**6. Virtues, advantages, and scope of the floristic-holistic method (FHM)**

Among the most representative virtues of the FHM we can mention the following: it is a simple, practical method applicable to different types of land and low cost, and does not have negative effects on the ecosystem since it is not required to harvest materials or alter the feet of the species, and also combines quantitative and qualitative characters.

*The Floristic-Holistic Method for Arid, Semiarid, and Subhumid Areas: A Tool… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.106226*

#### **Figure 8.**

*Detail of bevel-cut twigs typical of rodents in* Prosopidastrum striatum*. Note in the figure that they are upper branches, and are at a height of about 1 meter.*

#### **Figure 9.** *Intensely browsed and debarked spines of alpataco (*Prosopis alpataco*). Notice rodent droppings on the floor.*

**Figure 10.** *General view of Mata Amarilla (*Anarthrophyllum rigidum*—Family Fabaceae) heavily browsed.*

Whatever the application of interest and the type of environment to survey, it is necessary to have at least one experienced botanist with extensive knowledge of the flora. If necessary, field support technicians must also be prepared to assist in data collection and registration. As for office work, its planning and management are important, given that data analysis is long and complex, also requiring a prepared and trained team.

Based on its structure and work methodology, the method allows comparing a great diversity of biological, ecological, and environmental situations. For example, when it is necessary to carry out studies of general plant biodiversity (**Figure 12**), floristic composition (**Figure 13**), for comparison between different

*The Floristic-Holistic Method for Arid, Semiarid, and Subhumid Areas: A Tool… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.106226*

#### **Figure 11.**

*Detail of bevel cut (*Anarthrophyllum rigidum*—Family Fabaceae) evidencing browsing by rodents (in this case it is rabbits).*

#### **Figure 12.**

*Main ecological parameters in different environments of the cold Mediterranean steppe of Chubut. Values are expressed in percentages. Summer sampling 2012.*

#### **Figure 13.**

*Floristic composition by botanical families (%) for a baseline of a wind farm (renewable energies). Eudicotyledonous families in blue, monocots (Poaceae) in green, gymnosperms (Ephedraceae) in violet, lichenized fungi (Parmeliaceae and Teloschistaceae) in orange, and mosses (Bryaceae) in red. Mount environment in the warm semidesert, Province of Río Negro. Fall 2019 sampling.*

landscape units (**Figure 14**), for comparison of the same landscape unit along the different seasons of the year (spring, summer, autumn, and winter—**Figure 15**) or over several years (**Figures 16**–**19**).

Data collection also applies to calculate the receptivity of domestic and/or wild animals (**Figure 17**), to assess the degrees of degradation over the years, or the passive or active ecological restoration of land (**Figures 18** and **19**), also to know the degree of conservation of an area, also to evaluate the loss of diversity/productivity/receptivity of flood-prone areas where dams or weirs will be built or where the watercourse will be diverted, and also in areas that suffered volcanism (**Figure 16**), fires (**Figure 18**), and/or clearing (**Figure 19**).

*The Floristic-Holistic Method for Arid, Semiarid, and Subhumid Areas: A Tool… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.106226*

#### **Figure 14.**

*Raunkiaer adaptive strategies, in different environments surveyed in the mount (warm semidesert) and high steppe (Andean range) of the province of Mendoza. 2019 Winter Samplings.*

#### **Figure 15.**

*Biological forms of the Neosparton steppe environment, which corresponds to the warm semidesert of Mendoza, expressed as a percentage. Samplings 2019.*

#### **Figure 16.**

*Variation of biological forms in response to a volcanism event in the Mediterranean steppe of Chubut. Samplings at summer 2010 and 2012.*

#### **Figure 17.**

*Forage availability (in kilos of dry matter per hectare) and stocking rate (in sheep livestock units per hectare (OLU/ha)). Sampling in 2001 and 2014 for a stay in Mount Chubutense (warm semidesert). Related to an extensive impact activity (extensive livestock use). The names correspond to the denomination of the registered tables.*

#### **Figure 18.**

*Botanical families were identified in a burned site with 21 years of passive ecological restoration in comparison with a neighboring non-burned area (reference ecosystem). Samplings 2014 for a forest area (warm semidesert) of Chubut.*

Applies to calculate changes in land use include for opening to livestock or agricultural barrier or road diversions, impacts of industrial effluents (**Figure 20**), and for monitoring the loss of native species and/or specific biological invasions and/or potential, for mining studies, for evaluation studies of direct and indirect impacts of various kinds, for studies of ethnobotanical uses (**Figure 21**), etc. As seen in the results presented, the FHM also allows:

• The visualization of all existing biological forms (**Figures 12**–**15**), valuing plant ecological relationships and recognizing in turn interactions with the fauna

*The Floristic-Holistic Method for Arid, Semiarid, and Subhumid Areas: A Tool… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.106226*

#### **Figure 19.**

*Percentage representation of the ecological parameters recorded for an area of cold Mediterranean steppe in the province of Santa Cruz with a chronological comparison of 38 years to monitor a passive restoration process on a punctual disturbance due to intensive impact activity (gas pipeline). The trunk area (1973) corresponds to the initial clearing for the work of a gas pipeline, the following loops of different years, which correspond to new clearings to expand the capacity of the gas pipeline, and the witness area is a neighboring area where there was never any clearing.*

#### **Figure 20.**

*Status in (%) of the surveyed plants according to a gradient of environmental contamination by industrial effluents with heavy metals. Border corresponds to the area of maximum contamination, then 25 meters, 50 meters, and the control at 5 km (reference ecosystem). Samplings 2014, 2015, and 2016 correspond to a forest area (warm semidesert), the province of Chubut. Note that in the area of greatest contamination there is a greater proportion of introduced species.*

present in the sites surveyed, such as habitat use, use of biological corridors, herbivore, parasitism, symbiotic relationships, among others.


#### **Figure 21.**

*Analysis of uses of plants based on data on plant cover, associated botanical uses, medicinal and others with and without scientific verification. Samplings 2013, 2014, and 2015, in Paso de Indios, cold Mediterranean steppe of Chubut.*

*The Floristic-Holistic Method for Arid, Semiarid, and Subhumid Areas: A Tool… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.106226*

