Rewilding-inspired transhumance for the restoration of semiarid silvopastoral systems in Chile

Meredith Root-Bernstein; Matías Guerrero-Gatica; Luis Piña; Cristián Bonacic; Jens-Christian Svenning; Fabian M Jaksic

doi:10.1007/s10113-016-0981-8

Rewilding-inspired transhumance for the restoration of semiarid silvopastoral systems in Chile

Meredith Root-Bernstein^*, Matías Guerrero-Gatica, Luis Piña, Cristián Bonacic, Jens-Christian Svenning, Fabian M Jaksic

^*Corresponding author for this work

Department of Biology - Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Journal article › Research › peer-review

17 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Nomadic pastoralism and transhumance are ancient human adaptations to the movements of large herbivores, which themselves migrate to follow favorable environmental conditions. Free-ranging livestock production has been criticized as less water efficient than factory farming and crop production. This fails to take into account both the additional ecosystem services made possible by rainfall over rangelands, and the ability of free-ranging animals to track water availability across environmental gradients. By analogy to transhumance, we propose a model of "transhumant rewilding," or species reintroduction with managed herding of wild ungulates for the ecological restoration and sustainability of food production in (silvo)pastoral systems. We consider preliminary evidence for the feasibility of this model with a case study from central Chile in which guanacos (Lama guanicoe) could be used to help restore a silvopastoral savanna ("espinal") via browsing and endozoochory. First, we present preliminary data on guanaco foraging in espinal. Second, we use a GIS analysis to identify least-cost paths between areas of high and low espinal condition in central Chile and assess the feasibility of using them as migratory pathways. Finally, we consider the relative ecosystem service advantages and costs of the transhumant rewilding scenario compared to other restoration and agricultural development scenarios for central Chile. We conclude that transhumant rewilding has the potential to be a useful model for rewilding-inspired land management in cultural landscapes and can contribute to food security and sustainable agricultural production.

Original language	English
Journal	Regional Environmental Change
Volume	17
Issue	5
Pages (from-to)	1381-1396
Number of pages	16
ISSN	1436-3798
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-016-0981-8
Publication status	Published - Jun 2017

Keywords

Rewilding
Transhumance
Lama guanicoe
Ecosystem services
Food security
Silvopastoral
GUANACO LAMA-GUANICOE
FOOD SECURITY
NORTHERN PATAGONIA
WATER FOOTPRINT
MULLER 1776
CONSERVATION
LANDSCAPE
PRODUCTIVITY
HERBIVORES
LIVESTOCK

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10.1007/s10113-016-0981-8

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title = "Rewilding-inspired transhumance for the restoration of semiarid silvopastoral systems in Chile",

abstract = "Nomadic pastoralism and transhumance are ancient human adaptations to the movements of large herbivores, which themselves migrate to follow favorable environmental conditions. Free-ranging livestock production has been criticized as less water efficient than factory farming and crop production. This fails to take into account both the additional ecosystem services made possible by rainfall over rangelands, and the ability of free-ranging animals to track water availability across environmental gradients. By analogy to transhumance, we propose a model of {"}transhumant rewilding,{"} or species reintroduction with managed herding of wild ungulates for the ecological restoration and sustainability of food production in (silvo)pastoral systems. We consider preliminary evidence for the feasibility of this model with a case study from central Chile in which guanacos (Lama guanicoe) could be used to help restore a silvopastoral savanna ({"}espinal{"}) via browsing and endozoochory. First, we present preliminary data on guanaco foraging in espinal. Second, we use a GIS analysis to identify least-cost paths between areas of high and low espinal condition in central Chile and assess the feasibility of using them as migratory pathways. Finally, we consider the relative ecosystem service advantages and costs of the transhumant rewilding scenario compared to other restoration and agricultural development scenarios for central Chile. We conclude that transhumant rewilding has the potential to be a useful model for rewilding-inspired land management in cultural landscapes and can contribute to food security and sustainable agricultural production.",

keywords = "Rewilding, Transhumance, Lama guanicoe, Ecosystem services, Food security, Silvopastoral, GUANACO LAMA-GUANICOE, FOOD SECURITY, NORTHERN PATAGONIA, WATER FOOTPRINT, MULLER 1776, CONSERVATION, LANDSCAPE, PRODUCTIVITY, HERBIVORES, LIVESTOCK",

author = "Meredith Root-Bernstein and Mat{\'i}as Guerrero-Gatica and Luis Pi{\~n}a and Cristi{\'a}n Bonacic and Jens-Christian Svenning and Jaksic, {Fabian M}",

year = "2017",

month = jun,

doi = "10.1007/s10113-016-0981-8",

language = "English",

volume = "17",

pages = "1381--1396",

journal = "Regional Environmental Change",

issn = "1436-3798",

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Rewilding-inspired transhumance for the restoration of semiarid silvopastoral systems in Chile. / Root-Bernstein, Meredith; Guerrero-Gatica, Matías; Piña, Luis et al.
In: Regional Environmental Change, Vol. 17, No. 5, 06.2017, p. 1381-1396.

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Journal article › Research › peer-review

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T1 - Rewilding-inspired transhumance for the restoration of semiarid silvopastoral systems in Chile

AU - Root-Bernstein, Meredith

AU - Guerrero-Gatica, Matías

AU - Piña, Luis

AU - Bonacic, Cristián

AU - Svenning, Jens-Christian

AU - Jaksic, Fabian M

PY - 2017/6

Y1 - 2017/6

N2 - Nomadic pastoralism and transhumance are ancient human adaptations to the movements of large herbivores, which themselves migrate to follow favorable environmental conditions. Free-ranging livestock production has been criticized as less water efficient than factory farming and crop production. This fails to take into account both the additional ecosystem services made possible by rainfall over rangelands, and the ability of free-ranging animals to track water availability across environmental gradients. By analogy to transhumance, we propose a model of "transhumant rewilding," or species reintroduction with managed herding of wild ungulates for the ecological restoration and sustainability of food production in (silvo)pastoral systems. We consider preliminary evidence for the feasibility of this model with a case study from central Chile in which guanacos (Lama guanicoe) could be used to help restore a silvopastoral savanna ("espinal") via browsing and endozoochory. First, we present preliminary data on guanaco foraging in espinal. Second, we use a GIS analysis to identify least-cost paths between areas of high and low espinal condition in central Chile and assess the feasibility of using them as migratory pathways. Finally, we consider the relative ecosystem service advantages and costs of the transhumant rewilding scenario compared to other restoration and agricultural development scenarios for central Chile. We conclude that transhumant rewilding has the potential to be a useful model for rewilding-inspired land management in cultural landscapes and can contribute to food security and sustainable agricultural production.

AB - Nomadic pastoralism and transhumance are ancient human adaptations to the movements of large herbivores, which themselves migrate to follow favorable environmental conditions. Free-ranging livestock production has been criticized as less water efficient than factory farming and crop production. This fails to take into account both the additional ecosystem services made possible by rainfall over rangelands, and the ability of free-ranging animals to track water availability across environmental gradients. By analogy to transhumance, we propose a model of "transhumant rewilding," or species reintroduction with managed herding of wild ungulates for the ecological restoration and sustainability of food production in (silvo)pastoral systems. We consider preliminary evidence for the feasibility of this model with a case study from central Chile in which guanacos (Lama guanicoe) could be used to help restore a silvopastoral savanna ("espinal") via browsing and endozoochory. First, we present preliminary data on guanaco foraging in espinal. Second, we use a GIS analysis to identify least-cost paths between areas of high and low espinal condition in central Chile and assess the feasibility of using them as migratory pathways. Finally, we consider the relative ecosystem service advantages and costs of the transhumant rewilding scenario compared to other restoration and agricultural development scenarios for central Chile. We conclude that transhumant rewilding has the potential to be a useful model for rewilding-inspired land management in cultural landscapes and can contribute to food security and sustainable agricultural production.

KW - Rewilding

KW - Transhumance

KW - Lama guanicoe

KW - Ecosystem services

KW - Food security

KW - Silvopastoral

KW - GUANACO LAMA-GUANICOE

KW - FOOD SECURITY

KW - NORTHERN PATAGONIA

KW - WATER FOOTPRINT

KW - MULLER 1776

KW - CONSERVATION

KW - LANDSCAPE

KW - PRODUCTIVITY

KW - HERBIVORES

KW - LIVESTOCK

U2 - 10.1007/s10113-016-0981-8

DO - 10.1007/s10113-016-0981-8

M3 - Journal article

SN - 1436-3798

VL - 17

SP - 1381

EP - 1396

JO - Regional Environmental Change

JF - Regional Environmental Change

IS - 5

ER -

Rewilding-inspired transhumance for the restoration of semiarid silvopastoral systems in Chile

Abstract

Keywords

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