Abstract

BETANCOURT, Herty; PEZO, D.A; CRUZ, J  and  BEER, J. Bioeconomic Impact of Pasture Degradation in Double Purpose Farms in El Chal,Petén, Guatemala. Pastos y Forrajes [online]. 2007, vol.30, n.1, pp.1-1. ISSN 0864-0394.

At least 6.3 million ha in Central America are covered by degraded pasture lands, and those areas are increasing because annual rates for renovation are less than for degradation. This study is an effort to estimate the bio-economical impact of pasture degradation in an area of 720 km², representing the pilot zone of the CATIE/NORWAY Pasture Degradation project in Petén, Guatemala. A combination of land area estimates made applying GIS methods to high resolution satellite images, direct measurements of pasture availability, botanical composition and quality in 41 paddocks representing different levels of pasture degradation, and predictions of cattle performance estimated through the LIFE-SIM simulation model were used to predict the reduction on milk and beef production and its economic value due to pasture degradation. Estimates showed that 65% of the area is covered by pastures, and 70% of those showed from moderate to very severe pasture degradation. It was estimated that milk yield per cow decreased from 7 to 34%, when pasture degradation increased from slight to very severe conditions, and the equivalent values for beef production were 13 to 43%. It is estimated that due to pasture degradation the pilot zone is loosing up to 3.4 million dollars per year in animal products in its 41,695 ha in pastures, or about US$ 82.50 per hectare per year.

Keywords : Degradation; environmental impact.

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