Historical changes in the Pampas biome, land use, and climate change

Abstract

The Rio de la Plata grasslands (RPG), also known as "Pampas" or Pampa Biome (PB) are one of the few ecosystems of temperate grasslands and savannas in the world. They cover approximately one million square kilometers, shared by three countries that integrate the Mercosur treaty: Argentina (63%), Brazil (19%), and Uruguay (18%). Today, it is recognized as one of the 24 great ecoregions of South America, comprising a "huge area with almost no forests located partially in the lower Plata basin from Rio Grande do Sul to the south of the province of Buenos Aires". Colonized by bovine and sheep cattle four centuries ago, much of the original natural vegetation of the PB has been replaced in the last 50 years by cropland (wheat, maize, sorghum, and soybeans), arable pastures, and, in less proportion, commercial afforestation. However, livestock production is still a major enterprise, based on grazing of pastures and natural grasslands throughout the year. The economic and social importance of the extensive crop and open-sky grazing livestock production systems developed in the RPG is immense. It is for this reason that the three countries have launched important collaborative efforts for addressing the effects of climate change in the rural sector.