CHARACTERIZATION OF GRASSLANDS IN THE “NEVADO DE TOLUCA FLORA AND FAUNA PROTECTION AREA” FOR SHEEP PRODUCTION

Abstract

In the Nevado de Toluca Flora and Fauna Protection Area (Área de Protección de Flora y Fauna Nevado de Toluca—APFFNT), farmers engage in pastoral activity, using communal areas for grazing. This activity is a means of production that provides the necessary products for the subsistence of shepherds, although knowledge of the specific characteristics of the grasses and implications for livestock production is lacking. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the primary productivity, nutritional quality and predominant plant species of three grasslands in the APFFNT, in order to evaluate their Dry Matter (DM) production. Grasslands were selected in the Agua Blanca, Loma Alta and La Peñuela localities. In each locality six areas for study were defined, and in each of the area, an exclusion cage was placed. From September 2013 to August 2014, samples were taken every 28 days to determine the increase of the grass yield in each area over time. In the grasslands in Agua Blanca, significant differences were not observed in Net Forage Accumulation (NFA) across time. In the Loma Alta grasslands, however, production was different (P<0.05) from November to April, the months corresponding to the lowest production levels and the least precipitation. In the La Peñuela grasslands, the lowest NFA was produced in February and the highest NFA in July (P<0.05). The results presented in this paper indicate a high degree of variation in forage quality across the months studied. An increase in fiber and a decrease in protein was observed during the dry season. The results of this study provide an important foundation for sustainable development in livestock activity in the APFFNT grasslands.