Anthropogenic disturbances affecting SOUTHERN BEECH (Nothofagus pumilio) forests at “torres del paine” biosphere reserve, Southern Chilean Patagonia

Summary

“Torres del Paine” Biosphere Reserve (Chilean Patagonia) is considered as one of the most important nature protected areas of Southern Patagonia. Its highly complex orography determines its impressive scenic beauty and strong environmental gradients, resulting in high ecosystemic and biodiversity patterns. However, during the recent decades this biodiversity has been endangered by an increasing pressure resulting from anthropogenic activities, such as tourism or cattle raising. Lenga (Nothofagus pumilio) Forests are a widely distributed ecosystem around the mountain areas inside the reserve. In recent the last deacedes they suffered from several kinds of disturbances, include fires, cattle grazing, and introduction of exotic species. Consequently, the surface, structure and composition of many forest stands have been altered, and its wildlife also was affected (e.g., bird associations).
This project aims to: 1) describe the structure and floristic composition of Lenga stands under different anthropic disturbance situations, 2) to assess the Lenga regeneration occurring in these stands, and 3) to relate the floristic and structural characteristics of Lenga stands with bird assemblages inhabiting them. This information will be valuable for conservation issues, for example, to differentiate between pristine and disturbed areas, to establish biodiversity indicators for monitoring programs, and to focus efforts on restoring and/or productive use. The practical scopes of this project aim to set management recommendations for administrators and other decision-makers, in times when it is highly necessary to generate scientific data that allows us to relate productive and/or traditional uses with the principles of biodiversity conservation.