Transformation of tall-tussock grasslands and soil water dynamics in the Flooding Pampa.

Cow-calf production is the main practice within marginal agricultural lands of the world, like the Flooding Pampa of Argentina, where it promotes the transformation of native tall-tussock grasslands Paspalum quadrifarium into native short-grass grasslands or sown pastures. The effect of these land use changes on water dynamics are not well understood, especially in regions subjected to marked interannual drought and flooding cycles. Here we measured soil properties (infiltration rate, bulk density and soil organic matter), rainfall interception by the canopy, and soil moisture during two years with different annual rainfall.

Flood mitigation ecosystem service in landscapes of Argentina's Pampas: identifying winning and losing farmers.

Ecosystem services are only able to make a contribution to human well-being if they reach the users or beneficiaries. Therefore, it is important to differentiate the potential contributions of ecosystems (ecosystem service supply) from the fraction of the supply that is captured or used. This is even more relevant when the supply and capture of the service occur in different locations.