Vegas (Mallínes): Patagonian wetlands still underexplored by soil science. An international and multidisciplinary effort to highlight their soil-based ecosystems functions
Patagonian “Vegas” are unique wetland ecosystems located in the arid and semi-arid steppe of Austral Patagonia (41–55◦S), a region that remains largely unexplored by soil science, despite its ecological importance. Therefore, this study aims to assess the contribution of Vegas to key soil-based ecos...
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| Format: | info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo |
| Language: | Inglés |
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Elsevier
2026
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/24868 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016706125004574 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2025.117616 |
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| author | Ivelic-Saez, Jorge Valle, Susana Dec, Dorota Dörner, José Arumí, José Luis Matus, Francisco Javier Vargas, Paola Patricia Utrilla, Victor Ricardo Hedl, Radim Balocchi, Oscar Saez, C. Ordóñez, Iván Pablo Valenzuela, J. Radic-Schilling, Sergio |
| author_browse | Arumí, José Luis Balocchi, Oscar Dec, Dorota Dörner, José Hedl, Radim Ivelic-Saez, Jorge Matus, Francisco Javier Ordóñez, Iván Pablo Radic-Schilling, Sergio Saez, C. Utrilla, Victor Ricardo Valenzuela, J. Valle, Susana Vargas, Paola Patricia |
| author_facet | Ivelic-Saez, Jorge Valle, Susana Dec, Dorota Dörner, José Arumí, José Luis Matus, Francisco Javier Vargas, Paola Patricia Utrilla, Victor Ricardo Hedl, Radim Balocchi, Oscar Saez, C. Ordóñez, Iván Pablo Valenzuela, J. Radic-Schilling, Sergio |
| author_sort | Ivelic-Saez, Jorge |
| collection | INTA Digital |
| description | Patagonian “Vegas” are unique wetland ecosystems located in the arid and semi-arid steppe of Austral Patagonia (41–55◦S), a region that remains largely unexplored by soil science, despite its ecological importance. Therefore, this study aims to assess the contribution of Vegas to key soil-based ecosystem functions—biomass production, water regulation, carbon sequestration, and nutrient content—and to evaluate their degradation status through a classification soil-based model. To meet the objectives of this study, a global bibliometric analysis (4283 pub lications) and a regional bibliometric analysis (55 publications) were carried out. Meanwhile, it produced a descriptive statistical summary (with 998 data points) and classification models for the ecological condition of the Vegas (with 322 data points). Compared with the vast number of wetland studies conducted in the Northern Hemisphere, our regional bibliographic analysis revealed a relative scarcity of research focused on Patagonian Vegas. Furthermore, our results demonstrate that well-preserved Vegas store up to 300 Mg C ha− 1, hold an average of 8500 m3 water ha− 1 (0–200 cm depth), and maintain high productivity across diverse hydrological and landscape gradients. Degradation, however, can reduce these capacities by up to 20 %. Using key soil parameters such as—pH, organic carbon, water holding capacity, and electrical conductivity—a Random Forest model was developed to classify the soil ecological condition of Vegas, achieving an overall classification accuracy of 67 %. This work highlights the role of Patagonian Vegas as critical carbon and water reservoirs, which is particularly relevant due
to the ongoing climate warming where exacerbated organic C decomposition can take place. Furthermore, we state a clear definition of Vegas to use by future conservation and land-use strategies. Given their high vulner ability to grazing, agricultural and other management pressures, the implementation of climate-based monitoring tools is critical to safeguard their ecological integrity and to ensure the sustainable provision of ecosystem services in one of the world’s most climate-sensitive regions. |
| format | info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo |
| id | INTA24868 |
| institution | Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA -Argentina) |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| publisherStr | Elsevier |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | INTA248682026-01-05T10:21:37Z Vegas (Mallínes): Patagonian wetlands still underexplored by soil science. An international and multidisciplinary effort to highlight their soil-based ecosystems functions Ivelic-Saez, Jorge Valle, Susana Dec, Dorota Dörner, José Arumí, José Luis Matus, Francisco Javier Vargas, Paola Patricia Utrilla, Victor Ricardo Hedl, Radim Balocchi, Oscar Saez, C. Ordóñez, Iván Pablo Valenzuela, J. Radic-Schilling, Sergio Land Use Ecosystem Services Peatlands Wetlands Biomass Production Water Carbon Sequestration Nutrients Utilización de la Tierra Servicios de los Ecosistemas Turbera Tierras Húmedas Producción de Biomasa Agua Secuestro de Carbono Nutrientes Ecological Conditions Random Forest Condiciones Ecológicas Bosque Aleatorio Vega Región Patagónica Mallines Patagonian “Vegas” are unique wetland ecosystems located in the arid and semi-arid steppe of Austral Patagonia (41–55◦S), a region that remains largely unexplored by soil science, despite its ecological importance. Therefore, this study aims to assess the contribution of Vegas to key soil-based ecosystem functions—biomass production, water regulation, carbon sequestration, and nutrient content—and to evaluate their degradation status through a classification soil-based model. To meet the objectives of this study, a global bibliometric analysis (4283 pub lications) and a regional bibliometric analysis (55 publications) were carried out. Meanwhile, it produced a descriptive statistical summary (with 998 data points) and classification models for the ecological condition of the Vegas (with 322 data points). Compared with the vast number of wetland studies conducted in the Northern Hemisphere, our regional bibliographic analysis revealed a relative scarcity of research focused on Patagonian Vegas. Furthermore, our results demonstrate that well-preserved Vegas store up to 300 Mg C ha− 1, hold an average of 8500 m3 water ha− 1 (0–200 cm depth), and maintain high productivity across diverse hydrological and landscape gradients. Degradation, however, can reduce these capacities by up to 20 %. Using key soil parameters such as—pH, organic carbon, water holding capacity, and electrical conductivity—a Random Forest model was developed to classify the soil ecological condition of Vegas, achieving an overall classification accuracy of 67 %. This work highlights the role of Patagonian Vegas as critical carbon and water reservoirs, which is particularly relevant due to the ongoing climate warming where exacerbated organic C decomposition can take place. Furthermore, we state a clear definition of Vegas to use by future conservation and land-use strategies. Given their high vulner ability to grazing, agricultural and other management pressures, the implementation of climate-based monitoring tools is critical to safeguard their ecological integrity and to ensure the sustainable provision of ecosystem services in one of the world’s most climate-sensitive regions. Dirección Nacional Asistente de Transferencia y extensión (DNATyE) Fil: Ivelic-Saez, Jorge. Universidad Austral de Chile. Escuela de Graduados. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Alimentarias. Doctorado en Ciencias Agrarias; Chile. Fil: Ivelic-Saez, Jorge. Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias; Chile. Fil: Ivelic-Saez, Jorge. Universidad Austral de Chile. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Alimentarias. Instituto de Ingeniería Agraria y Suelos; Chile. Fil: Valle, Susana. Universidad Austral de Chile. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Alimentarias. Instituto de Ingeniería Agraria y Suelos; Chile Fil: Valle, Susana. Universidad Austral de Chile. Centro de Investigación en Suelos volcánicos; Chile. Fil: Dec, D. Universidad Austral de Chile. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Alimentarias. Instituto de Ingeniería Agraria y Suelos; Chile Fil: Dec, D. Universidad Austral de Chile. Centro de Investigación en Suelos volcánicos; Chile. Fil: Dörner, J. Universidad Austral de Chile. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Alimentarias. Instituto de Ingeniería Agraria y Suelos; Chile Fil: Dörner, J. Universidad Austral de Chile. Centro de Investigación en Suelos volcánicos; Chile. Fil: Arumí, J.L. Universidad de Concepción. Departamento de Recursos Hídricos; Chile. Fil: Arumí, J.L. Hídricos Rearch Center for Agriculture and Mining (CRHIAM). ANID Fondap Center; Chile. Fil: Matus, F. Universidad de La Frontera. Faculty of Engineering and Sciences. Laboratory of Soil Conservation and Dynamics of Volcanic Soils; Chile. Fil: Vargas, Paola Patricia. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Dirección Nacional Asistente de Transferencia y extensión (DNATyE); Argentina. Fil: Utrilla, Víctor Ricardo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Santa Cruz. Grupo Producción Agropecuaria; Argentina. Fil: Utrilla, Víctor Ricardo. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral. Unidad Académica Río Gallegos; Argentina. Fil: Hedl, R. Czech Academy of Sciences. Institute of Botany; República Checa Fil: Hedl, R. Palacký University in Olomouc. Faculty of Science; República Checa Fil: Balocchi, O. Universidad Austral de Chile. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Alimentarias. Instituto de Producción Animal; Chile. Fil: Saez, C. Retired Researcher; Chile. Fil: Ordóñez, J. Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias; Chile. Fil: Ordóñez, J. Universidad Austral de Chile. Centro de Investigación en Suelos volcánicos; Chile. Fil: Valenzuela, J. Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias; Chile. Fil: Radic-Schilling, S. Universidad de Magallanes. Departamento de Ciencias Agropecuarias y Acuícolas; Chile. 2026-01-05T10:01:48Z 2026-01-05T10:01:48Z 2025-12 info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/24868 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016706125004574 J. Ivelic-Sáez, S. Valle, D. Dec, J. Dörner, J.L. Arumí, F. Matus, P. Vargas, V. Utrilla, R. Hedl, O. Balocchi, C. Sáez, I. Ordóñez, J. Valenzuela, S. Radic-Schilling (2025). Vegas (Mallínes): Patagonian wetlands still underexplored by soil science. An international and multidisciplinary effort to highlight their soil-based ecosystems functions. Geoderma 464: 117616. ISSN 0016-7061, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2025.117616. 0016-7061 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2025.117616 eng info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) application/pdf Elsevier Geoderma 464 : 117616 (December 2025) |
| spellingShingle | Land Use Ecosystem Services Peatlands Wetlands Biomass Production Water Carbon Sequestration Nutrients Utilización de la Tierra Servicios de los Ecosistemas Turbera Tierras Húmedas Producción de Biomasa Agua Secuestro de Carbono Nutrientes Ecological Conditions Random Forest Condiciones Ecológicas Bosque Aleatorio Vega Región Patagónica Mallines Ivelic-Saez, Jorge Valle, Susana Dec, Dorota Dörner, José Arumí, José Luis Matus, Francisco Javier Vargas, Paola Patricia Utrilla, Victor Ricardo Hedl, Radim Balocchi, Oscar Saez, C. Ordóñez, Iván Pablo Valenzuela, J. Radic-Schilling, Sergio Vegas (Mallínes): Patagonian wetlands still underexplored by soil science. An international and multidisciplinary effort to highlight their soil-based ecosystems functions |
| title | Vegas (Mallínes): Patagonian wetlands still underexplored by soil science. An international and multidisciplinary effort to highlight their soil-based ecosystems functions |
| title_full | Vegas (Mallínes): Patagonian wetlands still underexplored by soil science. An international and multidisciplinary effort to highlight their soil-based ecosystems functions |
| title_fullStr | Vegas (Mallínes): Patagonian wetlands still underexplored by soil science. An international and multidisciplinary effort to highlight their soil-based ecosystems functions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Vegas (Mallínes): Patagonian wetlands still underexplored by soil science. An international and multidisciplinary effort to highlight their soil-based ecosystems functions |
| title_short | Vegas (Mallínes): Patagonian wetlands still underexplored by soil science. An international and multidisciplinary effort to highlight their soil-based ecosystems functions |
| title_sort | vegas mallines patagonian wetlands still underexplored by soil science an international and multidisciplinary effort to highlight their soil based ecosystems functions |
| topic | Land Use Ecosystem Services Peatlands Wetlands Biomass Production Water Carbon Sequestration Nutrients Utilización de la Tierra Servicios de los Ecosistemas Turbera Tierras Húmedas Producción de Biomasa Agua Secuestro de Carbono Nutrientes Ecological Conditions Random Forest Condiciones Ecológicas Bosque Aleatorio Vega Región Patagónica Mallines |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/24868 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016706125004574 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2025.117616 |
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