ABSTRACT.- The Río de la Plata Grasslands (RPG) are one of the largest areas of open ecosystems (grasslands, shrublands and savannas) in the world. Historically, these systems have experienced, and continue to experience, an enormous loss of natural habitats. Moreover, their importance has been largely invisible in comparison to forested systems. The remaining area of open ecosystems in the RPG region varies according to the source from 38 to 58% of the original area.

ABSTRACT.- CONTEXT:The Latin America-Caribbean (LAC) region has the potential to pursue a sustainable expansion of livestock production and capitalise on the growing global demand for dairy and beef products. However, it is necessary to understand the predominant production systems and their biophysical, economic, social, and environmental performances. OBJECTIVE:This study aimed to compare the milk production systems of nine countries of the region according to their major biophysical, socio-economic, and environmental performance indicators.

ABSTRACT.- Management practices during the rearing of dairy heifers should allow an adequate body growth and reproductive development to attain puberty several months before the first conception. Proposed target age and body weight (BW) at first calving for Holstein heifers are between 22-24 months and 82% of mature BW, respectively, for which heifers must conceive at around 15 months of age with 60% of their mature BW.

ABSTRACT.- The process of intensification of the dairy sector has been characterized in recent decades by the increase in milk production per hectare, the increase in livestock density, the inclusion of more concentrates in the diet, and the improvement of the genetic merit of dairy cows. The use of models has productive, environmental, and economic advantages. The objectives of the study were to describe a new model, "OLE!

ABSTRACT.- Uruguay's dairy can potentially enhance milk productivity competitively, but intensification risks elevating nitrogen (N) surplus, heightening environmental concerns. This study quantified farm-gate N inputs and outputs, calculating N surplus (input-output) and N use efficiency (NUE=output/input) for 17 commercial modal dairy systems identified in the 2014 and 2019 national surveys and six prospective intensified systems based on experimental pastoral farmlets achieving near-maximal rainfed productivity. .-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

ABSTRACT.- Canine tick-borne diseases, such as babesiosis, rangeliosis, hepatozoonosis, anaplasmosis and ehrlichiosis, are of veterinarian relevance, causing mild or severe clinical cases that can lead to the death of the dog. The aim of this study was detecting tick-borne protozoan and rickettsial infections in dogs with anemia and/or thrombocytopenia in Uruguay. A total of 803 domestic dogs were evaluated, and 10% were found positive (detected by PCR) at least for one hemoparasite.

ABSTRACT.- The agricultural expansion and intensification modify the structure and functioning of ecosystems, which alter their capacity to provide ecosystem services (ES). An adequate analysis of these changes requires an exhaustive characterization of land use and land cover. In the Rio de La Plata Grassland (RPG), most of these characterizations are limited in terms of spatial or conceptual resolution since they generally differentiate coarse classes, such as winter and summer crops instead of crop types, at more than 30 m.

RESUMEN.- El sistema de agronegocios de semilla forrajera en Uruguay se asocia a los de producción de carne, leche y lana. Esta actividad se desarrolla en un contexto turbulento, altamente influenciado por la demanda de forraje, por los precios de la carne y la leche, y por la dinámica de las exportaciones y el mercado global.

ABSTRACT.- Native grasslands in the Pampas of South America are increasingly being replaced by Eucalyptus and Pinus stands. The short rotation regimes used for the stands require high nutrient levels, with litterfall being a major source of nutrient return. To model the litterfall production using climatic variables and assess the nutrient return in 14-year-old Eucalyptusgrandis and Pinustaeda stands, we measured litter production over 2 years, using conical litter traps, and monitored climatic variables.

ABSTRACT.- Approaches to rapidly collecting global biodiversity data are increasingly important, but biodiversity blind spots persist. We organized a three-day Datathon event to improve the openness of local biodiversity data and facilitate data reuse by local researchers. The first Datathon, organized among microbial ecologists in Uruguay and Argentina assembled the largest microbiome dataset in the region to date and formed collaborative consortia for microbiome data synthesis. © 2024 The Author(s)