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| 1. Project Details |
| Author or Responsible Organization |
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R. D. Smith and E. Maltby. (2003). Using the Ecosystem Approach to Implement the Convention on Biological Diversity: Key Issues and Case Studies. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. x +118 pp. |
| Project Title |
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Vinalares sylvo-pastoral management, Formosa, Argentina |
| Date of Publication |
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| Project Status |
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Completed |
| Project Start Date |
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| Project End Date |
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| Countries |
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Argentina |
| Regions |
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| Funding Source |
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| 2. Background to Project |
| Project Issue/Problem Statement |
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Vinal (Prosopis ruscifolia) is an aggressive and invasive shrub species that usually affects over-grazed savannas, transforming them into dense shrub land. Although numerous attempts were made to eradicate vinal during the 1970s in order to restore grazing and foraging areas, these efforts were only effective in the short term. In the long term they resulted in stronger recolonization. In addition, the eradication of vinal was very expensive. |
| Project Description |
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Application of an alternative strategy, sylvo-pastoral management, has improved the foraging quality of lands invaded by vinal at no net cost to livestock producers. This strategy involves the pruning and thinning of trees, together with the management of grazing by cattle. Native flora species were incorporated into the system and monitored in the second phase of the project. Experimental sylvo-pastoral management plots were identified by local groups of small producers. Mature and diseased vinal trees were cut down in each plot. This phase of the project produced useful products: charcoal and timber for floorboards. A cost-benefit analysis was made for the production and yield of these products. Marketing the products was undertaken through local cooperatives. |
| Highlighted Aspects of Ecosystem Approach |
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· Conservation, equitable sharing of benefits and sustainable use of the resources were simultaneously addressed. · An understanding of the functional relationships and processes in the vinal ecosystem, especially since 1993 through the work of the GESER Group (Group of Regional Ecological Studies) was important. · Floorboards, charcoal production and the expansion of grazing lands were identified as the services produced by the sylvo-pastoral system. Benefit sharing was addressed by cooperatives, which distributed revenues from the sale of wood products. · Adaptive management is not illustrated in the case study. · The appropriate scale of management was identified to be the local level, where local producers, cooperatives, technicians and scientists were the main participants. · Linkages between different sectoral groups were established through co-operation between the scientific sector, governmental and non-governmental organizations and small local producers. |
| Conclusions |
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· Marketing of products obtained from the natural system was vital to the success of the project. · Cooperative and integrated work proved to be a good management strategy.· Local-level initiatives that improve local environmental policies benefit from support at the regional and national levels. |
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| 3. Sectors and Biomes |
| Sectors |
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| Biomes |
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Dry and Sub-Humid Lands Biodiversity
Forest Biodiversity
Inland Waters Biodiversity |
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| 4. Tools and Approaches |
| Tools and Approaches |
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Relevance
Score |
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Further
Information |
| Public Participation |
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3-High |
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| Governance, Law and Policy |
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3-High |
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| - Assessment Techniques |
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3-High |
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| - Policy development, planning and reform |
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3-High |
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| Cross-sectoral Research and Working |
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3-High |
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| 5. Issues |
| Issues |
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Relevance
Score |
| Identification, Monitoring and Indicators |
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3-High |
| Invasive Alien Species |
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3-High |
| Sustainable Use of Biodiversity |
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3-High |
| Traditional Knowledge, Innovations and Practices - Article 8(j) |
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3-High |
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| 6. Ecosystem Approach |
| Principles and Operational Guidance |
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Relevance
Score |
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Reason
(Only if NOT relevant) |
| Principle 1: The objectives of management of land, water and living resources are a matter of societal choices |
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3-High |
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| Principle 2: Management should be decentralized to the lowest appropriate level |
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3-High |
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| Principle 3: Ecosystem managers should consider the effects (actual or potential) of their activities on adjacent and other ecosystems |
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3-High |
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| Principle 4: Recognizing potential gains from management, there is usually a need to understand and manage the ecosystem in an economic context |
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3-High |
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| Principle 5: Conservation of ecosystem structure and functioning, in order to maintain ecosystem services, should be a priority target of the ecosystem approach |
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3-High |
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| Principle 6: Ecosystem must be managed within the limits of their functioning |
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3-High |
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| Principle 7: The ecosystem approach should be undertaken at the appropriate spatial and temporal scales |
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3-High |
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| Principle 8: Recognizing the varying temporal scales and lag-effects that characterize ecosystem processes, objectives for ecosystem management should be set for the long term |
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3-High |
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| Principle 10: The ecosystem approach should seek the appropriate balance between, and integration of, conservation and use of biological diversity |
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3-High |
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| Principle 12: The ecosystem approach should involve all relevant sectors of society and scientific disciplines |
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3-High |
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| Operational Guidance A: Focus on the relationships and processes within ecosystem |
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3-High |
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| Operational Guidance B: Enhance benefit-sharing |
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3-High |
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| Operational Guidance C: Use adaptive management practices |
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3-High |
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| Operational Guidance D: Carry out management actions at the scale appropriate for the issue being addressed, with decentralization to lowest level, as appropriate |
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3-High |
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| Operational Guidance E: Ensure intersectoral cooperation |
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3-High |
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| 7. Lessons Learned and the Outcomes |
| Lessons Learned |
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· Marketing of products obtained from the natural system is identified as a vital component for the success of the project.· Co-operative and integrated work proved to be a good management strategy.· Local level initiatives that improve local environmental policies benefit from support at the national and regional levels. |
| Outcomes |
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| Other Information |
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| 8. References |
| References |
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R. D. Smith and E. Maltby. (2003). Using the Ecosystem Approach to Implement the Convention on Biological Diversity: Key Issues and Case Studies. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. x +118 pp. |
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| 9. Contact Details |
| Contact Person |
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Ms Leah Mohammed |
| Job Title |
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Intern |
| Organization |
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CBD |
| Address |
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Montreal World Trade Centre |
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393 Saint-Jaques, 8th floor |
| Postal Code |
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H2Y 1N9 |
| City |
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Montreal |
| ZIP/State/Province |
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Quebec |
| Country |
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Canada |
| Telephone |
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514-288-2220 |
| E-mail Address |
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leah.mohammed@biodiv.org |
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