scholarly journals Native Grasslands at the Core: A New Paradigm of Intensification for the Campos of Southern South America to Increase Economic and Environmental Sustainability

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martín Jaurena ◽  
Martín Durante ◽  
Thais Devincenzi ◽  
Jean V. Savian ◽  
Diego Bendersky ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South America ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Nutritive Value ◽  
Grazing Intensity ◽  
Livestock Production ◽  
New Paradigm ◽  
Southern South America ◽  
The Core ◽  
Native Grasslands ◽  
Trade Offs

Extensive livestock production in southern South America occupies ~0.5 M km2 in central-eastern Argentina, Uruguay and southern Brazil. These systems have been sustained for more than 300 years by year-long grazing of the highly biodiverse native Campos ecosystems that provides many valuable additional ecosystem services. However, their low productivity (~70 kg liveweight/ha per year), at least relative to values recorded in experiments and by best farmers, has been driving continued land use conversion towards agriculture and forestry. Therefore, there is a pressing need for usable, cost effective technological options based on scientific knowledge that increase profitability while supporting the conservation of native grasslands. In the early 2000s, existing knowledge was synthesized in a path of six sequential steps of increasing intensification. Even though higher productivity underlined that path, it was recognized that trade-offs would occur, with increases in productivity being concomitant to reductions in diversity, resilience to droughts, and a higher exposure to financial risks. Here, we put forward a proposal to shift the current paradigm away from a linear sequence and toward a flexible dashboard of intensification options to be implemented in defined modules within a farm whose aims are (i) to maintain native grasslands as the main feed source, and (ii) ameliorate its two major productive drawbacks: marked seasonality and relatively rapid loss of low nutritive value-hence the title “native grasslands at the core.” At its center, the proposal highlights a key role for optimal grazing management of native grasslands to increase productivity and resilience while maintaining low system wide costs and financial risk, but acknowledges that achieving the required spatio-temporal control of grazing intensity requires using (a portfolio of) complementary, synergistic intensification options. We sum up experimental evidence and case studies supporting the hypothesis that integrating intensification options increases both profitability and environmental sustainability of livestock production in Campos ecosystems.

scholarly journals Paspalum chilense (Poaceae, Paspaleae): A new species from southern South America

Phytotaxa ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 201 (3) ◽  
pp. 240
Author(s):  
María Paz Catanzaro ◽  
Marisa Graciela Bonasora ◽  
Pablo Rafael Speranza ◽  
Marcelo Medina-Nicolas ◽  
José F.M. Valls ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
South America ◽  
Molecular Evidence ◽  
Southern South America ◽  
The Core ◽  
A New Species

Paspalum chilense, a new species from Chile belonging to the informal Notata group, is described and illustrated on the basis of morphological, cytological and molecular evidence. Our evidence supports its affinity with P. barretoi and P. nummularium, from Brazil, from which it probably diverged by vicariant speciation. The limited available material of the new species was previously identified as P. pumilum or P. minus. A new key to the species of the core Notata group is provided.

scholarly journals Grazing management for more resilient mixed livestock farming systems on native grasslands of southern South America

2019 ◽  
Vol 74 (4) ◽  
pp. 636-649 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pablo Modernel ◽  
Valentin Picasso ◽  
Martin Do Carmo ◽  
Walter A. H. Rossing ◽  
Marc Corbeels ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South America ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Grazing Management ◽  
Livestock Farming ◽  
Southern South America ◽  
Livestock Farming Systems ◽  
Native Grasslands

Paspalum chilense (Poaceae, Paspaleae): A new species from southern South America

Phytotaxa ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 197 (4) ◽  
pp. 245-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
María Paz Catanzaro ◽  
Marisa Graciela Bonasora ◽  
Pablo Rafael Speranza ◽  
Marcelo Medina-Nicolas ◽  
José F.M. Valls ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
South America ◽  
Molecular Evidence ◽  
Southern South America ◽  
The Core ◽  
A New Species

Paspalum chilense, a new species from Chile belonging to the informal Notata group, is described and illustrated on the basis of morphological, cytological and molecular evidence. Our evidence supports its affinity with P. barretoi and P. nummularium, from Brazil, from which it probably diverged by vicariant speciation. The limited available material of the new species was previously identified as P. pumilum or P. minus. A new key to the species of the core Notata group is provided.

scholarly journals The role of livestock in sustainable food production systems in Canada

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim Ominski ◽  
Kebebe E. Gunte ◽  
Karin Wittenberg ◽  
Getahun Legesse ◽  
Genet Mengistu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Consumer Preferences ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Livestock Production ◽  
Nutritional Adequacy ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Livestock Products ◽  
Water Taste

Global drivers such as the growing human population, evolving consumer preferences, globalization, and climate change have put pressure on the agri-food sector to produce more livestock products with less land, feed and water. Taste, nutritional value, cost, convenience, source, animal welfare and environmental sustainability of food are criteria upon which purchasing decisions are made. In response, an environmental footprint analysis composed of greenhouse gas emissions, nutrient and water use efficiency, water quality, carbon storage and biodiversity has been completed for many commodities. However, as livestock production systems occur within complex agro-ecosystems, it is extremely challenging to formulate a single overall sustainability metric. There is no “silver bullet” to solve the environmental concerns of all livestock production systems as they operate under different constraints on different landscapes, with different water and nutrient cycles, and soil types. Furthermore, the lack of scientific evidence regarding the interactions between livestock production, human nutritional adequacy and the health of our environment makes it difficult for consumers to interpret this information and make informed food choices. This review examines these complex interactions and trade-offs, as well as the potential impacts of changes in consumer dietary choice on environmental sustainability, nutritional adequacy and land use.

Military Professionalism and Humanitarian Law

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yishai Beer
Keyword(s):  
International Law ◽  
Humanitarian Law ◽  
New Paradigm ◽  
The Core ◽  
Humanitarian Mission ◽  
Self Defense ◽  
Professional Perspective ◽  
The Law ◽  
Preemptive Strike ◽  
Military Professionalism

This book seeks to revitalize the humanitarian mission of the international law governing armed conflict, which is being frustrated due to states’ actual practice. In order to achieve its two aims—creating an environment in which full abidance by the law becomes an attainable norm, thus facilitating the second and more important aim of reducing human suffering—it calls for the acknowledgment of realpolitik considerations that dictate states’ and militaries’ behavior. This requires recognition of the core interests of law-abiding states, fighting in their own self-defense—those that, from their militaries’ professional perspective, are essential in order to exercise their defense. Internalizing the importance of existential security interests, when drawing the contours of the law, should not automatically come at the expense of the core values of the humanitarian agenda—for example, the distinction rule. Rather, it allows more room for the humanitarian arena. The suggested tool to allow for such an improved dialogue is the standards and principles of military professionalism. Militaries function in a professional manner; they respect their respective doctrines, operational principles, fighting techniques, and values. Their performances are not random or incidental. The suggested paradigm surfaces and leverages the constraining elements hidden in military professionalism. It suggests a new paradigm in balancing the principles of military necessity and humanity, it deals with the legality of a preemptive strike and the leveraging of military strategy as a constraining tool, and it offers a normative framework for introducing deterrence within the current contours of the law.

Additions to the Placopsis mycobiota (Trapeliaceae, Ascomycota) of southern South America, with notes on new records (including Aspiciliopsis macrophthalma), and a revised regional key to the species

2010 ◽  
Vol 42 (6) ◽  
pp. 727-737 ◽  
Author(s):  
David J. GALLOWAY
Keyword(s):  
South America ◽  
New Records ◽  
Southern South America ◽  
First Time

AbstractAspiciliopsis macrophthalma, Placopsis fusciduloides, P. gelidioides and P. tararuana are reported for the first time from southern South America. New records for 13 species of Placopsis in southern South America are reported, and a revised key to 22 species of Placopsis and A. macrophthalma in the region is given.

scholarly journals An integrated life cycle and water footprint assessment of nonfood crops based bioenergy production

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Li ◽  
Fengyin Xiong ◽  
Zhuo Chen
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Water Footprint ◽  
Arable Land ◽  
Integrated Analysis ◽  
Actual Performance ◽  
Bioenergy Production ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Hybrid Pennisetum

AbstractBiomass gasification, especially distribution to power generation, is considered as a promising way to tackle global energy and environmental challenges. However, previous researches on integrated analysis of the greenhouse gases (GHG) abatement potentials associated with biomass electrification are sparse and few have taken the freshwater utilization into account within a coherent framework, though both energy and water scarcity are lying in the central concerns in China’s environmental policy. This study employs a Life cycle assessment (LCA) model to analyse the actual performance combined with water footprint (WF) assessment methods. The inextricable trade-offs between three representative energy-producing technologies are explored based on three categories of non-food crops (maize, sorghum and hybrid pennisetum) cultivated in marginal arable land. WF results demonstrate that the Hybrid pennisetum system has the largest impact on the water resources whereas the other two technology options exhibit the characteristics of environmental sustainability. The large variances in contribution ratio between the four sub-processes in terms of total impacts are reflected by the LCA results. The Anaerobic Digestion process is found to be the main contributor whereas the Digestate management process is shown to be able to effectively mitigate the negative environmental impacts with an absolute share. Sensitivity analysis is implemented to detect the impacts of loss ratios variation, as silage mass and methane, on final results. The methane loss has the largest influence on the Hybrid pennisetum system, followed by the Maize system. Above all, the Sorghum system demonstrates the best performance amongst the considered assessment categories. Our study builds a pilot reference for further driving large-scale project of bioenergy production and conversion. The synergy of combined WF-LCA method allows us to conduct a comprehensive assessment and to provide insights into environmental and resource management.

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