Sheep and guanaco effects on plant regeneration of two Patagonian shrub steppes

Autores
Pecile, Maria Valeria; Semmartin, María Gisela; Massara Paletto, Virginia; Saravia, José
Año de publicación
2026
Idioma
inglés
Tipo de recurso
artículo
Estado
versión publicada
Descripción
In the Patagonian drylands, extensive sheep production coexists with guanaco, the most abundant native herbivore.While sheep’s impacts on vegetation are well known, guanaco effects remain poorly understood, limiting effective management. We evaluated the influence of both species on grassland regeneration at two representative sites by comparing areas grazed by sheep or guanaco and applying short-term herbivore exclusions. We analyzed pre-and post-dispersal soil seed banks in vegetated patches and bare soil, and measured seedling emergence and tiller production of dominant perennial grasses. The soil seed bank was dominated by annual species, and vegetated patches showed higher perennial abundance after seed dispersal, but no significant differences emerged between herbivores. Seedling emergence was similar for sheep and guanaco, increasing notably after short-term exclusion. However, perennial grass regeneration through tillering responded differently :guanaco exclusion enhanced tillering of Nassella tenuis an Pappo stipa speciosa, whereas sheep exclusion produced no significant effect. Overall, most regeneration mechanisms showed comparable patterns under both herbivores. These findings suggest that, although guanaco and sheep exert similar pressures on seedling dynamics, guanaco grazing may differently affect perennial grass recovery. We emphasize the need for careful monitoring of guanaco stocking rates to ensure sustainable management of Patagonian shrub-steppe ecosystems.
INTA EEA Chubut
Fil: Pecile, María Valeria. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Chubut; Argentina
Fil: Semmartin, María. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía; Argentina
Fil: Massara Paletto, Virginia. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Centro Regional Patagonia Sur; Argentina
Fil: Saravia, José. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Ciencias de la Salud, sede Trelew; Argentina.
Fuente
Drylands 3 : e3, 1–9. (2026)
Materia
Grazing
Soil Seed Banks
Tillering
Revegetation
Sheep
Guanacos
Steppes
Pastoreo
Banco de Semillas del Suelo
Macollamiento
Regeneración Vegetal
Ovinos
Guanaco
Estepas
Región Patagónica
Nivel de accesibilidad
acceso abierto
Condiciones de uso
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
Repositorio
INTA Digital (INTA)
Institución
Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria
OAI Identificador
oai:localhost:20.500.12123/25429
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spelling Sheep and guanaco effects on plant regeneration of two Patagonian shrub steppesPecile, Maria ValeriaSemmartin, María GiselaMassara Paletto, VirginiaSaravia, JoséGrazingSoil Seed BanksTilleringRevegetationSheepGuanacosSteppesPastoreoBanco de Semillas del SueloMacollamientoRegeneración VegetalOvinosGuanacoEstepasRegión PatagónicaIn the Patagonian drylands, extensive sheep production coexists with guanaco, the most abundant native herbivore.While sheep’s impacts on vegetation are well known, guanaco effects remain poorly understood, limiting effective management. We evaluated the influence of both species on grassland regeneration at two representative sites by comparing areas grazed by sheep or guanaco and applying short-term herbivore exclusions. We analyzed pre-and post-dispersal soil seed banks in vegetated patches and bare soil, and measured seedling emergence and tiller production of dominant perennial grasses. The soil seed bank was dominated by annual species, and vegetated patches showed higher perennial abundance after seed dispersal, but no significant differences emerged between herbivores. Seedling emergence was similar for sheep and guanaco, increasing notably after short-term exclusion. However, perennial grass regeneration through tillering responded differently :guanaco exclusion enhanced tillering of Nassella tenuis an Pappo stipa speciosa, whereas sheep exclusion produced no significant effect. Overall, most regeneration mechanisms showed comparable patterns under both herbivores. These findings suggest that, although guanaco and sheep exert similar pressures on seedling dynamics, guanaco grazing may differently affect perennial grass recovery. We emphasize the need for careful monitoring of guanaco stocking rates to ensure sustainable management of Patagonian shrub-steppe ecosystems.INTA EEA ChubutFil: Pecile, María Valeria. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Chubut; ArgentinaFil: Semmartin, María. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía; ArgentinaFil: Massara Paletto, Virginia. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Centro Regional Patagonia Sur; ArgentinaFil: Saravia, José. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Ciencias de la Salud, sede Trelew; Argentina.Cambridge University Press2026-03-11T12:26:23Z2026-03-11T12:26:23Z2026-01-26info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionhttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501info:ar-repo/semantics/articuloapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/25429https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/cambridge-prisms-drylands/article/sheep-and-guanaco-effects-on-plant-regeneration-of-two-patagonian-shrubsteppes/6542E9D02B5B6EF0F1D265C77FCAE385Pecile MV, Semmartin M, Massara Paletto V, Saravia J. Sheep and guanaco effects on plant regeneration of two Patagonian shrub-steppes. Cambridge Prisms: Drylands. 2026;3:e3. doi:10.1017/dry.2026.100172976-5293 (Online)https://doi.org/10.1017/dry.2026.10017Drylands 3 : e3, 1–9. (2026)reponame:INTA Digital (INTA)instname:Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuariaenginfo:eu-repograntAgreement/INTA/2023-PE-L02-I034, Monitoreo, Manejo y Restauración de los Recursos Naturales de Patagonia Surinfo:eu-repograntAgreement/INTA/2023-PE-L03-I133, Validación de estrategias para el manejo del guanaco en campos productivos de Patagonia SurPatagonia .......... (región general) (Mundo, Sudamérica, Argentina)7016766info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccesshttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)2026-03-26T11:25:30Zoai:localhost:20.500.12123/25429instacron:INTAInstitucionalhttp://repositorio.inta.gob.ar/Organismo científico-tecnológicoNo correspondehttp://repositorio.inta.gob.ar/oai/requesttripaldi.nicolas@inta.gob.arArgentinaNo correspondeNo correspondeNo correspondeopendoar:l2026-03-26 11:25:30.438INTA Digital (INTA) - Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuariafalse
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Sheep and guanaco effects on plant regeneration of two Patagonian shrub steppes
title Sheep and guanaco effects on plant regeneration of two Patagonian shrub steppes
spellingShingle Sheep and guanaco effects on plant regeneration of two Patagonian shrub steppes
Pecile, Maria Valeria
Grazing
Soil Seed Banks
Tillering
Revegetation
Sheep
Guanacos
Steppes
Pastoreo
Banco de Semillas del Suelo
Macollamiento
Regeneración Vegetal
Ovinos
Guanaco
Estepas
Región Patagónica
title_short Sheep and guanaco effects on plant regeneration of two Patagonian shrub steppes
title_full Sheep and guanaco effects on plant regeneration of two Patagonian shrub steppes
title_fullStr Sheep and guanaco effects on plant regeneration of two Patagonian shrub steppes
title_full_unstemmed Sheep and guanaco effects on plant regeneration of two Patagonian shrub steppes
title_sort Sheep and guanaco effects on plant regeneration of two Patagonian shrub steppes
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Pecile, Maria Valeria
Semmartin, María Gisela
Massara Paletto, Virginia
Saravia, José
author Pecile, Maria Valeria
author_facet Pecile, Maria Valeria
Semmartin, María Gisela
Massara Paletto, Virginia
Saravia, José
author_role author
author2 Semmartin, María Gisela
Massara Paletto, Virginia
Saravia, José
author2_role author
author
author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Grazing
Soil Seed Banks
Tillering
Revegetation
Sheep
Guanacos
Steppes
Pastoreo
Banco de Semillas del Suelo
Macollamiento
Regeneración Vegetal
Ovinos
Guanaco
Estepas
Región Patagónica
topic Grazing
Soil Seed Banks
Tillering
Revegetation
Sheep
Guanacos
Steppes
Pastoreo
Banco de Semillas del Suelo
Macollamiento
Regeneración Vegetal
Ovinos
Guanaco
Estepas
Región Patagónica
dc.description.none.fl_txt_mv In the Patagonian drylands, extensive sheep production coexists with guanaco, the most abundant native herbivore.While sheep’s impacts on vegetation are well known, guanaco effects remain poorly understood, limiting effective management. We evaluated the influence of both species on grassland regeneration at two representative sites by comparing areas grazed by sheep or guanaco and applying short-term herbivore exclusions. We analyzed pre-and post-dispersal soil seed banks in vegetated patches and bare soil, and measured seedling emergence and tiller production of dominant perennial grasses. The soil seed bank was dominated by annual species, and vegetated patches showed higher perennial abundance after seed dispersal, but no significant differences emerged between herbivores. Seedling emergence was similar for sheep and guanaco, increasing notably after short-term exclusion. However, perennial grass regeneration through tillering responded differently :guanaco exclusion enhanced tillering of Nassella tenuis an Pappo stipa speciosa, whereas sheep exclusion produced no significant effect. Overall, most regeneration mechanisms showed comparable patterns under both herbivores. These findings suggest that, although guanaco and sheep exert similar pressures on seedling dynamics, guanaco grazing may differently affect perennial grass recovery. We emphasize the need for careful monitoring of guanaco stocking rates to ensure sustainable management of Patagonian shrub-steppe ecosystems.
INTA EEA Chubut
Fil: Pecile, María Valeria. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Chubut; Argentina
Fil: Semmartin, María. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía; Argentina
Fil: Massara Paletto, Virginia. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Centro Regional Patagonia Sur; Argentina
Fil: Saravia, José. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Ciencias de la Salud, sede Trelew; Argentina.
description In the Patagonian drylands, extensive sheep production coexists with guanaco, the most abundant native herbivore.While sheep’s impacts on vegetation are well known, guanaco effects remain poorly understood, limiting effective management. We evaluated the influence of both species on grassland regeneration at two representative sites by comparing areas grazed by sheep or guanaco and applying short-term herbivore exclusions. We analyzed pre-and post-dispersal soil seed banks in vegetated patches and bare soil, and measured seedling emergence and tiller production of dominant perennial grasses. The soil seed bank was dominated by annual species, and vegetated patches showed higher perennial abundance after seed dispersal, but no significant differences emerged between herbivores. Seedling emergence was similar for sheep and guanaco, increasing notably after short-term exclusion. However, perennial grass regeneration through tillering responded differently :guanaco exclusion enhanced tillering of Nassella tenuis an Pappo stipa speciosa, whereas sheep exclusion produced no significant effect. Overall, most regeneration mechanisms showed comparable patterns under both herbivores. These findings suggest that, although guanaco and sheep exert similar pressures on seedling dynamics, guanaco grazing may differently affect perennial grass recovery. We emphasize the need for careful monitoring of guanaco stocking rates to ensure sustainable management of Patagonian shrub-steppe ecosystems.
publishDate 2026
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2026-03-11T12:26:23Z
2026-03-11T12:26:23Z
2026-01-26
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
info:ar-repo/semantics/articulo
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/25429
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/cambridge-prisms-drylands/article/sheep-and-guanaco-effects-on-plant-regeneration-of-two-patagonian-shrubsteppes/6542E9D02B5B6EF0F1D265C77FCAE385
Pecile MV, Semmartin M, Massara Paletto V, Saravia J. Sheep and guanaco effects on plant regeneration of two Patagonian shrub-steppes. Cambridge Prisms: Drylands. 2026;3:e3. doi:10.1017/dry.2026.10017
2976-5293 (Online)
https://doi.org/10.1017/dry.2026.10017
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/25429
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/cambridge-prisms-drylands/article/sheep-and-guanaco-effects-on-plant-regeneration-of-two-patagonian-shrubsteppes/6542E9D02B5B6EF0F1D265C77FCAE385
https://doi.org/10.1017/dry.2026.10017
identifier_str_mv Pecile MV, Semmartin M, Massara Paletto V, Saravia J. Sheep and guanaco effects on plant regeneration of two Patagonian shrub-steppes. Cambridge Prisms: Drylands. 2026;3:e3. doi:10.1017/dry.2026.10017
2976-5293 (Online)
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repograntAgreement/INTA/2023-PE-L02-I034, Monitoreo, Manejo y Restauración de los Recursos Naturales de Patagonia Sur
info:eu-repograntAgreement/INTA/2023-PE-L03-I133, Validación de estrategias para el manejo del guanaco en campos productivos de Patagonia Sur
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.coverage.none.fl_str_mv Patagonia .......... (región general) (Mundo, Sudamérica, Argentina)
7016766
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Cambridge University Press
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Cambridge University Press
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv Drylands 3 : e3, 1–9. (2026)
reponame:INTA Digital (INTA)
instname:Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria
reponame_str INTA Digital (INTA)
collection INTA Digital (INTA)
instname_str Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria
repository.name.fl_str_mv INTA Digital (INTA) - Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria
repository.mail.fl_str_mv tripaldi.nicolas@inta.gob.ar
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score 12.977003

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