Uso de la tierra y ambiente local de descomposición en el Chaco Semiárido de Córdoba, Argentina

Abstract

Land use change is a key process due to its direct effects on the identity and structure of vegetation. In semi-arid Argentinean Chaco, there is scarse information about the consequences of vegetation changes on processes related to nutrient cycling (e.g., decomposition). In this work, we analyse if changes in local climatic conditions due to changes in vegetation structure, related to different land use types, affect decomposition pattern of two common materials. We found that land use change has a clear impact on vegetation cover, but this impact is not reflected into a consistent change in local decomposition environment. Specifically, we found that more intensive land use types were related to a decrease in vegetation cover and height and also to less litter quantity. These changes were associated with lower soil C and N. However, changes in vegetation structure were not related with changes of local climatic conditions, despite the differences of climatic conditions between vegetal configurations. Decomposition of common materials was faster in vegetal configurations with lower vegetation cover and air temperature. These results suggest that land use change has an evident impact on vegetation cover, but this impact is not transferred on changes of local decomposition environment. In future studies is important to evaluate the contribution of abiotic deterioration processes (photodegradation and physical fragmentation) on decomposition and nutrient cycling. DOI: https://doi.org/10.25260/EA.17.27.3.0.434