IMPACTO HIDROLÓGICO DEL CAMBIO DE USO DEL SUELO DE UN PASTIZAL NATIVO A PRADERAS DE ZACATE BUFFEL(Pennisetum ciliare L.)

Abstract

The aim of this study is to document the impact of establishing buffelgrass (Pennisetum ciliare L.) pasture in rangeland on the soil infiltration rate. The study was conducted in the San Luis del Cordero area of the state of Durango, Mexico. To determine the impact, infiltration tests were conducted with a rainfall simulator in buffelgrass pastures and native range-lands. The simulations were performed in dry and wet conditions (the latter 24 hours after the dry simulations) for three replicates in each land use and moisture condition. The hydrological database consisted of precipitation depth (mm) and runoff volume (l), which were measured every 5 minutes during the test, which lasted 50 minutes. The results indicate that for the two land-use conditions, the final infiltration rate can be classified as moderate (between 2.0 to 6.6 cm·h-1). For the infiltration rates, assessment of the land-use change from native rangeland to buffelgrass pasture in the study region did not represent statistically significant differences (P ≤ 0.05) between land uses. For the experimental site, in the buffelgrass pasture and native rangeland conditions, the average final infiltration rate was 5.04 and 3.88 cm·h-1, respectively.