Shrubland Management in Northwestern Patagonia: An Evaluation of Its Short-Term Effects on Multiple Ecosystem Services

GOLDENBERG, MATIAS G; ODDI, FACUNDO J; GOWDA, JUAN H; GARIBALDI, LUCAS A

Ecosystem Services in Patagonia A Multi-Criteria Approach for an Integrated Assessment

Springer

Año: 2021; p. 99 - 114

Sustainable management of natural resources is one of the greatest challengesthat humanity is facing today. Part of the global energy demand is suppliedby woody biomass whose production needs to ensure the maintenance of structuresand functions that forests provide through biodiversity and ecosystem services. Thegeneral objective of this chapter is to review the effects of shrubland managementfor woody fuel production on biodiversity and different ecosystem services (ES) innorthwestern Patagonia shrublands. This revision is based on results obtained froma field experiment evaluating a harvesting intensity gradient in three contrasting sitequalities. Regrowth biomass production increases with harvesting intensity, andincrements are higher at the high- and medium-quality sites. Consequently, thehighest extraction intensity is the selected alternative for firewood production aseconomic metrics indicate. Wood energy density of shrubland species is higher thanthat observed in other woody species commonly used as fuels, highlighting thepotential for energy supply in these ecosystems. Effect of harvesting on biodiversityvaries with site quality: it is negative at the low-quality site and positive at the high-qualitysite, and biodiversity is maximized at intermediate harvesting intensity atthe medium-quality site. Regarding the fire protection ES, the effects are general:firewood harvesting reduces both fuel continuity and live fuel moisture content at all three sites. Litter cover, associated with soil formation ES, also decreases withharvesting intensity in all the sites, but the size effect depends on both site qualityand time since intervention. When integrating the multiple ES, it is concluded thatnorthwestern Patagonia shrublands could provide bioenergy ensuring biodiversityand ES, but the optimal level of intervention will depend on site conditions anddecision-maker?s preferences.