MARAS: Environmental Monitors for Arid and Semiarid Regions

Arid and Semiarid Lands

Comprise 75% of Argentina's territory. They are home for people that frequently have poor and marginal livelihoods based on extensive grazing. Suffer erosion, with slow desertification processes. Are vulnerable to Global Change and will have to adapt to new climatic scenarios. Are subject to land use conflicts with oil and minig companies and receive cattle displaced from expanding agricultural areas.



Why monitor them?

To draw the base line of the land after over a century of management, including the status of biodiversity and soil conservation.

To register in the future changes such as biological invasions, local extinctions and physical or chemical soil variations including carbon storage.

To certify sustainable use of rangelands for grazing, mining or oil industries and to meet the monitoring requirements of the International Conventions of Desertification and Biodiversity.

To design rehabilitation strategies of degraded systems and evaluate results.

To understand the effects of drought and natural catastrophes and guide mitigation policy making.


Why use a ground-based system

A network of ground monitors may provide consistent information and detect significant changes. It is necessary to follow a single protocol that should be kept in the future. information should be stored in data bases that guarantee integrity and accesibility in the long term.


MARA's Protocol (in Spanish):

Manual_MARAS.pdf

Progress

A network of 372 ground monitors was installed between 2008-2014 with the aid of Global Environmental Funds Project, most of them in Patagonia. About 100 researchers were trained in the MARA'S Protocol application. A data base currently stores this ground information and has the capacity to generate different reports.

In 2015 the resampling phase has been launched, and data from some monitors that have already been reassessed indicates that the system reflects real situations such as drought and grazing pressure. Mining and oil companies have applied the methodology.

To April 2017, about 120 monitors had been reassessed.


Perpectives

Maintenance of this system will require joint efforts. Completions of the Patagonian network comprises 100 additional monitors. The inclusion of North West states would require 250 additional ones, totalizing 750 monitors fot the arid and semiarid areas of Argentina. With a 5 year visitation period, 150 monitors should be assessed each year to maintain the system, that should also include data bases, publication and training and standardization costs.

Publications derived from MARAS network


  1. Gaitán JJ. 2016. Structural and functional attributes of Patagonian drylands and its relationship with abiotic factors and anthropic use. University of Buenos Aires (Argentina). PhD. Thesis.
  2. Gaitán, J.J., Bran, D., Oliva, G., Maestre, F. T., Aguiar, M. R., G. Buono, D. Ferrante, V. Nakamatsu, G. Ciari, J. Salomone, V. Massara, G. García Martínez. 2017. Aridity and overgrazing have convergent effects on ecosystem structure and functioning in Patagonian rangelands. Land Degradation & Development. DOI: 10.1002/ldr.2694.
  3. Oliva G., Bran D., Gaitán J.,Ferrante D., Ciari G., Massara V, Adema E. , Garcia Martinez G, Domínguez E. 2016. Monitoring technology for semi-arid rangelands: the MARAS system. Aceptado para su publicación en el 10th International Rangeland Congress. Saskatoon, Canada, July 16-22, 2016 .
  4. Oliva G., Bran D., Gaitán J.,Ferrante D., Ciari G., Massara V, Adema E. , Garcia Martinez G, Domínguez E. 2016. Monitoreo de pastizales semiáridos: primeros datos del sistema MARAS. Enviado para su publicación en la VI Reunión Binacional de Ecología – Iguazú Misiones, del 18 al 22 de septiembre de 2016.
  5. Gaitán, J.J., D. Bran, G. Oliva, F. T. Maestre, M. R. Aguiar, Esteban G. Jobbágy, G. Buono, D. Ferrante, V. Nakamatsu, G. Ciari, J. Salomone, V. Massara. 2014. Plant species richness and shrub cover attenuate drought effects on ecosystem functioning across Patagonian rangelands. Biology Letters 10, 20140673.
  6. Gaitán, J.J., D. Bran, G. Oliva, F. T. Maestre, M. R. Aguiar, Esteban G. Jobbágy, G. Buono, D. Ferrante, V. Nakamatsu, G. Ciari, J. Salomone, V. Massara. 2014. Vegetation structure is as important as climate for explaining ecosystem function across Patagonian rangelands. Journal of Ecology 102: 1419-1428.
  7. Gaitán, J.J., D. Bran, G. Oliva, G. Ciari, V. Nakamatsu, J. Salomone, D. Ferrante, G. Buono, V. Massara, G. Humano, D. Celdrán, W. Opazo & F. T. Maestre. 2013. Evaluating the performance of multiple remote sensing indices to predict the spatial variability of ecosystem structure and functioning in Patagonian steppes. Ecological Indicators 34: 181–191.
  8. Oliva G., J. Gaitán, D. Bran, V. Nakamatsu, E. Adema, D. Ferrante, G. Humano, G. Ciari, D. Suarez y W. Opazo. 2011. MARAS: a range-monitoring system for vegetation, soils and land function in Patagonia. International Rangeland Congress, Rosario, 2 al 8 Abril 2011.
  9. Gaitán J., C. López, D. Bran. 2009. Efectos del pastoreo sobre el suelo y la vegetación en la estepa patagónica. Rev. Ciencia del Suelo 27(2): 261-270.
  10. Oliva G., Gaitán J.J., Bran D., Nakamatsu V., Salomone J., Buono G., Escobar J., Frank F., Ferrante D., Humano G., Ciari G., Suarez D., Opazo W. 2009. MARAS: a monitoring system for Patagonian rangelands. Sesión de Posters de la Novena Conferencia de las Partes (COP 9) de la UNCCD. Buenos Aires, 21 de setiembre a 2 de octubre.

Photos

20/11/2008 09/03/2016


03/12/2010 09/03/2016

02/11/2010 19/01/2016


18/11/2008 20/01/2016