Deforestation of “Degraded” Rangelands: The Argentine Chaco Enters the Next Stage of the Anthropocene

Abstract

Twenty years ago I completed my master’s work in the Chaco forests of northern Argentina. The na- tive forests are, in fact, rangelands. In addition to livestock grazing, there is timber extraction, wild- life harvest (think tegu lizard cowboy boots), and charcoal production. I took part in a project comparing biodiversity among production systems. A new system promised to reverse biodiversity loss and soil degradation. But it’s a moot point now, since much of that forest has been cleared for crop- land—the highest rate of tropical forest loss in the world. DOI: 10.2458/azu_rangelands_v36i4_bestelmeyer