Visit to the Grasslands of the WHSRN Site Laguna Mar Chiquita in Argentina

We began our visit in the southern area of the lagoon, where we observed a high degree of transformation in the natural environment. This region is characterized by intensive land use, mainly in agriculture and dairy farming, being one of the country’s leading dairy basins. High phosphorus levels in the soil facilitate intensive agricultural production. 

We then traveled to La Rinconada, in the northern part of the lagoon, where natural environments such as saltgrass prairies, wetlands, and Chaco forest prevail. We toured the grasslands extensively, noting the predominance of tall grasslands (50 cm or more), which are managed through unplanned burns. Short-grass areas were also identified, where the Aves Argentinas monitoring team has detected higher concentrations of grassland shorebirds, such as the Upland Sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda), Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Calidris subruficollis), and American Golden-Plover (Pluvialis dominica). 

In terms of threats to grassland shorebirds, agricultural transformation pressure appears limited due to terrain conditions like salinity and flooding. However, the short-grass areas, which are favorable for these birds, are relatively scarce. Additionally, the Aves Argentinas local team has identified degraded short-grass areas due to overgrazing (see aerial photograph). Improved grazing management to prevent grassland degradation would be desirable. In this regard, there is an interesting network of actors who could make significant contributions, including the Ansenuza National Reserve, the Provincial Multiple-Use Reserve of Bañados del Río Dulce and Laguna Mar Chiquita, the National Parks office, NGOs, and livestock producers.