros, Master, Grupo de Estudios Ambientales, Argentina.
Victoria Marchesini, PHD, Grupo de Estudios Ambientales, Argentina.
Wehrle Andres, PHD, Grupo de Estudios Ambientales, Paraguay.
Collaboration with projects SGP-HD 003 and SGP-HD 009, and CRN 2094.
Project website: http://platabasin.unsl.edu.ar