Plant conservation in Nothofagus forests of Tierra del Fuego: The need for different landscape level analyses.

MARTÍNEZ PASTUR, G; SOLER, R; LENCINAS, MV; ANDERSON, CB; PERI, P; CELLINI, JM; BARRERA, M

Conferencia; IUFRO Landscape Ecology Conference; 2012

IUFRO

Biodiversity conservation is usually implemented only at a regional level in Patagonia (Argentina) and its effectiveness is poorly known regarding other landscape level units (local and stand), since little information exits. Therefore, we studied vascular plant diversity in Nothofagus forests and their associated environments distributed throughout Tierra del Fuego Island at three landscape levels. Floristic surveys (richness and cover) were conducted at 535 sites, and 230 vascular plant species were analysed at the (1) regional level, considering 2-3 zones depending on forest types (N. pumilio-NP, N. antarctica-NA or N. betuloides-NB); (2) local level, considering 5-6 vegetation types for each zone (grasslands, peat-bogs, shrublands, NP, NA and NB); and (3) stand level, considering a control-C and different tree retention types (aggregated-AR and dispersed retention-DR) on NP forests at three ranches. Data were analysed using multivariate techniques (nonmetrical multidimensional scaling and multi-response permutational procedure). At the regional level, differences were found for zones considering each forest type (NA > NP > NB). At the local level, forests plant diversity differed from non-forested associated environments in the three zones. At the stand level, harvesting produces changes in plant diversity of NP forests for the three ranches, where C was more similar to AR than DR. Plant conservation strategies in Nothofagus forests should take into account these landscape levels, since vascular plant diversity differs within a region (between different zones), a locality (vegetation types) or harvested stands (retention types). Implications of the analyses for management and conservation strategies at different landscape levels are discussed.