Extensive Ranching Research Articles

South American Dry Chaco rangelands: Positive effects of cattle trampling and transit on ecohydrological functioning.

Livestock production in drylands requires consideration of the ecological applications of ecohydrological redistribution of water. Intensive cattle trampling and the associated increase of surface runoff are common concerns for rangeland productivity and sustainability. Here, we highlight a regional livestock production system in which cattle trails and trampling surrounding an artificial impoundment are purposely managed to enhance redistribution and availability of water for cattle drinking. Based on literature synthesis and field measurements, we first describe cattle production systems and surface water redistribution in the Dry Chaco rangelands of South America, and then develop a conceptual framework to synthesize the ecohydrological impacts of livestock production on these ecosystems. Critical to this framework is the pioshere-a degraded overgrazed and overtrampled area where vegetation has difficulties growing, usually close to the water points. The Dry Chaco rangelands have three key distinctive characteristics associated with the flat sedimentary environment lacking fresh groundwater and the very extensive ranching conditions: (1) cattle drinking water is provided by artificial impoundments filled by runoff, (2) heavy trampling around the impoundment and its adjacent areas generates a piosphere that favors runoff toward the impoundment, and (3) the impoundment, piosphere, and extensive forage areas are hydrologically connected with a network of cattle trails. We propose an ecohydrological framework where cattle transit and trampling alter the natural water circulation of these ecosystems, affecting small fractions of the landscape through increased runoff (compaction in piosphere and trails), surface connectivity (convergence of trails to piosphere to impoundment), and ponding (compaction of the impoundment floor) that operate together making water harvesting and storage possible. These effects have likely generated a positive water feedback on the expansion of livestock in the region with a relatively low impact on forage production. We highlight the role of livestock transit as a geomorphological agent capable of reshaping the hydrology of flat sedimentary rangelands in ways that can be managed positively for sustainable ranching systems. We suggest that the Dry Chaco offers an alternative paradigm for rangelands in which cattle trampling may contribute to sustainable seminatural production systems with implications for other dry and flat rangelands of the world.

Seeking serpents: Ball python trade in Benin, West Africa

Ball pythons are traded as bushmeat, leather and belief-based medicine in West Africa, and specimens are exported in large numbers for the exotic pet trade. Here, we focused on understanding the purpose and socio-economic context of this trade in Benin through interviews with 44 actors involved in the trade of this species. We provided a snapshot of trade dynamics during a period when hunters are not predominantly actively involved in supplying eggs, neonates and gravid females for ranching and export as exotic pets. Our findings revealed that hunters and traders were largely focused on supplying the bushmeat and medicine markets in West Africa during this time. We estimated that the 21 collectors engaged in hunting in our study collectively hunt between 576 and 5,083 ball pythons from the wild each year. Collection rates reported by some suggests that they could earn more than 15,000 USD from ball python sales in bushmeat markets annually. Ball pythons hunted in Benin were mainly sold to local customers as “bushmeat” (53%) or for belief-based uses (39%) (including “fetish”, “medicinal products” and “voodoo”). However, cross-border trade with neighboring countries of Togo, Nigeria, and Ghana (or even further) also occurred. Although profitable for some, the scale of this practice, together with the widely reported decline in ball python populations in Benin, raises concern about the sustainability and long-term economic viability of this type of large-scale commercial wildlife trade in West Africa, especially as it occurs alongside extensive ranching practices to support the exotic pet trade.

A New Pastoral Frontier: Colonial Development, Environmental Knowledge, and the Introduction of Trypanotolerant Cattle in French Equatorial Africa, 1945–1960

After the Second World War, colonial veterinary services, entrepreneurs, and African villagers in French Equatorial Africa (AEF) began to raise cattle in regions where this had been deemed impossible because of the threat of African animal trypanosomiasis. The opening of this new pastoral frontier in the humid savannas of Central Africa was not only a challenging logistical operation, involving the purchase, transport, and acclimatization of thousands of trypanotolerant animals. It also hinged on the mobilization of various forms of expertise, from veterinary medicine to soil science, important financial investments, and the participation of rural Africans. The article argues that the specific conditions in postwar AEF generated a frontier that was distinct from many other global and African cattle frontiers, as it was driven more by late-colonial development ideas and funds than capitalist expansion, even if these were sometimes entangled. Shaped by the interplay between local, (trans)imperial, and globally circulating knowledge, trypanotolerant cattle production in the AEF took the complementary forms of extensive ranching and small-scale peasant production. Although the introduction of trypanotolerant cattle triggered new conflicts, it was further pursued by postcolonial states, transforming rural economies and ecologies.

Composite index for soil-related ecosystem services assessment: Insights from rainforest-pasture transitions in the Colombian Amazon

Land use change is one of the major drivers of soil degradation, affecting the ability of soils to supply multiple ecosystem services (ES). Despite the growing importance of soil-related ES, there is a lack of comprehensive methodologies to systematize how land use change affects the ability of soil to supply them. Here, by using primary information on soil properties, we develop a series of indices to assess the impact of land use change on the ability of soil to supply five soil-related ES: support for plant growth (SES1), C storage (SES2), nutrient cycling (SES3), erosion control (SES4), and water regulation and aeration (SES5). We focus our analysis on the rainforest-pasture transition for extensive ranching in the Colombian Amazon. Despite the global importance of the Amazon Forest biome, the existing methodological and knowledge gaps restrict our understanding of the impacts of land use change in the region’s soil-related ES. The results revealed that the extensive conversion of forest to pasture degraded the soil’s ability to supply all measured soil-related ES, with a higher impact for SES2 (47% of soil C storage reduction), SES1, and SES4 (40% and 31% decline of related indices, respectively). According to the average scores for the three sites, the capacity of the soil to supply related ES is severely threatened by extensive ranching, causing a decline in the index from 99% in forest sites to 73% in pasture sites. A significant correlation among most indices revealed that the supply of the five soil-related ES is interdependent, with the indices of soil C storage and erosion control services being the major drivers of synergies and trade-offs. Our study highlights the importance of re-adjusting management practices to mitigate the negative historical impacts of pasture conversion on soil properties linked to soil-related ES.

Pampas fox (Lycalopex gymnocercus) of the Argentine Pampas as intermediate host for Neospora caninum.

The Pampas fox (Lycalopex gymnocercus) is the most abundant wild canid from South America. This wild canid inhabits grasslands, open woodlands, and areas highly modified by extensive ranching and agricultural activities. We aimed to evaluate Neospora caninum infection in tissues from the Pampas fox from Argentina. A total of 41 free-living Pampas foxes were sampled in rural areas located in the Humid Pampas region, Argentina. Brain tissue and different muscles were assessed by histologic and molecular methods. No N. caninum cysts were observed in brain and muscle tissue samples analyzed by histology and immunohistochemistry. Molecular N. caninum identification from brain tissue was based on amplification by PCR of Nc-5 gene and ITS1 rRNA fragments and subsequent sequencing. The presence of N. caninum DNA was 74% (23/31) for the Nc-5 gene and was confirmed by a second ITS1 PCR in 55% (17/31) of the brain tested. Thirteen ITS1 consensus sequences were obtained, and all have a 99.58-100% similarity with N. caninum reference sequences. Only 4% (1/23) of muscles samples analyzed were positive for the Nc-5 gene of N. caninum. This study demonstrated a high prevalence of N. caninum DNA in brain from free-ranging Pampas fox of the Pampa Argentine, thus confirming that this wild canid is a wide distributed intermediate host.

Incidence of Watershed Land Use on the Consumption of Meso and Microplastics by Fish Communities in Uruguayan Lowland Streams

Physical-chemical and biologicaldiversity of streams are influenced by the land use in their watersheds. Plastics currently make up the most important waste asset, representing an important part of the transported and accumulated material in water courses. This work analyzes the consumption of plastics debris by the fish communities in streams with two contrasting types of land use. We worked with threestreams impacted by urbanization and threeby extensive ranching. The stomach and intestinal contents of 309 individuals of 29 species were analyzed, by a modified alkaline digestion, and observed under a stereo microscope with polarized light. A total of 373 plastic itemswere found, of which the majority corresponded to fibers (318). A significant difference was found between the percentage of individuals that consumed plastic debrisbetween both systems (51.6% in ranchers and 76.6% in urban, p = 0.014 Mood’s Median), but no difference was found in the average ingested per individual. This study establishes the first baseline on plastic debris consumption by fish in Uruguayan streams, showing the extent of the plastic and microplastic pollution problem. Although there are differences between the analyzed sites, we also observed significant contamination in streams far from urbanization.

Detecting Mollicutes by PCR in goats in southwestern Bahia, Brazil.

Brazil has a herd of over 9 million goats, and the northeast of Brazil is home to over 93% of this herd. Caprine mycoplasmosis are widely disseminated worldwide, being highly contagious with high rates of morbidity and mortality, causing considerable economic loss to goat herders. In addition, there has been a lack of research using molecular testing to monitor the health and detect Mollicutes in this herd in Brazil. Therefore, the aim of this study is to associate animal management with the presence of the caprine origin Mollicutes in goats, in the southwest region of the state of Bahia, Brazil. A cross-sectional study was conducted on twelve farms, and statistical analyses were performed to identify associations between the presence of Mollicutes and the management of goats. Molecular testing identified Mollicutes class, Mycoplasma agalactiae (Ma) and M. conjunctivae (Mc), in the samples analyzed. Statistical associations were observed between animals from intensive livestock facilities and the presence of Mollicutes in nasal samples and dairy ranch animals and the presence of Mollicutes in ocular samples and animals from extensive ranching sites and positive results of Mollicutes in genital samples. We conclude that mycoplasmas are present in goat herds in the southwestern region of Bahia, which supports the need for more focused studies of mycoplasmas throughout the country. Our research also demonstrated the presence of two important opportunistic bacteria, Mc and Ma, and, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that M. conjunctivae was detected in Brazilian goats by molecular testing.

Midsummer Trophic Overlap Between Guanaco and Sheep in Patagonian Rangelands

Diet overlap estimation among species is important to understand interspecific interactions. Through these interactions, one species may extinguish others through competition or adapt through mechanisms such as resource partitioning. The introduction of domestic herbivores in a native assemblage may introduce competition for resources with wild herbivores. In southern Patagonian steppes, guanaco (Lama guanicoe) populations are increasing after a drastic demise during the past century. This is occurring in protected areas and extensive ranching areas for sheep, and in the latter ranchers have rising concerns regarding competition. In this observational study, we measured diet overlap, food selection and preferences, and niche width for guanaco and sheep to compare use of food resources during the summer season. Feces were analyzed through microhistological technique to determine sheep and guanaco diets. Diets of guanaco and sheep were dominated by tussock grass (Festuca gracillima, sheep > 60%, guanaco > 50%), the most abundant plant species. Although food niche widths, measured through Levin’s Index, were narrow, guanaco presented the broadest niche (P < 0.001). Of the 17 identified plant species present in guanaco and sheep diets, 5 were always selected by both ungulates and 1 was always avoided at the four study sites. Overlap between diets was high (> 0.90), evidencing potential competition. In addition, diet overlap coupled with our results of small variation in use and selectivity of food resources suggest the absence of resource partitioning. Therefore, both species might share resources or coexist, possibly due to high availability or spatial distribution of food resources and guanaco resilience to cope with numerically dominant competition from sheep. These findings offer new insight into the understanding of these species’ interactions. It is also a management challenge to emerging wild and domestic herbivores interactions, as well as livestock production concerns at large.

Goats Fattening Under an Agrosilvopastoril Production System in Oaxaca

The agroforestry systems consider the integrated management of all production within the production unit processes and conservation practices related to the use of natural resources. From this point of view, it should be approached as a system composed by subsystems and the interactions that occur among them, in order to provide a sustainable, social, economic and ecological alternative to the traditional extensive ranching. The project objective was to evaluate the fattening of goats under an agrosilvopastoril production system established in the 2013 summer-autumn cycle, at the Technological Institute of Oaxaca Valley (ITVO). Completely randomized design with factorial arrangement evaluating three factors (age, sex and supplement) and two levels were used. 16 goats feeding with nutritional ITVO block, native grasses and guaje (Leucaena esculenta) were used. The variance analysis was made by the statistical package SAS (Statistical Analysis System) version 9.4. For the comparison of measures with Tukey test (α = 0.05) and a proximal analysis by Van Soest to obtain the quality of the forages. Weight gain related to sex was differential, males and females presented a value of 63.5±18.2 and 54.25±17.3 g day/animal not significant (p>0.05), respectively. Creole goats grazing and supplemented with a nutritional block had a weight gain of 70.5±20.3 g day/animal without supplement 47.29±18.9 g day/animal not significant (p>0.05). The greater weight gained in nutritional supplement found with block showed that the use of the same influences fattening goats.

Territorios tradicionales y aprovechamientos económicos en Urabá, Colombia. Ordenamientos productivos en ecosistemas de humedales

En la región de Urabá, Colombia, se han dado prácticas intensivas de monocultivos bananeros y ganadería extensiva en los humedales del río León y la ciénaga de Tumaradó, habitados por poblaciones campesinas y afrodescendientes. Apoyados en el enfoque socioespacial y el análisis escalar, se describen las características naturales del humedal y las políticas del agua que enmarcan los procesos poblacionales, económicos, y bélicos que lo configuran y transforman. Los resultados muestran la configuración de espacialidades simultáneas que yuxtaponen en los humedales proyecciones económicas y visiones de conservación, poniendo en riesgo la sobrevivencia de un ecosistema vital para el planeta y la región.

Productive and Economic Viability of Raising Beef Cattle in the Savanna of the Brazilian State of Goiás

Abstract: The present study evaluates the economic viability of four different models of beef cattle production in the rio Vermelho hydrographic basin. The study focuses on the traditional extensive ranching system, which was compared to three intensive systems, one based on low levels of concentrated supplementation, a second with low levels of concentrated supplementation and confinement for fattening and an intensive grazing system, with supplementation during the dry and rainy seasons. The investments were estimated for the different levels of technical specifications of each system. The net present values and internal return rate were used for the assessment of the economic viability of the project, considering the minimum rate of attractiveness, equivalent to the inflation-adjusted savings interest rate (6.17%). The continuity of the sector was evaluated based on the gross and net margins, and profitability rates, where the system is already installed. All four systems had gross and net margins and profitability consistent with their economic sustainability over both the short and long terms. However, only two systems (reduced consumption of concentrated supplements and the intensive grazing system) were economically viable as start-ups.

Relations with wildlife of Wichi and Criollo people of the Dry Chaco, a conservation perspective

Indigenous Wichis and mestizos Criollos inhabit a rural, biodiversity rich, area of the Argentinean Dry Chaco. Traditionally, Wichis were nomads and their relations with wildlife were shaped by animistic and shamanic beliefs. Today, Wichis live in stable communities and practice subsistence hunting, gathering and in some cases, fishing. Criollos are mestizos , i.e. a mixture of the first Spanish settlers and different indigenous groups. They arrived during the 20th century from neighbouring Provinces. They practice extensive ranching, hunting and gathering. Our aim was to help develop effective and legitimate actions to conserve wildlife species in this region, focused on Wichis ´ and Criollos ´ perceptions of and relations with wildlife. We conducted semi-structured interviews (N=105) in rural settlements. We found differences in both groups´ hunting techniques, drivers and perceptions on the importance of wild meat for nutrition. However, both groups have a close relation with wildlife, they use wild animals in a variety of ways, including as food resource, medicine and predictors of future events. Wichis and Criollos also relate with wildlife in a spiritual dimension, have animistic and shamanic beliefs and have unique traditional ecological knowledge. Hunters in both communities are breaking traditional hunting norms but conservation measures grounded on these norms have a higher probability of success. Management recommendations include developing programmes focused on (i) conserving thin armadillos; (ii) conserving pregnant and breeding females of all species; (iii) managing dogs to avoid unnecessary killings and on (iv) improving local livelihoods. We also provide recommendations that are specific for each group.

Cattle in the Backlands: Mato Grosso and the Evolution of Ranching in the Brazilian Tropics by Robert W. Wilcox

Reviewed by: Cattle in the Backlands: Mato Grosso and the Evolution of Ranching in the Brazilian Tropics by Robert W. Wilcox Christian Brannstrom Robert W. Wilcox Cattle in the Backlands: Mato Grosso and the Evolution of Ranching in the Brazilian Tropics Austin: University of Texas Press, 2017. xviii + 323 pp. Tables, maps, ills., notes, glossary, index. $45 cloth (ISBN: 978-1-4733-1114-1); $45 electronic (ISBN: 978-1-4733-1116-5). Cattle in the backlands offers historical analysis of the halting nineteenth- and twentieth-century development of the ranching economy in a Brazilian “backland” or sertão. The book focuses on ranching, labor, land, and beef products in what is today Mato Grosso do Sul state (separated from Mato Grosso in the late 1970s) and southern areas of current Mato Grosso state, such as Cuiabá. One of many Brazilian “backlands,” southern Mato Grosso included the Pantanal wetlands and Cerrado savanna formations, at the fringe of the Brazilian economy until the mid-twentieth century. Wilcox depicts an extensive ranching system constrained by the physical environment, land tenure insecurity, poor access to credit, and long distance to markets for [End Page 276] cattle from the mid 1800s until the mid 1900s. Environmental features of the Pantanal and Cerrado were “restraints” (p. 223) that “[defined] how ranching developed” (p. 227). These environmental constraints, described as seasonal flooding, long dry season, and disease, are major themes in sources that Wilcox uses, such as an observation from the 1920s that “cattle are a mirror of the land” in Mato Grosso (p. 14). Attempts to break the constraints—by introducing European breeds, for example—failed spectacularly until the introduction of Zebu, imported from south Asia, which helped turn ranching into a “vibrant, if controversial, economic pole of development” by the early 2000s (p. 2). Wilcox frames Mato Grosso as a “paradox of tropical ranching” (p. 1) because the cattle sector was frequently criticized as backward, reliant on extensive practices, and attracting relatively little investment through the 1940s, yet southern Mato Grosso eventually became a leader in tropical ranching. Wilcox, a historian, organizes the book thematically according to topics such as minor booms, land tenure, labor relations, and the introduction of Zebu. Several contributions will interest geographers specializing in animal geographies, historical geography, and peripheral economies. Among these is the discussion of the fate of indigenous peoples, whose access to land was reduced by the expansion of cattle ranching. For example, Wilcox describes the fate of the Kadiwéu people, who suffered under the genocidal regime of Antonio Joaquim Malheiros, who was director of the Kadiwéu reserve in the 1870s. Intervention of progressive Brazilians and formation of the Serviço de Proteção aos Indios, led by Mato Grosso native Cândido Mariano da Silva Rondon in the early 1900s, protected the Kadiwéu “from complete obliteration” (p. 132). Cattle drives, which supplied ranchers in Minas Gerais starting in the 1850s and then slaughterhouses and meatpackers in São Paulo during the early 1900s, are described in great detail. Drives lasted for months, requiring considerable skill and tenacity among drovers. Conditions of the drive were such that Zebu had distinct advantages over Pantaneiro cattle, and drovers would accept Zebu as payment when they reached their destination and drive Zebu back to Mato Grosso. Wilcox argues that railroad construction in the early 1900s from São Paulo to Corumbá did not offer more secure transport because cattle would be kept in wagons for several days without food or water, and costs were comparable between rail and trail. Wilcox also offers a useful breakdown of expenses and profit margins from cattle drives during the 1930s. Wilcox devotes considerable analysis to foreign capital invested in Mato Grosso cattle operations. The Descalvados jerky factory, located on the Paraguay River upstream from Cáceres, is a case in point. Initially established in the 1870s by an Argentine investor, the factory was purchased by a Uruguayan in the 1880s, adding beef bouillon to jerky production, drawing on a cattle population of up to 200,000 head. A Belgian syndicate, linked to King Leopold II, purchased Descalvados in 1895 and sold it in 1911 to Percival Farquahar, a U.S...

Reduction of the frequency of herbaceous roots as an effect of soil compaction induced by heavy grazing in rangelands of SW Spain

Rangelands in SW Spain constitute the most extensive ranching system on the Iberian Peninsula. During the last few decades, a significant increase in livestock numbers, along with a progressive substitution of cattle for sheep, have led to land degradation processes such as the reduction of grass cover and increased soil compaction in heavily grazed areas. Nevertheless, a better understanding of how soil compaction affects grass production is still needed. In this study, some of the effects of soil compaction due to heavy grazing are analysed, mainly the reduction of the frequency of herbaceous roots and its relationships with bulk density and soil penetration resistance. The study was carried out in 22 fenced areas grazed under different intensities (animal stocking rates: 0.19–15.76AUha−1). Undisturbed soil core and bulk samples were collected at 3 depth intervals in order to determine select soil properties (texture, organic matter content, and bulk density). Additionally, soil penetration resistance was quantified at 890 random points at different depths and soil moisture contents. Frequency of herbaceous roots was estimated for each soil horizon in 47 soil profiles and categorized into 4 classes: none, few, common and many. Results showed negative relationships between bulk density (>10cm depth) and the content of soil organic matter from 0 to 5cm (r=−0.061, p<0.05) and 5–10m depth (r=−0.824, p<0.005). Furthermore, a tendency for decreasing mean values of soil penetration resistance as the frequency of herbaceous roots increased was also observed. The values observed confirm that soil compaction provoked by an excessive number of animals reduced the quantity of herbaceous roots. The value of 2MPa traditionally accepted as restrictive for root growth is discussed. Findings presented here could be of interest for policy makers and farm owners to guide decisions about optimum animal stocking rates.

Ancylostoma (Ancylostoma) buckleyi (Nematoda: Ancylostomatidae): new wild host and distribution expansion.

Here we report the occurrence of Ancylostoma (Ancylostoma) buckleyi (Le Roux and Biocca, 1957) (Nematoda: Ancylostomatidae) in the small intestine of Pampas foxes (Lycalopex gymnocercus) (Mammalia: Canidae). This fox is the most abundant native carnivore in southern South America, where it inhabits grasslands, open woodlands and areas highly modified by extensive ranching and agricultural activities. Material from 80 foxes in rural areas of southern Buenos Aires province, Argentina was examined. The intestinal tracts were carefully removed from each carcass and subsequently isolated by ligatures (pylorus and rectum). Examination of the intestinal content was performed using the sedimentation and counting technique. Four foxes (5%) were found to be parasitized with adult specimens of A. buckleyi. This is the first report of Ancylostoma (A.) buckleyi in Argentina and adds L. gymnocercus as new host of this nematode species.

The Impact of Heavy Grazing on Soil Quality and Pasture Production in Rangelands of SW Spain

AbstractSoil degradation phenomena, including water erosion and physical and biological processes, have already been reported in rangelands of southwestern Spain. The increasing numbers of livestock since 1986 have been highlighted as one of the key causes. The main goal of this work is to analyse the effects of the excessive number of animals on soil quality and pasture production on privately owned farms dedicated to extensive ranching. Soil properties and surface cover, pasture production, rainfall and land management variables such as livestock density were analysed during a period of 3 years (2008–2011). The study was carried out in 22 livestock enclosures selected from ten farms distributed throughout the Spanish region of Extremadura. The occurrence of bare soil patches and water erosion processes, as well as an increase of mean bulk density in the soil layer from 5 to 10 cm in depth, was observed in the enclosures with animal stocking rates exceeding 1 AU ha−1. Indications that confirm the negative effects of increased bulk density on pasture production and quality were also found. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

La competitividad de la carne fresca de res mexicana en el mercado estadounidense

Recientemente la ganadería mexicana ha transitado de un proceso de ganadería extensiva y exportación de ganado en pie, hacia procesos tecnificados y orientados a la exportación de carne fresca y congelada de mejor calidad. Esta dinámica productiva se refleja en una mayor participación ganadera en el PIB agroalimentario de México y en su participación en el mercado estadounidense. El objetivo de este documento es cuantificar el efecto de la dinámica productiva en el mercado nacional y la competitividad de la carne fresca de res en Estados Unidos mediante la participación constante de mercado y la ventaja relativa de exportación. Encontramos una senda de crecimiento estable sin presentar aún ventaja relativa. De forma similar esta dinámica ha generado un incremento sustancial en la participación en el mercado estadounidense, generada por un crecimiento del mercado receptor y por la mayor competitividad del sector cárnico en México.

Dissimilar responses of the Gray brocket deer (Mazama gouazoubira), Crab-eating fox (Cerdocyon thous) and Pampas fox (Lycalopex gymnocercus) to livestock frequency in subtropical forests of NW Argentina

This study represents the first analysis of livestock influence over individual mammal species in NW Argentina forests. Through camera-trapping, I found a negative correlation between frequencies of occurrence of livestock (sheep, goats and cattle) and Gray brocket deer Mazama gouazoubira, and a modification of the daily activities patterns of the latter according to changes in density of the former. However, no evident associations between Crab-eating fox Cerdocyon thous and Pampas fox Lycalopex gymnocercus frequencies and livestock were found. This study provides insights on the effects of extensive ranching over mammal species in NW forests of Argentina, where this activity is of major importance among forests inhabitants.

Rainwater harvesting in Dry Chaco: Regional distribution and local water balance

Rainwater harvesting (RWH) has been essential for the establishment of human settlements in many dry regions of the world that lacked suitable surface or groundwater resources. A vast fraction of the South American Dry Chaco ecoregion still relies on RWH to support, not only livestock production, but domestic and industrial uses as well. As a result, water capture and storage infrastructure is widely disseminated throughout the region. In this paper we characterized the most typical RWH systems in two contrastingly developed sub-regions of Dry Chaco, ranging from extensive ranching to intensive beef and dairy production (central Argentina and western Paraguay, respectively). In each sub-region, we quantified RWH systems density, spatial distribution and associations with landscape features; furthermore, we illustrated how the daily dynamic of water stock in a typical RWH system contributes to assess their capture and storage efficiency. We found that randomly distributed low sophisticated RWH systems prevailed in central Argentina, while clustered distributed high sophisticated ones were more common in western Paraguay. RWH systems density was ten times higher in western Paraguay (0.94 vs. 0.098 units/km2), showing an exponential association with land cleared fraction and proximity to villages. The daily dynamic of water stock of the RWH impoundment showed that water harvest events were exponentially associated with precipitation magnitude events (R2 = 0.86), while annual water losses were explained by infiltration and evaporation fluxes (59 vs. 41%, respectively). Across both sub-regions, RWH accounts for less than 1% of the annual precipitation, playing a minor role on the regional water balance; however at a local level, they can affect several hydrological fluxes including the onset of groundwater recharge and the mitigation of extreme runoff events.

The Pampas fox (Lycalopex gymnocercus) as new definitive host for Spirometra erinacei (Cestoda: Diphyllobothriidae)

Spirometra erinacei, Faust, Campbell and Kellogg, 1929, is a pseudophyllidean cestode of the family Diphyllobothriidae. The genus Spirometra is cosmopolitan and these parasites infect carnivores, specially felids and canids. In Argentina, S. erinacei and S. mansonoides have been reported sporadically only in domestic definitive hosts. The Pampas fox, Lycalopex gymnocercus, is the most abundant native carnivore in southern South America, where it inhabits grasslands and open woodlands and areas highly modified by extensive ranching and agricultural activities. This report describes the first finding of S. erinacei infecting Pampas fox, and provides an estimate prevalence of this cestode in rural areas of southern Buenos Aires province, Argentina based on 78 complete Pampas fox intestine samples analysis. This study found a 15.4% of prevalence of S. erinacei in small intestine (adult stage) and a 21.8% in fecal samples (egg stage). In the present work, the first case of S. erinacei in a wild definitive host from Argentina was reported expanding the list of definitive hosts of S. erinacei in South America.