Forestation in the Brazilian Pampa: the Vision of Family Farmers in Territory of Alto Camaquã/RS

Abstract

The traditional economy of the region called Pampa, based in the extensive raising of cattle, is being threatened and has been losing space after the introduction of alternatives that affect the social and biological evolution of the Pampa biome. One of the outlined alternatives in the “Southern Portion” of Rio Grande do Sul is to substitute  the original meadows for homogeneous plantations of exotic trees to produce cellulose, which has become the center of a social and environmental issue. The purpose of this study is to analyze the perception of family cattle raisers in the Territory of Alto Camaquã/RS in what concerns the “reforestation” process in that area. For this, semi-structured interviews have been carried out, along with observation, daily field journal and bibliographical review on such subject. Family cattle raisers seem to resist bringing exotic species (“forestation”) to the area, because of their impact on and of the dissociation of individuals with local environment, reduction of water sources, appearance of predators, especially boars, destruction of  natural pasture and decrease of  of beef cattle and sheep activities, which are traditional. This way, family cattle raisers contribute to maintain the natural landscape of the region with the tradition of raising bovine and sheep and keeping the environmental and social characteristics of Pampa, especially in the Territory of Alto Camaquã - Southern Portion of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.