Padrão tecnológico e serviços ecossistêmicos de pastagens no cerrado brasileiro: estudo de caso na bacia hidrográfica do Rio Vermelho

Abstract

The concern with sustainability has made the beef cattle sector face its main challenge: the mitigation of greenhouse gases in pasture areas, associated with greater meat production, occupying a smaller area. Associated with the challenges for sustainability, it is worth highlighting the possible positive impacts that livestock can play through ecosystem services, since pasture production systems are perceived as possibly large carbon sinks due to high organic productivity above and below the ground. Thus, our objective is to test whether there is a relationship between predictors that indicate ecosystem services (represented by the GPP) with the levels of technification in rural properties located in the Rio Vermelho River Basin (GO). For this purpose, 60 selected properties were researched in order to guarantee the representativeness of the basin's properties and to indicate with high accuracy the diversity in the adoption of technology by the productive units in the region. These properties were researched through questionnaires, field observation and the use of satellite images. With this research, it was possible to identify, at a local (property) scale, the impacts of technification under different topographic and soil conditions. The integration of GPP analyzes in line with good management practices proved to be effective for analyzing the carbon sequestration service in pastures. Evidencing the importance of investment in technological support in carbon mitigation, turning environmental assets into a new commodity to be incorporated into fresh beef. This can raise the level of Brazilian production, increasing competitiveness in the international market, in addition to contributing to climate regulation, soil maintenance and saving new areas from being opened up for this sector.