Manipulation of Natural Grassland in Semiarid Region: A Review

Abstract

Because the Caatinga is one of the most densely populated areas in the world and having agriculture and livestock farming as its main activities, it has been suffering a process of desertification over the years, reflecting on losses in biodiversity and animal productivity, especially as agricultural practices are based on deforestation and burning of native vegetation. Thus, it becomes necessary and fundamental, a searching for management practices that intensify the use of caatinga’s resources without degrading them. This review aims to highlight the use of manipulation techniques of the woody stratum of the Caatinga vegetation, as thinning and enrichment, which aim to increase the support capacity of the native and cultivated pasture, through the increase in herbaceous forage biomass and biodiversity.