Author(s): SANTOS, S. A.; MEDEIROS, S. R. de; LIMA, H. P. de; SALIS, S. M.; OLIVEIRA, M. D. de; SORIANO, B. M. A.

Summary: Integrated management approaches are essential for the sustainability of the beef cattle production system in the Pantanal wetland, and it would direct the adoption of adequate management practices that favor multiple ecosystem services and biodiversity. This paper exempli?es the evaluation of the pasture attributes in a ranch at the Nhecolandia sub-region, Pantanal. The evaluation is based on an indicator of natural pasture conservation status (PCS) applied to landscapes with dominance of native grasslands. To estimate the net primary productivity (NPP) and forage provision, the vegetation at two different landscapes was mapped, one with "regular" and another with a "good" PCS performance. Grassland landscape with "good" PCS presented more than three times NPP than the "regular" one, reflecting the greater forage provision and grazing capacity. This result indicates the PCS indicator is suitable to differentiate among grassland condition with potential positive impact on animal performance and ecosystem services. The integration of different complementary evaluation tools provides useful information for decision making on sustainable grassland management.

Publication year: 2021

Types of publication: Paper in annals and proceedings

Unit: Embrapa Pantanal

Keywords: Forage provision, Net primary productivity, Rangeland