Title: The irruption of new agro-industrial technologies in Uruguay and their environmental impacts on soil, water supply and biodiversity: a review

Authors: Carlos Cespedes-Payret, Gustavo Pineiro, Marcel Achkar, Ofelia Gutierrez, Daniel Panario

Addresses: UNCIEP (Unidad de Ciencias de Epigenesis), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la Republica, Igua 4225, C.P. 11.400 Montevideo, Uruguay. ' Instituto de Ciencias Geologicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la Republica, Igua 4225, C.P. 11.400 Montevideo, Uruguay. ' Lab. de Desarrollo Sustentable y Gestion Ambiental del Territorio del Departamento de Geografía, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la Republica, Igua 4225, C.P. 11.400 Montevideo, Uruguay. ' UNCIEP (Unidad de Ciencias de Epigenesis), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la Republica, Igua 4225, C.P. 11.400 Montevideo, Uruguay. ' UNCIEP (Unidad de Ciencias de Epigenesis), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la Republica, Igua 4225, C.P. 11.400 Montevideo, Uruguay

Abstract: In recent years, economic growth has produced a global change in the demand for food, fibre and energy supply. This has gone together with the globalisation of the agro-industrial production systems, leading to a qualitative change in land use because of intensive use of technological inputs. Uruguay, just as the other countries of the region, is part of this phenomenon. The massive introduction of forest crops has been made over native grassland ecosystems, replacing traditional productive activities of the post-colonial period. Research on eucalyptus afforestation shows depletion of the ecosystem services associated with grassland and loss of the resilience capacity of the system. Impacts on soil organic matter, soil physicochemical properties, the hydrological cycle and on biodiversity are analysed. This review (with emphasis on Uruguay and the River Plata Basin) tries to contribute to an integrated vision of the environmental consequences of current land-use change.

Keywords: agro-industrial technologies; land use change; forest crops; grassland ecosystems; eucalyptus afforestation; ecosystem services; environmental impacts; soil organic matter; soil physicochemical properties; hydrological cycle; glyphosate; biodiversity; Uruguay; River Plata Basin; health; water supply.

DOI: 10.1504/IJENVH.2009.024877

International Journal of Environment and Health, 2009 Vol.3 No.2, pp.175 - 197

Published online: 02 May 2009 *

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