Inexorable land degradation due to agriculture expansion in South American Pampa

Anthony Foucher (), Marcos Tassano, Pierre-Alexis Chaboche, Guillermo Chalar, Mirel Cabrera, Joan Gonzalez, Pablo Cabral, Anne-Catherine Simon, Mathieu Agelou, Rafael Ramon, Tales Tiecher and Olivier Evrard
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Anthony Foucher: Université Paris-Saclay
Marcos Tassano: Universidad de la República
Pierre-Alexis Chaboche: Université Paris-Saclay
Guillermo Chalar: Universidad de la República
Mirel Cabrera: Universidad de la República
Joan Gonzalez: Universidad de la República
Pablo Cabral: Universidad de la República
Anne-Catherine Simon: Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, List
Mathieu Agelou: Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, List
Rafael Ramon: BASF SA, Environmental Fate - Regulatory Science Crop Protection
Tales Tiecher: Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS)
Olivier Evrard: Université Paris-Saclay

Nature Sustainability, 2023, vol. 6, issue 6, 662-670

Abstract: Abstract From 1985 onwards, South America has undergone a major expansion in agriculture at the expense of native vegetation (for example, native Pampa grassland). As an emblematic crop, the surface area cultivated with soybeans has increased by 1,000% between 1990 and 2020 in Uruguay. The environmental consequences of this massive land-use conversion on soil degradation remain poorly documented, although agriculture expansion is projected to continue to increase in the coming years in South America. In this study, sediment cores were collected in reservoirs located downstream of two contrasted agricultural catchments draining the Rio Negro River (Uruguay) to reconstruct the sediment dynamics and the sources of erosion associated with this expansion. Results demonstrated the occurrence of two periods of acceleration of sediment delivery since the 1980s. The first period of acceleration was recorded in the mid-1990s and was related to afforestation programs. The second and larger acceleration phase was recorded after 2000 during the soybean crop expansion. This period was marked by a greater supply of sediment from the native grassland source, highlighting the impact of agriculture expansion at the expense of native vegetation. Conservation measures should therefore be urgently taken to preserve biodiversity and soil functions in this region.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41893-023-01074-z

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