The Faxinal System: Forest fragmentation and soil degradation on the communal grazing land

Abstract

The Brazilian faxinal is a traditional agrosilvopastoral system, which combines extensive grazing, subsistence cropping and low impact forest extraction, managed within a communal property system. Today it is at serious risk of disappearing due to increasing grazing pressure and logging activities that are leading to environmental problems such as forest fragmentation and soil degradation. The objectives of the study were to: a) evaluate soil physical degradation levels in different grazing areas within the faxinal system; and b) correlate soil degradation, fodder quantity and livestock dynamics in different pasture areas according to the household's location. Landscape mapping, vegetation surveys, and livestock grazing dynamics were assessed. In addition, soil physical parameters were evaluated for each land use (e.g., resistance, bulk density, porosity, moisture, and water infiltration rates). Results showed that livestock grazing and household locations are the main driving forces that lead to forest fragmentation. The household location creates three interrelated gradients in the communal grazing land: 1) soil physical degradation decreases from the pasture areas to araucaria forests; 2) fodder quantity decreases from pastures to araucaria forests; and 3) the livestock grazing intensity decreases from pastures to araucaria forests. In addition, some management practices to mitigate land degradation, including improvement of pastures, installation of removable troughs for drinking water in the upland areas and restriction of livestock from the riparian zone, have been proposed.