Mineral Content and Food Quality of Plants on Representative Sites in the Callawaya Mountains, Bolivia

Abstract

The Callawaya Mountains, about 200 km north of La Paz, Bolivia, are used for agriculture up to about 4,000 m eleva- tion. The highlands are intensively grazed by llamas and alpacas. Following a short description of the vegetation and soils, the mineral content and the nutritive value of plant samples are presented. At the end of the dry season there is a clear deficiency in P, K, and Mg in the fodder of the highlands. The shrub leaves provide better nutrition for the animals with P, K, Mg, Zn, Cu and raw protein. There is a great difference between the productivity of the meadows in the Pampa of Ulla Ulla and the estimated consumption of the 150,000 llamas and alpacas. The result of this over-population is over-grazing, soil erosion, and inadequate nutrition of the animals.