Determinación de pérdida de suelo bajo distintas prácticas de ganadería altoandina

Abstract

Traditionally it has been argued that livestock in the highlands hillside, characterized by topographical, physical and environmental specific conditions, bring the lost productivity and increased sediment downstream, due to erosion, which may be higher or less according to production practices to be established. This research looks to correlate the loss of soil with different production practices dairy farming in high Andean hillside areas, and identify the most sustainable and appropriate for these areas. As an estimate for soil loss two methods were applied: Indirect, by the Universal Soil Loss Equation (R-USLE) and direct: which consists of the division of land with erosion stakes. Tests were carried out in four parcels in similar slopes in order to compare three different cattle farming practices: Extensive, Intensive, and Intermediate, as defined by the animal load per hectare. There was a witness plot without any cattle. Considering the estimated erosion by the both methods in the dry season, it was found that the intensive practice is the one that generate less lost of ground. The extensive and intermediate practices generate similars erosion values, being the higher lost of ground of the intermediate practice.