Adaptive forest management for biodiversity conservation in South Patagonia

MARTÍNEZ PASTUR, G; LENCINAS, MV; CELLINI, JM

Seul

Congreso; XXIII IUFRO World Congress; 2010

IUFRO

Natural native forests of Nothofagus pumilio are the main source for sawmill industry, and are located in public and private lands. Several silvicultural methods were proposed (e.g., shelterwood cuts) including alternative methods to enhance biodiversity conservation (e.g., variable retention). Theoretical models included a remnant overstory for periods up to 20 years until natural regeneration were established. The objective was to evaluate the impacts of these silvicultural methods over forest, abiotic and biotic variables (overstory, flowering and seeding, regeneration, understory plants, birds, insects, mosses, fungi, climate and soil properties), and to determine the effectiveness of the implementation of these methods, as well as the biodiversity conservation values during the first years after the cuts. Shelterwood cuts largely impacted over the studied variables than variable retention, which conserve most of the natural processes in the aggregated retention. However, both methods were not correctly implemented. Large quantities of timber material were abandoned in the forest. Wind-blow of remnant trees increased over time due to stem damage during the harvesting, but regeneration was abundant for stands recovery. New harvesting strategies must be implemented to assure the stability of the remnant overstory and to sustain both, economically and ecologically the implementation of these regeneration methods.