Synergies and trade-offs of national conservation policy and agro-forestry management over forest loss in Argentina during the last decade

G MARTÍNEZ PASTUR; A HUERTAS HERRERA; JM CELLINI; E GÓMEZ-BAGGETHUN; PL PERI

Temuco

Congreso; Congreso Latinoamericano de IUFRO Landscape Ecology y Segundo Congreso Latinoamericano de IALE.; 2016

IUFRO IALE UFRO

One reason for the systemic decline of natural forest is that many ecosystem services (ES) are usually not priced. Payment for ecosystem services (PES) can assist as a mechanism to translate external non-profitable ES values into financial incentives for local actors integrating conservation and socio-economic development. Argentina enacted National Law 26,331/07, which regulate protection, enrichment, restoration, utilization, and management of native forests and environmental services that they provide, and was designed to generate PES to land owners. The objective were to determine the tree cover extent, loss, and gain (2000-2013), identifying ecological and socio-political factors that influence over these changes, and discuss the effectiveness of conservation policy and agro-forestry management strategies in Argentina. Satellite images, national ordination processes, forest regions and other variables were combined into a GIS. Also, national data-bases (social, agriculture, industry) were assessed to determine the evolution of potential trade-off drivers with forest changes. Analyses determines 427.7 km² of forest cover to date, and 10.9% was lost (4.07 mill.ha-1), 0.4% change (0.15 mill.ha-1) and 1.0% win (0.37 mill.ha-1). Greater loss (>10%) were observed in north-west (Parque Chaqueño and Selva Tucumano-Boliviana) followed by Selva Misionera and Espinal (5-10%), while Monte and Bosque Andino-Patagónico presented the lower values (