Chancani
From IAI CRN 2015
Contents |
Overview
The Argentine case-study site of the DiverSus network is located in the NW of Córdoba province in central Argentina. The site, close to the village of Chancaní, containes one of the few remaining large expanses of native arid or dry chaco woodland in Argentina. It is also undergoing dramatic social changes as large-scale farming entreprises move into the area and the agricultural frontier expands. In DiverSus, we study the consequences of these changes on the main ecosystems of the area, and how they affect the provision of ecosystem services.
Location
The area is located between S 31º 15’- 32º 05’ latitude (some 100 km North to South). The mean annual precipitation is about 500 mm concentrated in summer, and the mean annual temperature is between 18-20 ºC. It belongs to subtropical dry forest in the Dry Chaco region.
The arid Chaco
The potential vegetation in the study site is dry Chaco woodland, with Aspidosperma quebracho-blanco and Prosopis spp. as dominant species. Today most of the land is covered by secondary vegetation as a result of a long disturbance history (logging, livestock grazing and more recently annual crops with irrigation) and the most predominant vegetation type is a closed shrubland with a mix of species or dominated by Larrea divaricata when heavily browsed.
Study design
For more general considerations, please check out our page on ecological study designs for the network study sites.
Vegetation types under study
We had identified different vegetation types (we sometimes call them "biotic configuration") presumably associated with different management regimes. We chose these configurations because they represent the dominant vegetation types in the area or are associated with emerging land uses that are likely to increase in the near future (such as irrigated agriculture). Furthermore, in terms of our contribution to ecoloogical theory, they represent distinct vegetation structures (in terms of density and composition of tree canopy, shrub and herbaceous layer) that provide an interesting model for testing the effects of functional biodiversity on ecosystem processes.
Ecological measurements
We chose 4 study plots as representative replicates of each vegetation types. In choosing them, we strived to keep climate, topography and edaphic characteristics constant whilst limiting pseudo-replicates by choosing distant properties with distinct owners when ever possible.
The ecosystem properties we are going to study in these plots relate to the following:
- Community structure: floristic composition and stratas (Marcelo Cabido)
- Functional biodiversity: Distribution of plant traits in the community and community-weighted mean
- Vegetation architecture as part of the fire/flammability study of Pedro Jaureguiberry.
- Biomass and carbon stocks (Georgina Conti)
- Herbivory (Lucas Enrico)
- Decomposition (Natalia Pérez-Harguindeguy)
- Soil organisms and mycorrhizas (Carlos Urcelay)
Social data
Using an actor-oriented approach, we will establish how ecosystem services contribute to the livelihoods of social actors both within and beyond the study area. In the exploratory stage, a tentative map of social actors was established.
Interdisciplinary linkages
Interdisciplinary linkages, between ecosystem properties and livelihoods were discussed in internal workshops held in Cordoba in May and November 2007 (see Taller interno 17/05/2007).
Resources for the case-study team
Resources such as calendars, maps, contact informations in the area are available to network members through the Chancani:Recursos page (in Spanish, restricted access).
This page is an IMBIV page, restrictions apply, This page can be read by all, but only network members from the Departamento de Desarollo Rural of the UNC can edit it.
