Open Access

ARTICLE

Vegetation response to fire and roller-chopping in the south-west of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Peláez DV¹, HD Giorgetti², OA Montenegro², OR Elia³, GD Rodríguez², FR Blazquez³, RJ Andrioli³

1 Departamento de Agronomía (UNS), CIC, CERZOS, Altos del Palihue, 8000 Bahía Blanca, Argentina.
2 Chacra Experimental de Patagones, MAI de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, C.C. 118, 8504 Carmen de Patagones, Argentina.
3 Departamento de Agronomía (UNS), CERZOS, CONICET, Altos del Palihue, 8000 Bahía Blanca, Argentina.

Address correspondence to: D.V. Peláez; email: ; fax 054-0291-4595127; Phone 054-0291-4595102.

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany 2017, 86(all), 325-331. https://doi.org/10.32604/phyton.2017.86.325

Abstract

The objective of this work was to study the effect of a controlled fire and/or roller-chopping on foliar cover and density of the most conspicuous woody and forage perennial grass species in the south of the Phytogeographical Province of the Monte, Argentina. All control treatments reduced the woody species mean percentage cover. This reduction persisted during the whole study period. Nevertheless, the woody species tended to recover their percentage cover towards the end of study. At the end of the study period, significant differences (P<0.05) were only detected between the control and controlled burn plus roller-chopping treatment. No significant differences (P>0.05) in woody species mean density were detected among treatments throughout the study period. At the end of the study period, the foliar cover and density of desirable perennial grass species was higher (P<0.05) in the experimental units exposed to woody species control than in the control treatment. No significant differences (P>0.05) were detected in intermediate perennial grasses foliar cover and density among treatments. Our results suggest that the reduction of the woody species cover might encourage increased the foliar cover and density of desirable perennial grass species. The use of the controlled fire and/or roller-chopping, with proper grazing management, may be the key factor to reduce woody species influence and improve rangelands condition in the Monte region.

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Keywords

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