Revista Chilena de Historia Natural 83 (1): 159-169, 2010
Long-term forest management research in South Patagonia - Argentina: Lessons from the
past, challenges from the present
GUILLERMO J. MARTÍNEZ-PASTUR, MARÍA V. LENCINAS, PABLO L. PERI, JUAN M. CELLINI & ALICIA
Argentina has based its economy in agriculture and cattle production seeing forests as
one of the main obstacles for future development. Forest harvesting in South Patagonia has been an activity based on colonization and
exploitation of new areas. Harvesting is mainly carried out in old-growth forests without silviculture management after the first cuts.
Beyond this mismanagement, scientific research defined the basis to conserve, protect and improve the present forest management
for the South Patagonia native forests. The first long-term study permanent plots (1965-1966) monitored only economic and forest
structure parameters, and near twenty plots were established in public forested lands of Tierra del Fuego. Most of these plots were
destroyed or discontinued due to a lack of land use planning, scarce social interest for long-term researches, absence of commitment
of institutions, and few contributions of forest companies. After this, a second group of nine long-term study permanent plots were
established in South Patagonia (1993- 2004) based in the collaboration between private companies and national research institutions.
The objectives included economic as well as ecological parameters. The new plots were established on private lands based on several
agreements and joint venture projects between national institutions, private companies and ranch owners. The main limitations in
these processes were: a lack of commitment from the provincial forest administrations, absence of long-term financed projects and a
clear forest policy from the government, and that continuity of plot measurements rely only under the responsibility of researchers. The
study of the long-term plots allowed: (i) to propose new harvesting systems by maximizing yield and improving conservation value of
managed forests (e.g., variable retention and silvopastoral systems), (ii) to determine the economical feasibility of the intermediate
treatments, (iii) to define base-lines and impacts of different silvicultural treatments, (iv) to propose a wide spectrum of monitoring
methodologies and establish demonstrative areas of forest management, and (v) to provide areas and knowledge to train professionals
in forest management and biodiversity conservation practices. The surviving permanent plots in Nothofagus forest in
South Patagonia and the obtained information could be used as a starting point to define a regional nucleus that could participate in the
International Long Term Ecological Research to improve the use of native forests.
biodiversity, monitoring,
Nothofagus forests, private companies, silviculture