News in Brief:
– Brazil’s Pampa grassland faces rapid degradation due to agricultural expansion, primarily for soy cultivation, threatening biodiversity and local ecosystems.
-Sandy patches, known as areais, exacerbate the problem, but proactive measures by farmers, such as innovative restoration techniques, offer hope for balancing economic interests with environmental preservation.
Brazil’s Pampa grassland, often overshadowed by larger biomes like the Amazon, Pantanal, and Cerrado, faces a perilous future as it succumbs to the expansion of soy farms and sand patches, a news story reported.
although it covers just 2% of Brazil’s land, the Pampa grassland is disappearing rapidly. According to MapBiomas data, the Brazilian portion has shrunk by nearly a third since 1985, with agriculture and forestry expansion as the main culprits.
Over the past 38 years, agricultural land use in the Brazilian Pampa has increased significantly, primarily for soybean cultivation. This expansion has encroached upon native grasslands, affecting biodiversity and threatening local ecosystems.
Despite its small size, the Brazilian Pampa boasts rich biodiversity. Agronomist Tales Tiecher warns that the biome’s degradation jeopardizes numerous plant and animal species, with a quarter of rural birds and around 30 mammal species at risk of extinction.
Rapid expansion, limited monitoring
Biologist Juliano Ferrer dos Santos highlights the rapid pace of agricultural expansion, outpacing researchers’ ability to monitor conservation efforts effectively. This lack of oversight puts unique species like annual rivulids at risk of extinction due to habitat loss.
In addition to agricultural encroachment, the Pampa faces the persistent threat of arenisation or the formation of sandy patches. Geographers Roberto Verdum and Neemias Lopes da Silva attribute these phenomena to climate factors and poor soil management.
Balancing economic viability with environmental preservation
Despite the challenges, some farmers are taking proactive measures. Rice grower Raul Borges successfully restored sandy areas on his property using innovative methods like covering sand with rice husks, demonstrating a promising approach to combating desertification.
While forestry has been proposed as a solution to greening sandy areas, experts caution against its long-term efficacy. Silva argues that commercial interests often disregard the unique biodiversity of the Pampa, advocating for sustainable practices that preserve the biome’s natural dynamics.
