Olga González

La helicicultura en Argentina: una aproximación desde el enfoque de sistemas blandos

Globalization printed particular features in the agri-food sector by increasing the interest on alternative agricultural production, including the heliciculture. In Argentina, during the period 2001-2006, this activity was strongly promoted from the perspective of agribusiness, which may be insufficient to explain the trajectory of activities in which the social relations of opposition or marked differences of power between actors exert a decisive influence. The application of tools of the soft systems could complement this theoretical framework highlighting other elements and relationships arising from the perception of the actors involved. The aim of this study was to model the heliciculture system in Argentina during the period 2001-2012 in order to analyze the evolution of the activity. Three methodological tools were used: 1) Soft systems methodology (SSM) on his first and second phase, 2) system dynamics, and 3) social networking setup. This last analysis was based on two network indicators: density and centrality. The results showed that the heliciculture system in Argentina during the period under review was mainly developed from informal interaction between representatives of processing plants and collectors, in response to international demand, began to use a local wild resource. This interaction was kept until 2006. From this year, changes in economic variables led to a decrease in demand from the processing plants, discouraging the collection, thus explaining the variation in the indexes that characterize the structure of social networks configured for the periods 2001-2006 and 2007-2012. The model developed is a complementary tool to the agribusiness approach, since it allows to identify the effect of changes on the elements that compose it and propose intervention in order to maintain the sustainability of the heliciculture system.

Discrete observations of the spatial distributions of the Helix aspersa snail in an outdoor system

O. Gonzalez, G. Perez Camargo, M. Membiela, D. Frezza, N. Bartoloni, and C. Vieites. 2009. Discrete observations of the Helix aspersa land snails’ spatial distribution in an outdoor system. Cien. Inv. Agr. 36(1):123-130. In this study, adult Helix apersa land snails with previously established periodicity were observed at three densities in their fi nishing stage in order to contribute to the body of knowledge about spatial distribution and certain behavior patterns in an outdoor system. From November 8 to December 18, 2006, snails that were in their fi nal fattening phase were grouped at three densities (50 snailm ², 100 snailm ², 200 snailm ²) and randomly placed in nine cubicles, with three replicates of each density. Twelve observations of the snail behavior were made between 12 am and 1 pm. The categories selected as “discrete acts” include: observing the snails in the shelters, on Swiss chard leaves (Beta vulgaris), adhered to the netting, on the balanced feed, on the water supply tray, and on the ground. A statistical analysis employing marginal and partial frequency tests was completed on the density x category x time interactions. It was concluded that around midday, the majority of the snails remained in the artifi cial shelters and on the Swiss chard monoculture leaves. In addition, differences were not detected for the rest of the categories in regard to the spatial distribution of the individuals in the three densities analyzed. If lower densities than the ones most commonly employed in studies (200 snailm ²) are used in an open outdoor system in the fattening stage, the individuals will use the available space in a similar way, thereby exhibiting similar behavior patterns.