The area in which this report is in regards to is Chile, a country located in South America. Chile is a long and narrow strip of land that stretches for 2,088 miles with a width of 265 miles. This stringy country is the longest north-south country in the world. Thus, Chile consists great mineral wealth and a wide range of biodiversity due to the various ecosystems. Particularly interesting, is the richness of forest found in Southern Chile which features chains of volcanoes, twisting peninsulas, and islands. Moreover, Chile is situated within the Ring of Fire causing earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Below are two maps of Chile, one representing the various geographical landmarks and the other representing the vegetation..
HISTORICAL CONTEXT:
The Chilean Temperate Forest spans in the Southern Hemisphere from 35°S and 55°S. Due to the geographical location and the fact that it receives high rainfall and low temperatures during winter, the ecosystem is classified as a temperate forest. This ecosystem developed after the recession of the continental glacier that occurred more than 10,000 years ago. Due to the recession, the temperate forest remained geographically isolated from tropical forest formations. Thus, this temperate forest is “important in terms of size and lifespan of the tree species, the level of productivity, the enormous concentration of biomass and corresponding capacity of carbon storage, and a high degree of endemism” (Neira, 18). According to the Global Forest Watch, for the last 3,000 years the Chilean temperate forest remained intact with little to no alterations. It is estimated that the forest covered 18.4 million hectares, allowing for a richness in flora and fauna. Although the indigenous of the temperate forest converted land to “agriculture and pasture land,” they were forced to abandon the area following the Spanish conquest and the forest was able to recover (Neira, 16). Succeeding the Spanish, European settlers arrived and impacted the forests by converting the forest into land for agriculture and pasture land. Furthermore, intentional fires were set that destroyed a vast amount of the forest floors. Despite the fact that the Chilean temperate forest is the second largest in the world, currently only “56 percent of the original forest remains” (Neira, 16). Nonetheless, the temperate forest maintains great evolutionary and ecological value. Displayed below is a geographical map of the intact ancient forest shown in dark green and other forests shown in lite green.
HUMAN IMPACTS:
Chile along with the Pacific coasts of Canada and the United States make up three quarters of the world’s temperate rainforests. These rare forests, covering about 0.2 percent of the Earth’s land area, exceed all other terrestrial ecosystems. Due to the largest concentration of biomass, producing between 500 to 2000 tons of organic matter per hectare, Chile has the highest rate of biodiversity of the world’s temperate forests along with many diverse ecosystems, varied landscape and climate (Langman). The forests are habitats for many species including wildcats, fox and deer. However, about forty different mammals are endangered, by Chile’s forest and park service. Ninety-five percent of the United States temperate rainforest has been destroyed, while forty percent remain in southern Chile. Three percent of the world’s remaining frontier forests are in the temperate zone, and one-third of the threatened temperate regions are found in Chile (McDermott).
The biggest sources of native forest destruction are overexploitation for wood chips and clear cutting for tree plantations. According to the Central Bank report between 40 to 90 thousand hectares of native forests destroyed each year are converted to exotic species tree plantations. Selective logging disturbances are most prevalent causing severe degradation by altering the forests structure and composition. At this rate native forests would be eliminated in about 40 years if logging continues to increase. The impact of these tree plantations includes the loss of biodiversity and wildlife habitat for many endangered species, as well as soil erosion and water pollution. Another factor that has negatively affected the forest ecosystem is fire. An average of 13,660 hectares of native forests have been destroyed each year by fires, in the last 2 decades. Records indicate that less than one percent of fires were of natural origin; 28 percent were set intentionally, 29 percent were related to transportation accidents, and the remainder resulted from undetermined causes (CONAF, 1998).
In addition, more than 35,000 indigenous families are threatened with displacement by growth of tree plantations while thousands have been forced to migrate to cities where they lack employment opportunities and a sense of local culture. Even though timber companies have more than 3 million hectares of deforested land available in southern Chile for planting, Chile’s native forests are an “attractive investment” due to cheap bought land, they can be clear-cut first for wood chips, and they provide fertile soil for conserving tree plantations.
FUTURE PROSPECTS:
In 1931, the Forest Law came into force which focused on conserving and protecting the forest, however, today it is only partially implemented (Neira, 26). Inspite of various legislations, there are many efforts to conserve and maintain native species of the Chilean temperate forest. Yet, the state of conservation is of growing concern because of the level of threatened species, such as the southern belloto and the quele. While 29 per cent of the temperate forest is protected by the National System of Protected Wildlands (SNASPE), there are critical areas at risk of being destroyed or ceasing to exist (Neira, 19). Despite efforts made by the government and organizations to protect the floristic-rich regions of the temperate forest, the areas protected are small and incapable of maintaining populations of endangered species. Moreover, most of the forest land is owned by the private sector. Privately owned forest land is becoming increasingly expensive, making it more difficult for the government to purchase for protection. Thus, the private sector must be encouraged to conserve and maintain the temperate forest.
Temporal changes in (a) aggregation index and (b) adjacency index applied to the major land cover types in Rio Maule-Cobquecura. Land cover types: • = agricultural land, □ = arboreus shrubland,
= exotic-species plantation, ▴ = native forest, and ■ = shrubland.IMPROVEMENT:
The conservation of Chilean forests is a topic of growing concern among local, national and international conversations organizations. While 29% of the native forests are protected in the National System of Protected Wild lands (SNASPE), the states protected areas system (CONAF et al., 1995), forest types are poorly represented in most regions. SNASPE fails to include critical areas of native forest that are at risk of disappearing or being depleted. Therefore, only a fraction of national species and ecosystems that need protection are represented in the SNASPE. Chile has a total of 85 ecosystems and vegetative sub regions, of which 19 are not represented in the SNASPE (Armesto et al., 1995). Despite government efforts, particular zones of the country are poorly represented in the SNASPE. This protection does not ensure a sustainable continuation of the ecosystem. Because the majority of the forests are in private hands, the sustainable alternative is a locally controlled industry that will transform the forest into valuable products; instead of wood-chips .If the economic benefits stay in the community it will benefit future generations. What we can do is send letters to “Project WILD” and educate the public about the current issue that is at stake.
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