Una experiencia de generación de conocimiento ecológico a través de un proceso compartido entre ganaderos e investigadores en Sierras del Este (Uruguay)

Extensive livestock farming in Uruguay is supported by forage production, one of the main ecosystem services provided by natural grasslands. In the last decades, the advance of afforestation and agriculture have deepened the displacement of family and medium-sized producers, with the consequent overexploitation of the grassland. In order to contribute to livestock production and the conservation of grasslands, a shared research and exchange experience was carried out in Sierras del Este between researchers from the Universidad de la República (UdelaR) and livestock ranchers from the Cooperativa Agraria 1 .*_ Instituto de Ecología y Ciencias Ambientales, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República. .**_ Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República. ***_ Consejo de Formación en Educación – Administración Nacional de Educación Pública. .****_ Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de la República. .*****_ División Biodiversidad de la Dirección nacional de Medio Ambiente, Ministerio de Vivienda Ordenamiento Territorial y Medio Ambiente Costa Gorriz, B. et al. (2020) Tekoporá vol. 2, n°1 (58-73) DOI 10.36225/tekoporá.v2i1.30 59 Quebrada de los Cuervos (CAQC). The work carried out consisted of estimating the primary net aerial productivity or forage production of the dominant natural grassland communities, which is a fundamental input for the estimation of livestock carrying capacity. The objective of this article is to describe and analyze the work process that ranged from data collection in the field to discussion of the results obtained and their implications for livestock management. The data was collected in all four seasons in the field and four workshops were held in livestosk establishments in the area. Various institutions related to livestock farming at the local, departmental and national levels also participated. The active participation and involvement of the producers promoted the understanding and appropriation of the knowledge obtained during the research process, which in turn contributed to the implementation of a collective livestock management system by the CAQC