| Impacts of a short-interval severe fire on forest structure and regeneration in a temperate Andean Araucaria-Nothofagus forest | Fire Ecology | Arroyo-Vargas, P.; Busby, S.; Veblen, T.; González, M.; Holz, A. | 2024 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1186/s42408-024-00327-2 | https://doi.org/10.1186/s42408-024-00327-2 | a93 | Vol: 20.0 Issue: 1.0 | 1933-9747 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | Gold Open Access | en | Warmer climate conditions are altering fire regimes globally, eroding the capacity of forest ecosystems to resist and recover from natural disturbances like wildfire. Severe and rapidly repeated wildfires are promoting tree regeneration failure of obligate-seeders and/or fire-sensitive species in temperate forests of the Southern Hemisphere. We collected post-fire field data to evaluate whether forest structure and tree regeneration responses varied between two Andean forest study areas dominated by the threatened Gondwanan conifer Araucaria araucana
and Nothofagus species (southern beeches) — one area burned once, the other reburned after 13 years.
Tree mortality was high across species after a single high severity and/or repeated wildfire, although some A. araucana trees were able to survive both events. Post-fire seedling regeneration of A. araucana and Nothofagus spp. was poor in areas affected by severe wildfires, and the latter was absent from reburned plots. A key driver of this regeneration failure was increasing distance to live seed source trees, which was negatively correlated with these species’ post-fre seedling abundances. In contrast, species with the capacity to regenerate via resprouting (A. araucana, N. alpina, N. obliqua) did so after a single high severity fire; however, only a single Nothofagus species (N. alpina) resprouted abundantly after a reburn.
Our fundings suggest that high severity and short-interval fires can drastically change the structure of and limit post-fre tree regeneration in Araucaria-Nothofagus forests, promoting alternative post-fire forest ecosystem trajectories. Resprouting species of the Nothofagus genus, especially N. alpina, exhibit the greatest resilience
to these emerging fire patterns. These forests are currently facing an unprecedented climatic shift toward greater fire activity, where resprouting is the favored regeneration strategy. If the occurrence of severe and short-interval fires
increases in the coming decades, as predicted, we expect Araucaria-Nothofagus forests to shift toward a drier, more flammable shrubland ecosystem state. |
| On the timescale of drought indices for monitoring streamflow drought considering catchment hydrological regimes | Hydrology and Earth System Sciences | Baez-Villanueva, O.; Zambrano-Bigiarini, M.; Miralles, D.; Beck, H.; Siegmund, J.; Alvarez-Garreton, C.; Verbist, K.; Garreaud, R.; Boisier, J.; Galleguillos, M. | 2024 | Agua y Extremos; Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.5194/hess-28-1415-2024 | https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-1415-2024 | 1415-1439 | Vol: 28.0 Issue: 6.0 | 10275606 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access | English | There is a wide variety of drought indices, yet a consensus on suitable indices and temporal scales for monitoring streamflow drought remains elusive across diverse hydrological settings. Considering the growing interest in spatially distributed indices for ungauged areas, this study addresses the following questions: (i) What temporal scales of precipitation-based indices are most suitable to assess streamflow drought in catchments with different hydrological regimes? (ii) Do soil moisture indices outperform meteorological indices as proxies for streamflow drought? (iii) Are snow indices more effective than meteorological indices for assessing streamflow drought in snow-influenced catchments? To answer these questions, we examined 100 near-natural catchments in Chile with four hydrological regimes, using the standardised precipitation index (SPI), standardised precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI), empirical standardised soil moisture index (ESSMI), and standardised snow water equivalent index (SWEI), aggregated across various temporal scales. Cross-correlation and event coincidence analysis were applied between these indices and the standardised streamflow index at a temporal scale of 1 month (SSI-1), as representative of streamflow drought events. Our results underscore that there is not a single drought index and temporal scale best suited to characterise all streamflow droughts in Chile, and their suitability largely depends on catchment memory. Specifically, in snowmelt-driven catchments characterised by a slow streamflow response to precipitation, the SPI at accumulation periods of 12-24 months serves as the best proxy for characterising streamflow droughts, with median correlation and coincidence rates of approximately 0.70-0.75 and 0.58-0.75, respectively. In contrast, the SPI at a 3-month accumulation period is the best proxy over faster-response rainfall-driven catchments, with median coincidence rates of around 0.55. Despite soil moisture and snowpack being key variables that modulate the propagation of meteorological deficits into hydrological ones, meteorological indices are better proxies for streamflow drought. Finally, to exclude the influence of non-drought periods, we recommend using the event coincidence analysis, a method that helps assessing the suitability of meteorological, soil moisture, and/or snow drought indices as proxies for streamflow drought events. © 2024 The Author(s). |
| Assessing the incorporation of latent variables in the estimation of the value of a statistical life | Risk Analysis | Barrientos, M.; Vásquez Lavín, F.; Ponce Oliva, R. | 2024 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1111/risa.14286 | https://doi.org/10.1111/risa.14286 | | | 02724332 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE; SSCI) | | English | For many years, the economic literature has recognized the role of attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions in estimating the value of a statistical life (VSL). However, few applications have attempted to include them. This article incorporates the perceived controllability and concern about traffic and cardiorespiratory risks to estimate VSL using a hybrid choice model (HCM). The HCM allows us to include unobserved heterogeneity and improve behavioral realism explicitly. Using data from a choice experiment conducted in Santiago, Chile, we estimate a VSL of US$3.78 million for traffic risks and US$2.06 million for cardiorespiratory risks. We found that higher controllability decreases the likelihood that the respondents would be willing to pay for risk reductions in both risks. On the other hand, concern about these risks decreases the willingness to pay for traffic risk reductions but increases it for cardiorespiratory risk reductions. © 2024 Society for Risk Analysis. |
| Evaluating the ability of convolutional neural networks for transfer learning in Pinus radiata cover predictions | Ecological Informatics | Bravo-Diaz, A.; Moreno, S.; Lopatin, J. | 2024 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2024.102684 | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoinf.2024.102684 | art102684 | Vol: 82.0 | 15749541 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Hybrid Gold Open Access | English | The species Pinus radiata is highly invasive in native forests in Chile, drastically affecting the functioning and structure of ecosystems. Hence, it is imperative to develop robust approaches to detect P. radiata invasions at different scales. Models based on convolutional neural networks (CNN) have proven to be a promising alternative to detect plant invasions in high-resolution remote sensing data, such as those obtained by drones. However, studies have been limited in their spatial variability and their assessments of transferability or transfer learning to new sectors, hindering the ability to use these models in a real-world setting. We train models based on CNN architectures using unpiloted aerial vehicle data and evaluate their ability to transfer learning outside the training domain using regression approaches. We compared models trained with low spatial variability (mono-site) with those with high spatial variability (multi-site). We further sought to maximize the transference of learning outside the training domain by searching among different architectures and models, maximizing the evaluation in an independent data set. The results showed that transfer learning is better when multi-site models with higher spatial variability are used for training, obtaining a coefficient of determination R2 between 60% and 87%. On the contrary, mono-site models present a wide variability of performance attributed to the dissimilarity of information between sites, limiting the possibilities of using these models for extrapolations or model generalizations. We also obtained a significant difference between within-domain generalization using test data versus transfer learning outside the training domain, showing that testing data alone cannot depict such discrepancy without further data. Finally, the best models for transfer learning on new data domains often do not agree with those selected by the standard training/validation/testing scheme. Our findings pave the way for deeper discussions and further investigations into the limitations of CNN models when applied to high-resolution imagery. © 2024 |
| The implicit market price of soil erosion: An estimation using a hedonic model with spatial spillovers | Agricultural Economics (United Kingdom) | Caffera, M.; Lavín, F.; Barrientos, M.; Anza, D.; Carrasco-Letelier, L. | 2024 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1111/agec.12857 | https://doi.org/10.1111/agec.12857 | | | 01695150 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE; SSCI) | | English | We estimate the implicit market price of soil erosion using quarterly data of 2824 agricultural farms traded in Uruguay between 2000 and 2014. A unique feature of our estimation is that we allow for possible spatial spillovers. We find evidence of a negative and statistically significant association between erosion and land values. On average, an additional loss of 1% of the original topsoil due to erosion is associated with a direct (own) decrease of.24% in the per-hectare price of agricultural land (P-value:.012, 95% CI: −.0042, −.0005). In 2023 dollars, this is equivalent to a decrease of USD 8.7 in the average price per hectare, or USD 1130 in the price of the average farm. In terms of tons of soil, the average value is $.24 a ton. Finally, considering the 50 km radius of our spatial model, the value of losing 1% of topsoil is $15.8 million. The value of our estimates is sensitive to our measure of erosion and our specification of the spatial-temporal weighting matrix, but the statistical association is robust. © 2024 International Association of Agricultural Economists. |
| Economic valuation of Harmful Algal Blooms (HAB): Methodological challenges, policy implications, and an empirical application | Journal of Environmental Management | Carias, J.; Vásquez-Lavín, F.; Barrientos, M.; Ponce Oliva, R.; Gelcich, S. | 2024 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.121566 | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.121566 | art121566 | Vol: 365.0 | 03014797 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | This paper presents a literature review on the economic valuation of Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) impacts, identifying methodological challenges, policy implications, and gaps. Unlike previous literature reviews, we are particularly interested in determining whether the economic valuations of HABs have included a policy analysis. Our paper provides a conceptual framework that allows us to evaluate whether applications of economic studies of HABs are consistent with a well-defined economic welfare analysis. It links methodologies and techniques with welfare measures, data types, and econometric methods. Based on this literature review, we present an example of economic valuation that closes the gap between policy analysis and valuation methodology. We use a stated preferences study to estimate a “seafood price premium” to create a fund to support monitoring systems and for damage compensation to producers in the presence of HABs. Results show that most economic studies on HAB valuation do not consider any cost-benefit analysis of a defined policy intervention. The predominant economic valuation methodology uses market information to estimate a proxy for welfare measure of the impact of HABs (loss revenue, sales, exports). Moreover, nonuse and indirect use values are ignored in the literature, while stated preference methodologies are underrepresented. Finally, results from 1293 surveys found that people are willing to pay an increase in the price of mussels to support a policy that informs on HAB. However, the lack of institutional trust affects the probability of paying negatively. © 2024 Elsevier Ltd |
| Estimating Residential Water Demand Under Systematic Shifts Between Uniform Price (UP) and Increasing Block Tariffs (IBT) | Water Resources Research | Chovar Vera, A.; Vásquez-Lavín, F.; Ponce Oliva, R. | 2024 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1029/2022WR033508 | https://doi.org/10.1029/2022WR033508 | arte2022WR033508 | Vol: 60.0 Issue: 4.0 | 00431397 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Hybrid Gold Open Access | English | We evaluate whether changing from a uniform price (UP) to an increasing block tariff (IBT) changes people's behavior. We exploit a unique setting in which the price scheme moves back and forth yearly from UP to IBT. We discuss the effectiveness of IBT in reducing summer consumption. This issue is relevant to many countries and policymakers interested in designing tariff structures. There is no evidence of how the same consumer may react to systematically switching from one tariff structure to another yearly. We estimate the residential water demand and its price elasticity using a generalized least squared random effect model for the UP and the discrete/continuous choice model for the IBT. In addition, we split the sample between low and high-consumption groups. For the low consumption group unaffected by the tariff change, the elasticity in the nonsummer months is higher (more elastic) than in the summer. Consumers in this group reduce their elasticity from nonsummer to summer months (−0.299 vs. −0.071, respectively) and increase their consumption by 13%. The high consumption group increased its summer consumption, but only by 8.7%, and contrary to the first group, its elasticity increased significantly (from −0.299 to −0.568). The high-consumption group is indeed affected by the change in tariff. From a policy perspective, this implies that the IBT structure is relevant. However, if the policy seeks to promote conservation, it needs to be adjusted to a lower decile of the water consumption distribution to affect a more significant portion of the population. © 2024. The Authors. |
| Unveiling emerging interdisciplinary research challenges in the highly threatened sclerophyllous forests of central Chile | Revista Chilena de Historia Natural | Delpiano, C.; Vargas, S.; Ovalle, J.; Cáceres, C.; Zorondo-Rodríguez, F.; Miranda, A.; Pohl, N.; Rojas, C.; Squeo, F. | 2024 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1186/s40693-024-00130-y | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40693-024-00130-y | art7 | Vol: 97.0 Issue: 1.0 | 0716078X | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | Background: The potential ecosystem collapse of forests in Mediterranean-type ecosystems (MTEs) by unprecedented droughts is worrisome due to the impacts on its exceptional biodiversity and human well-being. However, research integrating the impacts of global change drivers, forest resilience and the challenges facing human-nature relationships is still scarce. Methods and results: Using the central Chile megadrought and recently massive forest browning event as a model scenario, we identified, through a scientific literature review and an interdisciplinary scientific workshop, the research priorities and questions to address for MTEs in a context of global change. Our results highlighted knowledge gaps that need to be covered, particularly in social and environmental sciences, with an emphasis on soil science. Research priorities must focus on (1) the understanding of interactive effects of global and local anthropogenic drivers on MTEs and (2) the evaluation of the potential impacts of MTEs collapse on human well-being and ecosystem functioning. Conclusions: We highlight the need for a collaborative approach involving scientists, landowners, managers/administrators, and policymakers to apply adaptive forest management against the current socio-environmental challenges under a global change context. © The Author(s) 2024. |
| Remote sensing biodiversity monitoring in Latin America: Emerging need for sustained local research and regional collaboration to achieve global goals | Global Ecology and Biogeography | Garzon-Lopez, C.; Miranda, A.; Moya, D.; Andreo, V. | 2024 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1111/geb.13804 | https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.13804 | arte13804 | Vol: 33.0 Issue: 4.0 | 1466822X | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Hybrid Gold Open Access | English | Aim: Biodiversity monitoring at global scales has been identified as one of the priorities to halt biodiversity loss. In this context, Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), home to 60% of the global biodiversity, play an important role in the development of an integrative biodiversity monitoring platform. In this review, we explore to what extent LAC has advanced in the adoption of remote sensing for biodiversity monitoring and what are the gaps and opportunities to integrate local monitoring into global efforts to halt biodiversity loss. Location: Latin America and the Caribbean. Time period: 1995 to 2022. Taxa studied: Terrestrial organisms. Methods: We reviewed the application of remote sensing for biodiversity monitoring in LAC aiming to identify gaps and opportunities across countries, ecosystem types and research networks. Results: Our analysis illustrates how the use of remote sensing in LAC is disproportionately low in relation to the biodiversity it supports. Main conclusions: Build upon this analysis, we present, discuss and offer perspectives regarding four gaps identified in the application of remote sensing for biodiversity monitoring in Latin America and the Caribbean, namely (1) alignment between remote sensing data resolution and ecosystem structure; (2) investment in research, institutions and capacity building within researchers and stakeholders; (3) decolonized practices that promote access to publishing outlets and pluralistic participation among countries that facilitate exchange of experiences and capacity building; and (4) development of networks within and across regions to advance in ground surveys, ensure access and to foster the use of remote sensing data. © 2024 The Authors. Global Ecology and Biogeography published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. |
| A monthly gridded burned area database of national wildland fire data | Scientific Data | Gincheva, A.; Pausas, J.; Edwards, A.; Provenzale, A.; Cerdà, A.; Hanes, C.; Royé, D.; Chuvieco, E.; Mouillot, F.; Vissio, G.; Rodrigo, J.; Bedía, J.; Abatzoglou, J.; Senciales González, J.; Short, K.; Baudena, M.; Llasat, M.; Magnani, M.; Boer, M.; González, M.; Torres-Vázquez, M.; Fiorucci, P.; Ja... | 2024 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1038/s41597-024-03141-2 | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-024-03141-2 | art352 | Vol: 11.0 Issue: 1.0 | 20524463 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access | English | We assembled the first gridded burned area (BA) database of national wildfire data (ONFIRE), a comprehensive and integrated resource for researchers, non-government organisations, and government agencies analysing wildfires in various regions of the Earth. We extracted and harmonised records from different regions and sources using open and reproducible methods, providing data in a common framework for the whole period available (starting from 1950 in Australia, 1959 in Canada, 1985 in Chile, 1980 in Europe, and 1984 in the United States) up to 2021 on a common 1° × 1° grid. The data originate from national agencies (often, ground mapping), thus representing the best local expert knowledge. Key opportunities and limits in using this dataset are discussed as well as possible future expansions of this open-source approach that should be explored. This dataset complements existing gridded BA data based on remote sensing and offers a valuable opportunity to better understand and assess fire regime changes, and their drivers, in these regions. The ONFIRE database can be freely accessed at https://zenodo.org/record/8289245. © The Author(s) 2024. |
| Chile’s Valparaíso hills on fire | Science | González, M.; Syphard, A.; Fischer, A.; Muñoz, A.; Miranda, A. | 2024 | Agua y Extremos; Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1126/science.ado5411 | https://doi.org/10.1126/science.ado5411 | 1424 | Vol: 383.0 Issue: 6690.0 | 00368075 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | [No abstract available] |
| Unraveling the chemistry of plant flammability: Exploring the role of volatile secondary metabolites beyond terpenes | Forest Ecology and Management | Guerrero, F.; Espinoza, L.; Carmona, C.; Blackhall, M.; Quintero, C.; Ocampo-Zuleta, K.; Paula, S.; Madrigal, J.; Guijarro, M.; Carrasco, Y.; Bustamante-Sánchez, M.; Miranda, A.; Yáñez, K.; Bergmann, J.; Taborga, L.; Toledo, M. | 2024 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1016/j.foreco.2024.122269 | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2024.122269 | art122269 | Vol: 572.0 | 03781127 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | Plant flammability research has proven pivotal in comprehending the contribution of vegetation to the flammability of forest ecosystems. Yet, the relationship between many leaf chemical traits and plant flammability is poorly understood. While terpenes and some leaf nutrients in plants have been extensively studied for their role in flammability, a wide array of other secondary metabolites remain unexplored in this context. Here, we present the volatile secondary metabolites composition of fresh leaves from nine dominant species from central Chile, both native and exotic, and determine whether there is variability within and among species in chemical composition and flammability. Moreover, we investigate how these compounds influence various leaf flammability traits. The Chilean Mediterranean ecosystem emerges as a useful study site given its unique endemic flora, increased frequency of forest fires, proliferation of invasive plants and extensive land conversion that favors the spread of fire-prone exotic species, and significant scarcity of phytochemical research dedicated to this ecosystem. A total of 118 volatile chemical compounds were quantified, belonging to over ten groups of volatile secondary metabolites. Terpenes, ketones, and hydrocarbons comprised 75 % of these compounds, and each species displayed a unique phytochemical profile. Surprisingly, some native species (Citronella mucronata, Cryptocarya alba) exhibited equivalent or higher leaf flammability than the well-known flammable exotics Eucalyptus globulus and Pinus radiata, respectively. Leaf flammability was best explained by the concentration of aldehydes, ketones, green leaf volatiles, and aromatic compounds. Interestingly, terpenes as well as moisture content were not significantly correlated with flammability. In conclusion, our results highlight the importance of considering a broader range of phytochemicals, beyond terpenes, to fully understand leaf flammability among species. Consequently, a deeper understanding -within and across ecosystems- of the influence exerted by diverse groups of phytochemicals on flammability is an urgent need for forest management planning in an increasingly flammable world. © 2024 Elsevier B.V. |
| Growth decline and wood anatomical traits in Nothofagus dombeyi populations along a latitudinal gradient in the Andes, Chile | Trees - Structure and Function | Guzmán-Marín, R.; He, M.; Rossi, S.; Rodríguez, C.; Urrutia-Jalabert, R.; Lara, A. | 2024 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1007/s00468-024-02564-z | https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-024-02564-z | | | 09311890 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | There is evidence of recent declines in tree growth in the temperate forests of South America, due to the ongoing climate change. This study assessed growth-climate relationships and the xylem hydraulic architecture of coihue (Nothofagus dombeyi (Mirb.) Oerst) trees exposed to the warmer and drier conditions of recent decades. We selected four coihue populations along a latitudinal gradient in the Andes, Chile, corresponding to a wide range of variation in growing season precipitation (northern dry to southern wet sites). Tree-ring width was measured in 24–32 adult trees per site during the last 60 years. We measured wood anatomical traits in a subsample of four trees per site during the last 25 years. All data were correlated with climatic variables. During the studied period, SPEI-6 passed from positive to negative in all sites. Basal area increment decreased by 1.7 mm2 year−1 over the period 1960–2020. Tree-ring width had a positive correlation with precipitation at the drier sites and a negative correlation with maximum temperature at the wetter populations. We estimated a density of 1.78 × 10–4 and 1.2 × 10–4 vessels µm−2 in the xylem of dry and wetter sites, respectively. Vessel density had a negative correlation with precipitation at the driest site and a positive correlation with maximum temperature at wetter sites. The hydraulic diameter was smaller under drier conditions, reaching 68–75 µm in the driest and wettest sites, respectively. Among the traits measured, vessel density was the most sensitive to climate. Drier and warmer conditions were associated with an increased number of smaller sized vessels, especially at the northern populations. Compared with the southern populations of our gradient, the northern populations growing at the drier sites are more sensitive to the ongoing changes in climate, and potentially more vulnerable to the even drier conditions projected for the future. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2024. |
| Out of sight, not out of mind: The effect of access to conservation sites on the willingness to pay for protecting endangered species | Ecological Economics | Henríquez, M.; Vásquez-Lavín, F.; Barrientos, M.; Ponce Oliva, R.; Lara, A.; Flores-Benner, G.; Riquelme, C. | 2024 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2024.108280 | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2024.108280 | art108280 | Vol: 224.0 | 09218009 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE; SSCI) | | English | According to the latest global assessment report on biodiversity and ecosystem services, nature and biodiversity have experienced a global decline, making the development of conservation policies urgent. Herein, we used a contingent valuation survey to estimate the economic value of a reintroduction program for the huemul (Hippocamelus bisulcus), an endangered charismatic species in Chile. Our novel approach exploits changes in the access to the site to disentangle nonuse value from use value. We use parametric and nonparametric models to estimate the willingness to pay for the program. Our findings consistently indicate that the conservation of the huemul is valued more when tourist access is restricted, as opposed to allowing visitors access to reintroduction areas. We also analyze the sensitivity of this main finding to different cut-off points of a certainty scale, showing that the results are robust. We hypothesize that people are willing to pay a “premium” to keep the conservation site “out of sight” from tourist activities. This could also be related to the belief that a reintroduction program would be more effective if access was not allowed. A cost-benefit analysis using the most conservative assumptions suggests that social benefit significantly outperforms cost. © 2024 Elsevier B.V. |
| Nudges versus prices: Lessons and challenges from a water-savings program | Energy Economics | Hernández, F.; Jaime, M.; Vásquez, F. | 2024 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1016/j.eneco.2024.107546 | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eneco.2024.107546 | art107546 | Vol: 134.0 | 01409883 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SSCI) | | English | This study evaluates the effects of two exogenous interventions targeting residential consumers using both pecuniary and nonpecuniary incentives, with the potential of increasing the moral and monetary costs of water use. The first intervention provided households with personalized reports including normative information regarding household water use compared with neighbors. The second intervention consisted of an exogenous change in water tariffs. The timing of the interventions provides a unique opportunity to separately assess both the individual and combined effects of each policy instrument. The empirical analysis was conducted on the same sample households assessed in the field experiment by Jaime and Carlsson (2018), whose behavior was followed one year after implementation. The results reveal that both nonpecuniary and pecuniary incentives significantly reduce water use when each instrument is applied separately, with the change in tariffs generating larger reductions in water use, compared with information provision, at 11% vs. 7%, respectively. However, the effectiveness of the combined policy depends on the setting of implementation. While the differentiated effects of the social information campaign associated with the change in tariffs suggest this policy remains effective, the evidence also suggests potential crowding-out effects arising upon the introduction of the new tariff regime. The largest reductions in water use are achieved when the instruments are jointly implemented. Findings shed light on the importance of accurately defining the timing and order of the interventions to maximize their impact on resource conservation. © 2024 |
| Land subdivision in the law's shadow: Unraveling the drivers and spatial patterns of land subdivision with geospatial analysis and machine learning techniques in complex landscapes | Landscape and Urban Planning | Herrera-Benavides, J.; Pfeiffer, M.; Galleguillos, M. | 2024 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1016/j.landurbplan.2024.105106 | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2024.105106 | art105106 | Vol: 249.0 | 01692046 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE; SSCI) | | English | Land subdivisions, especially in rural areas, pose a significant threat to sustainable development in many regions of the world. This issue is particularly challenging to understand in complex landscapes, where many biophysical and anthropic drivers interact without the necessary land regulatory guidance. We combined kernel density analysis and machine learning modeling to unravel the spatial patterns of land subdivisions and the complex relationships between their drivers. We used the Los Lagos region in southern Chile as a study case because it is a global biodiversity hotspot where land subdivisions are constantly increasing. We identify a significant increasing trend of subdivisions. Our modeling approach showed robust performance with an R2 of 0.727, RMSE of 5.109, and a bias of −0.009. The proximity to urban areas, to the coast, distance to electric mains, demographic structure, and proximity to protected areas were significant predictors of land subdivision. Fertile lands, particularly those near urban centers, have become prime targets for subdivisions, exacerbating the conflict between urban development and agricultural sustainability. We highlight the increasing number of subdivisions on threatened ecosystems and highly productive soils. We discuss the interrelationship between the drivers and conclude that subdivision is primarily associated with conventional urban sprawl, although other urbanization phenomena could also be observed in some areas. These findings provide challenges and opportunities for global spatial planning and harmony with biodiversity conservation. © 2024 Elsevier B.V. |
| Post-fire Pinus radiata invasion in a threatened biodiversity hotspot forest: A multi-scale remote sensing assessment | Forest Ecology and Management | Leal-Medina, C.; Lopatin, J.; Contreras, A.; González, M.; Galleguillos, M. | 2024 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1016/j.foreco.2024.121861 | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2024.121861 | art121861 | Vol: 561.0 | 03781127 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | Biological invasions are one of the most relevant factors of biodiversity loss, especially after fire disturbances. Wildfires can accelerate invasions of fire-prone species, like Pinus radiata, and dramatically alter ecosystems. However, how to assess the main impacts of this invasion process on the composition, structure, and functionality of ecosystems, including the post-fire revegetation processes, has not been fully resolved. This study aimed to evaluate the impacts of P. radiata invasion on fire-damaged forest ecosystems using combined remote sensing and in situ data, focusing particularly on changes in biodiversity, ecosystem structure, and functionality. The recovery of forest leaf area index (LAI) and the fraction of photosynthetically active radiation (FPAR) were monitored using Sentinel-2 time series products. Then the pre- and post-fire native community composition and the relationships of invasion and biodiversity with biotic and abiotic components were characterized using structural equation modeling (SEM). The postfire P. radiata density was mapped to quantify invasion intensity in three burned native forest fragments using generalized additive modeling (GAM) regressions based on UAS multispectral data. Biophysical metrics indicate that all forest fragments impacted by high, medium-high, and medium-low severity fires achieved a partial recovery of their canopy. The SEM model showed that microtopographic features and vegetation height explain native species diversity under pre-fire conditions due to their close relationship with favorable microclimatic conditions for species establishment. Vegetation height determined the abundance of P. radiata in post-fire conditions, and it negatively impacted diversity by promoting the homogenization of vegetation cover and altering diversity patterns. The general composition and abundance metrics also showed a substantial modification associated with the heavy (significant) invasion of P. radiata species. Predictive mapping of P. radiata density showed high accuracies (R2 =0.73 and explained deviation of 80%). The maps depicted an intense concentration of the invasive tree with a mean density of 76,217 individuals per ha−1 and high invasion spots with more than 176,000 individuals per ha−1. The quantification of invasion and mapping is a fundamental input for prioritizing areas and resources for a large-scale restoration program, and is a priority to avoid the loss of these highly threatened forest ecosystems. © 2024 Elsevier B.V. |
| Fire–climate–human dynamics over the last 1800 years in the mesic Araucaria-Nothofagus forests | Journal of Biogeography | Martel-Cea, A.; Abarzúa, A.; González, M.; Jarpa, L.; Hernández, M. | 2024 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1111/jbi.14839 | https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.14839 | 1490-1504 | Vol: 51.0 Issue: 8.0 | 03050270 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | Aim: Few palaeoenvironmental studies have been performed in Araucaria-Nothofagus forests, which are highly vulnerable to ongoing threats from climate change and anthropogenic activities. The primary goal of this work is to reconstruct past environmental changes related to fire disturbances over the last 1800 years in Tolhuaca National Park (TNP), Chile. Location: TNP, Araucanian region (38.2°S; 71.8°W), Northwestern Patagonia, Chile. Taxa: Araucaria araucana (Araucariaceae), Nothofagus spp. (Nothofagaceae). Methods: We completed charcoal and pollen analyses to create two new palaeoecological records that span 1800 years. We compared the lake-based reconstruction with the available local tree-ring fire scar chronologies from the last 430 years. Using these data, we compute forest index changes, biomass burning trends and compare with estimates of archaeological radiocarbon density. We place our inferences with context of published regional palaeoclimatic proxies from the Patagonian-Andean region. Results: Our results showed that fire activity was higher than present between 200 and 1500 CE, with peaks around 200–400 CE and 1100–1500 CE. Periods with high fire activity are associated with reduced forest cover, as Araucaria declined when mixed-severity fire regime occurred for extended periods. Pollen assemblages suggested a shift from dry to wet climate conditions at 1500 CE, and from 1750 CE onward, the arrival of exotic species reflected the land-use changes related to forest clearance and transhumance practices. Main Conclusions: The palaeoenvironmental reconstructions showed changes in vegetation, fire and climate over the past 1800 years in TNP. Wildfires have been the main disturbance process modifying the vegetation structure in the Araucaria and Nothofagus forests. Since 1750 CE intensive post-Hispanic land-use changes (forest clearances by fire and logging) took place in the study area, reducing the native vegetation cover. Climate variability, modulated by SAM-like and ENSO-like conditions, influenced the fire activity (availability and flammability of fuels), concomitantly with high archaeological density. The recent (after 2000 CE) increase of catastrophic wildfires may negatively affect the conservation strategies of Araucaria-Nothofagus forests. © 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. |
| Comparison of carbon and water fluxes and the drivers of ecosystem water use efficiency in a temperate rainforest and a peatland in southern South America | Biogeosciences | Perez-Quezada, J.; Trejo, D.; Lopatin, J.; Aguilera, D.; Osborne, B.; Galleguillos, M.; Zattera, L.; Celis-Diez, J.; Armesto, J. | 2024 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.5194/bg-21-1371-2024 | https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-1371-2024 | 1371-1389 | Vol: 21.0 Issue: 5.0 | 17264170 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access | English | The variability and drivers of carbon and water fluxes and their relationship to ecosystem water use efficiency (WUE) in natural ecosystems of southern South America are still poorly understood. For 8 years (2015-2022), we measured carbon dioxide net ecosystem exchange (NEE) and evapotranspiration (ET) using eddy covariance towers in a temperate rainforest and a peatland in southern Chile. NEE was partitioned into gross primary productivity (GPP) and ecosystem respiration (Reco), while ET was partitioned into evaporation (E) and transpiration (T) and used to estimate different expressions of ecosystem WUE. We then used the correlation between detrended time series and structural equation modelling to identify the main environmental drivers of WUE, GPP, ET, E and T. The results showed that the forest was a consistent carbon sink (-486g23gCg m-2g yr-1), while the peatland was, on average, a small source (33g21gCg m-2g yr-1). WUE is low in both ecosystems and likely explained by the high annual precipitation in this region (g 1/4g 2100g mm). Only expressions of WUE that included atmospheric water demand showed seasonal variation. Variations in WUE were related more to changes in ET than to changes in GPP, while T remained relatively stable, accounting for around 47g % of ET for most of the study period. For both ecosystems, E increased with higher global radiation and higher surface conductance and when the water table was closer to the surface. Higher values for E were also found with increased wind speeds in the forest and higher air temperatures in the peatland. The absence of a close relationship between ET and GPP is likely related to the dominance of plant species that either do not have stomata (i.e. mosses in the peatland or epiphytes in the forest) or have poor stomatal control (i.e. anisohydric tree species in the forest). The observed increase in potential ET in the last 2 decades and the projected drought in this region suggests that WUE could increase in these ecosystems, particularly in the forest, where stomatal control may be more significant. © 2024 Jorge F. Perez-Quezada et al. |
| Emerging energy sources' social acceptability: Evidence from marine-based energy projects | Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews | Ponce Oliva, R.; Estay, M.; Barrientos, M.; Estevez, R.; Gelcich, S.; Vásquez-Lavín, F. | 2024 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1016/j.rser.2024.114429 | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2024.114429 | art114429 | Vol: 198.0 | 13640321 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | Any decrease in global warming and its effects can only occur with a substantial reduction in anthropogenic CO2 emissions. In this context, renewable energy sources, particularly emerging sources, may play a central role in accelerating the transition from fossil fuels to cleaner energy sources. Emerging energy sources are renewable and have the potential to reduce global warming emissions; however, they are in the early development stages. These technologies include enhanced geothermal processes, artificial photosynthesis, and marine energy. In this study, we assess the main attributes that determine the social acceptance of renewable marine energy projects, highlighting individual preferences and heterogeneity for these projects. The results show that energy generation, ecological impact, job creation, co-ownership, and distributional justice are statistically significant attributes that support projects. However, individual preferences are highly heterogeneous. The existence of distinct classes (two in this case) with different preferences for marine energy attributes indicates that the one-size-fits-all approach may be inappropriate. Instead, policymakers and energy producers should tailor their proposals to meet the needs of both groups, considering their preferences and concerns. © 2024 Elsevier Ltd |
| Pine afforestation of treeless Mediterranean heathlands reduces productivity of neighbouring cork oak woodlands | Forest Ecology and Management | Repeto-Deudero, I.; Gómez-González, S.; García-Cervigón, A.; Navarro, G.; Ojeda, F. | 2024 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1016/j.foreco.2024.122155 | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2024.122155 | art122155 | Vol: 569.0 | 03781127 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | Afforestation programs as a strategy to address the climate crisis are on the rise worldwide. Although concerns exist about the effects of afforesting treeless habitats on their biodiversity and ecosystem services, potential impacts on areas beyond afforestation boundaries have been largely overlooked. Cork oak (Quercus suber) woodlands in southern Spain are regarded as a successful example of sustainability. However, the afforestation of their neighbouring treeless habitats may compromise their productivity through indirect effects that are not fully understood. Using a multi-method approach, we studied the effects of the afforestation of Mediterranean heathland (herriza) areas with pine tree species on the productivity of neighbouring cork oak woodlands downslope over a 37-year period. The differences in Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Basal Area Increment (BAI) between cork oak woodlands below open herriza and below afforested herriza became apparent approximately ten years after pine afforestation. Specifically, NDVI was significantly reduced in cork oak stands below afforested herriza areas for the remaining years, while a substantial decrease in BAI of cork oak trees was also associated with afforested herriza areas upslope. Moreover, the NDVI and BAI trends of cork oak stands below afforested herriza reached the minimum levels of the time series following an extreme drought event. Our results reveal that the ecological impacts of afforestation of naturally treeless habitats can expand beyond the plantation area. We propose that the restoration of treeless habitats, such as the herriza, in areas where pine plantations are no longer productive, may enhance their ecological services, particularly in the context of climate change. Therefore, afforestation programs worldwide should carefully consider the trade-offs between carbon mitigation and other ecosystem services at the landscape scale. © 2024 The Authors |
| Exotic tree plantations in the Chilean Coastal Range: balancing the effects of discrete disturbances, connectivity, and a persistent drought on catchment erosion | Earth Surface Dynamics | Tolorza, V.; Mohr, C.; Zambrano-Bigiarini, M.; Sotomayor, B.; Poblete-Caballero, D.; Carretier, S.; Galleguillos, M.; Seguel, O. | 2024 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.5194/esurf-12-841-2024 | https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-841-2024 | 841-861 | Vol: 12.0 Issue: 4.0 | 2196-6311 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | en | |
| Review article: Drought as a continuum – memory effects in interlinked hydrological, ecological, and social systems | Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences | Van Loon, A.; Kchouk, S.; Matanó, A.; Tootoonchi, F.; Alvarez-Garreton, C.; Hassaballah, K.; Wu, M.; Wens, M.; Shyrokaya, A.; Ridolfi, E.; Biella, R.; Nagavciuc, V.; Barendrecht, M.; Bastos, A.; Cavalcante, L.; de Vries, F.; Garcia, M.; Mård, J.; Streefkerk, I.; Teutschbein, C.; Tootoonchi, R.; Wees... | 2024 | Agua y Extremos; Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.5194/nhess-24-3173-2024 | https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-24-3173-2024 | 3173-3205 | Vol: 24.0 Issue: 9.0 | 15618633 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International | en | Droughts are often long-lasting phenomena, without a distinct start or end and with impacts cascading across sectors and systems, creating long-term legacies. Nevertheless, our current perceptions and management of droughts and their impacts are often event-based, which can limit the effective assessment of drought risks and reduction of drought impacts. Here, we advocate for changing this perspective and viewing drought as a hydrological–ecological–social continuum. We take a systems theory perspective and focus on how “memory” causes feedback and interactions between parts of the interconnected systems at different timescales. We first discuss the characteristics of the drought continuum with a focus on the hydrological, ecological, and social systems separately, and then we study the system of systems. Our analysis is based on a review of the literature and a study of five cases: Chile, the Colorado River basin in the USA, northeast Brazil, Kenya, and the Rhine River basin in northwest Europe. We find that the memories of past dry and wet periods, carried by both bio-physical (e.g. groundwater, vegetation) and social systems (e.g. people, governance), influence how future drought risk manifests. We identify four archetypes of drought dynamics: impact and recovery, slow resilience building, gradual collapse, and high resilience–big shock. The interactions between the hydrological, ecological, and social systems result in systems shifting between these types, which plays out differently in the five case studies. We call for more research on drought preconditions and recovery in different systems, on dynamics cascading between systems and triggering system changes, and on dynamic vulnerability and maladaptation. Additionally, we advocate for more continuous monitoring of drought hazards and impacts, modelling tools that better incorporate memories and adaptation responses, and management strategies that increase societal and institutional memory. This will help us to better deal with the complex hydrological–ecological–social drought continuum and identify effective pathways to adaptation and mitigation. Copyright: © 2024 Anne F. Van Loon et al. |
| Traditional crops and climate change adaptation: insights from the Andean agricultural sector | Climate and Development | Arias Montevechio, E.; Crispin Cunya, M.; Fernández Jorquera, F.; Rendon, E.; Vásquez-Lavin, F.; Stehr, A.; Ponce Oliva, R. | 2023 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1080/17565529.2022.2151307 | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17565529.2022.2151307 | 723-737 | Vol: 15 Issue: 9 | 1756-5529, 1756-5537 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SSCI) | | English | The growth of traditional crops could be a primary resource for adapting to climate change and strengthening agrosystems’ resilience. However, these crops tend to be replaced by non-traditional crops with higher productivity, higher market values, and higher short-term income. In this context, smallholders face trade-offs between maximizing short-term income and ensuring resilience to face likely future climate adversities. The economic assessment of such trade-offs has been commonly neglected in the literature. Most studies are conducted using agronomic or anthropological frameworks to recognize the value of traditional agriculture to increase adaptive capacity and reduce vulnerability. This study fills this gap by assessing economic and agronomic trade-offs between traditional and non-traditional crops triggered by climate-induced changes in water availability. We also simulate the effectiveness of a water policy. Our results suggest that farmers growing traditional crops may get lower profits, but their portfolio is more resilient to climate change, whereas the water policy proves to be an effective adaptation strategy to climate change. However, the policy implementation could hinder the development of traditional crops. Based on our results, we suggest implementing smart agricultural policies to balance economic, cultural, and adaptation goals. © 2023 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. |
| Forest hydrology in Chile: Past, present, and future | Journal of Hydrology | Balocchi, F.; Galleguillos, M.; Rivera, D.; Stehr, A.; Arumi, J.; Pizarro, R.; Garcia-Chevesich, P.; Iroumé, A.; Armesto, J.; Hervé-Fernández, P.; Oyarzún, C.; Barría, P.; Little, C.; Mancilla, G.; Yépez, S.; Rodriguez, R.; White, D.; Silberstein, R.; Neary, D.; Ramírez de Arellano, P. | 2023 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2022.128681 | https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022169422012513 | 128681 | Vol: 616 | 00221694 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Hybrid Gold Open Access | English | This paper reviews the current knowledge of hydrological processes in Chilean temperate forests which extend along western South America from latitude 29° S to 56° S. This geographic region includes a diverse range of natural and planted forests and a broad sweep of vegetation, edaphic, topographic, geologic, and climatic settings which create a unique natural laboratory. Many local communities, endangered freshwater ecosystems, and downstream economic activities in Chile rely on water flows from forested catchments. This review aims to (i) provide a comprehensive overview of Chilean forest hydrology, to (ii) review prior research in forest hydrology in Chile, and to (iii) identify knowledge gaps and provide a vision for future research on forest hydrology in Chile. We reviewed the relation between native forests, commercial plantations, and other land uses on water yield and water quality from the plot to the catchment scale. Much of the global understanding of forests and their relationship with the water cycle is in line with the findings of the studies reviewed here. Streamflow from forested catchments increases after timber harvesting, native forests appear to use less water than plantations, and streams draining native forest yield less sediment than streams draining plantations or grassland/shrublands. We identified 20 key knowledge gaps such as forest groundwater systems, soil–plant-atmosphere interactions, native forest hydrology, and the effect of forest management and restoration on hydrology. Also, we found a paucity of research in the northern geographic areas and forest types (35-36°S); most forest hydrology studies in Chile (56%) have been conducted in the southern area (Los Rios Region around 39-40° S). There is limited knowledge of the geology and soils in many forested areas and how surface and groundwater are affected by changes in land cover. There is an opportunity to advance our understanding using process-based investigations linking field studies and modeling. Through the establishment of a forest hydrology science “society” to coordinate efforts, regional and national-scale land use planning might be supported. Our review ends with a vision to advance a cross-scale collaborative effort to use new nation-wide catchment-scale networks Long-term Ecosystem Research (LTER) sites, to promote common and complementary techniques in these studies, and to conduct transdisciplinary research to advance sound and integrated planning of forest lands in Chile. © 2022 The Author(s) |
| A firebreak placement model for optimizing biodiversity protection at landscape scale | Journal of Environmental Management | Carrasco, J.; Mahaluf, R.; Lisón, F.; Pais, C.; Miranda, A.; de la Barra, F.; Palacios, D.; Weintraub, A. | 2023 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118087 | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118087 | art: 118087 | Vol: 342 | 0301-4797 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | A solution approach is proposed to optimize the selection of landscape cells for inclusion in firebreaks. It involves linking spatially explicit information on a landscape's ecological values, historical ignition patterns and fire spread behavior. A firebreak placement optimization model is formulated that captures the tradeoff between the direct loss of biodiversity due to the elimination of vegetation in areas designated for placement of firebreaks and the protection provided by the firebreaks from losses due to future forest fires. The optimal solution generated by the model reduced expected losses from wildfires on a biodiversity combined index due to wildfires by 30% relative to a landscape without any treatment. It also reduced expected losses by 16% compared to a randomly chosen solution. These results suggest that biodiversity loss resulting from the removal of vegetation in areas where firebreaks are placed can be offset by the reduction in biodiversity loss due to the firebreaks’ protective function. © 2023 Elsevier Ltd |
| CLSoilMaps: A national soil gridded database of physical and hydraulic soil properties for Chile | Scientific Data | Dinamarca, D.; Galleguillos, M.; Seguel, O.; Faúndez Urbina, C. | 2023 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1038/s41597-023-02536-x | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-023-02536-x | art630 | Vol: 10 Issue: 1 | 20524463 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access; Green Open Access | English | Spatially explicit soil information is crucial for comprehending and managing many of Earth´s processes related to carbon, water, and other biogeochemical cycles. We introduced a gridded database of soil physical properties and hydraulic parameters at 100 meters spatial resolution. It covers the continental area of Chile and binational basins shared with Argentina for six standardized depths following the specifications of the GlobalSoilMap project. We generated soil maps based on digital soil mapping techniques based on more than 4000 observations, including unpublished data from remote areas. These maps were used as input for the pedotransfer function Rosetta V3 to obtain predictions of soil hydraulic properties, such as field capacity, permanent wilting point, total available water capacity, and other parameters of the water retention curve. The trained models outperformed several other DSM studies applied at the national and regional scale for soil physical properties (nRMSE ranging from 6.93% to 15.7%) and delivered acceptable predictions (nRMSE ranging from 10.4% to 15.6%) for soil hydraulic properties, making them suitable for countless environmental studies. © 2023, Springer Nature Limited. |
| Assessing the conditions of Rationality and Plausibility in the valuation of biodiversity conservation in a mega-biodiverse country. The case of Manu in Perú; [Evaluando las condiciones de racionalidad y plausibilidad en la valoración de conservar la biodiversidad de un país megabiodiverso El caso del Manu en Perú] | Economia Agraria y Recursos Naturales | Dávila, J.; Vásquez-Lavín, F.; Orihuela, C.; Oliva, R.; Lavado-Solis, K.; Paredes-Vilca, O.; Ñañez, R.; Díaz, S. | 2023 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.7201/earn.2023.01.02 | https://doi.org/10.7201/earn.2023.01.02 | 35-54 | Vol: 23 Issue: 1 | 15780732 | Thomson Reuters ISI (ESCI) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access | English | According to NOAA, the results of an economic valuation are applicable as public policy if they fulfill two conditions: rationality and plausibility. In this study, we carried out the valuation of biodiversity conservation in Manu National Park in Peru (a megabiodiverse country), based on three representations: species, habitat and functionality. We identify sensitivity to scope in most of the attributes used. When we add socioeconomic characteristics, we identify that gender and salary levels affect preferences. Our total analysis shows that number of threatened plant species and functionality better fulfill both conditions. © (2023), All Rights Reserved. |
| Estimating soil water content in a thorny forest ecosystem by time-lapse electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and HYDRUS 2D/3D simulations | Hydrological Processes | Faúndez Urbina, C.; Alanís, D.; Ramírez, E.; Seguel, O.; Fustos, I.; Donoso, P.; de Miranda, J.; Rakonjac, N.; Palma, S.; Galleguillos, M. | 2023 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1002/hyp.15002 | https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.15002 | arte15002 | Vol: 37 Issue: 10 | 08856087 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Bronze Open Access | English | Determination of soil volumetric water content (Figure presented.) in forest ecosystems is particularly challenging due to deep rooting systems and unknown soil vertical and spatial heterogeneity. This research aims to test two undisturbed methods, electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and HYDRUS 2D/3D, for 2D (Figure presented.) determination in a thorny forest ecosystem. The experiment consisted of infiltrating 10 L of water lasting 60 min. During infiltration, ERT measured apparent resistivity by time-lapse measurements, and (Figure presented.) was measured with an FDR probe (EnviroSCAN) at 33, 63, 83, 97, and 163 cm depth close to the infiltration site. At the end of infiltration, a soil pit was dug, and 100 measurements of (Figure presented.) were performed with a TDR in a 10 × 10 cm regular grid. Archie law transformed soil resistivity (ERT) into (Figure presented.) using manual calibration, verified by an independent dataset. The 2D (Figure presented.) profile obtained by ERT was qualitatively compared with the HYDRUS 2D/3D one. HYDRUS 2D/3D was parametrized with calibrated parameters obtained with HYDRUS 1D using 106 days of (Figure presented.) obtained with EnviroSCAN. The results of HYDRUS 1D calibration and verification were satisfactory, with RMSE and Nash-Sutcliffe coefficients ranging from 0.021 to 0.034 cm3 cm−3 and 0.11 to 0.77, respectively. The forward HYDRUS 2D/3D (Figure presented.) simulation disagrees with EnviroSCAN data for 33 cm depth. However, it follows the trend with near to zero variation of water content at 63 cm depth. Water content determination by ERT was satisfactory with RMSE for calibration and verification of 0.017 and 0.021 cm3 cm−3. HYDRUS 2D/3D and ERT comparisons were not equal, with a shallower wetting front by ERT and a deeper one for HYDRUS. Still, both wetting fronts agree with the wetting depth estimated by EnviroSCAN. We conclude that both methods are an alternative for (Figure presented.) determination in heterogeneous and deep soils of forest ecosystems. © 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. |
| The economics impacts of long-run droughts: Challenges, gaps, and way forward | Journal of Environmental Management | Fernández, F.; Vásquez-Lavín, F.; Ponce, R.; Garreaud, R.; Hernández, F.; Link, O.; Zambrano, F.; Hanemann, M. | 2023 | Agua y Extremos; Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118726 | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118726 | art118726 | Vol: 344 | 03014797 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Hybrid Gold Open Access | English | Quantifying drought's economic impacts has been key for decision-making to build future strategies and improve the development and implementation of proactive plans. However, climate change is changing drought frequency, intensity, and durability. These changes imply modifications of their economic impact, as longer droughts result in greater cumulative economic losses for water users. Though the longer the drought lasts, other factors also play a crucial role in its economic outcomes, such as Infrastructure capacity (IC), the Amount of Water in Storage (AWS) in reservoirs and aquifers, and short- and long-term responses to it. This study proposes and applies an analytical framework for the economic assessment of long-run droughts, assessing and explaining central Chile megadrought economic effects through the factors that begin to influence the economic impact level in this setting. High levels of both IC and the AWS, as well as short- and long-term responses of water users, allow for high resilience to long-run droughts, tolerating extraordinary water disruption in its society with relatively low total economic impacts. Despite this adaptability, long-term droughts bring places to a water-critical threshold where long-term adaptation strategies may be less flexible than short-term strategies, escalating the adverse economic effects. This fact suggests that the economic evaluation of megadrought needs to focus on future tipping points (substantial water scarcity). The tipping point depends on the IC, how water users manage the AWS, and adaptation strategies. Establishing the tipping point should be a priority for future interdisciplinary research. © 2023 |
| Facilitation by pioneer trees and herbivore exclusion allow regeneration of woody species in the semiarid ecosystem of central Chile | Applied Vegetation Science | Gómez-Fernández, N.; Smith-Ramírez, C.; Delpiano, C.; Miranda, A.; Vásquez, I.; Becerra, P. | 2023 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1111/avsc.12741 | https://doi.org/10.1111/avsc.12741 | arte12741 | Vol: 26 Issue: 3 | 14022001 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | Questions: Facilitation by pioneer plants and herbivore exclusion may contribute to plant regeneration and restoration of degraded semiarid ecosystems. In this study we evaluated the main and interactive effects of the exclusion of large and medium-sized mammal herbivores and the presence of the pioneer tree Vachellia caven on natural regeneration of woody species in degraded savannas. Location: Two localities of the native sclerophyllous forest of central Chile. Methods: Twelve 30 × 40 m exclosures and twelve non-exclosure areas located near native forests were established in savannas of V. caven in each locality. Regeneration coming from seeds and resprouts was sampled both under the canopy of V. caven and without canopy in each exclosure and non-excluded area. Results: After seven years, species richness and density of older regeneration (0.5–2 m high) were positively affected by herbivore exclusion and the presence of V. caven. No significant interaction between herbivore exclusion and V. caven was observed. Younger regeneration (<0.5 m high) was positively affected by herbivore exclusion and the presence of V. caven only in some years with almost no interactive effect. Conclusions: The exclusion of large and medium-sized exotic herbivores and facilitation by pioneer trees are complementary for regeneration. The variable but permanent presence of younger and older regeneration within exclosures and under V. caven during the experiment may lead to an increase of density and diversity of adult plants and recovery of the native forest. However, this process may be slow due to other limiting factors, for instance, reduced precipitation associated with climate change. © 2023 International Association for Vegetation Science. |
| Afforestation and climate mitigation: lessons from Chile | Trends in Ecology and Evolution | Gómez-González, S.; Miranda, A.; Hoyos-Santillan, J.; Lara, A.; Moraga, P.; Pausas, J. | 2023 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo; Gobernanza e Interfaz Ciencia y Política | 10.1016/j.tree.2023.09.014 | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2023.09.014 | 5-8 | Vol: 39 Issue: 1 | 01695347 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | The Chilean Climate Change Law excludes tree monocultures as a solution to the climate crisis, offering an opportunity for resilience and climate mitigation in Latin America. The Chilean experience with mega-fires in extensive, homogeneous forest plantations provides important lessons that could inform climate policies in other countries. © 2023 Elsevier Ltd |
| Forest landscape dynamics after intentional large-scale fires in western Patagonia reveal unusual temperate forest recovery trends | Landscape Ecology | Hernández-Moreno, Á.; Soto, D.; Miranda, A.; Holz, A.; Armenteras-Pascual, D. | 2023 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1007/s10980-023-01687-x | https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-023-01687-x | 2207-2225 | Vol: 38 Issue: 9 | 0921-2973 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Green Open Access | English | Context: Western Chilean Patagonia is an isolated temperate region with an important proportion of intact forest landscapes (IFL) that was subjected to large-scale fires over 60 years ago. However, there is no empirical evaluation of the land cover dynamics to establish the forest loss and recovery, and the effect on the landscape structure and function, and remnant IFL following the fires. Objectives: The present study addressed the following questions: (1) What have been the main trends of the land cover dynamics between 1984 and 2018 following earlier fires, and how have these trends shaped the spatial patterns and potential carbon stock of forests in western Patagonia? (2) What proportion of forest landscape remains intact following fires in this region? Methods: We selected the Coyhaique Province (1,231,910 ha) in western Chilean Patagonia as the study area. Land cover maps for three dates (1984, 2000, 2018) were used to evaluate landscape dynamics after fires. A map of persistence and change occurrence was made to estimate the IFL area over the 1984–2018 period. Landscape metrics were used to assess landscape structure change, and potential carbon stock was estimated based on a literature review. Results: Following fires, the main land cover changes between 1984 and 2018 were loss of ~ 32,600 ha of old-growth forest and a recovery of ~ 69,000 ha of second-growth forest. The increase in second-growth forest area mainly resulted from loss of agricultural cover (~ 41% of the area). Despite these changes, ~ 61% of the area could potentially remain as IFL after fires. Over the 1984–2018 period, a slight increase in fragmentation of old-growth forest, and a decline in second-growth forest were observed. Coyhaique Province experienced a slight increase (3.6%) in overall potential carbon stock, likely as a result of second-growth forest recovery. Conclusions: Our study provides the first evidence of the western Patagonia landscape state after more than six decades since the large-scale fires. The results provide baseline information on landscape structure and function that could help to make conservation and forest management decisions on specific territory areas. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V. |
| Panama must protect mangroves and peatlands | Science (New York, N.Y.) | Hoyos-Santillan, J.; Miranda, A.; Castro de Doens, L.; González-Mahecha, E.; Cifuentes-Jara, M.; Worthington, T. | 2023 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1126/science.adl3048 | https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adl3048 | 654 | Vol: 382 Issue: 6671 | 10959203 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | |
| Dormancy-break and germination requirements for seeds of the threatened Austral papaya (Carica chilensis) | Scientific Reports | Loayza, A.; García-Guzmán, P.; Carozzi-Figueroa, G.; Carvajal, D. | 2023 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1038/s41598-023-44386-y | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-44386-y | art17358 | Vol: 13 Issue: 1 | 20452322 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access; Green Open Access | English | Seed dormancy is one of the most important adaptive mechanisms in plants, optimizing germination, seedling emergence, and establishment to ensure these processes occur when environmental conditions are favorable for plant survival and growth. Endemic to rocky environments of the southern Atacama Desert, the Austral papaya (Carica chilensis) is the papaya species with the southernmost distribution within the Caricaceae, thriving in the most extreme environmental conditions. This threatened plant exhibits low natural regeneration, primarily attributed to low germination, yet no information regarding seed dormancy release is available. In this study, we investigated the dormancy-break and germination requirements of C. chilensis. We hypothesized that if C. chilensis seeds exhibit physiological dormancy, then seeds with reduced moisture content and those treated with chemicals or growth hormones would exhibit higher germination percentages and faster germination than control seeds akin to other members of Caricacea. Our results confirmed this prediction and revealed that ultra-drying (< 3% moisture content) and treating seeds with sulfuric acid, gibberellic acid, or potassium nitrate are the most effective methods for germinating C. chilensis. Consequently, we suggest using these treatments to propagate this threatened papaya species. © 2023, Springer Nature Limited. |
| Equivalent impacts of logging and beaver activities on aboveground carbon stock loss in the southernmost forest on Earth | Scientific Reports | Miranda, A.; Hoyos-Santillan, J.; Lara, A.; Mentler, R.; Huertas-Herrera, A.; Toro-Manríquez, M.; Sepulveda-Jauregui, A. | 2023 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1038/s41598-023-45657-4 | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-45657-4 | art18350 | Vol: 13 Issue: 1 | 20452322 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access | English | The conservation of forest landscapes is crucial for global climate strategies, and the forest in Tierra del Fuego, located in Patagonia, represents the southernmost example on Earth. These ecosystems are critical for Chile’s roadmap toward carbon neutrality. Unfortunately, these ecosystems have been impacted by logging and beaver activities. Currently, the precise contribution of each driver to forest cover and carbon stock loss remains insufficiently quantified, impeding effective policymaking and the implementation of strategies to safeguard and enhance carbon stocks in these ecosystems. In this study, we conducted an assessment of forest carbon stock loss resulting from both logging and beaver activities in Chilean Tierra del Fuego from 1986 to 2019. While beavers have received significant attention for their substantial contribution to forest cover loss (56.1% forest cover, ≈ 1.4 MtC), our findings suggest that logging has nearly equally contributed to carbon stock depletion (43.8% forest cover, ≈ 1.2 MtC). Consequently, the prevailing focus on beavers has obscured the ongoing logging-induced carbon stock loss. The implications of our study highlight the urgency for comprehensive consideration of both drivers in Chile’s climate strategy to fulfill the country’s mitigation commitments. © 2023, The Author(s). |
| Widespread synchronous decline of Mediterranean-type forest driven by accelerated aridity | Nature Plants | Miranda, A.; Syphard, A.; Berdugo, M.; Carrasco, J.; Gómez-González, S.; Ovalle, J.; Delpiano, C.; Vargas, S.; Squeo, F.; Miranda, M.; Dobbs, C.; Mentler, R.; Lara, A.; Garreaud, R. | 2023 | Agua y Extremos; Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1038/s41477-023-01541-7 | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-023-01541-7 | 1810-1817 | Vol: 9 Issue: 11 | 20550278 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | Large-scale, abrupt ecosystem change in direct response to climate extremes is a critical but poorly documented phenomenon1. Yet, recent increases in climate-induced tree mortality raise concern that some forest ecosystems are on the brink of collapse across wide environmental gradients2,3. Here we assessed climatic and productivity trends across the world’s five Mediterranean forest ecosystems from 2000 to 2021 and detected a large-scale, abrupt forest browning and productivity decline in Chile (>90% of the forest in <100 days), responding to a sustained, acute drought. The extreme dry and warm conditions in Chile, unprecedented in the recent history of all Mediterranean-type ecosystems, are akin to those projected to arise in the second half of the century4. Long-term recovery of this forest is uncertain given an ongoing decline in regional water balance. This dramatic plummet of forest productivity may be a spyglass to the future for other Mediterranean ecosystems. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited. |
| Multiproxy Approach to Reconstruct the Fire History of Araucaria araucana Forests in the Nahuelbuta Coastal Range, Chile | Forests | Muñoz, A.; González, M.; Schneider-Valenzuela, I.; Klock-Barría, K.; Madariaga-Burgos, M.; Rodríguez, C.; Abarzúa, A.; Solari, M.; Martel-Cea, A.; Velásquez, B.; Paredes, B.; Guerrero, F.; Montiel, M.; Tapia-Marzán, V.; Riquelme, T.; Sheppard, P. | 2023 | Agua y Extremos; Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.3390/f14061082 | https://doi.org/10.3390/f14061082 | art1082 | Vol: 14 Issue: 6 | 19994907 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access | English | Multiproxy reconstructions of fire regimes in forest ecosystems can provide a clearer understanding of past fire activity and circumvent some limitations of single proxy reconstructions. While inferring fire history from scars in trees is the most precise method to reconstruct temporal fire patterns, this method is limited in Araucaria araucana forests by rot after fire injuries, successive fires that destroy the evidence and the prohibition of sample extraction from living Araucaria trees. In this context, dendrochemical studies in Araucaria trees and charcoal analysis from sediment cores can complement and extend the time perspective of the fire history in the relictual Araucaria-Nothofagus forests of the coastal range. We used dendrochemical, fire scar and charcoal records from the Nahuelbuta Coastal Range (37.8° S; 73° W) spanning the last 1000 years to reconstruct the fire history. The results indicate that periods with higher fire activity occurred between 1400 and 1650 AD. Long-term changes in the fire regime are related to increased climate variability over the last 1000 years, and especially with the arrival of settlers to the area after 1860 CE. The most severe fire events in the Nothofagus and Araucaria forests occurred when suitable fire-prone conditions were superimposed with high human densities. © 2023 by the authors. |
| Two Congeneric Shrubs from the Atacama Desert Show Different Physiological Strategies That Improve Water Use Efficiency under a Simulated Heat Wave | Plants | Ostria-Gallardo, E.; Zúñiga-Contreras, E.; Carvajal, D.; de La Peña, T.; Gianoli, E.; Bascuñán-Godoy, L. | 2023 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.3390/plants12132464 | https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12132464 | art2464 | Vol: 12 Issue: 13 | 22237747 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access | English | Desert shrubs are keystone species for plant diversity and ecosystem function. Atriplex clivicola and Atriplex deserticola (Amaranthaceae) are native shrubs from the Atacama Desert that show contrasting altitudinal distribution (A. clivicola: 0–700 m.a.s.l.; A. deserticola: 1500–3000 m.a.s.l.). Both species possess a C4 photosynthetic pathway and Kranz anatomy, traits adaptive to high temperatures. Historical records and projections for the near future show trends in increasing air temperature and frequency of heat wave events in these species’ habitats. Besides sharing a C4 pathway, it is not clear how their leaf-level physiological traits associated with photosynthesis and water relations respond to heat stress. We studied their physiological traits (gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence, water status) before and after a simulated heat wave (HW). Both species enhanced their intrinsic water use efficiency after HW but via different mechanisms. A. clivicola, which has a higher LMA than A. deserticola, enhances water saving by closing stomata and maintaining RWC (%) and leaf Ψmd potential at similar values to those measured before HW. After HW, A. deserticola showed an increase of Amax without concurrent changes in gs and a significant reduction of RWC and Ψmd. A. deserticola showed higher values of Chla fluorescence after HW. Thus, under heat stress, A. clivicola maximizes water saving, whilst A. deserticola enhances its photosynthetic performance. These contrasting (eco)physiological strategies are consistent with the adaptation of each species to their local environmental conditions at different altitudes. © 2023 by the authors. |
| Warming and Drought Weaken the Carbon Sink Capacity of an Endangered Paleoendemic Temperate Rainforest in South America | Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences | Perez-Quezada, J.; Barichivich, J.; Urrutia-Jalabert, R.; Carrasco, E.; Aguilera, D.; Bacour, C.; Lara, A. | 2023 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1029/2022JG007258 | https://doi.org/10.1029/2022JG007258 | art: e2022JG007258 | Vol: 128 Issue: 4 | 2169-8953 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Green Open Access | English | Measurements of ecosystem carbon (C) fluxes in temperate forests are concentrated in the Northern Hemisphere, leaving the functionally diverse temperate forests in the Southern Hemisphere underrepresented. Here, we report 3 years (February 2018 to January 2021) of C fluxes, studied with eddy-covariance and closed chamber techniques, in an endangered temperate evergreen rainforest of the long-lived paleoendemic South American conifer Fitzroya cupressoides. Using classification and regression trees, we analyzed the most relevant drivers and thresholds of daily net ecosystem exchange (NEE) and soil respiration. The annual NEE showed that the forest was a moderate C sink during the period analyzed (−287 ± 38 g C m−2 year −1). We found that the capacity to capture C of the Fitzroya rainforests in the Coastal Range of southern Chile is optimal under cool and rainy conditions in the early austral spring (October–November) and decreases rapidly toward the summer dry season (January–February) and autumn. Although the studied forest type has a narrow geographical coverage, the gross primary productivity measured at the tower was highly representative of Fitzroya and other rainforests in the region. Our results suggest that C fluxes in paleoendemic cool F. cupressoides forests may be negatively affected by the warming and drying predicted by climate change models, reinforcing the importance of maintaining this and other long-term ecological research sites in the Southern Hemisphere. © 2023. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved. |
| How much carbon is stored in the terrestrial ecosystems of the Chilean Patagonia? | Austral Ecology | Perez-Quezada, J.; Moncada, M.; Barrales, P.; Urrutia-Jalabert, R.; Pfeiffer, M.; Herrera, A.; Sagardía, R. | 2023 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1111/aec.13331 | https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.13331 | 893-903 | Vol: 48 | 1442-9985 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | We estimated the amount of carbon (C) stored in terrestrial ecosystems of the Chilean Patagonia and the proportion within protected areas. We used existing public databases that provide information on C stocks in biomass and soils. Data were analysed by ecosystem and forest type in the case of native forests. Our results show that some ecosystems have been more extensively studied both for their stocks in biomass and soils (e.g. forests) compared with others (e.g. shrublands). Forests and peatlands store the largest amount of C because of their large stocks per hectare and the large area they cover. The total amount of C stored per unit area varies from 261.7 to 432.8 Mg C ha−1, depending on the published value used for soil organic C stocks in peatlands, highlighting the need to have more precise estimates of the C stored in this and other ecosystems. The mean stock in national parks (508 Mg C ha−1) is almost twice the amount stored in undisturbed forests in the Amazon. State and private protected areas contain 58.9% and 2.1% of the C stock, respectively, playing a key role in protecting ecosystems in this once pristine area. © 2023 Ecological Society of Australia. |
| Poor communication jeopardizes biodiversity | Conservation Biology | Pérez-Gómez, Á.; Repeto-Deudero, I.; Ojeda, F.; Gómez-González, S. | 2023 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1111/cobi.14181 | https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.14181 | e14181 | Vol: 37 | 08888892 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | |
| I Jornada sobre la Herriza - Valores y amenazas de un hábitat olvidado | Ecosistemas | Repeto Deudero, I.; Pérez Gómez, Á.; Gómez González, S.; Ojeda Copete, F. | 2023 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.7818/ECOS.2569 | https://doi.org/10.7818/ECOS.2569 | 2569 | Vol: 32 Issue: 2 | 16972473 | Thomson Reuters ISI (ESCI) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access | Spanish | |
| Specialization patterns in symbiotic associations: A community perspective over spatial scales | Ecology and Evolution | Rodríguez-Arribas, C.; Martínez, I.; Aragón, G.; Zamorano-Elgueta, C.; Cavieres, L.; Prieto, M. | 2023 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1002/ece3.10296 | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10296 | arte10296 | Vol: 13 Issue: 7 | 20457758 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access; Green Open Access | English | Specialization, contextualized in a resource axis of an organism niche, is a core concept in ecology. In biotic interactions, specialization can be determined by the range of interacting partners. Evolutionary and ecological factors, in combination with the surveyed scale (spatial, temporal, biological, and/or taxonomic), influence the conception of specialization. This study aimed to assess the specialization patterns and drivers in the lichen symbiosis, considering the interaction between the principal fungus (mycobiont) and the associated Nostoc (cyanobiont), from a community perspective considering different spatial scales. Thus, we determined Nostoc phylogroup richness and composition of lichen communities in 11 Nothofagus pumilio forests across a wide latitudinal gradient in Chile. To measure specialization, cyanobiont richness, Simpson's and d′ indices were estimated for 37 mycobiont species in these communities. Potential drivers that might shape Nostoc composition and specialization measures along the environmental gradient were analysed. Limitations in lichen distributional ranges due to the availability of their cyanobionts were studied. Turnover patterns of cyanobionts were identified at multiple spatial scales. The results showed that environmental factors shaped the Nostoc composition of these communities, thus limiting cyanobiont availability to establish the symbiotic association. Besides, specialization changed with the spatial scale and with the metric considered. Cyanolichens were more specialized than cephalolichens when considering partner richness and Simpson's index, whereas the d′ index was mostly explained by mycobiont identity. Little evidence of lichen distributional ranges due to the distribution of their cyanobionts was found. Thus, lichens with broad distributional ranges either associated with several cyanobionts or with widely distributed cyanobionts. Comparisons between local and regional scales showed a decreasing degree of specialization at larger scales due to an increase in cyanobiont richness. The results support the context dependency of specialization and how its consideration changes with the metric and the spatial scale considered. Subsequently, we suggest considering the entire community and widening the spatial scale studied as it is crucial to understand factors determining specialization. © 2023 The Authors. Ecology and Evolution published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. |
| Land-use change and windstorms legacies drove the recolonization dynamics of laurel forests in Tenerife, Canary islands | Forest Ecosystems | Rozas, V.; García-López, M.; Olano, J.; Sangüesa-Barreda, G.; García-Hidalgo, M.; Gómez-González, S.; López-Rubio, R.; Fernández-Palacios, J.; García-González, I.; Lozano-López, L.; García-González, P.; García-Cervigón, A. | 2023 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1016/j.fecs.2023.100098 | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fecs.2023.100098 | art: 100098 | Vol: 10 | 2095-6355 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access; Green Open Access | English | Laurel forests are quite relevant for biodiversity conservation and are among the island ecosystems most severely damaged by human activities. In the past, Canary laurel forests have been greatly altered by logging, livestock and agriculture. The remains of laurel forests are currently protected in the Canary Islands (Spain). However, we miss basic information needed for their restoration and adaptive management, such as tree longevity, growth potential and responsiveness to natural and anthropogenic disturbances. Using dendrochronological methods, we studied how forest dynamic is related to land-use change and windstorms in two well-preserved laurel forests on Tenerife Island. Wood cores were collected from over 80 trees per stand at three stands per forest. We used ring-width series to estimate tree ages and calculate annual basal area increments (BAI), cumulative diameter increases, and changes indicative of released and suppressed growth. Twelve tree species were found in all stands, with Laurus novocanariensis, Ilex canariensis and Morella faya being the most common species. Although some individuals were over 100 years old, 61.8%–88.9% of the trees per stand established between 1940 and 1970, coinciding with a post-war period of land abandonment, rural exodus and the onset of a tourism economy. Some trees have shown growth rates larger than 1 cm diameter per year and most species have had increasing BAI trends over the past decades. Strong growth releases occurred after windstorms at both sites, but the effects of windstorms were site-dependent, with the 1958 storm affecting mainly the eastern tip of the island (Anaga massif) and the 1991 storm the western tip (Teno massif). Given the great ability of laurel forest trees to establish after land use cessation and to increase growth after local disturbances such as windstorms, passive restoration may be sufficient to regenerate this habitat in currently degraded areas. © 2023 The Authors |
| Información científica clave para la gestión y conservación del ecosistema biocultural del Pewén en Chile y Argentina | Bosque (Valdivia) | Sanguinetti, J.; Ditgen, R.; Donoso-Calderón, S.; Hadad, M.; Gallo, L.; González, M.; Ibarra, J.; Ladio, A.; Lambertucci, S.; Marchelli, P.; Mundo, I.; Nuñez, M.; Pauchard, A.; Puchi, P.; Relva, M.; Skewes, O.; Shepherd, J.; Speziale, K.; Vélez, M.; Salgado-Salomón, M.; Zamorano-Elgueta, C. | 2023 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.4067/s0717-92002023000100179 | https://doi.org/10.4067/s0717-92002023000100179 | 179-190 | Vol: 44 Issue: 1 | 0717-9200 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access | English | The forest of Araucaria araucana (“pewen” in Mapuche language), with its associated species of the genus Nothofagus, is unique from an evolutionary, biological and sociocultural point of view. Due to the interdependence and interrelation with the Mapuche-Pewenche people, it is considered a biocultural ecosystem. This work is a comprehensive binational review of current scientific information applicable to its management and conservation. The scientific community contributed with significant advances in the knowledge of: a) the interrelationships within and significance of this biocultural ecosystem; b) the regional genetic diversity; c) the fire regimen, its main drivers, its role in forest dynamics, and the recovery capacity of biodiversity in the face of different burn severities; d) the ecological role of seed production and its unusual interactions with granivorous fauna and cavity nesters; e) the decline and death of the canopy, due to environmental stress and the emergence of new pewen pathogens; f) the consequences of the invasion of pines and exotic mammals that alter the biological interactions and the original ecological processes, and g) the effects of cattle ranching and overexploitation of firewood and pine nuts on ecological integrity and biodiversity. This knowledge is considered essential to strengthen policies and strategies for protection, conservation, and management of this ecosystem, which is endemic, rare, regionally threatened, and globally declared endangered. Considering the identified problems, it is imperative to achieve social empowerment of the Mapuche-Pehuenche people, intercultural respect, and enforcing public policies for the conservation and sustainable use of these forests. © 2023, Universidad Austral de Chile. All rights reserved. |
| Ecosystem services of Chilean sclerophyllous forests and shrublands on the verge of collapse: A review | Journal of Arid Environments | Smith-Ramírez, C.; Grez, A.; Galleguillos, M.; Cerda, C.; Ocampo-Melgar, A.; Miranda, M.; Muñoz, A.; Rendón-Funes, A.; Díaz, I.; Cifuentes, C.; Alaniz, A.; Seguel, O.; Ovalle, J.; Montenegro, G.; Saldes-Cortés, A.; Martínez-Harms, M.; Armesto, J.; Vita, A. | 2023 | Agua y Extremos; Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2022.104927 | https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140196322002221 | 104927 | Vol: 211 | 01401963 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | Dryland forests are the areas most threatened by climate change, urbanization and land-use change simultaneously. Ecosystem services provided by Mediterranean dryland forests are have been in steep decline, and are extensively studied in the Mediterranean basin, however considerably less in other areas with Mediterranean climates. Knowledge of these services is necessary for the promotion of their conservation and restoration. Here, we synthesize current knowledge regarding the main ecosystem services provided by Chilean Mediterranean sclerophyllous forests and shrublands (SFSh). This knowledge allows for the valuation of SFSh in order to conserve, restore and study them. We found 158 studies, including technical reports, theses, and scientific literature regarding the social and environmental benefits derived from Chilean SFSh, though many did not use the term “ecosystem services” (ES). We found data on 19 ecosystem services with four or more studies per service. ES studies in Chile increased in number a couple years after Millennium Ecosystem Assessment published its synthesis in 2005. The most frequently reported services were provisioning services, especially medicinal plants and extracts. Despite the advances in knowledge, ecosystem services of SFSh appear to be rarely quantified, most frequently using oversimplified variable indicators. Services related to animal biodiversity, such as pollination and plague control, are poorly known. In recent years social studies of perception and valuation have increased, showing people's high valuation of SFSh. Additional studies are needed especially regarding water regulation and provision, as global warming will significantly reduce water supply in Mediterranean climates. Finally, we reflect on the advances necessary to enhance conservation, restoration and adaptation of ecosystems and their benefits to people, especially considering political, social and scientific factors. © 2023 Elsevier Ltd |
| Technical note: Skirt chamber - an open dynamic method for the rapid and minimally intrusive measurement of greenhouse gas emissions from peatlands | Biogeosciences | Thalasso, F.; Riquelme, B.; Gómez, A.; MacKenzie, R.; Aguirre, F.; Hoyos-Santillan, J.; Rozzi, R.; Sepulveda-Jauregui, A. | 2023 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.5194/bg-20-3737-2023 | https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3737-2023 | 3737-3749 | Vol: 20 Issue: 18 | 17264170 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access | English | We present a reliable and robust open dynamic chamber for measuring greenhouse gas exchange in peatlands with minimal disturbance of the ground. This chamber, called the "skirt chamber", is based on a transparent plastic film placed above an open frame made of sparse interwoven wires and expanded around the base of the chamber below a steel chain that ensures contact to the ground, avoiding damage, trenching, and cutting vegetation. Gas exchange is determined using a portable gas analyzer from a mass balance in which the imperfect sealing of the chamber to the ground is quantified through the injection of a methane pulse. The method was tested on a pristine peatland dominated by Sphagnum magellanicum located on Navarino Island in the subantarctic Magellanic ecoregion in Chile. Our results indicate that the skirt chamber allowed the determination of methane fluxes and ecosystem respiration in about 20 min, with a limit of detection of 0.185 mg CH4 m-2 h-1 and 173 mg CO2 m-2 h-1, respectively. We conclude that the skirt chamber is a minimally intrusive, fast, portable, and inexpensive method that allows the quantification of greenhouse gas emissions with high spatial resolution in remote locations and without delay. © Copyright: |
| Chile's road plans threaten ancient forests | Science (New York, N.Y.) | Urrutia-Jalabert, R.; Barichivich, J.; Gutiérrez, Á.; Miranda, A. | 2023 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1126/science.adi0228 | https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adi0228 | 903 | Vol: 380 Issue: 6648 | 1095-9203 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | During the United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP15) in December 2022, nearly 200 countries, including Chile, agreed to halt biodiversity loss by 2030 and to take urgent actions to stop the extinction of endangered species. Despite this commitment, the Chilean government is pushing for the construction of a road that would cross the Alerce Costero National Park (1), an area of global importance for biodiversity conservation (2) and home to the endangered conifer Fitzroya cupressoides (3). Throughout the world, roads threaten biodiversity and ecosystem functions (4). Before pushing this project ahead, Chile should consider the likelihood that the road will undermine the country’s progress toward international environmental commitments. |
| Ecophysiological Responses of Nothofagus obliqua Forests to Recent Climate Drying Across the Mediterranean-Temperate Biome Transition in South-Central Chile | Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences | Urrutia-Jalabert, R.; Barichivich, J.; Szejner, P.; Rozas, V.; Lara, A. | 2023 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1029/2022JG007293 | https://doi.org/10.1029/2022JG007293 | art: e2022JG007293 | Vol: 128 Issue: 4 | 2169-8953 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Green Open Access | English | The forests of south-central Chile are facing a drying climate and a megadrought that started in 2010. This study addressed the physiological responses of five Nothofagus obliqua stands across the Mediterranean-Temperate gradient (35.9°−40.3°S) using carbon isotope discrimination (Δ13 C) and intrinsic water use efficiency (iWUE) in tree rings during 1967–2017. Moreover, tree ring δ18O was evaluated in the northernmost site to better understand the effects of the megadrought in this drier location. These forests have become more efficient in their use of water. However, trees from the densest stand are discriminating more against 13C, probably due to reduced photosynthetic rates associated with increasing light competition. The strongest associations between climate and Δ13C were found in the northernmost stand, suggesting that warmer and drier conditions could have reduced 13C discrimination. Tree growth in this site has not decreased, and δ18O was negatively related to annual rainfall. However, a shift in this relationship was found since 2007, when both precipitation and δ18O decreased, while correlations between δ18O and growth increased. This implies that tree growth and δ18O are coupled in recent years, but precipitation is not the cause, suggesting that trees probably changed their water source to deeper and more depleted pools. Our research demonstrates that forests are not reducing their growth in central Chile, mainly due to a shift toward the use of deeper water sources. Despite a common climate trend across the gradient, there is a non-uniform response of N. obliqua forests to climate drying, being their response site-specific. © 2023. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved. |
| A combined microbial and biogeochemical dataset from high-latitude ecosystems with respect to methane cycle | Scientific Data | Barret, M.; Gandois, L.; Thalasso, F.; Martinez Cruz, K.; Sepulveda Jauregui, A.; Lavergne, C.; Teisserenc, R.; Aguilar, P.; Gerardo Nieto, O.; Etchebehere, C.; Martins Dellagnezze, B.; Bovio Winkler, P.; Fochesatto, G.; Tananaev, N.; Svenning, M.; Seppey, C.; Tveit, A.; Chamy, R.; Astorga España, M... | 2022 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1038/s41597-022-01759-8 | https://www.nature.com/articles/s41597-022-01759-8 | 674 | Vol: 9 Issue: 1 | 2052-4463 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access | English | Abstract
High latitudes are experiencing intense ecosystem changes with climate warming. The underlying methane (CH
4
) cycling dynamics remain unresolved, despite its crucial climatic feedback. Atmospheric CH
4
emissions are heterogeneous, resulting from local geochemical drivers, global climatic factors, and microbial production/consumption balance. Holistic studies are mandatory to capture CH
4
cycling complexity. Here, we report a large set of integrated microbial and biogeochemical data from 387 samples, using a concerted sampling strategy and experimental protocols. The study followed international standards to ensure inter-comparisons of data amongst three high-latitude regions: Alaska, Siberia, and Patagonia. The dataset encompasses different representative environmental features (e.g. lake, wetland, tundra, forest soil) of these high-latitude sites and their respective heterogeneity (e.g. characteristic microtopographic patterns). The data included physicochemical parameters, greenhouse gas concentrations and emissions, organic matter characterization, trace elements and nutrients, isotopes, microbial quantification and composition. This dataset addresses the need for a robust physicochemical framework to conduct and contextualize future research on the interactions between climate change, biogeochemical cycles and microbial communities at high-latitudes. |
| Comment on: “The impact of a lack of government strategies for sustainable water management and land use planning on the hydrology of water bodies: lessons learned from the disappearance of the Aculeo Lagoon in central Chile” by Valdés-Pineda et al. 2022 in Sustainability, 14(1), 413 | Regional Environmental Change | Barría, P.; Ocampo-Melgar, A.; Chadwick, C.; Galleguillos, M.; Garreaud, R.; Díaz-Vasconcellos, R.; Poblete, D.; Rubio-Álvarez, E. | 2022 | Agua y Extremos; Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1007/s10113-022-01991-3 | https://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10113-022-01991-3 | 131 | Vol: 22 Issue: 4 | 1436-3798, 1436-378X | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE; SSCI) | | English | Valdés-Pineda et al. (Sustainability 14:413, 2022) present data for changes in climate, socio-economic, and land use and land cover (LULC) from diverse sources, concluding that the main causes for the desiccation of the Aculeo Lake were the river deviations and aquifer pumping, along with the impact of reduced precipitation. Based on that, they infer that the previous study of Barría et al. (Reg Environ Change 21:1–5, 2021a), which concluded that the impact of the decade-long drought was ten times larger than the increase of human extractions on the lake desiccation lacks scientific validity. We disagree with the conclusions from Valdés-Pineda et al. (Sustainability 14:413, 2022) and document that their article uses fragmentary information of a complex system, misinterprets of our results, and fails to present a reliable attribution methodology. We show that the hypothesis that the disappearance of Aculeo Lake was largely due to local anthropogenic uses is unsupported. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature. |
| A comparison of mixed logit and latent class models to estimate market segments for seafood faced with ocean acidification | Aquaculture Economics & Management | Campos-Requena, N.; Vásquez-Lavin, F.; Fernández, F.; Barrientos, M.; Gelcich, S.; Oliva, R. | 2022 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1080/13657305.2022.2100005 | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13657305.2022.2100005 | 1-33 | Vol: 27 | 1365-7305, 1551-8663 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | This study uses a choice experiment to characterize market segments (consumer preferences heterogeneity) based on three attributes of seafood (mussels) that are affected by ocean acidification: shell appearance, meat color, and nutritional composition. Using a sample of 1,257 individuals from two main cities in Chile, we estimate both the Mixed Logit model and the Latent Class model. We use the individual-specific posterior (ISP) parameters’ distribution to categorize consumers’ heterogeneity based on the signs and intensity (i.e., like or dislike dimension) of these ISPs. We compare the pattern of preferences and whether people are classified within the same preference pattern in both models. In general, we observed that the models identify a different number of segments with various patterns of preferences. Moreover, the models classify the same people into different groups. Since the segmentation is sensitive to the chosen model, we discuss strengths, inconsistencies, biases, and best practices regarding methodological approaches to establishing market segments in choice experiments and future ocean acidification conditions. © 2022 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. |
| Testing the Model Efficiency of HYDRUS 2D/3D Under Desert Conditions for Water Content and Pore Electrical Conductivity: a Case Study in an Olive Orchard | Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition | Carlos, F.; Cristian, K.; Marco, G.; Mauricio, G.; Humberto, A.; de Miranda Jarbas, H.; Oscar, S. | 2022 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1007/s42729-022-00777-0 | https://link.springer.com/10.1007/s42729-022-00777-0 | 1859-1872 | Vol: 22 Issue: 2 | 0718-9508, 0718-9516 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | The water crisis is a concern for Chilean agriculture. Testing new methods based on computer simulations is urgent to optimize irrigation. This study aimed to assess the model efficiency of HYDRUS 2D/3D simulations of volumetric water content (θ) and pore electrical conductivity (ECp) in an olive tree variety Kalamata under desert conditions. The model efficiency was assessed by comparing model simulations against observations of θ and ECp in five frequency domain reflectometry (FDR) sensors installed in the soil profile. Model simulations were improved by calibration using PEST software. Global sensitivity analysis was performed before calibration, analyzing both θ and ECp model outputs. Outcomes of sensitivity analysis indicate that the surface area associated with transpiration (ST) and the slope of the stress response function (s) are relevant parameters for θ and ECp. Both parameters were calibrated along with the saturated water content (θs) and pore size distribution (n) parameters of the second material. Calibration improved HYDRUS 2D/3D simulations for θ but not substantially for ECp. However, the Nash–Sutcliffe and the root mean square error (RMSE) are comparable with previous research for both variables. Furthermore, the s parameter decreases after calibration, indicating that Kalamata variety is tolerant to salt, which is in line with previous research. HYDRUS 2D/3D represents the θ variation in time and space with acceptable precision for olive trees under desert conditions. Additionally, subsequent studies should focus on the value of s, which is variety dependent, and ST, which requires the actual root volume. © 2022, The Author(s) under exclusive licence to Sociedad Chilena de la Ciencia del Suelo. |
| The global spectrum of plant form and function: enhanced species-level trait dataset | Scientific Data | Díaz, S.; Kattge, J.; Cornelissen, J.; Wright, I.; Lavorel, S.; Dray, S.; Reu, B.; Kleyer, M.; Wirth, C.; Prentice, I.; Garnier, E.; Bönisch, G.; Westoby, M.; Poorter, H.; Reich, P.; Moles, A.; Dickie, J.; Zanne, A.; Chave, J.; Wright, S.; Sheremetiev, S.; Jactel, H.; Baraloto, C.; Cerabolini, B.; P... | 2022 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1038/s41597-022-01774-9 | https://www.nature.com/articles/s41597-022-01774-9 | 755 | Vol: 9 Issue: 1 | 2052-4463 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access | English | Abstract
Here we provide the ‘Global Spectrum of Plant Form and Function Dataset’, containing species mean values for six vascular plant traits. Together, these traits –plant height, stem specific density, leaf area, leaf mass per area, leaf nitrogen content per dry mass, and diaspore (seed or spore) mass – define the primary axes of variation in plant form and function. The dataset is based on ca. 1 million trait records received via the TRY database (representing ca. 2,500 original publications) and additional unpublished data. It provides 92,159 species mean values for the six traits, covering 46,047 species. The data are complemented by higher-level taxonomic classification and six categorical traits (woodiness, growth form, succulence, adaptation to terrestrial or aquatic habitats, nutrition type and leaf type). Data quality management is based on a probabilistic approach combined with comprehensive validation against expert knowledge and external information. Intense data acquisition and thorough quality control produced the largest and, to our knowledge, most accurate compilation of empirically observed vascular plant species mean traits to date. |
| Forest plantation subsidies: Impact evaluation of the Chilean case | Forest Policy and Economics | España, F.; Arriagada, R.; Melo, O.; Foster, W. | 2022 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1016/j.forpol.2022.102696 | https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1389934122000089 | 102696 | Vol: 137 | 1389-9341 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE; SSCI) | | English | Over the past half century there has been a rapid expansion of the forestry sector in Chile. One hypothesis is that this growth was stimulated in major part by government-supported financial incentives to forestry plantations dating from the mid-1970s. Evaluating the effects of subsidies on plantations is of current policy interest due to the potential importance of forests as carbon sinks. This study evaluates the impact of subsidies on the establishment of forest plantations (under the specific law DL701) for the period between the years 1998 and 2013 using matching techniques in combination with Difference-in-Differences. Results show that government subsidies have had a statistically and economically significant positive impact on plantations, increasing the forested area of subsidy program participants by approximately 13% compared with the counterfactual scenario without such subsidies. © 2022 Elsevier B.V. |
| Declining honey production and beekeeper adaptation to climate change in Chile | Progress in Physical Geography: Earth and Environment | Gajardo-Rojas, M.; Muñoz, A.; Barichivich, J.; Klock-Barría, K.; Gayo, E.; Fontúrbel, F.; Olea, M.; Lucas, C.; Veas, C. | 2022 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1177/03091333221093757 | http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/03091333221093757 | 737-756 | Vol: 46 Issue: 5 | 0309-1333, 1477-0296 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | Drought severity has pervasive impacts on honey production via direct impacts on water resources and nectar availability. The current mega-drought in Chile has impacts on water resources and forest vigor, particularly in the Mediterranean and Temperate regions where honey production is concentrated. While honey production plays an important role in the local rural economy and providing pollination services to other agricultural activities, studies of the long-term impacts of the mega-drought on honey production are scarce. Here, we evaluate the impact of climate variability on historical changes in honey production in the Mediterranean (32°S–37°S) and Temperate (37°S–41°S) regions of Chile, using annual honey production records of beekeepers together with national records of honey exports. We also used questionnaires and interviews to evaluate beekeeper perceptions regarding the effects of climate change on honey production and adaptation practices in both regions. Results indicated a declining trend in honey production and exports in the last decade, largely related to changes in precipitation and temperature in both regions. Declines in honey production affected 82% of beekeepers, 80% of whom had employed adaptive measures, and 74% considered that these measures were effective. The drier, warmer Mediterranean region showed more severe declines in precipitation and honey production, which beekeepers reported as a main contributing factor to transhumance from the Mediterranean to the Temperate region. This is the first study to show the effects of drought on honey production in Chile, providing a foundation for future climate change adaptation strategies within apiculture. |
| Tree-ring distinctness, dating potential and climatic sensitivity of laurel forest tree species in Tenerife Island | Dendrochronologia | García-López, M.; Rozas, V.; Olano, J.; Sangüesa-Barreda, G.; García-Hidalgo, M.; Gómez-González, S.; López-Rubio, R.; Fernández-Palacios, J.; García-González, I.; García-Cervigón, A. | 2022 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1016/j.dendro.2022.126011 | https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1125786522000911 | 126011 | Vol: 76 | 11257865 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Green Open Access | English | Macaronesian laurel forests are the only remnants of a subtropical palaeoecosystem dominant during the Tertiary in Europe and northern Africa. These biodiverse ecosystems are restricted to cloudy and temperate insular environments in the North Atlantic Ocean. Due to their reduced distribution area, these forests are particularly vulnerable to anthropogenic disturbances and changes in climatic conditions. The assessment of laurel forest trees’ response to climate variation by dendrochronological methods is limited because it was assumed that the lack of marked seasonality would prevent the formation of distinct annual tree rings. The aims of this study were to identify the presence of annual growth rings and to assess the dendrochronological potential of the most representative tree species from laurel forests in Tenerife, Canary Islands. We sampled increment cores from 498 trees of 12 species in two well-preserved forests in Tenerife Island. We evaluated tree-ring boundary distinctness, dating potential, and sensitivity of tree-ring growth to climate and, particularly, to drought occurrence. Eight species showed clear tree-ring boundaries, but synchronic annual tree rings and robust tree-ring chronologies were only obtained for Laurus novocanariensis, Ilex perado subsp. platyphylla, Persea indica and Picconia excelsa, a third of the studied species. Tree-ring width depended on water balance and drought occurrence, showing sharp reductions in growth in the face of decreased water availability, a response that was consistent among species and sites. Inter-annual tree-ring width variation was directly dependent on rainfall input in the humid period, from previous October to current April. The four negative pointer years 1995, 1999, 2008 and 2012 corresponded to severe drought events in the study area. This study gives the first assessment of dendrochronological potential and tree-ring climate sensitivity of tree species from the Tenerife laurel forest, which opens new research avenues for dendroecological studies in Macaronesian laurel forests. © 2022 The Authors |
| A coupled modeling approach to assess the effect of forest policies in water provision: A biophysical evaluation of a drought-prone rural catchment in south-central Chile | Science of The Total Environment | Gimeno, F.; Galleguillos, M.; Manuschevich, D.; Zambrano-Bigiarini, M. | 2022 | Agua y Extremos; Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154608 | https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0048969722017016 | 154608 | Vol: 830 | 0048-9697 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | The effect of different forest conservation policies on water provision has been poorly investigated due to a lack of an integrative methodological framework that enables its quantification. We developed a method for assessing the effects of forest conservation policies on water provision for rural inhabitants, based on a land-use model coupled with an eco-hydrological model. We used as a case study the Lumaco catchment, Chile, a territory dominated by native forests (NF) and non-native tree farms, with an extended dry period where nearly 12,600 people of rural communities get drinking water through water trucks. We analyzed three land-use policy scenarios: i) a baseline scenario based on historical land-cover maps; ii) a NF Recovery and Protection (NFRP) scenario, based on an earlier implementation of the first NF Recovery and Forestry Development bill; and iii) a Pristine (PR) scenario, based on potential vegetation belts; the latter two based on Dyna CLUE, and simulated between 1990 and 2015. Impacts on water provision from each scenario were computed with SWAT. The NFRP scenario resulted in an increase of 6974 ha of NF regarding the baseline situation, and the PR scenario showed an increase of 26,939 ha of NF. Despite large differences in NF areas, slight increases in inflows (Q) were found between the NFRP and the PR scenarios, with relative differences with respect to the baseline of 0.3% and 2.5% for NFRP and PR, respectively. Notwithstanding, these small differences in the NFRP scenario, they become larger if we analyze the cumulative values during the dry season only (December, January, and February), where they reach 1.1% in a normal year and 3.1% in a dry year. Flows increases were transformed into water truck costs resulting in up to 441,876 USD (monthly) of fiscal spending that could be avoided during a dry period. © 2022 Elsevier B.V. |
| Surviving in a hostile landscape: Nothofagus alessandrii remnant forests threatened by mega-fires and exotic pine invasion in the coastal range of central Chile | Oryx | González, M.; Galleguillos, M.; Lopatin, J.; Leal, C.; Becerra-Rodas, C.; Lara, A.; San Martín, J. | 2022 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1017/S0030605322000102 | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0030605322000102/type/journal_article | 1-11 | Vol: 57 | 0030-6053, 1365-3008 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access | English | Abstract
Nothofagus alessandrii
, categorized as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, is an endemic, deciduous tree species of the coastal range of central Chile. We assessed the effects of fire severity, invasion by the exotic fire-prone
Pinus radiata
, and land-cover composition and configuration of the landscape on the resilience of fragments of
N. alessandrii
after a mega-fire in 2017. We used remote sensing data to estimate land-use classes and cover, fire severity and invasion cover of
P. radiata
. We monitored forest composition and structure and post-fire responses of
N. alessandrii
forests in situ for 2 years after the mega-fire. In the coastal Maule region wildfires have been favoured by intense drought and widespread exotic pine plantations, increasing the ability of fire-adapted invasive species to colonize native forest remnants. Over 85% of
N. alessandrii
forests were moderately or severely burnt. The propagation and severity of fire was probably amplified by the exotic pines located along the edges of, or inside, the
N. alessandrii
fragments and the highly flammable pine plantations surrounding these fragments (> 60% of land use is pine plantations).
Pinus radiata
, a fire-adapted pioneer species, showed strong post-fire recruitment within the
N. alessandrii
fragments, especially those severely burnt. Positive feedback between climate change (i.e. droughts and heat waves), wildfires and pine invasions is driving
N. alessandrii
forests into an undesirable and probably irreversible state (i.e. a landscape trap). A large-scale restoration programme to design a diverse and less flammable landscape is needed to avoid the loss of these highly threatened forest ecosystems. |
| Carbon stocks across different environments, disturbance regimes, and stand age in Fitzroya cupressoides forests, the longest-lived species of the southern hemisphere | Frontiers in Forests and Global Change | González, M.; Lara, A.; Urrutia-Jalabert, R.; Bustos-Salazar, A.; Ruiz-Gómez, C.; Aravena, J. | 2022 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.3389/ffgc.2022.960429 | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/ffgc.2022.960429/full | 960429 | Vol: 5 | 2624-893X | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access | English | Forest disturbances influence
Fitzroya
cupressoides forest structure and carbon stocks at multiple spatial and temporal scales. Natural disturbances such as landslides and volcanism affect and give rise to the mostly pristine
Fitzroya
stands present in the Andean cordillera. On the other hand, mostly human-caused fires and logging have been the main processes shaping the structure of
Fitzroya
stands in the Coastal range and of
Fitzroya
small remnants in the Central depression. The main goal of this study was to assess the carbon stocks and accumulation rates of
Fitzroya
forest stands according to their development stage under different disturbance regimes and environmental conditions given by the three physiographic units where the species grows (Coastal range, Central depression, and Andean range). The site selection included an age sequence of stands, known as a chronosequence approach. We identified
Fitzroya
post-disturbance stands in three different stages of development: young forest stage (mean stand age of the main cohort ≤ 200 years old), mature forest stage (200–800 years old), and old growth forest stage (800–1,500 years old). The following biomass components were considered: living standing trees, dead standing trees (snags), and logs from dead trees laying on the ground (coarse woody debris). Old-growth
Fitzroya
forests reached a mean total carbon stock (standing live trees, snags, and coarse woody debris) of 507, 279, and 331 Mg C ha
−1
in the Andean and Coastal ranges, and Central depression, respectively.
Fitzroya cupressoides
contributes, in average, more than 80% to the total carbon stock in the Andean and Coastal ranges, and 63% in the Central depression. The remainder corresponds mainly to
Nothofagus
spp. The high carbon stocks in old-growth stands in the Andean range are explained by
Fitzroya
longevity, larger size, wood decay resistance, and the low recurrence of volcanic events. Carbon accumulation rates differ between the forests in the three physiographic units (Central depression>Andean range>Coastal range), mainly due to the different growth rates and environmental conditions present in each unit. In the context of climate change, conserving old-growth stands with large biomass and carbon stocks and restoring
Fitzroya
forests should be recognized as a key contribution toward national and global goals to mitigate global warming. |
| Moving towards the ecological intensification of tree plantations | Trends in Plant Science | Gómez-González, S.; Paniw, M.; Blanco-Pastor, J.; García-Cervigón, A.; Godoy, O.; Herrera, J.; Lara, A.; Miranda, A.; Ojeda, F.; Ochoa-Hueso, R. | 2022 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1016/j.tplants.2021.12.009 | https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1360138521003526 | 637-645 | Vol: 27 Issue: 7 | 1360-1385 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Green Open Access | English | The growing demand for timber and the boom in massive tree-planting programs could mean the spreading of mismanaged tree plantations worldwide. Here, we apply the concept of ecological intensification to forestry systems as a viable biodiversity-focused strategy that could be critical to develop productive, yet sustainable, tree plantations. Tree plantations can be highly productive if tree species are properly combined to complement their ecological functions. Simultaneously considering soil biodiversity and animal-mediated biocontrol will be critical to minimize the reliance on external inputs. Integrating genetic, functional, and demographic diversity across heterogeneous landscapes should improve resilience under climate change. Designing ecologically intensified plantations will mean breaking the timber productivity versus conservation dichotomy and assuring the maintenance of key ecosystem services at safe levels. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd |
| Effect of tree demography and flexible root water uptake for modeling the carbon and water cycles of Amazonia | Ecological Modelling | Joetzjer, E.; Maignan, F.; Chave, J.; Goll, D.; Poulter, B.; Barichivich, J.; Maréchaux, I.; Luyssaert, S.; Guimberteau, M.; Naudts, K.; Bonal, D.; Ciais, P. | 2022 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2022.109969 | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2022.109969 | art: 109969 | Vol: 469 | 0304-3800 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Bronze Open Access | English | Amazonian forest plays a crucial role in regulating the carbon and water cycles in the global climate system. However, the representation of biogeochemical fluxes and forest structure in dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs) remains challenging. This situation has considerable implications to simulate the state and dynamics of Amazonian forest. This study aims at simulating the dynamic of the evapotranspiration (ET), productivity (GPP), biomass (AGB) and forest structure of wet tropical forests in the Amazon basin using the updated ORCHIDEE land surface model. The latter is improved for two processes: stand structure and demography, and plant water uptake by roots. Stand structure is simulated by adapting the CAN version of ORCHIDEE, originally developed for temperate forests. Here, we account for the permanent recruitment of young individual trees, the distribution of stand level growth into 20 different cohorts of variable diameter classes, and mortality due to asymmetric competition for light. Plant water uptake is simulated by including soil-to-root hydraulic resistance (RS). To evaluate the effect of the soil resistance alone, we performed factorial simulations with demography only (CAN) and both demography and resistance (CAN-RS). AGB, ET and GPP outputs of CAN-RS are also compared with the standard version of ORCHIDEE (TRUNK) for which eco-hydrological parameters were tuned globally to fit GPP and evapotranspiration at flux tower sites. All the model versions are benchmarked against in situ and regional datasets. We show that CAN-RS correctly reproduce stand level structural variables (as CAN) like diameter classes and tree densities when validated using in-situ data. Besides offering the key advantage to simulate forest's structure, it also correctly simulates ET and GPP and improves fluxes spatial patterns when compared to TRUNK. With the new formulation of soil water uptake, which is driven by soil water availability rather than root-biomass, the simulated trees preferentially use water in the deepest soil layers during the dry seasons. This improves the seasonality of ET and GPP compared to CAN, especially on clay soils for which the soil moisture potential drops rapidly in the dry season. Nevertheless, since demography parameters in CAN-RS are constant for all evergreen tropical forests, spatial variability of AGB and basal area across the Amazon remains too uniform compared to observations, and are very comparable to the TRUNK. Additional processes such as climate driven mortality and phosphorus limitation on growth leading to the prevalence of species with different functional traits across the Amazon need to be included in the future development of this model. © 2022 |
| Forest restoration and hydrology | Forest Ecology and Management | Jones, J.; Ellison, D.; Ferraz, S.; Lara, A.; Wei, X.; Zhang, Z. | 2022 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1016/j.foreco.2022.120342 | https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S037811272200336X | 120342 | Vol: 520 | 0378-1127 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | Forest restoration aims to increase forest cover, structure, function, and/or species composition, and it influences hydrology through the partitioning of precipitation into evapotranspiration and streamflow. This paper provides a conceptual framework for forest restoration and hydrology, reviews the literature on forest hydrology that is relevant to forest restoration, and assesses practical forest restoration approaches, their hydrologic effects, and tradeoffs. The hydrologic effects of three types of forest are assessed: mature and old-growth forests, which often are the reference model for restoration; managed forest plantations, which dominated early efforts for forest restoration; and the early stages of native forest succession, an increasingly popular, ecologically-oriented or nature-based approach to forest restoration. This review indicates that mature and old-growth forests have high evapotranspiration and consistent water yield, provided by moderated peak discharges and sustained low flows, while water yield is low from managed forest plantations, especially during dry periods. The early stages of native forest succession may provide greater water yield and increased low flows compared with managed plantations. Inclusion of native species and natural processes in forest restoration can increase some hydrological benefits relative to other forest restoration approaches. Although forest restoration affects hydrology, few studies examine the hydrologic effects of specific forest restoration practices such as choice of species, silvicultural practices, legacies of past land use, and geographic setting. Forest managers and ecologists can play valuable roles by designing studies that explore the hydrologic effects of forest restoration approaches on time scales relevant to ecological succession and forest management under a changing climate. © 2022 Elsevier B.V. |
| Disturbance alters relationships between soil carbon pools and aboveground vegetation attributes in an anthropogenic peatland in Patagonia | Ecology and Evolution | Lopatin, J.; Araya‐López, R.; Galleguillos, M.; Perez‐Quezada, J. | 2022 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1002/ece3.8694 | https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ece3.8694 | arte8694 | Vol: 12 Issue: 3 | 2045-7758, 2045-7758 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Green Open Access | English | Anthropogenic-based disturbances may alter peatland soil–plant causal associations and their ability to sequester carbon. Likewise, it is unclear how the vegetation attributes are linked with different soil C decomposition-based pools (i.e., live moss, debris, and poorly- to highly-decomposed peat) under grassing and harvesting conditions. Therefore, we aimed to assess the relationships between aboveground vegetation attributes and belowground C pools in a Northern Patagonian peatland of Sphagnum magellanicum with disturbed and undisturbed areas. We used ordination to depict the main C pool and floristic gradients and structural equation modeling (SEM) to explore the direct and indirect relationships among these variables. In addition, we evaluated whether attributes derived from plant functional types (PFTs) are better suited to predict soil C pools than attributes derived from species gradients. We found that the floristic composition of the peatland can be classified into three categories that follow the C pool gradient. These categories correspond to (1) woody species, such as Baccharis patagonica, (2) water-logged species like Juncus procerus, and (3) grasslands. We depicted that these classes are reliable indicators of soil C decomposition stages. However, the relationships change between management. We found a clear statistical trend showing a decrease of live moss, debris, and poorly-decomposed C pools in the disturbed area. We also depicted that plant diversity, plant height, and PFT composition were reliable indicators of C decomposition only under undisturbed conditions, while the species-based attributes consistently yielded better overall results predicting soil C pools than PFT-based attributes. Our results imply that managed peatlands of Northern Patagonia with active grassing and harvesting activities, even if small-scaled, will significantly alter their future C sequestration capacities by decreasing their live and poorly-decomposed components. Finally, aboveground vegetation attributes cannot be used as proxies of soil C decomposition in disturbed peatlands as they no longer relate to decomposition stages. © 2022 The Authors. Ecology and Evolution published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. |
| Fire Scars: remotely sensed historical burned area and fire severity in Chile between 1984-2018 | | Miranda, A.; Mentler, R.; Moletto, I.; Alfaro, G.; Aliaga, L.; Balbontín, D.; Barraza, M.; Baumbach, Susanne; Calderón, Patricio; Cardenas, Fernando; Castillo, Ivan; Gonzalo, Contreras; de la Barra, Felipe; Galleguillos, Mauricio; Gonzalez, Mauro; Hormazabal, Carlos; Lara, Antonio; Mancilla, Ian; Mu... | 2022 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1594/PANGAEA.941127 | https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.941127 | | | | Pangaea | Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International | English | The Landscape Fire Scars Database for Chile makes publicly available for the first time a historical high-resolution (~30 m) burned area and fire severity product for the country. The georeferenced database is a multi-institutional effort containing information on more than 8,000 fires events between July 1984 and June 2018. Using Google Earth Engine (GEE), we reconstructed the fire scar area, perimeter, and severity for each fire. We also provide the Landsat mosaic image of pre- and post-fire events, including the NDVI and NBR indexes. In the related paper, we release the GEE code to reproduce our database or enable the international community to reconstruct another individual burned areas and fire severity data, with minimum input requirements. In the summary file is the list of reconstructed fire events. The identification number (ID) relates the initial information of the wildfires with fire scar and severity data. |
| The Landscape Fire Scars Database: mapping historical burned area and fire severity in Chile | Earth System Science Data | Miranda, A.; Mentler, R.; Moletto-Lobos, Í.; Alfaro, G.; Aliaga, L.; Balbontín, D.; Barraza, M.; Baumbach, S.; Calderón, P.; Cárdenas, F.; Castillo, I.; Contreras, G.; de la Barra, F.; Galleguillos, M.; González, M.; Hormazábal, C.; Lara, A.; Mancilla, I.; Muñoz, F.; Oyarce, C.; Pantoja, F.; Ramírez... | 2022 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.5194/essd-14-3599-2022 | https://essd.copernicus.org/articles/14/3599/2022/ | 3599-3613 | Vol: 14 Issue: 8 | 1866-3516 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access | English | Abstract. Achieving a local understanding of fire regimes requires
high-resolution, systematic and dynamic databases. High-quality information
can help to transform evidence into decision-making in the context of
rapidly changing landscapes, particularly considering that geographical and
temporal patterns of fire regimes and their trends vary locally over time.
Global fire scar products at low spatial resolutions are available, but
high-resolution wildfire data, especially for developing countries, are still
lacking. Taking advantage of the Google Earth Engine (GEE) big-data analysis
platform, we developed a flexible workflow to reconstruct individual burned
areas and derive fire severity estimates for all reported fires. We tested
our approach for historical wildfires in Chile. The result is the Landscape
Fire Scars Database, a detailed and dynamic database that reconstructs 8153
fires scars, representing 66.6 % of the country's officially recorded
fires between 1985 and 2018. For each fire event, the database contains the
following information: (i) the Landsat mosaic of pre- and post-fire images; (ii) the fire scar in binary format; (iii) the remotely sensed estimated fire
indexes (the normalized burned
ratio, NBR, and the relative delta normalized burn ratio, RdNBR); and two vector files indicating (iv) the fire scar
perimeter and (v) the fire scar severity reclassification, respectively. The Landscape
Fire Scars Database for Chile and GEE script (JavaScript) are publicly
available. The framework developed for the database can be applied anywhere
in the world, with the only requirement being its adaptation to local factors
such as data availability, fire regimes, land cover or land cover dynamics,
vegetation recovery, and cloud cover. The Landscape Fire Scars Database for Chile is publicly available in https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.941127 (Miranda et al., 2022). |
| Direct effects of tephra fallout from the Puyehue–Cordón Caulle Volcanic Complex on Nothofagus pumilio ring widths in northern Patagonia | Dendrochronologia | Montiel, M.; González, M.; Christie, D.; Muñoz, A.; Crisafulli, C. | 2022 | Agua y Extremos; Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1016/j.dendro.2022.125998 | https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1125786522000789 | 125998 | Vol: 75 | 11257865 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | We evaluated the radial growth response of adult Nothofagus pumilio (Poepp. et Endl) Krasser trees affected by tephra deposition following historical volcanic eruptions of the Puyehue–Cordón Caulle Volcanic Complex (PCCVC) in northern Patagonia. Standard tree–ring width chronologies were developed for trees from two sites that were affected by up to 55 cm of tephra during the 2011 eruption, which allowed us to detect the general tree–growth response to eruptions VEI ≥ 3 and VEI ≤ 2. The tree growth trend satisfactorily followed the mean temperature record (r = 0.42); however, the analysis of studentized residuals identified outliers (≥ ± 2 SD) directly related to the volcanic eruptions of the years 1921–1922 and 2011 and the respective post–eruption years, while for the 1960 eruption and following year, they largely exceeded the mean value of the residuals. The large amount of tephra deposited during the 1921–22 and 2011 eruptions caused physical damage to the tree canopy leading to the appearance of white rings and to locally absent rings. The rate of change in radial growth of trees during these eruptions presented significant declines in relation to the growth of five years before the eruption and to the following year. The low amount of tephra deposited during the 1960 eruption did not cause damage to the stands and trees increased their radial growth. In general, trees that had reduced radial growth experienced a remarkable recovery starting in the second or third post–eruption year. The amount of tephra deposited and the time of year of the volcanic eruptions had an important influence on tree rings. Some ecophysiological causes that could explain the growth responses of N. pumilio to tephra fall are discussed herein. Our study may provide useful insights to clarify the uncertain characteristics of some eruptions in the past or to detect the occurrence of large, undocumented volcanic eruptions throughout the Andes. © 2022 Elsevier GmbH |
| Generalised seed mortality driven by heat shock in woody plants from Mediterranean Chile | International Journal of Wildland Fire | Ocampo-Zuleta, K.; Gómez-González, S.; Paula, S. | 2022 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1071/WF22027 | https://www.publish.csiro.au/WF/WF22027 | 1080-1088 | Vol: 31 Issue: 11 | 1049-8001, 1448-5516 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | Background Wildfires have shaped plant traits and ecosystems worldwide. Most research on the relevance of fire on plant evolution comes from Mediterranean-type ecosystems (MTEs), where a great proportion of the studied species have fire-stimulated germination. However, seed fire ecology is widely unknown for the woody flora of the Chilean matorral, the only MTE where natural fires are infrequent owing to the scarcity of non-anthropogenic ignition sources. Aim The study aimed to evaluate whether seed sensitivity to heat is generalised among the woody species of the matorral. Methods We performed heat shock experiments on the seeds of 21 woody plant species not previously assessed. These species and those from previous studies were classified according to their response as stimulated, tolerant and inhibited. The preponderance of any of these categories was statistically evaluated. Key results Exposure to 100°C for 5 min significantly decreased seed survival in all studied species. Conclusions Seed persistence to fire is less common than previously reported among woody plants from the Chilean MTE. Implications Increased wildfire events in the future may erode the genetic diversity of the Chilean flora. Germplasm banks may become crucial in post-fire restoration programs in this ecoregion, where the landscape has become increasingly flammable. |
| Water dynamics over a Western Patagonian watershed: Land surface changes and human factors | Science of The Total Environment | Olivera-Guerra, L.; Quintanilla, M.; Moletto-Lobos, I.; Pichuante, E.; Zamorano-Elgueta, C.; Mattar, C. | 2022 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150221 | https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0048969721052980 | 150221 | Vol: 804 | 00489697 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Bronze Open Access | English | Warming trends in Patagonia and severe droughts in recent decades are still poorly understood in terms of their hydrological effects. The effects of climate change on water dynamics in addition to human water management could generate a future water scarcity scenario in one of the regions with the most abundant water resources of Chile. The aim of this work is to focus on assessing the impacts of warming trends on water dynamics in the Patagonian Simpson River watershed during the last two decades. We estimated anomalies in the main components of water balance such as precipitation (P), snow cover (SC), evapotranspiration (ET) and streamflows (Q) as well as surface variables and meteorological forcing (i.e. air temperature - Ta, solar radiation - RS, land surface temperature - LST). The processed data were obtained from remote sensing, reanalysis and in-situ data. We implemented a trend analysis for each variable in the period 2000-2019 at monthly, seasonal and annual scale. Results showed a warming trend in Ta and LST of about 1.2 °C and 2.1 °C, respectively, concentrated mainly in the autumn and winter seasons. Although P showed non-significant trends, Q diminished significantly at rates of more than 9.1 m3/s/decade, representing 36% of its historical mean. However, the decreases in Q are seen only in the maximum (spring) and minimum (summer) seasonal flows. These decreases are explained by significant increases in ET, led by a positive feedback of its drivers (LST, Ta and RS), which is directly linked to the impact of warming and an associated vegetation greenness in the watershed, as well as a decrease in SC during winter that feeds the Simpson River during spring and summer. The decrease in Q is reinforced by the intensification of water withdrawals in recent decades, as shown by an accelerated increase in water rights for agricultural and drinking uses. In a context of water scarcity and increasing and extreme droughts, this work contributes to further understanding water dynamics in western Patagonia, providing support for policy and decision-making when defining sustainable productive practices at watershed scale. |
| Irrigation management or climate change ? Which is more important to cope with water shortage in the production of table grape in a Mediterranean context | Agricultural Water Management | Pizarro, E.; Galleguillos, M.; Barría, P.; Callejas, R. | 2022 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1016/j.agwat.2022.107467 | https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0378377422000142 | 107467 | Vol: 263 | 0378-3774 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | Table grape production requires large amount of water, which can be problematic in semi-arid Mediterranean regions, where climate change projections anticipated reductions in water availability associated to decreases in precipitation and increases in temperature. In this context, this study aims to evaluate the effect of contrasting irrigation strategies and climate change scenarios on key water balance variables using a Chilean Table grape crop as case study. A standard and an improved irrigation management treatments were implemented in situ during the 2015/2016 and the 2016/2017–2017/2018 observed growing seasons, respectively. Then, the HYDRUS-1D water transfer model was run to simulate the three observed growing seasons and 27 near future growing seasons (2019/2020–2044/2015) under climate change conditions. Satisfactory calibration and validation results against soil moisture and water storage measurements were obtained within the first and the second observed growing seasons respectively (RRMSE values below 5%). Results during the observed seasons showed that by changing the standard irrigation by the improved irrigation management, the water use efficiency (WUEi) increases from 49.5% to 55.7%. For the near future, the calibrated model shows that under all the tested climate change scenarios, irrigation strategies based on supplying 80% and 50% of the crop evapotranspiration (ETc) (deficit irrigation scenarios) have larger efficiencies compared to the standard irrigation management (presenting a higher actual basal crop coefficient and lower percolation). Similar results were obtained under future extreme climate change years, defined as the ratio between model-based projections of reference evapotranspiration (ET0) and precipitation, with the deficit irrigation scenarios having larger efficiencies than the standard irrigation management. Based on these results, it is concluded that by mid- century, the irrigation management has more relevance than climate change impacts for tables grapes growing under a Mediterranean climate in central Chile. © 2022 |
| Assessing the socio-economic and land-cover drivers of wildfire activity and its spatiotemporal distribution in south-central Chile | Science of The Total Environment | Pozo, R.; Galleguillos, M.; González, M.; Vásquez, F.; Arriagada, R. | 2022 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152002 | https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0048969721070789 | 152002 | Vol: 810 | 00489697 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | Sustained human pressures on the environment have significantly increased the frequency, extent, and severity of wildfires, globally. This is particularly the case in Mediterranean regions, in which human-caused wildfires represent up to 90% of all recorded wildfire ignitions. In Chile, it has been estimated that nearly 90% of wildfires are related to human activities, and that their frequency and distribution have steadily increased over the last decade. Despite this, the role of socio-economic factors in driving wildfire activity and its spatiotemporal distribution remains unclear. In this study, we assess the association between socio-economic drivers and spatiotemporal patterns of wildfires in the Mediterranean region of south-central Chile over the period 2010–2018. Our results show that 98.5% of wildfires are related to human activities, either accidentally (58.2%) or intentionally (36.6%). Wildfires occurred primarily during the summer months and their density at the commune-level was associated with increased road access, as well as with the percentage of land covered by agriculture, exotic tree plantations, and native forest. Wildfire activity at the commune-level was also related to socio-economic variables such as population density, proportion of indigenous population, and unemployment rate, although such associations varied considerably depending on the region and on whether the wildfire was started accidentally or intentionally. Our study provides a comprehensive and interdisciplinary assessment of the complex ways in which land-cover and socio-economic factors drive the distribution of wildfire activity in south-central Chile. It represents an important guide for policy-making, as well a baseline for research into strategies aimed at predicting and mitigating wildfire activity at both local and national levels. |
| Soil research, management, and policy priorities in Chile | Geoderma Regional | Salazar, O.; Casanova, M.; Fuentes, J.; Galleguillos, M.; Nájera, F.; Perez-Quezada, J.; Pfeiffer, M.; Renwick, L.; Seguel, O.; Tapia, Y. | 2022 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1016/j.geodrs.2022.e00502 | https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S2352009422000220 | e00502 | Vol: 29 | 2352-0094 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | |
| Short-Interval, Severe Wildfires Alter Saproxylic Beetle Diversity in Andean Araucaria Forests in Northwest Chilean Patagonia | Forests | Tello, F.; González, M.; Micó, E.; Valdivia, N.; Torres, F.; Lara, A.; García-López, A. | 2022 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.3390/f13030441 | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/13/3/441 | 441 | Vol: 13 Issue: 3 | 1999-4907 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access | English | The occurrence of short-interval, severe wildfires are increasing drastically at a global scale, and appear as a novel phenomenon in areas where fire historically returns in large time lapses. In forest ecosystems, these events induce drastic changes in population dynamics, which could dramatically impact species diversity. Here, we studied the effect on diversity of recent short-interval, severe wildfires (SISF), which occurred in rapid succession in the summers of 2002 and 2015 in Chilean Northern Patagonian Araucaria–Nothofagus forests. We analyzed the diversity of deadwood-dependent (i.e., saproxylic) and fire-sensitive beetles as biological indicators across four conditions: 2002-burned areas, 2015-burned areas, SISF areas (i.e., burned in 2002 and again in 2015), and unburned areas. Saproxylic beetles were collected using window traps in 2017 to 2019 summer seasons. To investigate the mechanisms underpinning the fire-related disturbance of the assemblage, we evaluated the effects of post-fire habitat quality (e.g., dead wood decomposition) and quantity (e.g., burned dead wood volume and tree density) on the abundances and species richness of the entire assemblage and also multiple trophic groups. Compared with the unburned condition, SISF drastically reduced species richness, evenness, and Shannon’s diversity and altered the composition of the saproxylic beetle assemblages. The between-condition variation in composition was accounted for by a species replacement (turnover) between SISF and 2015-burned areas, but both species replacement and extinction (nestedness) between SISF and unburned areas. Dead wood decomposition and tree density were the variables with the strongest effects on the abundance and species richness of the entire saproxylic beetle assemblage and most trophic groups. These results suggest that SISF, through degraded habitat quality (dead wood decomposition) and quantity (arboreal density), have detrimental impacts on diversity and population dynamics of saproxylic beetle assemblages. Therefore, habitat loss is a central mechanism underpinning fire-related biodiversity loss in these forest ecosystems. |
| An operational method for mapping the composition of post-fire litter | Remote Sensing Letters | Tolorza, V.; Poblete-Caballero, D.; Banda, D.; Little, C.; Leal, C.; Galleguillos, M. | 2022 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1080/2150704X.2022.2040752 | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/2150704X.2022.2040752 | 511-521 | Vol: 13 Issue: 5 | 2150-704X | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | Recent increase in the frequency and spatial extent of wildfires motivates the quick recognition of the affected soil properties over large areas. Digital Soil Mapping is a valuable approach to map soil attributes based on remote sensing and field observations. We predicted the spatial distribution of post-fire litter composition in a 40,600 ha basin burned on the 2017 wildfire of Chile. Remotely sensed data of topography, vegetation structure and spectral indices (SI) were used as predictors of random forest (RF) models. Litter sampled in 60 hillslopes after the fire provided training and validation data. Predictors selected by the Variable Selection Using Random Forests (VSURF) algorithm resulted in models for litter composition with acceptable accuracy (coefficient of determination, R 2 = 0.51–0.64, Normalized Root Mean Square Error, NRMSE = 16.9–22.1, percentage bias, pbias = −0.35%-0.5%). Modelled litter parameters decrease in concentration respect to the degree of burn severity, and the pre-fire biomass. Because pre-fire vegetation was conditioned by land cover and by a previous (2 years old) wildfire event, our results highlight the cumulative effect of severe wildfires in the depletion of litter composition. © 2022 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. |
| Seed dispersal distance, seed morphology, and recruitment in the Chilean sclerophyllous tree Quillaja saponaria: implications for passive restoration in a semiarid ecosystem | Plant Ecology | Vásquez, I.; Miranda, A.; Delpiano, C.; Becerra, P. | 2022 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1007/s11258-021-01207-4 | https://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11258-021-01207-4 | 273-283 | Vol: 223 Issue: 3 | 1385-0237, 1573-5052 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | Recolonization of wind-dispersed tree species in degraded areas may decline with distance from remnant forest fragments because seed rain frequently decreases with distance from the seed source. However, regeneration of these species may be even more limited to sites close to the seed source if dispersal distance is negatively affected by seed mass, and germination probability is positively affected by seed mass. We evaluated these hypotheses in a Mediterranean-type ecosystem of central Chile, using the wind-dispersed tree species Quillaja saponaria. We assessed the seed rain curve in a degraded open area adjacent to a remnant forest fragment of this species, and related seed mass with dispersal distance from the seed source. Then, we evaluated the relationship between seed mass, germination, and seedling growth, and if seeds that fall nearer the seed source have greater germination probability. We found a decreasing seed rain with the distance from the seed source. Seed mass was not related to dispersal distance, although seeds with higher wing area dispersed further. Germination probability was significantly and positively related to the seed mass. We observed no significant relationship between distance and germination probability. We conclude that germination probability of this species does not vary along the seed rain curve, and that the recruitment density would be greater near the seed source only due to decreasing seed rain with distance. Our results suggest that this species has the potential to be passively restored in degraded areas, especially within the first 70 m from the remnant forest fragments. |
| Fire-induced loss of the world’s most biodiverse forests in Latin America | Science Advances | Armenteras, D.; Dávalos, L.; Barreto, J.; Miranda, A.; Hernández-Moreno, A.; Zamorano-Elgueta, C.; González-Delgado, T.; Meza-Elizalde, M.; Retana, J. | 2021 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1126/sciadv.abd3357 | https://advances.sciencemag.org/lookup/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abd3357 | eabd3357 | Vol: 7 Issue: 33 | 2375-2548 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access; Green Open Access | English | Fire plays a dominant role in deforestation, particularly in the tropics, but the relative extent of transformations and influence of fire frequency on eventual forest loss remain unclear. Here, we analyze the frequency of fire and its influence on postfire forest trajectories between 2001 and 2018. We account for ~1.1% of Latin American forests burnt in 2002–2003 (8,465,850 ha). Although 40.1% of forests (3,393,250 ha) burned only once, by 2018, ~48% of the evergreen forests converted to other, primarily grass-dominated uses. While greater fire frequency yielded more transformation, our results reveal the staggering impact of even a single fire. Increasing fire frequency imposes greater risks of irreversible forest loss, transforming forests into ecosystems increasingly vulnerable to degradation. Reversing this trend is indispensable to both mitigate and adapt to climate change globally. As climate change transforms fire regimes across the region, key actions are needed to conserve Latin American forests. |
| Water management or megadrought: what caused the Chilean Aculeo Lake drying? | Regional Environmental Change | Barría, P.; Chadwick, C.; Ocampo-Melgar, A.; Galleguillos, M.; Garreaud, R.; Díaz-Vasconcellos, R.; Poblete, D.; Rubio-Álvarez, E.; Poblete-Caballero, D. | 2021 | Agua y Extremos; Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1007/s10113-021-01750-w | http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10113-021-01750-w | 19 | Vol: 21 Issue: 1 | 1436-3798, 1436-378X | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE; SSCI) | | English | The Aculeo Lake is an important natural reservoir of Central Chile, which provides valuable ecosystem services. This lake has suffered a rapid shrinkage of the water levels from year 2010 to 2018, and since October 2018, it is completely dry. This natural disaster is concurrent with a number of severe and uninterrupted drought years, along with sustained increases in water consumption associated to land use/land cover (LULC) changes. Severe water shortages and socio-environmental impacts were triggered by these changes, emphasizing the need to understand the causes of the lake desiccation to contribute in the design of future adaptation strategies. Thereby, the Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) hydrological model was used as a tool to quantify the water balance in the catchment. The model was run under a combination of three land use/land cover and two different climate scenarios that sample the cases with and without megadrought and with or without changes in land use. According to the results, the main triggering factor of the lake shrinkage is the severe megadrought, with annual rainfall deficits of about 38%, which resulted in amplified reductions in river flows (44%) and aquifer recharges (24%). The results indicate that the relative impact of the climate factor is more than 10 times larger than the impact of the observed LULC changes in the lake balance, highlighting the urgent need for adaptation strategies to deal with the projected drier futures. |
| Chemical Signals in Tree Rings from Northern Patagonia as Indicators of Calbuco Volcano Eruptions since the 16th Century | Forests | Bertin, L.; Christie, D.; Sheppard, P.; Muñoz, A.; Lara, A.; Alvarez, C. | 2021 | Agua y Extremos; Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.3390/f12101305 | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/12/10/1305 | 1305 | Vol: 12 Issue: 10 | 1999-4907 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access | English | The Calbuco volcano ranks third in the specific risk classification of volcanoes in Chile and has a detailed eruption record since 1853. During 2015, Calbuco had a sub-Plinian eruption with negative impacts in Chile and Argentina, highlighting the need to determine the long-term history of its activity at a high-resolution time scale to obtain a better understanding of its eruptive frequency. We developed a continuous eruptive record of Calbuco for the 1514–2016 period by dendrochemical analysis of Fitzroya cupressoides tree rings at a biennium resolution using inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry. After comparing the chemical record of 20 elements contained in tree rings with historical eruptions, one group exhibited positive anomalies during (Pb/Sn) and immediately after (Mo/P/Zn/Cu) eruptions, with a Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) ≥ 3, and so were classified as chemical tracers of past eruptions (TPE). The tree-ring width chronology also exhibited significant decreases in tree growth associated with eruptions of VEI ≥ 3. According to these records, we identified 11 new eruptive events of Calbuco, extending its eruptive chronology back to the 16th century and determining a mean eruptive frequency of ~23 years. Our results show the potential to use dendrochemical analysis to infer past volcanic eruptions in Northern Patagonia. This information provides a long-term perspective for assessing eruptive history in Northern Patagonia, with implications for territorial planning. |
| Informe a las Naciones: Gobernanza Climática de los Elementos. Hacia una gobernanza climática del agua, el aire, el fuego y la tierra en Chile, integrada, anticipatoria, socio-ecosistémica y fundada en evidencia. | | Billi, M.; Moraga, P.; Aliste, E, E.; Maillet, A.; O'Ryan, R.; Sapiains A., R.; Bórquez, R.; Aldunce, P.; Azócar, G.; Blanco, G.; Carrasco, N.; Galleguillos, M.; Hervé, D.; Ibarra, C.; Gallardo, L.; Inostroza, V.; Lambert, F.; Manuschevic, D.; Martínez, F.; Osses, M.; Rivas, N.; Rojas, M.; Seguel, R... | 2021 | Agua y Extremos; Cambio de Uso de Suelo; Ciudades Resilientes; Gobernanza e Interfaz Ciencia y Política | | https://bit.ly/3JdvVbd | 69 | | | cr2.cl | | | La humanidad se ha vuelto una de las mayores fuerzas transformadoras del planeta, generando cambios significativos (y en ocasiones irreversibles) en los
equilibrios geofísicos y ecológicos, con consecuencias
potencialmente catastróficas y en parte aún desconocidas (Foster et al., 2017; Rockström et al., 2009; Steffen
et al., 2007). Entre todas estas alteraciones, el cambio
climático adquiere una importancia preponderante
debido a la magnitud y escala de sus posibles consecuencias, así como por la complejidad y las controversias que ha caracterizado los intentos de hacerle frente
(de Coninck et al., 2018; IPCC, 2018). Contemplar este escenario implica un doble dilema. Por un lado, supone la
necesidad de acciones urgentes, concertadas y transformativas, en múltiples escalas y dominios, que lleven
a hacerse cargo de los forzantes que causan el cambio
climático, sus efectos significativos y desiguales en distintos territorios y poblaciones. Por el otro, se enfrenta
a la insuficiencia, parcialidad y limitación demostrada
por los modelos tradicionales de gobernanza para enfrentar estos desafíos. |
| Report to the Nations Climate Governance of the Elements. Towards an Integrated, anticipatory, socio- ecosystemic and evidence- based climate governance of water, air, fire and land. | | Billi, M.; Moraga, P.; Aliste, E, E.; Maillet, A.; O'Ryan, R.; Sapiains A., R.; Bórquez, R.; Aldunce, P.; Azócar, G.; Blanco, G.; Carrasco, N.; Galleguillos, M.; Hervé, D.; Ibarra, C.; Gallardo, L.; Inostroza, V.; Lambert, F.; Manuschevic, D.; Martínez, F.; Osses, M.; Rivas, N.; Rojas, M.; Seguel, R... | 2021 | Agua y Extremos; Cambio de Uso de Suelo; Ciudades Resilientes; Gobernanza e Interfaz Ciencia y Política | | https://bit.ly/3JdvVbd | 69 | | | | | | Humanity has become one of the greatest transformative forces of the planet, generating significant (and
sometimes irreversible) changes in geophysical and
ecological balances with potentially catastrophic and
partly still unknown consequences (Foster et al., 2017;
Rockström et al., 2009; Steffen et al, 2007). Among all
these alterations, climate change possesses predominant importance due to the magnitude and scale of
its potential consequences, as well as the complexity
and the controversies that have characterized the attempts to address it (Coninck et al, 2018; IPCC, 2018).
Contemplating this scenario entails a double dilemma.
On one hand, it implies the need for urgent, coordinated and transformative actions on multiple scales and
domains that address the drivers that cause climate
change, as well as its significant and unequal effects
on different territories and populations. On the other,
it faces the insufficiency, biases and limitations shown
by traditional governance models in dealing with these
challenges. |
| Exploring the multidimensional effects of human activity and land cover on fire occurrence for territorial planning | Journal of Environmental Management | Carrasco, J.; Acuna, M.; Miranda, A.; Alfaro, G.; Pais, C.; Weintraub, A. | 2021 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113428 | https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0301479721014900 | 113428 | Vol: 297 | 03014797 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | The strong link between climate change and increased wildfire risk suggests a paradigm change on how humans must co-exist with fire and the environment. Different studies have demonstrated that human-induced fire ignitions can account for more than 90 % of forest fires, so human co-existence with wildfires requires informed decision making via preventive policies in order to minimize risk and adapt to new conditions. In this paper, we address the multidimensional effects of three groups of drivers (human activity, geographic and topographic, and land cover) that can be managed to assist in territorial planning under fire risk. We found critical factors of strong interactions with the potential to increase the likelihood of starting a fire. Our solution approach included the application of a Machine Learning method called Random Undersampling and Boosting (RUSBoost) to assess risk (fire occurrence probability), which was subsequently accompanied by a sensitivity analysis that revealed interactions of various levels of risk. The prediction performance of the proposed model was assessed using several statistical measures such as the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve (ROC) and the Area Under the Curve (AUC). The results confirmed the high accuracy of our model, with an AUC of 0.967 and an overall accuracy over test data of 93.01 % after applying a Bayesian approach for hyper-parameter optimization. The study area to test our solution approach comprised the entire geographical territory of central Chile. |
| Embedding effect and the consequences of advanced disclosure: evidence from the valuation of cultural goods | Empirical Economics | Carrasco, M.; Vasquez-Lavin, F.; Ponce Oliva, R.; Bustamante Oporto, J.; Barrientos, M.; Cerda, A. | 2021 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1007/s00181-020-01897-1 | http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s00181-020-01897-1 | 1039-1062 | Vol: 61 Issue: 2 | 0377-7332, 1435-8921 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SSCI) | | English | This study revisits the embedding effect, a long-standing problem in the nonmarket valuation literature. The embedding effect was a popular research topic during the 1990s, especially following the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska. It has resurfaced after a special issue of The Journal of Economic Perspectives in 2012 in which Jerry Hausmann asserts that among the three long-standing problems with contingent valuation, the embedding effect is the most challenging. In this study, we focus on how information disclosure regarding the nested structure of goods affects both the willingness to pay and the presence of the embedding effect. Our results suggest that the level of embedding can be reduced with a more complete description of the nested structure of the goods under valuation. Therefore, it is highly important for each valuation study to test whether sufficient information is provided on the goods’ nested structure to ensure that the relationships among the goods’ subsets are correctly understood by respondents. We show that by providing respondents with more high-quality information, it is possible to mitigate the embedding effect. |
| Estimating the implicit discount rate for new technology adoption of wood-burning stoves | Energy Policy | Carrasco-Garcés, M.; Vásquez-Lavín, F.; Ponce Oliva, R.; Diaz Pincheira, F.; Barrientos, M. | 2021 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1016/j.enpol.2021.112407 | https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0301421521002779 | 112407 | Vol: 156 | 03014215 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE; SSCI) | | English | In the last decade, there have been several initiatives to incentivize Efficient Energy Technologies (EET) to reduce air pollution caused by wood-burning in developing countries. More efficient woodstoves can improve health, reduce family expenditures, CO2 emissions, and forest degradation. Despite these benefits, there is low level of adoption of EETs. This paper contributed to the literature in three ways. First, it estimates the implicit discount rate (IDR) used by individuals to decide whether to adopt EET using exponential and hyperbolic specifications. Second, it includes sociodemographic characteristics in the definition of the IDR. Third, it evaluates how the adoption curve changes by different policy designs. Since the interest rate is part of the policy design, comparing the interest rate and the IDR is relevant to increasing adoption. Our monthly estimated IDR is between 1.7% and 5.4% with a significant overlap with market interest rate. The IDR is affected by the perception of the future economic situation, trust in environmental authorities, happiness, and gender. We found that using an interest rate lower than the IDR increases the probability of adoption significantly. An understanding of the effects of copayments, payment frequencies, and difference between interest rates and IDR is needed to maximize adoption. |
| Effect of urban tree diversity and condition on surface temperature at the city block scale | Urban Forestry & Urban Greening | Chinchilla, J.; Carbonnel, A.; Galleguillos, M. | 2021 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1016/j.ufug.2021.127069 | https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1618866721000947 | 127069 | Vol: 60 | 16188667 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE; SSCI) | | English | Urban forests affect land surface temperature (LST) within a city due to the cooling effect of transpiration. The latter depends on tree health, but it can also be affected by the structure and composition of forest, as a mono-species environment may potentially worsen the health of urban forest. The following hypotheses are therefore proposed: a) greater tree diversity within urban forest results in lower LST at the city block scale; and b) the state of biotic disturbance of urban forest is negatively correlated with LST. The present research explores the relationship between urban forest tree diversity and health based on a survey of 38,950 individuals in the district of Providencia in the city of Santiago, Chile, and compares this information against LST data from the ASTER satellite instrument at the city block scale. The health of the urban forest was determined by expert knowledge means of a field survey that collected data concerning growth stage, phytosanitary state, and state of biotic disturbance. The first hypothesis could not be tested by the lack of urban tree diversity which showed strong domination of three species with more than 52 % of abundance (Robinia pseudoacacia, Platanus orientalis and Acer negundo). The second hypothesis was proved since the results revealed a positive and significant correlation between urban forest diversity and LST, with a Spearman's correlation coefficient of between 0.56 and 0.7. A positive and significant correlation of 0.55 was found between mean biotic disturbance (BDSm) and median LST (Med), indicating a direct relationship between higher LST and poorer urban forest health. A possible explanation is that, among the trees surveyed within the urban forest, the effect of biotic disturbance is greater than that of species diversity. As such, it may be concluded that planting of trees on city streets as a means of temperature moderation is made less effective if specimens are maintained in a poor general condition of health. |
| Using Sentinel-2 and canopy height models to derive a landscape-level biomass map covering multiple vegetation types | International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation | Fassnacht, F.; Poblete-Olivares, J.; Rivero, L.; Lopatin, J.; Ceballos-Comisso, A.; Galleguillos, M. | 2021 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1016/j.jag.2020.102236 | https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0303243420308795 | 102236 | Vol: 94 | 03032434 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access; Green Open Access | English | Vegetation biomass is a globally important climate-relevant terrestrial carbon pool and also drives local hydrological systems via evapotranspiration. Vegetation biomass of individual vegetation types has been successfully estimated from active and passive remote sensing data. However, for many tasks, landscape-level biomass maps across several vegetation types are more suitable than biomass maps of individual vegetation types. For example, the validation of ecohydrological models and carbon budgeting typically requires spatially continuous biomass estimates, independent from vegetation type. Studies that derive biomass estimates across multiple vegetation or land-cover types to merge them into a single landscape-level biomass map are still scarce, and corresponding workflows must be developed. Here, we present a workflow to derive biomass estimates on landscape-level for a large watershed in central Chile. Our workflow has three steps: First, we combine field plot based biomass estimates with spectral and structural information collected from Sentinel-2, TanDEM-X and airborne LiDAR data to map grassland, shrubland, native forests and pine plantation biomass using random forest regressions with an automatic feature selection. Second, we predict all models to the entire landscape. Third, we derive a land-cover map including the four considered vegetation types. We then use this land-cover map to assign the correct vegetation type-specific biomass estimate to each pixel according to one of the four considered vegetation types. Using a single repeatable workflow, we obtained biomass predictions comparable to earlier studies focusing on only one of the four vegetation types (Spearman correlation between 0.80 and 0.84; normalized-RMSE below 16 % for all vegetation types). For all woody vegetation types, height metrics were amongst the selected predictors, while for grasslands, only Sentinel-2 bands were selected. The land-cover was also mapped with high accuracy (OA = 83.1 %). The final landscape-level biomass map spatially agrees well with the known biomass distribution patterns in the watershed. Progressing from vegetation-type specific maps towards landscape-level biomass maps is an essential step towards integrating remote-sensing based biomass estimates into models for water and carbon management. |
| Sensitivity of Water Price Elasticity Estimates to Different Data Aggregation Levels | Water Resources Management | Flores Arévalo, Y.; Ponce Oliva, R.; Fernández, F.; Vásquez-Lavin, F. | 2021 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1007/s11269-021-02833-3 | https://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11269-021-02833-3 | 2039-2052 | Vol: 35 Issue: 6 | 0920-4741, 1573-1650 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | The empirical literature on residential water demand employs various data aggregation methods, which depend on whether the aggregation is over consumption, sociodemographic variables, or both. In this study, we distinguish three dataset types—aggregated data, disaggregated data, and semi-aggregated data—to compare the consequences of using a large sample of semi-aggregated data vis-à-vis a small sample of fully disaggregated data on the water price elasticity estimates. We also analyze whether different aggregation levels in the sociodemographic variables affect the water price elasticity estimates when the number of observations is fixed. We employ a discrete-continuous choice model that considers that consumers face an increasing block price structure. Our results demonstrate that the water price elasticities depend upon the level of aggregation of the data used and the sample size. We also find that the water price elasticities are statistically different when comparing a large semi-aggregated sample with a small disaggregated sample. |
| He Antropoceno i a Tire: he mata ꞌite he haka pūai | | Gallardo, L.; Rudnick, A.; Barraza, J.; Fleming, Z.; Rojas, M.; Gayó, E.; Aguirre, C.; Farías, L.; Boisier, J.; Garreaud, R.; Barría, P.; Miranda, A.; Lara, A.; Gómez, S.; Arriagada, R. | 2021 | Agua y Extremos; Cambio de Uso de Suelo; Ciudades Resilientes; Gobernanza e Interfaz Ciencia y Política; Zonas Costeras | | https://bit.ly/3sAJOdv | | | | | | | Centro de Ciencia del Clima y la Resiliencia mew (CR)2, ta
iñ kvzawkan mew zujiyiñ fey ta nvxamkagelu Anxopozeno
zugu mew ta iñ inarumeael ka ta iñ gvnezuamael. Femgeci
ta cijkatuyiñ cumgeci cambio climático vñfitumapukey
kiñeke mapu mew Cile mew fanten mew, ta iñ kejuael
zugu mew cew ta cijkatugekey ka gvnezuamgekey weke
rvpv ta iñ kvme wimturpuael zugu mew mvlelu fanten
mew. Wvnelu ta inarumeyiñ ta pu registro geohistórico
pegeltulu cumgeci ta wizvmapukunurpukefuy kuyfi
mew ta cegen mapu mew Cile pigelu faciantv; fey mew
kvmeafuy wiñokintuliyiñ feyti mew kuyfi mew rupalu
ka kejuafulu sistemas socio-ecológicos zugu mew ta
kvpaialu. |
| Anxopozeno Cile mew: Ta iñ inazuamfiel ka cumgeci amulerpuael | | Gallardo, L.; Rudnick, A.; Barraza, J.; Fleming, Z.; Rojas, M.; Gayó, E.; Aguirre, C.; Farías, L.; Boisier, J.; Garreaud, R.; Barría, P.; Miranda, A.; Lara, A.; Gómez, S.; Arriagada, R. | 2021 | Agua y Extremos; Cambio de Uso de Suelo; Ciudades Resilientes; Gobernanza e Interfaz Ciencia y Política; Zonas Costeras | | https://bit.ly/3FyHHL0 | | | | | | | Centro de Ciencia del Clima y la Resiliencia mew (CR)2, ta
iñ kvzawkan mew zujiyiñ fey ta nvxamkagelu Anxopozeno
zugu mew ta iñ inarumeael ka ta iñ gvnezuamael. Femgeci
ta cijkatuyiñ cumgeci cambio climático vñfitumapukey
kiñeke mapu mew Cile mew fanten mew, ta iñ kejuael
zugu mew cew ta cijkatugekey ka gvnezuamgekey weke
rvpv ta iñ kvme wimturpuael zugu mew mvlelu fanten
mew. Wvnelu ta inarumeyiñ ta pu registro geohistórico
pegeltulu cumgeci ta wizvmapukunurpukefuy kuyfi
mew ta cegen mapu mew Cile pigelu faciantv; fey mew
kvmeafuy wiñokintuliyiñ feyti mew kuyfi mew rupalu
ka kejuafulu sistemas socio-ecológicos zugu mew ta
kvpaialu. |
| Disentangling the effect of future land use strategies and climate change on streamflow in a mediterranean catchment dominated by tree plantations | Journal of Hydrology | Galleguillos, M.; Gimeno, F.; Puelma, C.; Zambrano-Bigiarini, M.; Lara, A.; Rojas, M. | 2021 | Agua y Extremos; Cambio de Uso de Suelo; Gobernanza e Interfaz Ciencia y Política | 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2021.126047 | https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0022169421000949 | 126047 | Vol: 595 | 0022-1694 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | Climate change (CC) along with Land Use and Land Cover Change (LULCC) have a strong influence in water availability in already fragile Mediterranean ecosystems. In this work the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was implemented for the 2006–2018 period in a rainfed catchment of central Chile (36°) to test the hypothesis that adaptive plantation strategies could mitigate the impacts of climate change and increase streamflow. We also hypothesize that afforestation with exotic tree plantations will reduce water availability in Mediterranean catchments, acting in synergy with climate change. Five LULCC scenarios are analyzed: i) current long-term national Forest Policy (FP), ii) extreme scenario (EX) with large afforestation surfaces, both including the replacement of native shrublands with Pinus radiata; iii) adaptive plantation management scenario (FM), with lower planting density, iv) forced land displacement scenario (FLD), where plantations at the headwaters are moved to lowland areas and replaced with native shrublands, and v) pristine scenario (PR), with only native vegetation. Each LULCC scenario was run with present climate and with projections of different CMIP5 climate models under the RCP 8.5 scenario for the period 2037–2050, and then compared against simulations based on the present land cover and climate. Simulations with the five LULCC scenarios (FP, EX, FM, FLD and PR) with present climate resulted in variations of −2.5, −17.3, 0, 2.3 and 10.9% on mean annual streamflow (Q), while simulations with the current land cover and CC projections produced a 32.1% decrease in mean annual Q. The joint impact of CC and LULCC leads to changes in mean annual Q ranging from −46.2% (EX) to –23.3% (PR). Afforestation with exotic pines will intensify the reduction in water yield, while conservative scenarios focused on native forests protection and restoration could partially mitigate the effect of CC. We make a strong call to rethink current and future land management strategies to cope with lower water availability in a drier future. © 2021 Elsevier B.V. |
| Summary for policymakers. The air we breathe: past, present and future - PM2.5 air pollution in Central and Southern Chile . | | Gayo, E.; Osses, M.; Urquiza, A.; Arriagada, R.; Huneeus, N.; Valdés, M.; Barraza, J.; Rudnick, A. | 2021 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo; Ciudades Resilientes | | https://bit.ly/32xerpf | | | | | | | Air quality is a complex problem involving not only physical-chemical
factors, but also sociocultural, economic, and institutional variables.
The report “The air we breathe: past, present and future – PM2.5 air
pollution in Central and Southern Chile” focuses on the impacts and the role
played by the residential sector and its PM2.5 emissions, taking the above
factors and variables into account. This interdisciplinary research
integrates information from multiple databases, numerical simulations,
and interviews and workshops with diff erent stakeholders in order to
characterize not only current air quality but also the evolution of air
pollution since pre-Colombian times, and the factors influencing its future
evolution. |
| Resumen para tomadores de decisiones. El aire que respiramos: pasado, presente y futuro - Contaminación atmosférica por MP2,5 en el centro y sur de Chile. | | Gayo, E.; Osses, M.; Urquiza, A.; Arriagada, R.; Huneeus, N.; Valdés, M.; Barraza, J.; Rudnick, A. | 2021 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo; Ciudades Resilientes | | https://bit.ly/3z0dxO4 | | | | Not indexed | | | La calidad del aire es un problema complejo que no responde solo a factores
físico-químicos, sino que también a variables socioculturales, económicas e
institucionales. El informe “El aire que respiramos: pasado, presente y futuro
– Contaminación atmosférica por MP2,5 en el centro y sur de Chile” se centra en
los impactos y el rol que juega el sector residencial y sus emisiones de MP2,5
considerando estos diferentes factores. Esta investigación interdisciplinaria
integra múltiples bases de datos, simulaciones numéricas, resultados
de entrevistas y talleres con diversos actores para caracterizar no solo la
calidad del aire actual, sino que también la evolución de la contaminación
atmosférica desde épocas precolombinas y los factores que influyen en su
evolución futura. |
| Simulación hidrológica del caudal del estero Batuco en la microcuenca agroforestal Batuco (Ránquil, Región del Ñuble, Chile) bajo condiciones climáticas presentes y futuras | Ciencia & Investigación Forestal | Hormazábal, V.; Vargas Rojas, V.; Abarca, R.; Little Cárdenas, C.; Rivera, D.; Carrasco, N.; Villalobos Volpi, E. | 2021 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.52904/0718-4646.2021.546 | https://revista.infor.cl/index.php/infor/article/view/546 | 3-22 | Vol: 27 Issue: 2 | 0718-4646, 0718-4530 | Latindex | | | Se estima el comportamiento del caudal del estero Batuco, principal afluente de la microcuenca agroforestal Batuco en la Comuna de Ránquil, entre enero de 1975 y diciembre de 2064, en el escenario del cambio climático RCP8.5. Para tal efecto se simuló hidrológicamente la microcuenca Batuco, usando el modelo y software en versión gratuita WEAP. La información de entrada del modelo para estimar el caudal simulado provino de distintas bases de datos, tanto in situ como de reanálisis cercano a la zona de estudio, así como de datos aproximados del consumo (habitantes y cultivos). Se crearon series temporales para la precipitación y temperatura con los datos in situ, para posteriormente usarse como base para aplicar una corrección de sesgo a los datos de reanálisis Arclim.
Los resultados son una primera aproximación que podrá ser mejorada cuando se pueda calibrar in situ con datos de caudal observado, los cuales actualmente no existen para la zona de estudio. No obstante, evidencian tendencias claras a la reducción sostenida de los caudales.
Se determinó que el caudal simulado del estero Batuco marca una pendiente negativa en el periodo de estudio (1975-2064) de ≈−6,3 L/s por década, que se manifiesta también para todas las temporadas del año. Las anomalías estandarizadas de los promedios por cada 10 años, muestran en el periodo de 1980 un valor ≈ 1,2 desviaciones estándar con respecto a la media de la serie, mientras que en el periodo del 2060 se alcanza un valor ≈ -1,5. Las anomalías estandarizadas de las pendientes por cada 10 años sugieren un comportamiento cíclico, donde su amplitud disminuye con el tiempo para toda la serie y las diferentes temporadas del año. |
| Diversifying Chile’s climate action away from industrial plantations | Environmental Science & Policy | Hoyos-Santillan, J.; Miranda, A.; Lara, A.; Sepulveda-Jauregui, A.; Zamorano-Elgueta, C.; Gómez-González, S.; Vásquez-Lavín, F.; Garreaud, R.; Rojas, M. | 2021 | Agua y Extremos; Cambio de Uso de Suelo; Gobernanza e Interfaz Ciencia y Política | 10.1016/j.envsci.2021.06.013 | https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1462901121001738 | 85-89 | Vol: 124 | 14629011 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | As president of the Climate Change Conference of the Parties, Chile has advocated for developing ambitious
commitments to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions to achieve carbon-neutrality by 2050. However, Chile’s
motivations and ambitious push to reach carbon-neutrality are complicated by a backdrop of severe drought,
climate change impacts (i.e., wildfires, tree mortality), and the use of industrial plantations as a mitigation
strategy. This has become more evident as widespread and severe wildfires have impacted large areas of industrial plantations, transforming the land-use, land-use change, and forestry sector from a carbon sink to a net
carbon source. Consequently, Chile must diversify its climate actions to achieve carbon-neutrality. Nature-based
solutions, including wetlands-peatlands and oceans, represent alternative climate actions that can be implemented to tackle greenhouse gas emissions at a national level. Diversification, however, must guarantee Chile’s
long-term carbon sequestration capacity without compromising the ecological functionality of biodiverse treeless habitats and native forest ecosystems. |
| Streamflow response to native forest restoration in former Eucalyptus plantations in south central Chile | Hydrological Processes | Lara, A.; Jones, J.; Little, C.; Vergara, N. | 2021 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1002/hyp.14270 | https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hyp.14270 | art: e14270 | Vol: 35 Issue: 8 | 0885-6087, 1099-1085 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Hybrid Gold Open Access | English | Global increases in intensive forestry have raised concerns about forest plantation effects on water, but few studies have tested the effects of plantation forest removal and native forest restoration on catchment hydrology. We describe results of a 14-year paired watershed experiment on ecological restoration in south central Chile which documents streamflow response to the early stages of native forest restoration, after clearcutting of plantations of exotic fast-growing Eucalyptus, planting of native trees, and fostering natural regeneration of native temperate rainforest species. Precipitation, streamflow, and vegetation were measured starting in 2006 in four small (3 to 5 ha) catchments with Eucalyptus globulus plantations and native riparian buffers in the Valdivian Coastal Reserve. Mean annual precipitation is 2500 mm, of which 11% occurs in summer. Streamflow increased, and increases persisted, throughout the first 9 years of vigorous native forest regeneration (2011 to 2019). Annual streamflow increased by 40% to >100% in most years and >150% in fall and summer of some years. Streamflow was 50% to 100% lower than before treatment in two dry summers. Base flow increased by 28% to 87% during the restoration period compared to pre-treatment, and remained elevated in later years despite low summer precipitation. Overall, these findings indicate that removal of Eucalyptus plantations immediately increased streamflow, and native forest restoration gradually restored deep soil moisture reservoirs that sustain base flow during dry periods, increasing water ecosystem services. To our knowledge this is the first study to assess catchment streamflow response to native forest restoration in former forest plantations. Therefore, the results of this study are relevant to global efforts to restore native forest ecosystems on land currently intensively managed with fast-growing forest plantations and may inform policy and decision-making in areas experiencing a drying trend associated with climate change. |
| Valor económico de la conservación de la biodiversidad: el caso del Parque Nacional Yanachaga-Chemillén | Economía Agraria y Recursos Naturales | Lavado-Solis, K.; Orihuela, C.; Vásquez-Lavín, F.; Dávila, J. | 2021 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.7201/earn.2021.02.05 | https://polipapers.upv.es/index.php/EARN/article/view/earn.2021.02.05 | 101-120 | Vol: 21 Issue: 2 | 2174-7350, 1578-0732 | Thomson Reuters ISI (ESCI) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access | English | The present study determined the willingness to pay for the conservation of the biodiversity (WTP) of the Yanachaga-Chemillén National Park (YChNP), applying the contingent valuation method, in hypothetical scenarios of conserving 6, 9 or 12 species that guaranteed protection of 50 % of the functionality of the ecosystems of this place. It was found that the WTP was determined by the functional characteristics that key species play in the resilience of the PNYCh ecosystems. For this reason, similar studies should evaluate the option of preferring the use of functionality instead of indicators based, for example, on the number of species. |
| Temperature differently affected methanogenic pathways and microbial communities in sub-Antarctic freshwater ecosystems | Environment International | Lavergne, C.; Aguilar-Muñoz, P.; Calle, N.; Thalasso, F.; Astorga-España, M.; Sepulveda-Jauregui, A.; Martinez-Cruz, K.; Gandois, L.; Mansilla, A.; Chamy, R.; Barret, M.; Cabrol, L. | 2021 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106575 | https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0160412021002002 | 106575 | Vol: 154 | 01604120 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access | English | Freshwater ecosystems are responsible for an important part of the methane (CH4) emissions which are likely to change with global warming. This study aims to evaluate temperature-induced (from 5 to 20 °C) changes on microbial community structure and methanogenic pathways in five sub-Antarctic lake sediments from Magallanes strait to Cape Horn, Chile. We combined in situ CH4 flux measurements, CH4 production rates (MPRs), gene abundance quantification and microbial community structure analysis (metabarcoding of the 16S rRNA gene). Under unamended conditions, a temperature increase of 5 °C doubled MPR while microbial community structure was not affected. Stimulation of methanogenesis by methanogenic precursors as acetate and H2/CO2, resulted in an increase of MPRs up to 127-fold and 19-fold, respectively, as well as an enrichment of mcrA-carriers strikingly stronger under acetate amendment. At low temperatures, H2/CO2-derived MPRs were considerably lower (down to 160-fold lower) than the acetate-derived MPRs, but the contribution of hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis increased with temperature. Temperature dependence of MPRs was significantly higher in incubations spiked with H2/CO2 (c. 1.9 eV) compared to incubations spiked with acetate or unamended (c. 0.8 eV). Temperature was not found to shape the total microbial community structure, that rather exhibited a site-specific variability among the studied lakes. However, the methanogenic archaeal community structure was driven by amended methanogenic precursors with a dominance of Methanobacterium in H2/CO2-based incubations and Methanosarcina in acetate-based incubations. We also suggested the importance of acetogenic H2-production outcompeting hydrogenotrohic methanogenesis especially at low temperatures, further supported by homoacetogen proportion in the microcosm communities. The combination of in situ-, and laboratory-based measurements and molecular approaches indicates that the hydrogenotrophic pathway may become more important with increasing temperatures than the acetoclastic pathway. In a continuously warming environment driven by climate change, such issues are crucial and may receive more attention. |
| Climate and Land Cover Trends Affecting Freshwater Inputs to a Fjord in Northwestern Patagonia | Frontiers in Marine Science | León-Muñoz, J.; Aguayo, R.; Marcé, R.; Catalán, N.; Woelfl, S.; Nimptsch, J.; Arismendi, I.; Contreras, C.; Soto, D.; Miranda, A. | 2021 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.3389/fmars.2021.628454 | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.628454/full | 628454 | Vol: 8 | 2296-7745 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access | English | Freshwater inputs strongly influence oceanographic conditions in coastal systems of northwestern Patagonia (41–45°S). Nevertheless, the influence of freshwater on these systems has weakened in recent decades due to a marked decrease in precipitation. Here we evaluate potential influences of climate and land cover trends on the Puelo River (640 m
3
s
–1
), the main source of freshwater input of the Reloncaví Fjord (41.5°S). Water quality was analyzed along the Puelo River basin (six sampling points) and at the discharge site in the Reloncaví Fjord (1, 8, and 25 m depth), through six field campaigns carried out under contrasting streamflow scenarios. We also used several indicators of hydrological alteration, and cross-wavelet transform and coherence analyses to evaluate the association between the Puelo River streamflow and precipitation (1950–2019). Lastly, using the WEAP hydrological model, land cover maps (2001–2016) and burned area reconstructions (1985–2019), we simulated future land cover impacts (2030) on the hydrological processes of the Puelo River. Total Nitrogen and total phosphorus, dissolved carbon, and dissolved iron concentrations measured in the river were 3–15 times lower than those in the fjord. Multivariate analyses showed that streamflow drives the carbon composition in the river. High streamflow conditions contribute with humic and colored materials, while low streamflow conditions corresponded to higher arrival of protein-like materials from the basin. The Puelo River streamflow showed significant trends in magnitude (lower streamflow in summer and autumn), duration (minimum annual streamflow), timing (more floods in spring), and frequency (fewer prolonged floods). The land cover change (LCC) analysis indicated that more than 90% of the basin area maintained its land cover, and that the main changes were attributed to recent large wildfires. Considering these land cover trends, the hydrological simulations project a slight increase in the Puelo River streamflow mainly due to a decrease in evapotranspiration. According to previous simulations, these projections present a direction opposite to the trends forced by climate change. The combined effect of reduction in freshwater input to fiords and potential decline in water quality highlights the need for more robust data and robust analysis of the influence of climate and LCC on this river-fjord complex of northwestern Patagonia. |
| Integridad y multifuncionalidad: un modelo conceptual para hacer efectiva la restauración de los bosques nativos a gran escala | Ciencia & Investigación Forestal | Little, C.; Schlegel, B.; Vergara, G.; González, M. | 2021 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.52904/0718-4646.2021.545 | https://revista.infor.cl/index.php/infor/article/view/545 | 75-81 | Vol: 27 Issue: 3 | 0718-4646, 0718-4530 | Latindex | | | Se propone un modelo conceptual con un nuevo enfoque para las iniciativas que apoyen procesos de restauración de los bosques nativos. A partir del establecimiento de un ensayo de restauración a escala operativa, el modelo propone integrar variables de estado de los bosques con sus funciones ecológicas, esto con el objetivo de determinar niveles de integridad que apoyen la definición de los objetivos de la restauración y los indicadores de multifuncionalidad. Asociado al modelo, distinguimos una serie de barreras y oportunidades en los ámbitos ambientales, socio-económicos y de aprendizaje, presentando para cada uno de ellos un conjunto de recomendaciones que puedan aportar a la materialización de nuevas iniciativas de restauración de bosques nativos a gran escala en Chile. Concluimos sobre la importancia de estos nuevos enfoques y la necesidad de incluirlos como acompañamiento a la política pública y las decisiones del sector privado |
| How Much Can We See from a UAV-Mounted Regular Camera? Remote Sensing-Based Estimation of Forest Attributes in South American Native Forests | Remote Sensing | Miranda, A.; Catalán, G.; Altamirano, A.; Zamorano-Elgueta, C.; Cavieres, M.; Guerra, J.; Mola-Yudego, B. | 2021 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.3390/rs13112151 | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/13/11/2151 | 2151 | Vol: 13 Issue: 11 | 2072-4292 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access | English | Data collection from large areas of native forests poses a challenge. The present study aims at assessing the use of UAV for forest inventory on native forests in Southern Chile, and seeks to retrieve both stand and tree level attributes from forest canopy data. Data were collected from 14 plots (45 × 45 m) established at four locations representing unmanaged Chilean temperate forests: seven plots on secondary forests and seven plots on old-growth forests, including a total of 17 different native species. The imagery was captured using a fixed-wing airframe equipped with a regular RGB camera. We used the structure from motion and digital aerial photogrammetry techniques for data processing and combined machine learning methods based on boosted regression trees and mixed models. In total, 2136 trees were measured on the ground, from which 858 trees were visualized from the UAV imagery of the canopy, ranging from 26% to 88% of the measured trees in the field (mean = 45.7%, SD = 17.3), which represented between 70.6% and 96% of the total basal area of the plots (mean = 80.28%, SD = 7.7). Individual-tree diameter models based on remote sensing data were constructed with R2 = 0.85 and R2 = 0.66 based on BRT and mixed models, respectively. We found a strong relationship between canopy and ground data; however, we suggest that the best alternative was combining the use of both field-based and remotely sensed methods to achieve high accuracy estimations, particularly in complex structure forests (e.g., old-growth forests). Field inventories and UAV surveys provide accurate information at local scales and allow validation of large-scale applications of satellite imagery. Finally, in the future, increasing the accuracy of aerial surveys and monitoring is necessary to advance the development of local and regional allometric crown and DBH equations at the species level. |
| Effective targeting and additionality. Evaluating the D.L. 701 reforms for afforesting erodible land in Southern Chile | Land Economics | Niklitschek, M.; Labbé, R.; Alzamora, R.; Vásquez, F. | 2021 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.3368/le.97.4.011520-0003R2 | http://le.uwpress.org/lookup/doi/10.3368/le.97.4.011520-0003R2 | 745-767 | Vol: 97 Issue: 4 | 0023-7639, 1543-8325 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SSCI) | | English | We analyze the targeting and additionality of the Chilean afforestation program reforms implemented in the mid-1990s. Propensity score matching (PSM) estimates are obtained by potential erosion categories using random area sample data. The additional afforestation percentage is estimated to be larger for none or low and very severe categories of potential erosion parcels. Even though the program helped maintain forest cover to highly erodible land, afforested parcels with high opportunity cost and possible negative amenity benefits are also attributed to the program. To improve the cost-effectiveness and to avoid misallocation of land and water resources, more effective targeting is required. |
| Deep fire topology: Understanding the role of landscape spatial patterns in wildfire occurrence using artificial intelligence | Environmental Modelling & Software | Pais, C.; Miranda, A.; Carrasco, J.; Shen, Z. | 2021 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1016/j.envsoft.2021.105122 | https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1364815221001651 | 105122 | Vol: 143 | 13648152 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | Increasing wildfire activity globally has become an urgent issue with enormous ecological and social impacts. In this work, we focus on analyzing and quantifying the influence of landscape topology, understood as the spatial structure and interaction of multiple land-covers in an area, on fire ignition. We propose a deep learning framework, Deep Fire Topology, to estimate and predict wildfire ignition risk. We focus on understanding the impact of these topological attributes and the rationale behind the results to provide interpretable knowledge for territorial planning considering wildfire ignition uncertainty. We demonstrate the high performance and interpretability of the framework in a case study, accurately detecting risky areas by exploiting spatial patterns. This work reveals the strong potential of landscape topology in wildfire occurrence prediction and its implications to develop robust landscape management plans. We discuss potential extensions and applications of the proposed method, available as an open-source software. |
| Biotic and abiotic drivers of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus stocks in a temperate rainforest | Forest Ecology and Management | Perez-Quezada, J.; Pérez, C.; Brito, C.; Fuentes, J.; Gaxiola, A.; Aguilera-Riquelme, D.; Lopatin, J. | 2021 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1016/j.foreco.2021.119341 | https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0378112721004291 | 119341 | Vol: 494 | 03781127 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | Forest ecosystems are recognized for their large capacity to store carbon (C) in their aboveground and belowground biomass and soil pools. While the distribution of C among ecosystem pools has been extensively studied, less is known about nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) pools and how these stocks relate to each other. There is also a need to understand how biotic and abiotic ecosystem properties drive the magnitude and distribution of C-N-P stocks. We studied a temperate rainforest in southern South America to answer the following questions: 1) how are C-N-P total stocks distributed among the different ecosystem pools?, 2) how do C:N, C:P and N:P ratios vary among ecosystem pools?, and 3) which are the main biotic and abiotic drivers of C-N-P stocks? We established 33 circular plots to estimate C, N, and P stocks in different pools (i.e. trees, epiphytes, understory, necromass, leaf litter, and soil) and a set of biotic (e.g., tree density and richness) and abiotic variables (e.g., air temperature, humidity and soil depth). We used structural equation modeling to identify the relative importance of environmental drivers on C-N-P stocks. We found that total ecosystem stocks (mean ± SE) were 1062 ± 58 Mg C ha−1, 28.8 ± 1.5 Mg N ha−1, and 347 ± 12.5 kg P ha−1. The soil was the largest ecosystem pool, containing 68%, 92%, and 73% of the total C, N, and P stocks, respectively. Compared to representative temperate forests, the soil of this forest contains the largest concentrations and stocks of C and N. The low P stock and wide soil C:P and N:P ratios suggest that P may be limiting forest productivity. The ecosystem C-N-P stocks were mainly driven by abiotic properties measured in the study area, however for N stocks, variables such as plant diversity and canopy openness were also relevant. Our results provide evidence about the importance not only of understanding the differences in C, N, and P stocks but also of the factors that drive such differences. This is key to inform conservation policies related to preserving old-growth forests in southern South America, which indeed are facing a rapid land-use change process. |
| Nexus Thinking at River Basin Scale: Food, Water and Welfare | Water | Ponce Oliva, R.; Fernández, F.; Vasquez-Lavín, F.; Arias Montevechio, E.; Julio, N.; Stehr, A. | 2021 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.3390/w13071000 | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/13/7/1000 | 1000 | Vol: 13 Issue: 7 | 2073-4441 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access | English | Water resources face an unparalleled confluence of pressures, with agriculture and urban growth as the most relevant human-related stressors. In this context, methodologies using a Nexus framework seem to be suitable to address these challenges. However, the urban sector has been commonly ignored in the Nexus literature. We propose a Nexus framework approach, considering the economic dimensions of the interdependencies and interconnections among agriculture (food production) and the urban sector as water users within a common basin. Then, we assess the responses of both sectors to climatic and demographic stressors. In this setting, the urban sector is represented through an economic water demand at the household level, from which economic welfare is derived. Our results show that the Nexus components here considered (food, water, and welfare) will be negatively affected under the simulated scenarios. However, when these components are decomposed to their particular elements, we found that the less water-intensive sector—the urban sector—will be better off since food production will leave significant amounts of water available. Moreover, when addressing uncertainty related to climate-induced shocks, we could identify the basin resilience threshold. Our approach shows the compatibilities and divergences between food production and the urban sector under the Nexus framework. |
| Water Use and Climate Stressors in a Multiuser River Basin Setting: Who Benefits from Adaptation? | Water Resources Management | Ponce Oliva, R.; Montevechio, E.; Jorquera, F.; Vásquez-Lavin, F.; Stehr, A. | 2021 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1007/s11269-020-02753-8 | http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11269-020-02753-8 | 897-915 | Vol: 35 Issue: 3 | 0920-4741, 1573-1650 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | Adapting to new climate conditions will require an intricate mix of knowledge, planning, coordination, and foresight. There is increasing sectoral evidence on the implementation of successful adaptation actions. However, the success of these actions when we consider the interdependencies among sectors remains debatable. This paper aims to assess who benefits from implementing adaptation options in a multiuser river basin to both climate-induced and demographic stress on water use. Our analysis relies on a hydro-economic model that considers two sets of water users: agriculture and urban households. We innovate in our modelling approach by analyzing and explicitly integrating the household-level economic behavior through its water demand. We assess the cross-user consequences of autonomous and planned adaptation actions. We provide insights into the different trade-offs at the basin level, demonstrating the compatibilities and divergences between agriculture and household-level water demand. We found different consequences of implementing either autonomous or planned adaptation measures. For instance, a decentralized scheme would drive negative implications for the entire basin, although the less water-intensive sector will be better off. On the other hand, different policy interventions would drive positive consequences for the entire basin, with the most water-intensive sector benefiting the most. These results highlight the distributional consequences across users of different adaptation measures. |
| Reconciling livestock production and wild herbivore conservation: challenges and opportunities | Trends in Ecology and Evolution | Pozo, R.; Cusack, J.; Acebes, P.; Malo, J.; Traba, J.; Iranzo, E.; Morris-Trainor, Z.; Minderman, J.; Bunnefeld, N.; Radic-Schilling, S.; Moraga, C.; Arriagada, R.; Corti, P. | 2021 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1016/j.tree.2021.05.002 | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2021.05.002 | 750-761 | Vol: 36 Issue: 8 | 0169-5347 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Hybrid Gold Open Access | English | Increasing food security and preventing further loss of biodiversity are two of humanity's most pressing challenges. Yet, efforts to address these challenges often lead to situations of conflict between the interests of agricultural production and those of biodiversity conservation. Here, we focus on conflicts between livestock production and the conservation of wild herbivores, which have received little attention in the scientific literature. We identify four key socio-ecological challenges underlying such conflicts, which we illustrate using a range of case studies. We argue that addressing these challenges will require the implementation of co-management approaches that promote the participation of relevant stakeholders in processes of ecological monitoring, impact assessment, decision-making, and active knowledge sharing. © 2021 The Authors |
| A multispecies assessment of wildlife impacts on local community livelihoods | Conservation Biology | Pozo, R.; LeFlore, E.; Duthie, A.; Bunnefeld, N.; Jones, I.; Minderman, J.; Rakotonarivo, O.; Cusack, J. | 2021 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1111/cobi.13565 | https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cobi.13565 | 297-306 | Vol: 35 Issue: 1 | 0888-8892, 1523-1739 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Green Open Access; Hybrid Gold Open Access | English | Conflicts between the interests of agriculture and wildlife conservation are a major threat to biodiversity and human well-being globally. Addressing such conflicts requires a thorough understanding of the impacts associated with living alongside protected wildlife. Despite this, most studies reporting on human–wildlife impacts and the strategies used to mitigate them focus on a single species, thus oversimplifying often complex systems of human–wildlife interactions. We sought to characterize the spatiotemporal patterns of impacts by multiple co-occurring species on agricultural livelihoods in the eastern Okavango Delta Panhandle in northern Botswana through the use of a database of 3264 wildlife-incident reports recorded from 2009 to 2015 by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks. Eight species (African elephants [Loxodonta africana], hippopotamuses [Hippopotamus amphibious], lions [Panthera leo], cheetah [Acinonyx jubatus], African wild dogs [Lycaon pictus], hyenas [Crocuta crocuta], leopards [Panthera pardus], and crocodiles [Crocodylus niloticus]) appeared on incident reports, of which 56.5% were attributed to elephants. Most species were associated with only 1 type of damage (i.e., either crop damage or livestock loss). Carnivores were primarily implicated in incident reports related to livestock loss, particularly toward the end of the dry season (May–October). In contrast, herbivores were associated with crop-loss incidents during the wet season (November–April). Our results illustrate how local communities can face distinct livelihood challenges from different species at different times of the year. Such a multispecies assessment has important implications for the design of conservation interventions aimed at addressing the costs of living with wildlife and thereby mitigation of the underlying conservation conflict. Our spatiotemporal, multispecies approach is widely applicable to other regions where sustainable and long-term solutions to conservation conflicts are needed for local communities and biodiversity. |
| Tree-Holes as Alternative Reproductive Sites of Batrachyla antartandica Barrio, 1967 (Anura: Batrachylidae) | South American Journal of Herpetology | Rabanal, F.; Úbeda, C.; Tejo, C.; Lavilla, E. | 2021 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.2994/SAJH-D-18-00064.1 | https://bioone.org/journals/south-american-journal-of-herpetology/volume-20/issue-1/SAJH-D-18-00064.1/Tree-Holes-as-Alternative-Reproductive-Sites-of-Batrachyla-antartandica-Barrio/10.2994/SAJH-D-18-00064.1.full | 24-32 | Vol: 20 Issue: 1 | 1808-9798 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | Although the original description of Batrachyla antartandica categorically states that the species should not be considered as arboreal, our field observations show that it has excellent climbing abilities. Associated with this fact, B. antartandica shows an alternative mode of reproduction that involves the use of tree-trunk cavities filled with water as a site for calling, reproduction, development, and metamorphosis. As far as we know, B. antartandica is the only anuran species in the Valdivian temperate rainforests of Chile and Argentina with a completely arboreal life cycle. |
| Centennial-scale eruptive diversity at Volcán Calbuco (41.3°S; Northwest Patagonia) deduced from historic tephra cover-bed and dendrochronologic archives | Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research | Romero, J.; Alloway, B.; Gutiérrez, R.; Bertín, D.; Castruccio, A.; Villarosa, G.; Schipper, C.; Guevara, A.; Bustillos, J.; Pisello, A.; Daga, R.; Montiel, M.; Gleeman, E.; González, M.; Morgavi, D.; Ribeiro Guevara, S.; Mella, M. | 2021 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2021.107281 | https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0377027321001104 | 107281 | Vol: 417 | 0377-0273 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | Since the late-18th Century, eye-witness accounts have documented a wide-spectrum of eruptive activity sourced from Volcán Calbuco located in northwest Patagonia. Despite these observations there is very little known about the eruptive products themselves that can account for this eruptive diversity. In this study, we examine the tephrostratigraphic record post-dating the interval 1578–1702 cal. yr BP, with emphasis on historical eruptions (i.e. <130 years, including the 2015 eruption) at proximal to medial distances (<16 km from source) to characterize the composition, distribution, volume and style of these units. At least 11 discrete tephra units are recognized which are in accord with documented eruptive activity between ~1760 CE and 2015. Juvenile pyroclasts from these units span a narrow compositional range from basaltic-andesite to andesite (55–60 wt% SiO2), and contain plagioclase (71–73%), pyroxene (~21%), cristobalite (3–5%) and scarce olivine and Ti-magnetite (1–2%). The largest documented historic eruption occurred in 1893–95, and produced a thick mantle of coarse-grained tephra fallout (0.32–0.50 km3 non-DRE) accompanied by intense ballistic bomb barrage closer to source. The 1893–95 eruption is comparable to the 1961 and 2015 eruptions both in terms of magnitude and explosivity, despite pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) not being documented in 1893–95. Both the 1929 and 1961 eruptions generated lava-flows, tephra fallout and PDCs, from which the 1961 volume totalled ~0.17 km3 non-DRE, affecting valleys northeast, up to a distance of 6 km from the crater. In contrast, the 2015 eruption only produced PDCs, tephra fallout and ballistics (0.26–0.36 km3 non-DRE). Results obtained from dendrochronological analysis of Nothofagus dombeyi trees within the study area reveals growth suppression indicated by structural damage during the 1893, 1929 and 1961 eruptions, probably related to thicker overall accumulations of tephra. Collectively, the componentry, architecture and volume of historic (AD 1893, 1961 and 2015) Calbuco tephra indicate sub-Plinian parental events derived from more mafic products with disequilibrium textures, than smaller eruptions characterized by c. 60% wt. SiO2 probably triggered by crystal fractionation, providing a centennial time scale eruptive heterogeneity. This data is meaningful in terms of better understanding eruptive diversity at basaltic-andesite centers elsewhere that have high eruption frequencies (e.g. centennial time-scales). © 2021 Elsevier B.V. |
| High competitive ability of Centaurea melitensis L. (Asteraceae) does not increase in the invaded range | Biological Invasions | Sotes, G.; Cavieres, L.; Gómez-González, S. | 2021 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1007/s10530-020-02396-1 | http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10530-020-02396-1 | 693–703 | Vol: 23 | 1387-3547, 1573-1464 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | Understanding why alien species become dominant in recipient communities requires a biogeographical perspective comparing the ecology of native and introduced populations. The genus Centaurea (Asteraceae) is well-known in invasion ecology because several aggressive invaders, including Centaurea melitensis L., belong to this genus. We compared the competitive ability of C. melitensis individuals from Spain (native range) and Chile (invaded range) when competing against Helenium aromaticum (Hook.) L.H. Bailey, a native relative from Chile. We performed germination bioassays and common garden competition experiments to compare: (1) the germination capacities of C. melitensis (Spain and Chile) and H. aromaticum (2) the potential allelopathic effect of leaf lixiviates of C. melitensis (Spain and Chile) on the seed germination of H. aromaticum, (3) the ability of C. melitensis from both origins to reduce the growth of H. aromaticum. No significant differences in the capacity of seed germination were found among C. melitensis from Chile and Spain and the native H. aromaticum. However, the seed germination of H. aromaticum was inhibited by the presence of C. melitensis leaves from Chile and Spain. Also, the biomass of H. aromaticum was reduced in the presence of C. melitensis, regardless of their origin. Our results demonstrate the competitive superiority of the invasive C. melitensis over H. aromaticum, but we found no evidence of an evolutionary increase in the competitive ability of the invader populations. Therefore, at least part of the invasive potential of C. melitensis seems to be acquired by selective processes in their original range. |
| Precipitation declines influence the understory patterns in Nothofagus pumilio old-growth forests in northwestern Patagonia | Forest Ecology and Management | Soto, D.; Donoso, P.; Zamorano-Elgueta, C.; Ríos, A.; Promis, Á. | 2021 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1016/j.foreco.2021.119169 | https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0378112721002577 | 119169 | Vol: 491 | 03781127 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | Forest understories are essential to plant diversity and ecosystem functioning. However, studies about changes in understory patterns as affected by varying precipitation are scarce. Pure Nothofagus pumilio (common name: lenga) forests dominate the eastern side of the Andes mountains in Patagonia across an ample range of precipitation (~1500–500 mm). By studying the same forest type, in the same developmental stage (old-growth), we aimed to isolate the effects of precipitation upon these N. pumilio ecosystems, particularly for the understory. Three sites were selected with annual average precipitations of ~1000 mm (humid), ~800 mm (mesic), and 600 mm (dry), with a distance of 30 km between the humid and the dry sites, and only 18 km between the mesic and the dry sites. In each site, we established three 40 × 40 m plots in 4 blocks, and 30 1 m2 regeneration subplots within each plot. In each subplot we measured vascular plant cover, richness and diversity (alpha and beta), litter cover and coarse woody debris, plus several abiotic variables. We analyzed the data with mixed analysis of variance, differences of understory plant communities through blocked distance-based multivariate analysis of variance, and visualized the groups (sites) with non-metric multidimensional scaling. Indicator species at each site were identified through blocked species indicator analysis. The dry site differed significantly compared to the humid and mesic sites, with the lowest understory cover (4 vs. 82–78%), plant richness (15 vs. 25–26 species), and Simpson diversity index (0.05 vs. 0.66–0.64). Beta turnover diversity was higher between the dry site with either the humid and the mesic sites (βt = 0.613 and 0.561, respectively), which in turn had more species in common (βt = 0.115). An increase in exposed mineral soil, soil water content, and leaf area index occurred from dry to humid sites, and vice versa for transmitted radiation and litter cover. All sites had different indicator species, but with indicator values increasing from dry to humid sites. The dramatic impoverishment of the plant community once precipitation drops within the range of 800 and 600 mm per year in Northern Patagonia sets a warning to the potential effects of climate change upon N. pumilio-dominated forest ecosystems and their plant diversity. Some forest management and potential adaptation strategies are proposed. |
| Climate response and drought resilience of Nothofagus obliqua secondary forests across a latitudinal gradient in south-central Chile | Forest Ecology and Management | Urrutia-Jalabert, R.; Barichivich, J.; Rozas, V.; Lara, A.; Rojas, Y.; Bahamondez, C.; Rojas-Badilla, M.; Gipoulou-Zuñiga, T.; Cuq, E. | 2021 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1016/j.foreco.2021.118962 | https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0378112721000517 | 118962 | Vol: 485 | 0378-1127 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | The climate response and resilience of tree growth to drought events have been widely reported for forests from the Northern Hemisphere. However, studies are much scarcer in the extra-tropical forests of southern South America. Mediterranean and Temperate forests of Chile are suffering from a moderate warming and a sustained precipitation decrease, occurring on top of an unprecedented megadrought since 2010. This study evaluated tree-growth patterns, the climate response and drought resilience of nine secondary Nothofagus obliqua forests across a latitudinal gradient from Mediterranean to Temperate climate in the Andes of Chile (35.7° to 40.3° S). Moreover, to improve the understanding of the spatial variation in productivity patterns, this research assessed trends in the maximum Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (peak in the NDVI) across the gradient for 2001–2018. Tree-growth patterns were highly influenced by stand dynamics, with steep decreasing trends in most of the stands related to a gradual canopy closure. Productivity trends had a flat pattern north of 38oS, but positive trends south of this latitude, which were mostly attributed to stand development. Tree growth was positively related to precipitation in all the sites, with annual and summer rainfall being more important in the north (Mediterranean climate) and south (Temperate climate), respectively. Conversely, maximum temperature had a negative effect on growth in most of the studied forests. This implies that projected warmer and drier conditions may have a detrimental effect on N. obliqua growth during coming decades. The two northern stands, located at the species dry range edge, were among the most resilient to drought and have not been strongly affected by the current megadrought in the area. Overall climate conditions, however, do not define the tolerance of stands to droughts, likely because local environmental and forests conditions play a key role. Although droughts have not strongly impacted the growth of N. obliqua across its distribution so far, future studies should assess the effects of the current long-term megadrought on growth resilience, and physiological studies should address the impacts of droughts and heat waves on forest function beyond what growth can unveil. © 2021 Elsevier B.V. |
| Informe de resultados Workshop "Oportunidades de investigación interdisciplinaria en el bosque esclerófilo frente al Cambio Global" | | Vargas, S.; Pohl, N.; Delpiano, C.; Miranda, A.; Ovalle, J. | 2021 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | | https://bit.ly/3pk7iBN | | | | | | | El 26 de mayo del 2021, se realizó el Workshop “Oportunidades de investigación transdisciplinaria en el bosque esclerófilo frente
al cambio global”, organizado por la iniciativa intercentros Cambios socio-ecológicos en
ecosistemas en transición por cambio global.
Este workshop tuvo como objetivo “generar
oportunidades de investigación para mejorar
la comprensión de las forzantes, impactos y
adaptación del bosque esclerófilo afectado
por el cambio global desde una perspectiva
socioecológica”. |
| Estimating discount rates for environmental goods: Are People’s responses inadequate to frequency of payments? | Journal of Environmental Economics and Management | Vásquez-Lavín, F.; Carrasco, M.; Barrientos, M.; Gelcich, S.; Ponce Oliva, R. | 2021 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1016/j.jeem.2021.102446 | https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0095069621000292 | 102446 | Vol: 107 | 00950696 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SSCI) | | English | Most stated preference studies estimate discount rates using a split-sample approach. Each sample faces a different payment frequency (for instance, 1, 5, 10) together with a randomly assigned bid vector; both the frequency of payments and the bid are fixed for a specific individual. This paper evaluates whether allowing respondents to choose their preferred payment frequency affects the estimated discount rate. We use data from a contingent valuation survey of a network of marine reserves and estimate discount rates using both an exogenous and endogenous approach. The former calculates the mean of the willingness to pay (WTP) for each sample and then finds the discount rate that makes the present value of each payment frequency equivalent. The latter estimates the WTP and the discount rate jointly. Results show that allowing people to choose the payment schedule significantly reduces the implicit discount rate. We observed the highest reductions in discount rates when we used all the information available from the valuation questions to bound the WTP distribution. Our analysis suggests that the exogenous approach would not be recommended for testing the adequacy of people's responses to the frequency of payments. |
| The role of climate variability in convergence of residential water consumption across Chilean localities | Environmental Economics and Policy Studies | Acuña, G.; Echeverría, C.; Godoy, A.; Vásquez, F. | 2020 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1007/s10018-019-00249-3 | http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10018-019-00249-3 | 89-108 | Vol: 22 Issue: 1 | 1432-847X, 1867-383X | Thomson Reuters ISI (ESCI) | | English | This paper analyses the existence of convergence in residential water consumption across geographical regions using econometric methods taken from the economic growth literature and a panel of water consumption of 348 Chilean localities from 2010 to 2015. Convergence was found, and the main causes were factors related to economic and climate variables. |
| Landscape Disturbance Gradients: The Importance of the Type of Scene When Evaluating Landscape Preferences and Perceptions | Land | Altamirano, A.; Gonzalez-Suhr, C.; Marien, C.; Catalán, G.; Miranda, A.; Prado, M.; Tits, L.; Vieli, L.; Meli, P. | 2020 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.3390/land9090306 | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/9/9/306 | 306 | Vol: 9 Issue: 9 | 2073-445X | Thomson Reuters ISI (SSCI) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access | English | Understanding of people’s landscape preferences is important for decision-making about land planning, particularly in the disturbance patterns that usually occur in rural-urban gradients. However, the use of different types of images concerning the same landscape may influence social preferences and thus perceptions of landscape management and planning decisions. We evaluated landscape preferences and perceptions in four landscapes of southern Chile. We specifically: (1) compared people’s perceptions related to living in, visiting, the scenic beauty, well-being, risks, and level of landscape disturbance; and (2) evaluated the influence of the type of scene (i.e., eye-level or aerial images) in these preferences and perceptions. Preferences and perceptions resulted to be better when using eye-level (4.0 ± 1.1) than aerial (3.7 ± 0.6) images. In general, we observed a negative association between preferences and perceptions and the landscape disturbance; however, it was consistent when using aerial images but was masked when valuing landscape through eye-level images. Implications of these results are relevant because by far, most landscape preference studies use traditional eye-level images. Different types of scenes should be considered in order to embrace the landscape preferences and perceptions of all those involved and help decision-making in landscape planning. |
| Natural forests loss and tree plantations: large-scale tree cover loss differentiation in a threatened biodiversity hotspot | Environmental Research Letters | Altamirano, A.; Miranda, A.; Aplin, P.; Carrasco, J.; Catalán, G.; Cayuela, L.; Fuentes-Castillo, T.; Hernández, A.; Martínez-Harms, M.; Peluso, F.; Prado, M.; Reyes-Riveros, R.; Van Holt, T.; Vergara, C.; Zamorano-Elgueta, C.; Di Bella, C. | 2020 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1088/1748-9326/abca64 | https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/abca64 | 124055 | Vol: 15 Issue: 12 | 1748-9326 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access | English | Distinguishing between natural forests from exotic tree plantations is essential to get an accurate
picture of the world’s state of forests. Most exotic tree plantations support lower levels of
biodiversity and have less potential for ecosystem services supply than natural forests, and
differencing them is still a challenge using standard tools. We use a novel approach in south-central
of Chile to differentiate tree cover dynamics among natural forests and exotic tree plantations.
Chile has one of the world’s most competitive forestry industry and the region is a global
biodiversity hotspot. Our collaborative visual interpretation method combined a global database of
tree cover change, remote sensing from high-resolution satellite images and expert knowledge. By
distinguishing exotic tree plantation and natural forest loss, we fit spatially explicit models to
estimate tree-cover loss across 40 millions of ha between 2000 and 2016. We were able to
distinguish natural forests from exotic tree plantations with an overall accuracy of 99% and
predicted forest loss. Total tree cover loss was continuous over time, and the disaggregation
revealed that 1 549 909 ha of tree plantations were lost (mean = 96 869 ha year−1
), while
206 142 ha corresponded to natural forest loss (mean = 12 884 ha year−1
). Mostly of tree
plantations lost returned to be plantation (51%). Natural forests were converted mainly (75%) to
transitional land covers (e.g. shrubland, bare land, grassland), and an important proportion of
these may finish as tree plantation. This replacement may undermine objectives of increased carbon storage and biodiversity. Tree planting as a solution has gained increased attention in recen
years with ambitious commitments to mitigate the effects of climate change. However, negative
outcomes for the environment could result if strategies incentivize the replacement of natural
forests into other land covers. Initiatives to reduce carbon emissions should encourage
differentiating natural forests from exotic tree plantations and pay more attention on protecting
and managing sustainably the former. |
| Policy Note: Policy Responses to Ensure Access to Water and Sanitation Services during COVID-19: Snapshots from the Environment for Development (EfD) Network | Water Economics and Policy | Amaechina, E.; Amoah, A.; Amuakwa-Mensah, F.; Amuakwa-Mensah, S.; Bbaale, E.; Bonilla, J.; Brühl, J.; Cook, J.; Chukwuone, N.; Fuente, D.; Madrigal-Ballestero, R.; Marín, R.; Nam, P.; Otieno, J.; Ponce, R.; Saldarriaga, C.; Lavin, F.; Viguera, B.; Visser, M. | 2020 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1142/S2382624X20710022 | https://doi.org/10.1142/S2382624X20710022 | art: 2071002 | Vol: 6 Issue: 4 | 2382-624X | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE; SSCI) | | English | This policy note provides a snapshot of water and sanitation measures implemented by governments in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 14 countries in the Global South: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Chile, Colombia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Panama, South Africa, Uganda and Vietnam. We find that many countries have taken action to stop utility disconnections due to non-payment. With the exception of Ghana and Vietnam, few countries are instituting new water subsidy programs, and are instead choosing to defer customers' bills for future payment, presumably when the pandemic recedes and households will be able to pay their bills. It is easier for the utilities' COVID-relief policies to target customers with piped connections who regularly receive bills. However, the situation for unconnected households appears more dire. Some countries (e.g., Ghana, Kenya, South Africa and Uganda) are attempting to provide unconnected households temporary access to water, but these households remain the most vulnerable. This health crisis has accentuated the importance of strong governance structures and resilient water service providers for dealing with external health, environmental and economic shocks. © 2020 World Scientific Publishing Company. |
| Hidden welfare effects of tree plantations | Environment and Development Economics | Anriquez, G.; Toledo, G.; Arriagada, R. | 2020 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1017/S1355770X20000303 | https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/environment-and-development-economics/article/abs/hidden-welfare-effects-of-tree-plantations/4DB425A678F2953DDD70811368899CE4#authors-details | 151-168 | Vol: 26 Issue: 2 | 1355-770X, 1469-4395 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SSCI) | | English | Subsidies to promote tree plantations have been questioned because of negative impacts of the forestry industry. Quantitative evidence on the socioeconomic impacts of afforestation subsidies or of tree plantations is elusive, mainly due to data scarcity. We assess the overall impact of a tree plantation subsidy in Chile, using our original 20-year panel dataset that includes small area estimates of poverty and the subsidy assignment at the census-district scale. We show that forestry subsidies – on average – in fact, do increase poverty. More specifically, using difference in difference with matching techniques, and instrumental variables approaches, we show that there is an increase of about 2 per cent in the poverty rate of treated localities. We identify employment as a causal mechanism explaining this finding, since we found a negative effect of tree plantations on employment, and therefore, on poverty. We suggest reassessment of the distributional effects of the forest subsidy and forestry industry. |
| Anaerobic oxidation of methane and associated microbiome in anoxic water of Northwestern Siberian lakes | Science of The Total Environment | Cabrol, L.; Thalasso, F.; Gandois, L.; Sepulveda-Jauregui, A.; Martinez-Cruz, K.; Teisserenc, R.; Tananaev, N.; Tveit, A.; Svenning, M.; Barret, M. | 2020 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139588 | https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0048969720331053 | 139588 | Vol: 736 | 00489697 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Hybrid Gold Open Access | English | Arctic lakes emit methane (CH4) to the atmosphere. The magnitude of this flux could increase with permafrost thaw but might also be mitigated by microbial CH4 oxidation. Methane oxidation in oxic water has been extensively studied, while the contribution of anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) to CH4 mitigation is not fully understood. We have investigated four Northern Siberian stratified lakes in an area of discontinuous permafrost nearby Igarka, Russia. Analyses of CH4 concentrations in the water column demonstrated that 60 to 100% of upward diffusing CH4 was oxidized in the anoxic layers of the four lakes. A combination of pmoA and mcrA gene qPCR and 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding showed that the same taxa, all within Methylomonadaceae and including the predominant genus Methylobacter as well as Crenothrix, could be the major methane-oxidizing bacteria (MOB) in the anoxic water of the four lakes. Correlation between Methylomonadaceae and OTUs within Methylotenera, Geothrix and Geobacter genera indicated that AOM might occur in an interaction between MOB, denitrifiers and iron-cycling partners. We conclude that MOB within Methylomonadaceae could have a crucial impact on CH4 cycling in these Siberian Arctic lakes by mitigating the majority of produced CH4 before it leaves the anoxic zone. This finding emphasizes the importance of AOM by Methylomonadaceae and extends our knowledge about CH4 cycle in lakes, a crucial component of the global CH4 cycle. |
| Integrating conflict, lobbying, and compliance to predict the sustainability of natural resource use | Ecology and Society | Cusack, J.; Duthie, A.; Minderman, J.; Jones, I.; Pozo, R.; Rakotonarivo, O.; Redpath, S.; Bunnefeld, N. | 2020 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.5751/ES-11552-250213 | https://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol25/iss2/art13/ | art13 | Vol: 25 Issue: 2 | 1708-3087 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE; SSCI) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access | English | Predictive models are sorely needed to guide the management of harvested natural resources worldwide, yet existing frameworks fail to integrate the dynamic and interacting governance processes driving unsustainable use. We developed a new framework in which the conflicting interests of three key stakeholders are modeled: managers seeking sustainability, users seeking increases in harvest quota, and conservationists seeking harvest restrictions. Our model allows stakeholder groups to influence management decisions and illegal harvest through flexible functions that reflect widespread lobbying and noncompliance processes. Decision making is modeled through the use of a genetic algorithm, which allows stakeholders to respond to a dynamic social-ecological environment to satisfy their goals. To provide the critical link between conceptual and empirical approaches, we compare predictions from our model against data on 206 harvested terrestrial species from the IUCN Red List. We show that, although lobbying for a ban on resource use can offset low levels of noncompliance, such bias leads to an increased risk of extinction when noncompliance (and therefore illegal harvesting) is high. Management decisions unaffected by lobbying, combined with high rule compliance, resulted in more sustainable resource use. Model predictions were strongly reflected in our analysis of harvested IUCN species, with 81% of those classified under regulated harvest and high compliance showing stable or increasing population trends. Our results highlight the fine balance between maintaining compliance and biasing decisions in the face of lobbying. They also emphasize the urgent need to quantify lobbying and compliance processes across a range of natural resources. Overall, our work provides a holistic and versatile approach to addressing complex social processes underlying the mismanagement of natural resources. © 2020 by the author(s). |
| Surface indicators are correlated with soil multifunctionality in global drylands | Journal of Applied Ecology | Eldridge, D.; Delgado‐Baquerizo, M.; Quero, J.; Ochoa, V.; Gozalo, B.; García‐Palacios, P.; Escolar, C.; García‐Gómez, M.; Prina, A.; Bowker, M.; Bran, D.; Castro, I.; Cea, A.; Derak, M.; Espinosa, C.; Florentino, A.; Gaitán, J.; Gatica, G.; Gómez‐González, S.; Ghiloufi, W.; Gutierrez, J.; Guzman, E... | 2020 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1111/1365-2664.13540 | https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1365-2664.13540 | 424-435 | Vol: 57 Issue: 2 | 0021-8901, 1365-2664 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Bronze Open Access | English | Multiple ecosystem functions need to be considered simultaneously to manage and protect the many ecosystem services that are essential to people and their environments. Despite this, cost effective, tangible, relatively simple, and globally‐relevant methodologies to monitor in situ soil multifunctionality, i.e. the provision of multiple ecosystem functions by soils, have not been tested at the global scale.
We combined correlation analysis and structural equation modelling to explore whether we could find easily measured, field‐based indicators of soil multifunctionality (measured using functions linked to the cycling and storage of soil carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus). To do this, we gathered soil data from 120 dryland ecosystems from five continents.
Two soil surface attributes measured in situ (litter incorporation and surface aggregate stability) were the most strongly associated with soil multifunctionality, even after accounting for geographic location and other drivers such as climate, woody cover, soil pH and soil electric conductivity. The positive relationships between surface stability and litter incorporation on soil multifunctionality was greater beneath the canopy of perennial vegetation than in adjacent, open areas devoid of vascular plants. The positive associations between surface aggregate stability and soil functions increased with increasing mean annual temperature.
Synthesis and applications. Our findings demonstrate that a reduced suite of easily measured in situ soil surface attributes can be used as potential indicators of soil multifunctionality in drylands worldwide. These attributes, which relate to plant litter (origin, incorporation, cover), and surface stability, are relatively cheap and easy to assess with minimal training, allowing operators to sample many sites across widely varying climatic areas and soil types. The correlations of these variables are comparable to the influence of climate or soil, and would allow cost‐effective monitoring of soil multifunctionality under changing land use and environmental conditions. This would provide important information for evaluating the ecological impacts of land degradation, desertification and climate change in drylands worldwide. |
| Initial response of understorey vegetation and tree regeneration to a mixed‐severity fire in old‐growth Araucaria–Nothofagus forests | Applied Vegetation Science | Fuentes‐Ramirez, A.; Salas‐Eljatib, C.; González, M.; Urrutia‐Estrada, J.; Arroyo‐Vargas, P.; Santibañez, P. | 2020 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1111/avsc.12479 | https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/avsc.12479 | 210-222 | Vol: 23 Issue: 2 | 1402-2001, 1654-109X | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | Questions: Fire is a key factor influencing Araucaria araucana forests, but the impact of fire severity on the understorey vegetation is not well understood. In this study we seek to answer the following questions: (a) how do initial plant diversity, composition and spatial distribution of the understorey vegetation change in response to different levels of fire severity; and (b) does the abundance of dominant tree species exhibit different patterns across a fire severity gradient shortly after fire?. Location: Old-growth Araucaria araucana–Nothofagus pumilio forests in the Andes of south-central Chile (38° S, 71° W) burned in 2015. Methods: We evaluated the post-fire plant regeneration across a fire severity gradient ranging from unburned forests to areas of high fire severity. One year after fire (in February 2016), we measured woody and herbaceous species richness, abundance, height, origin (native vs exotic species), life forms and the spatial pattern of plant recovery. Results: Plant species richness and abundance were significantly higher within the unburned forest and low fire severity areas one year after fire, compared to areas of high and moderate fire severity. Overall, nearly 50% of the species present in the unburned forest were not found in areas of high severity, including the tree Nothofagus pumilio. Rapid vegetative resprouting of pioneer species such as Chusquea culeou resulted in an aggregated spatial distribution of plants after fire. Conclusions: Plant diversity and the abundance of Araucaria araucana and Nothofagus pumilio were reduced in areas of high fire severity one year after fire. Exotic species were more abundant within areas of low severity, being likely mediated by cattle browsing. Our research makes clear the potential changes in forest composition and structure if dominant tree species are not capable of recovering after fire. We recommend the exclusion of cattle within fire-affected areas and planting Nothofagus pumilio in areas of high fire severity. © 2020 International Association for Vegetation Science |
| Fire history in Andean Araucaria–Nothofagus forests: coupled influences of past human land-use and climate on fire regimes in north-west Patagonia | International Journal of Wildland Fire | González, M.; Muñoz, A.; González-Reyes, A.; Christie, D.; Sibold, J. | 2020 | Agua y Extremos; Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1071/WF19174 | http://www.publish.csiro.au/?paper=WF19174 | 649 | Vol: 29 Issue: 8 | 1049-8001 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Hybrid Gold Open Access | English | Historical fire regimes are critical for understanding the potential effects of changing climate and human land-use on forest landscapes. Fire is a major disturbance process affecting the Andean Araucaria forest landscape in north-west Patagonia. The main goals of this study were to reconstruct the fire history of the Andean Araucaria–Nothofagus forests and to evaluate the coupled influences of climate and humans on fire regimes. Reconstructions of past fires indicated that the Araucaria forest landscape has been shaped by widespread, stand-replacing fires favoured by regional interannual climate variability related to major tropical and extratropical climate drivers in the southern hemisphere. Summer precipitation and streamflow reconstructions tended to be below average during fire years. Fire events were significantly related to positive phases of the Southern Annular Mode and to warm and dry summers following El Niño events. Although Euro-Chilean settlement (1883–1960) resulted in widespread burning, cattle ranching by Pehuenche Native Americans during the 18th and 19th centuries also appears to have changed the fire regime. In the context of climate change, two recent widespread wildfires (2002 and 2015) affecting Araucaria forests appear to be novel and an early indication of a climate change driven shift in fire regimes in north-west Patagonia. |
| Informe a las naciones: Incendios en Chile: causas, impactos y resiliencia. | | González, M.; Sapiains A., R.; Gómez-González, S.; Garreaud, R.; Miranda, A.; Galleguillos, M.; Jacques-Coper, M.; Pauchard, A.; Hoyos-Santillan, J.; Cordero, L.; Vasquez-Lavin, F.; Lara, A.; Aldunce, P.; Delgado, V.; Arriagada, R.; Ugarte, A.; Sepulveda-Jauregui, A.; Farías, L.; Garcia, R.; Rondane... | 2020 | Agua y Extremos; Cambio de Uso de Suelo; Ciudades Resilientes; Gobernanza e Interfaz Ciencia y Política; Zonas Costeras | | https://www.cr2.cl/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Informe-CR2-IncendiosforestalesenChile.pdf | 84 | | | | | Spanish | Los resultados presentados en este informe son parte del trabajo interdisciplinario que realiza el Centro de Ciencia
del Clima y la Resiliencia (CR)2.
El (CR)2 es un centro de excelencia financiado por el programa FONDAP de CONICYT (Proyecto 15110009) en el cual
participan cerca de 60 científicos asociados a la Universidad de Chile, la Universidad de Concepción y la Universidad
Austral de Chile.
La versión electrónica de este documento está disponible en el sitio web www.cr2.cl/incendios |
| Afforestation falls short as a biodiversity strategy | Science | Gómez-González, S.; Ochoa-Hueso, R.; Pausas, J. | 2020 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1126/science.abd3064 | https://www.sciencemag.org/lookup/doi/10.1126/science.abd3064 | 1439-1439 | Vol: 368 Issue: 6498 | 0036-8075, 1095-9203 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Green Open Access | English | The recent EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 (1) recognizes the importance of biodiversity for increasing our resilience to natural disasters and pandemics and, thus, for human well-being. Although it proposes ambitious measures such as reversing pollinator decline and controlling invasive species, it also introduces the ill-advised idea of planting 3 billion trees.
Massive tree plantation programs (2, 3) have been strongly criticized by the scientific community for their negative ecological and economic impacts and their limited role in climate change and CO2 mitigation (4–8). The specific number of trees proposed in the EU Strategy suggests a lack of a serious, science-based ecological assessment of actual restoration needs. Meeting such a target could threaten biodiverse treeless ecosystems (4, 6, 7, 9) and would waste an opportunity to implement ecologically sound management practices to restore fully functionally integrated mosaics of natural, seminatural, and sustainable agricultural ecosystems.
Massive tree planting could also substantially change the fire regime, especially given the increasing frequency of heat waves and droughts in an area with high population density (10). The probability of large intense fires that threaten biodiversity and human assets is largely influenced by the type, amount, and continuity of biomass. Therefore, determining how many trees should be planted is less important than figuring out the most safe and effective conservation strategy.
We need to move toward optimizing our landscapes. A diverse mosaic of nature-based production systems should be interspersed with protected natural areas to maximize biodiversity, resilience, and ecosystem services. Trees are not synonymous with biodiversity. Policy-makers and society need to internalize this message to make proper decisions in the context of environmental and health crises. |
| Mediterranean Heathland as a Key Habitat for Fire Adaptations: Evidence from an Experimental Approach | Forests | Gómez-González, S.; Paniw, M.; Durán, M.; Picó, S.; Martín-Rodríguez, I.; Ojeda, F. | 2020 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.3390/f11070748 | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/11/7/748 | 748 | Vol: 11 Issue: 7 | 1999-4907 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access; Green Open Access | English | Some fire ecology studies that have focused on garrigue-like vegetation suggest a weak selective pressure of fire in the Mediterranean Basin compared to other Mediterranean-type regions. However, fire-prone Mediterranean heathland from the western end of the Mediterranean Basin has been frequently ignored in the fire ecology literature despite its high proportion of pyrogenic species. Here, we explore the evolutionary ecology of seed traits in the generalist rockrose Cistus salviifolius L. (Cistaceae) aiming to ascertain the role of the Mediterranean heathland for fire adaptations in the Mediterranean Region. We performed a germination experiment to compare the relationship of seed size to (i) heat-stimulated germination, (ii) dormancy strength, and (iii) heat survival in plants from ‘high-fire’ heathland vs. ‘low-fire’ coastal shrubland. Germination after heat-shock treatment was higher in large seeds of both ‘high-fire’ and ‘low-fire’ habitats. However, dormancy was weaker in small seeds from ‘low-fire’ habitats. Finally, seed survival to heat shock was positively related to seed size. Our results support that seed size is an adaptive trait to fire in C. salviifolius, since larger seeds had stronger dormancy, higher heat-stimulated germination and were more resistant to heat shock. This seed size–fire relationship was tighter in ‘high-fire’ Mediterranean heathland than ‘low-fire’ coastal shrubland, indicating the existence of differential fire pressures and evolutionary trends at the landscape scale. These findings highlight the Mediterranean heathland as a relevant habitat for fire-driven evolution, thus contributing to better understand the role of fire in plant evolution within the Mediterranean region. |
| Informe a las naciones: El aire que respiramos: pasado, presente y futuro – Contaminación atmosférica por MP2,5 en el centro y sur de Chile | | Huneeus, N.; Urquiza, A.; Gayo, E.; Osses, M.; Arriagada, R.; Valdés, M.; Álamos, N.; Amigo, C.; Arrieta, D.; Basoa, K.; Billi, M.; Blanco, G.; Boisier, J.; Calvo, R.; Casielles, I.; Castro, M.; Chahúan, J.; Christie, D.; Cordero, L.; Correa, V.; Cortés, J.; Fleming, Z.; Gajardo, N.; Gallardo, L.; G... | 2020 | Agua y Extremos; Cambio de Uso de Suelo; Ciudades Resilientes; Gobernanza e Interfaz Ciencia y Política; Zonas Costeras | | https://www.cr2.cl/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Informe_Contaminacion_Espanol_2020.pdf | 102 | | | cr2.cl | | Spanish | Los resultados presentados en este informe son parte del trabajo interdisciplinario que realiza el Centro de Ciencia
del Clima y la Resiliencia (CR)2.
El (CR)2 es un centro de excelencia financiado por el programa FONDAP de CONICYT (Proyecto 15110009) en el cual
participan cerca de 60 científicos asociados a la Universidad de Chile, la Universidad de Concepción y la Universidad
Austral de Chile.
La versión electrónica de este documento está disponible en el sitio web www.cr2.cl/incendios |
| +A 5680-year tree-ring temperature record for southern South America | Quaternary Science Reviews | Lara, A.; Villalba, R.; Urrutia-Jalabert, R.; González-Reyes, A.; Aravena, J.; Luckman, B.; Cuq, E.; Rodríguez, C.; Wolodarsky-Franke, A. | 2020 | Agua y Extremos; Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1016/j.quascirev.2019.106087 | https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0277379119306924 | 106087 | Vol: 228 | 0277-3791 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Hybrid Gold Open Access | English | It is widely documented that the Earth’s surface temperatures have increased in recent decades. However, temperature increment patterns are not uniform around the globe, showing different or even contrasting trends. Here we present a mean maximum summer temperature record, based on tree-ring widths, over the past 5682 years (3672BC – 2009AD) for southern South America (SSA), covering from mid-Holocene to the present. This is the longest such record for the Southern Hemisphere (SH), and expands available annual proxy climate records for this region in more than 2060 years. Our record explains 49% of the temperature variation, and documents two major warm periods between 3140–2800BC and 70BC – 150AD, which coincide with the lack of evidence of glacier advances in SSA. Recent decades in the reconstruction (1959–2009) show a warming trend that is not exceptional in the context of the last five millennia. The long-term relationship between our temperature reconstruction and a reconstructed total solar irradiance record, with coinciding cycles at 293, 372, 432–434, 512 and 746 years, indicate a persistent influence of solar forcing on centennial climate variability in SSA. At interannual to interdecadal scales, reconstructed temperature is mainly related to the internal climate variability of the Pacific Ocean, including El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and longer oscillations. Our study reveals the need to characterize regional-scale climate variability and its drivers, which in the context of global-scale processes such as anthropogenic warming, interact to modulate local climate affecting humans and ecosystems. |
| Predicting spatial variability of selected soil properties using digital soil mapping in a rainfed vineyard of central Chile | Geoderma Regional | Mashalaba, L.; Galleguillos, M.; Seguel, O.; Poblete-Olivares, J. | 2020 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1016/j.geodrs.2020.e00289 | https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S2352009420300389 | e00289 | Vol: 22 | 23520094 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | Soil physical properties influence vineyard behavior, therefore the knowledge of their spatial variability is essential for making vineyard management decisions. This study aimed to model and map selected soil properties by means of knowledge-based digital soil mapping approach. We used a Random Forest (RF) algorithm to link environmental covariates derived from a LiDAR flight and satellite spectral information, describing soil forming factors and ten selected soil properties (particle size distribution, bulk density, dispersion ratio, Ksat, field capacity, permanent wilting point, fast drainage pores and slow drainage pores) at three depth intervals, namely 0–20, 20–40, and 40–60 cm at a systematic grid (60 × 60 m2). The descriptive statistics showed low to very high variability within the field. RF model of particle size distribution, and bulk density performed well, although the models could not reliably predict saturated hydraulic conductivity. There was a better prediction performance (based on 34% model validation) in the upper depth intervals than the lower depth intervals (e.g., R2 of 0.66; nRMSE of 27.5% for clay content at 0–20 cm and R2 of 0.51; nRMSE of 16% at 40–60 cm). There was a better prediction performance in the lower depth intervals than the upper depth intervals (e.g., R2 of 0.49; nRMSE of 23% for dispersion ratio at 0–20 cm and R2 of 0.81; nRMSE of 30% at 40–60 cm). RF model overestimated areas with low values and underestimated areas with high values. Further analysis suggested that Topographic position Index, Topographic Wetness Index, aspect, slope length factor, modified catchment area, catchment slope, and longitudinal curvature were the dominant environmental covariates influencing prediction of soil properties. |
| Informe Proyecto ARClim: Bosques Nativos y Plantaciones Forestales. | | Miranda, A.; Carrasco, J.; Gonzalez, M.; Mentler, R.; Moletto, I.; Altamirano, A.; Lara, A. | 2020 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | | | | | | | | | |
| Evidence-based mapping of the wildland-urban interface to better identify human communities threatened by wildfires | Environmental Research Letters | Miranda, A.; Carrasco, J.; González, M.; Pais, C.; Lara, A.; Altamirano, A.; Weintraub, A.; Syphard, A. | 2020 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1088/1748-9326/ab9be5 | https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ab9be5 | 094069 | Vol: 15 Issue: 9 | 1748-9326 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access | English | The wildland-urban interface (WUI) is the spatial manifestation of human communities coupled with vegetated ecosystems. Spatial delineation of the WUI is important for wildfire policy and management, but is typically defined according to spatial relationships between housing development and wildland vegetation without explicit consideration of fire risk. A fire risk-based definition of WUI can enable a better distribution of management investment so as to maximize social return. We present a novel methodological approach to delineate the WUI based on a fire risk assessment. The approach establishes a geographical framework to model fire risk via machine learning and generate multi-scale, variable-specific spatial thresholds for translating fire probabilities into mapped output. To determine whether fire-based WUI mapping better captures the spatial congruence of houses and wildfires than conventional methods, we compared national and subnational fire-based WUI maps for Chile to WUI maps generated only with housing and vegetation thresholds. The two mapping approaches exhibited broadly similar spatial patterns, the WUI definitions covering almost the same area and containing similar proportions of the housing units in the area under study (17.1% vs. 17.9%), but the fire-based WUI accounted for 13.8% more spatial congruence of fires and people (47.1% vs. 33.2% of ignitions). Substantial regional variability was found in fire risk drivers and the corresponding spatial mapping thresholds, suggesting there are benefits to developing different WUI maps for different scales of application. We conclude that a dynamic, multi-scale, fire-based WUI mapping approach should provide more targeted and effective support for decision making than conventional approaches. |
| Forest browning trends in response to drought in a highly threatened mediterranean landscape of South America | Ecological Indicators | Miranda, A.; Lara, A.; Altamirano, A.; Di Bella, C.; González, M.; Julio Camarero, J. | 2020 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1016/j.ecolind.2020.106401 | https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1470160X20303381 | 106401 | Vol: 115 | 1470160X | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Green Open Access | English | Deforestation is widely studied throughout the world. However, a less evident issue is the effect of climate change and drought on remnants of native forests. The objective of this work was to understand the geographic variations in resistance to drought of the Mediterranean sclerophyllous forests of central Chile. These forests have been historically reduced and fragmented and in recent years were subjected to the most prolonged drought occurred between 2010 and 2017. Using data from the MODIS satellite sensor, temporal trends in the NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) were quantified. We related these trends with different environmental variables to understand the effects of geographical variation and forest type as indicators of resistance to drought. We observed a significant direct effect of drought, attributable to the reduced precipitation in central Chile, and a significantly reduced NDVI in near one-third of the region forests (browning). However, NDVI and therefore forest productivity were more stable in some mesic sites such as ravine bottoms, but not on south-facing slopes. This suggests that under a regime of reduced precipitations, a greater available soil humidity would be a more important factor than the fact of receiving less solar radiation. Finally, the highest degree of browning was observed in semi-arid sclerophyllous forest dominated by species tolerant to drought. Our findings emphasize the need to consider topographic site conditions to adequately assess forest productivity and vulnerability where local wet conditions could provide drought refuges. This recent drought may be analogous to forecasted warmer and drier climate conditions with more frequent and severe droughts, so our results may serve as a general framework for climate-smart decisions in highly threatened forest restoration and conservation. |
| Six hundred years of South American tree rings reveal an increase in severe hydroclimatic events since mid-20th century | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences | Morales, M.; Cook, E.; Barichivich, J.; Christie, D.; Villalba, R.; LeQuesne, C.; Srur, A.; Ferrero, M.; González-Reyes, Á.; Couvreux, F.; Matskovsky, V.; Aravena, J.; Lara, A.; Mundo, I.; Rojas, F.; Prieto, M.; Smerdon, J.; Bianchi, L.; Masiokas, M.; Urrutia-Jalabert, R.; Rodriguez-Catón, M.; Muñoz... | 2020 | Agua y Extremos; Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1073/pnas.2002411117 | http://www.pnas.org/lookup/doi/10.1073/pnas.2002411117 | 16816-16823 | Vol: 117 Issue: 29 | 0027-8424, 1091-6490 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Hybrid Gold Open Access | English | South American (SA) societies are highly vulnerable to droughts and pluvials, but lack of long-term climate observations severely limits our understanding of the global processes driving climatic variability in the region. The number and quality of SA climate-sensitive tree ring chronologies have significantly increased in recent decades, now providing a robust network of 286 records for characterizing hydroclimate variability since 1400 CE. We combine this network with a self-calibrated Palmer Drought Severity Index (scPDSI) dataset to derive the South American Drought Atlas (SADA) over the continent south of 12°S. The gridded annual reconstruction of austral summer scPDSI is the most spatially complete estimate of SA hydroclimate to date, and well matches past historical dry/wet events. Relating the SADA to the Australia–New Zealand Drought Atlas, sea surface temperatures and atmospheric pressure fields, we determine that the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Southern Annular Mode (SAM) are strongly associated with spatially extended droughts and pluvials over the SADA domain during the past several centuries. SADA also exhibits more extended severe droughts and extreme pluvials since the mid-20th century. Extensive droughts are consistent with the observed 20th-century trend toward positive SAM anomalies concomitant with the weakening of midlatitude Westerlies, while low-level moisture transport intensified by global warming has favored extreme rainfall across the subtropics. The SADA thus provides a long-term context for observed hydroclimatic changes and for 21st-century Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) projections that suggest SA will experience more frequent/severe droughts and rainfall events as a consequence of increasing greenhouse gas emissions. |
| Wildfire management in Mediterranean-type regions: paradigm change needed | Environmental Research Letters | Moreira, F.; Ascoli, D.; Safford, H.; Adams, M.; Moreno, J.; Pereira, J.; Catry, F.; Armesto, J.; Bond, W.; Gonzalez, M.; Curt, T.; Koutsias, N.; McCaw, L.; Price, O.; Pausas, J.; Rigolot, E.; Stephens, S.; Tavsanoglu, C.; Vallejo, R.; Van Wilgen, B.; Xanthopoulos, G.; Fernandes, P. | 2020 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1088/1748-9326/ab541e | http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ab541e | 011001 | Vol: 15 Issue: 1 | 1748-9326 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access | English | During the last decades, climate and land use changes led to an increased prevalence of megafires in Mediterranean-type climate regions (MCRs). Here, we argue that current wildfire management policies in MCRs are destined to fail. Focused on fire suppression, these policies largely ignore ongoing climate warming and landscape-scale buildup of fuels. The result is a "firefighting trap" that contributes to ongoing fuel accumulation precluding suppression under extreme fire weather, and resulting in more severe and larger fires. We believe that a "business as usual" approach to wildfire in MCRs will not solve the fire problem, and recommend that policy and expenditures be rebalanced between suppression and mitigation of the negative impacts of fire. This requires a paradigm shift: policy effectiveness should not be primarily measured as a function of area burned (as it usually is), but rather as a function of avoided socio-ecological damage and loss. |
| El cambio antropogénico del uso del suelo y el régimen de incendios forestales | Chile forestal | Ortega, M.; Gómez-González, S.; Paula, S. | 2020 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | | https://www.conaf.cl/cms/editorweb/chifo/396/files/assets/common/downloads/Revista%20Chile%20Forestal%20N.pdf?uni=089ddeb702ff71a34a438b06922c503e | 11-13 | | 2452-5057 | | | | La ecología del fuego permitirá enfrentar el desafío que presenta hoy el cambio climático, donde el incremento de las temperaturas y de la sequía favorece la frecuencia y severidad de los incendios forestales, y donde por lo mismo se hace necesario que el país rediseñe su paisaje forestal. |
| Landscape restoration in a mixed agricultural-forest catchment: Planning a buffer strip and hedgerow network in a Chilean biodiversity hotspot | Ambio | Rey Benayas, J.; Altamirano, A.; Miranda, A.; Catalán, G.; Prado, M.; Lisón, F.; Bullock, J. | 2020 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1007/s13280-019-01149-2 | http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s13280-019-01149-2 | 310-323 | Vol: 49 Issue: 1 | 0044-7447 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Bronze Open Access | English | Guidance for large-scale restoration of natural or semi-natural linear vegetation elements that takes into account the need to maintain human livelihoods such as farming is often lacking. Focusing on a Chilean biodiversity hotspot, we assessed the landscape in terms of existing woody vegetation elements and proposed a buffer strip and hedgerow network. We used spatial analysis based on Google Earth imagery and QGIS, field surveys, seven guidelines linked to prioritization criteria and seedling availability in the region's nurseries, and estimated the budget for implementing the proposed network. The target landscapes require restoring 0.89 ha km-2 of woody buffer strips to meet Chilean law; 1.4 ha km-2 of new hedgerows is also proposed. The cost of restoration in this landscape is estimated in ca. USD 6900 per planted ha of buffer strips and hedgerows. Financial incentives, education, and professional training of farmers are identified as key issues to implement the suggested restoration actions. |
| Local Perceptions of Fires Risk and Policy Implications in the Hills of Valparaíso, Chile | Sustainability | Sapiains, R.; Ugarte, A.; Aldunce, P.; Marchant, G.; Romero, J.; González, M.; Inostroza-Lazo, V. | 2020 | Agua y Extremos; Cambio de Uso de Suelo; Gobernanza e Interfaz Ciencia y Política | 10.3390/su12104298 | https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/10/4298 | 4298 | Vol: 12 Issue: 10 | 2071-1050 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE; SSCI) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access | English | Climate change is increasing the occurrence of natural disasters worldwide, and more frequent and intense fires represent one of the most destructive expressions of this trend. Chile is highly vulnerable to climate change, and fires are a recurrent phenomenon affecting many people each year. To reduce fire risk, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) suggests reducing both exposure and vulnerability through multiple initiatives, which demand increased community engagement. In such a context, this study explores local perceptions of fire in a sample of inhabitants in a wildland-urban interface (WUI) in Valparaiso, a city that is affected by numerous fires each year. The ultimate goal was to identify psychological and community factors that should be taken into consideration to develop prevention plans and safer environments for people living in a context of poverty and social inequity. Using a qualitative approach, 28 interviews were conducted and analyzed following grounded theory principles. Results identified multiple causes, impacts, and characteristics of the problem perceived by people who permanently cohabit with fire risk, showing that for many of them, fire risk is not about the probability of occurrence of a disaster, but a question about when and how the next fire will happen. However, in such a complex scenario, psychological, community, and structural barriers deter people from implementing more effective actions. Conversely, in emergency situations, such barriers are irrelevant and cooperative actions prevail, suggesting the existence of resources and capacities within the community that could lessen exposure and vulnerability if activated on a day-to-day basis. Overall, reducing fire risk cannot be achieved by local communities alone nor without their support. To build, maintain, and consolidate fire prevention actions, it is critical to activate community strengths and cooperation and engage the resources and management capacity of local governments. |
| New Record of Hilophyllus martinezi Paulsen and Mondaca, 2006 (Coleoptera: Lucanidae: Aesalinae) in Southern Chile | Coleopterists Bulletin | Tello, F. | 2020 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1649/0010-065X-74.2.424 | https://doi.org/10.1649/0010-065X-74.2.424 | 424-426 | Vol: 74 Issue: 2 | 0010-065X | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | |
| First Record of the Family Histeridae (Insecta: Coleoptera) in a Late Pleistocene Sequence from Chile | Ameghiniana | Tello, F.; Arriagada, G.; Pino, M. | 2020 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.5710/AMGH.06.12.2019.3260 | https://doi.org/10.5710/AMGH.06.12.2019.3260 | 63-67 | Vol: 57 Issue: 1 | 0002-7014 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | |
| Diversity loss and changes in saproxylic beetle assemblages following a high-severity fire in Araucaria–Nothofagus forests | Journal of Insect Conservation | Tello, F.; González, M.; Valdivia, N.; Torres, F.; Lara, A.; García-López, A. | 2020 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1007/s10841-020-00223-5 | http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10841-020-00223-5 | 585-601 | Vol: 24 Issue: 3 | 1366-638X, 1572-9753 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | Forest fires have increased in frequency worldwide due to global warming, drought, and land-use change. These fire-regime changes have altered the dynamics of deadwood accumulation in forests, which can affect biological communities dependent on this resource. We analyzed the effect of high-severity fire events on saproxylic beetle assemblages, which specialize in using deadwood that accumulates after disturbances. We compared assemblages in sites severely burned in 2002 to those in unburned sites in Chilean Araucaria–Nothofagus forests. Insects were collected using window-interception traps from spring 2017 to summer 2018. Rarefaction–interpolation curves revealed a significant decrease in diversity as a result of fire. Permutational multivariate analysis of variance showed a significant effect of fire on insect community structure. In addition, we observed that species turnover contributing most, and nestedness to a lesser extent, to differences in ß-diversity between burned and unburned sites. Species replacement was associated with an increase in abundance of xylophagous (deadwood feeders) and a decrease in abundance of mycophagous (fungivorous) insects with fire. Therefore, our results suggest that fire causes a reduction in diversity while benefiting the abundance of xylophagous beetles in Araucaria–Nothofagus forests. We recommend the use of these insects as an evaluation tool in conservation planning, management practices, and ecological restoration efforts in burned forests in southern Chile. |
| Sub-oxycline methane oxidation can fully uptake CH4 produced in sediments: case study of a lake in Siberia | Scientific Reports | Thalasso, F.; Sepulveda-Jauregui, A.; Gandois, L.; Martinez-Cruz, K.; Gerardo-Nieto, O.; Astorga-España, M.; Teisserenc, R.; Lavergne, C.; Tananaev, N.; Barret, M.; Cabrol, L. | 2020 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1038/s41598-020-60394-8 | http://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-60394-8 | 3423 | Vol: 10 Issue: 1 | 2045-2322 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access | English | It is commonly assumed that methane (CH4) released by lakes into the atmosphere is mainly produced in anoxic sediment and transported by diffusion or ebullition through the water column to the surface of the lake. In contrast to that prevailing idea, it has been gradually established that the epilimnetic CH4 does not originate exclusively from sediments but is also locally produced or laterally transported from the littoral zone. Therefore, CH4 cycling in the epilimnion and the hypolimnion might not be as closely linked as previously thought. We utilized a high-resolution method used to determine dissolved CH4 concentration to analyze a Siberian lake in which epilimnetic and hypolimnetic CH4 cycles were fully segregated by a section of the water column where CH4 was not detected. This layer, with no detected CH4, was well below the oxycline and the photic zone and thus assumed to be anaerobic. However, on the basis of a diffusion-reaction model, molecular biology, and stable isotope analyses, we determined that this layer takes up all the CH4 produced in the sediments and the deepest section of the hypolimnion. We concluded that there was no CH4 exchange between the hypolimnion (dominated by methanotrophy and methanogenesis) and the epilimnion (dominated by methane lateral transport and/or oxic production), resulting in a vertically segregated lake internal CH4 cycle. |
| Low Growth Sensitivity and Fast Replenishment of Non-structural Carbohydrates in a Long-Lived Endangered Conifer After Drought | Frontiers in Plant Science | Urrutia-Jalabert, R.; Lara, A.; Barichivich, J.; Vergara, N.; Rodriguez, C.; Piper, F. | 2020 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.3389/fpls.2020.00905 | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpls.2020.00905/full | 905 | Vol: 11 | 1664-462X | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access | English | There is an ongoing debate on whether a drought induced carbohydrate limitation (source limitation) or a direct effect of water shortage (sink limitation) limit growth under drought. In this study, we investigated the effects of the two driest summers recorded in southern Chile in the last seven decades, on the growth and non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) concentrations of the slow-growing conifer Fitzroya cupressoides. Specifically, we studied the seasonal variation of NSC in saplings and adults one and two years after the occurrence of a 2 year-summer drought at two sites of contrasting precipitation and productivity (mesic-productive vs. rainy-less productive). We also evaluated radial growth before, during and after the drought, and predicted that drought could have reduced growth. If drought caused C source limitation, we expected that NSCs will be lower during the first than the second year after drought. Conversely, similar NSC concentrations between years or higher NSC concentrations in the first year would be supportive of sink limitation. Also, due to the lower biomass of saplings compared with adults, we expected that saplings should experience stronger seasonal NSC remobilization than adults. We confirmed this last expectation. Moreover, we found no significant growth reduction during drought in the rainy site and a slightly significant growth reduction at the mesic site for both saplings and adults. Across organs and in both sites and age classes, NSC, starch, and sugar concentrations were generally higher in the first than in the second year following drought, while NSC seasonal remobilization was generally lower. Higher NSC concentrations along with lower seasonal NSC remobilization during the first post-drought year are supportive of sink limitation. However, as these results were found at both sites while growth decreased slightly and just at the mesic site, limited growth only is unlikely to have caused NSC accumulation. Rather, these results suggest that the post-drought dynamics of carbohydrate storage are partly decoupled from the growth dynamics, and that the rebuild of C reserves after drought may be a priority in this species. |
| Firewood certification programs: Key attributes and policy implications | Energy Policy | Vásquez-Lavin, F.; Barrientos, M.; Castillo, Á.; Herrera, I.; Ponce Oliva, R. | 2020 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1016/j.enpol.2019.111160 | https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0301421519307463 | 111160 | Vol: 137 | 0301-4215 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE; SSCI) | | English | Evidence from south-central Chile shows that the concentration limits for PM10 and PM2.5, defined by both the World Health Organization and national standards, are systematically exceeded, affecting approximately 10 million people. Among the sources of this pollution, firewood use accounts for the largest share. This study assesses whether consumers value environmental, social, and legal attributes associated with the firewood certification programs. We used a discrete choice model based on a sample of 500 households. According to our results, the price premium for certified firewood is about 10% in the most likely scenario, with those attributes closely related to private benefits having a higher value, compared to those of social benefits. We identify significant heterogeneity among respondents belonging to two different consumer classes: 1) those who are less price sensitive and are willing to pay for attributes related to certification; 2) those who are sensitive to prices and are not willing to pay for attributes related to certification. Since the second class includes about 46% of the sample, the implementation of certification programs could be jeopardized. Therefore, knowing this information helps us determine whether a certification system can foster the firewood industry transition to a more sustainable model. |
| Water demand in the Chilean manufacturing industry: Analysis of the economic value of water and demand elasticities | Water Resources and Economics | Vásquez-Lavín, F.; Vargas O, L.; Hernández, J.; Ponce Oliva, R. | 2020 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1016/j.wre.2020.100159 | https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S2212428420300049 | 100159 | Vol: 32 | 22124284 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE; SSCI) | | English | In this article, we estimate both the economic value of water and own-price and cross-price elasticities of water for the Chilean manufacturing industry using the production function approach. Estimating the production function allows us to estimate the marginal productivity of water which corresponds to its economic value. Our estimations are based on panel data obtained from the National Industrial Survey for the period 1995–2014, accounting for more than 10,000 industrial plants. We use a translog specification for the production function, considering water, capital, labor, energy, and intermediate material as explanatory variables. We find substitution patterns among most inputs, except for energy and water, which are found to be complements. Our results suggest that the manufacturing sector is characterized by an elastic water demand, with an average economic value of water of 8.071 [USD/m3]. Based on our findings, there is room to increase water prices in most sectors without affecting the competitiveness of firms. Knowing the economic value of water and its price elasticity could help policymakers to design water policies that promote more efficient use of this scarce resource. |
| Operationalizing the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems in public policy | Conservation Letters | Alaniz, A.; Pérez‐Quezada, J.; Galleguillos, M.; Vásquez, A.; Keith, D. | 2019 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1111/conl.12665 | https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/conl.12665 | art: e12665 | Vol: 12 Issue: 5 | 1755-263X | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access | English | Threats to ecosystems are closely linked to human development, whereas lack, insufficiency, and inefficiency of public policies are important drivers of environmental decline. Previous studies have discussed the contribution of IUCN's Red List of Ecosystems (RLE) in conservation issues; however, its applications in different policy fields and instruments for achieving biodiversity conservation have not been explored in detail. Here, we introduce a framework to operationalize the RLE in public policy, facilitating work of governments, practitioners, and decision makers. Our analysis identified 20 policy instruments that could reduce risks to ecosystems highlighted by different Red List criteria. We discuss how RLE could inform the policy process by analyzing different instruments that could be designed, implemented, and modified to achieve risk reduction. We also present practical examples from around the world showing how ecosystem conservation could be improved by operationalizing the RLE in policy instruments. The RLE criteria can inform the policy process by helping to shape objectives and identifying policy instruments that directly address the causes and severity of risks illuminated in Red List assessments. We conclude that RLE could be expanded into a broader holistic spectrum of policy instruments, which could be a key to achieving the ecosystem conservation. |
| Spatial congruence among indicators of recovery completeness in a Mediterranean forest landscape: Implications for planning large-scale restoration | Ecological Indicators | Altamirano, A.; Miranda, A.; Meli, P.; Dehennin, J.; Muys, B.; Prado, M.; Catalán, G.; Smith-Ramírez, C.; Bustamante-Sánchez, M.; Lisón, F.; María Rey-Benayas, J. | 2019 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1016/j.ecolind.2019.03.046 | https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1470160X19302274 | 752-759 | Vol: 102 | 1470-160X | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | Natural regeneration has been proposed as a cost-effective forest restoration approach for both small and largescale initiatives. However, attributes for assessing the success of forest restoration through natural regeneration may vary among them in spatial patterns depending on the scale of analysis and on environmental gradients. Here we analysed the spatial patterns of recovery completeness (i.e. how similar attributes in restored forests are to the same attributes in reference forests) in response to environmental factors in a Mediterranean forest landscape of Central Chile. We evaluated (1) forest recovery completeness using basal area (BA), quadratic mean diameter (QMD), adult species density (ASD), adult species richness (ASR), and seedling species richness (SSR); (2) the spatial congruence of recovery completeness estimated by each of these indicators; and (3) the environmental factors potentially shaping these spatial patterns. We used field measurements and geospatial information sources to quantify and predict indicator responses by fitting boosted regression tree models. To assess the spatial congruence of predictions we overlaid high-level recovery completeness values for all indicators. Overall recovery completeness in the study area was 72.7%, suggesting positive prospects for attaining fully restored forests. Recovery completeness had a resulted higher for diversity (92.3%−99.6%) than structural forest attributes (33.5%−76.9%); however, spatial congruence among recovery indicators was low due to the uneven spatial responses of each indicator. The maximum potential spatial congruence was<10%, and was predicted only by two environmental variables (soil bulk density and slope). Our results suggest that low spatial congruence among forest recovery indicators may hinder the monitoring of restoration at large scales. The implications of such divergence in defining restoration success can be enormous given the current global challenge of forest restoration. Although our research was tested in a threatened region of global importance, our results may have wider significance for restoration planning providing cautionary notes and recommendations for the appropriate use of forest recovery indicators when monitoring large-scale restoration projects. |
| The Impacts of Native Forests and Forest Plantation on Water Supply in Chile | Forests | Alvarez-Garreton, C.; Lara, A.; Boisier, J.; Galleguillos, M. | 2019 | Agua y Extremos; Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.3390/f10060473 | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/10/6/473 | 473 | Vol: 10 Issue: 6 | 1999-4907 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access | English | Over the past 40 years, south-central Chile has experienced important land-use-induced land cover changes, with massive conversion from native forests (NF) to Pinus radiata D.Don and Eucalyptus spp. exotic forest plantations (FP). Several case studies have related this conversion to a reduction in water supply within small catchments (<100 ha). In this work, we explore the impacts of NF and FP on streamflow by using a large-sample catchment dataset recently developed for Chile. We select 25 large forested catchments (>20,000 ha) in south-central Chile (35° S–41° S), analyze their land cover and precipitation spatial distributions, and fit a regression model to quantify the influence of NF, FP, grassland (GRA) and shrubland (SHR) partitions on annual runoff. To assess potential effects of land cover changes on water supply, we use the fitted model (R2 = 0.84) in synthetic experiments where NF, GRA and SHR covers within the catchments are replaced by patches of FP. We show that annual runoff consistently decreases with increments of FP, although the magnitude of the change (ranging from 2.2% to 7.2% mean annual runoff decrease for 10,000 ha increment in FP) depends on several factors, including the initial land cover partition within the basin, the replaced land cover class, the area of the catchment, and the type of catchment (drier or humid). Finally, in the context of the mitigation strategies pledged in the Chilean NDC (Nationally Determined Contributions defined after the Paris Agreement), which include the afforestation of 100,000 ha (mainly native forest) by 2030, we quantify the impacts on water supply due to the afforestation of 100,000 ha with different combinations of NF and FP. We show that annual runoff is highly sensitive to the relative area of FP to NF: ratios of FP to NF areas of 10%, 50% and 90% would lead to 3%, −18% and −40% changes in mean annual runoff, respectively. Our results can be used in the discussion of public policies and decision-making involving forests and land cover changes, as they provide scientifically-based tools to quantify expected impacts on water resources. In particular, this knowledge is relevant for decision making regarding mitigation strategies pledged in the Chilean NDC. |
| The Role of Streamside Native Forests on Dissolved Organic Matter in Forested and Agricultural Watersheds in Northwestern Patagonia | Forests | Becerra-Rodas, C.; Little, C.; Lara, A.; Sandoval, J.; Osorio, S.; Nimptsch, J. | 2019 | Agua y Extremos; Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.3390/f10070595 | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/10/7/595 | 595 | Vol: 10 Issue: 7 | 1999-4907 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access | English | Streamside native forests are known for their key role in water provision, commonly referred to as buffers that control the input or output of nutrients from terrestrial to aquatic ecosystems (i.e., nitrogen or carbon cycle). In order to assess the functional role of indigenous forests along streamside channels, we measured 10 parameters associated with DOM (Dissolved Organic Matter) at 42 points in 12 small catchments (15–200 ha) dominated by native forests (reference, WNF), forest plantations (WFP) and agricultural lands (WAL) in which the land cover portion was calculated in the entire watershed and along 30 and 60-m wide buffer strips. We found that watersheds WFP and WAL were statistically different than WNF, according to DIC concentrations (Dissolved Inorganic Carbon) and the intensity of the maximum fluorescence of DOM components. Using linear models, we related streamside native forest coverage in buffer strips with DOM parameters. The increase of streamside native forest coverage in 60 m wide buffer strips (0–100%) was related to lower DIC concentrations (0.89 to 0.28 mg C L−1). In watersheds WFP and WAL, the humic and fulvic-like components (0.42 to 1.42 R.U./mg C L−1) that predominated were related to an increase in streamside native forest coverage in the form of a 60 m wide buffer strip (0–75%). This is evidence that streamside native forests influence outputs of detritus and lowered in-stream processing with concomitant downstream transport, and functional integrity and water quality. We propose that DOM quantity and quality may be a potential tool for the identification of priority areas near streams for conservation and ecological restoration in terms of recovery of water quality as an important ecosystem service. The results of this study are useful to inform policy and regulations about the width of streamside native forests as well as their characteristics and restrictions. |
| Colored raschel mesh effect on growth of Eucalyptus globulus, Eucalyptus nitens and pinus radiata seedlings under nursery conditions; [Efecto de mallas raschel de colores en el crecimiento de plántulas de Eucalyptus globulus, Eucalyptus nitens y pinus radiata en condiciones de vivero] | Bosque | Bustos-Salazar, A.; Zuñiga-Feest, A. | 2019 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.4067/S0717-92002019000300287 | https://doi.org/10.4067/S0717-92002019000300287 | 287-298 | Vol: 40 Issue: 3 | 0717-9200 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access | Spanish | Forest plantations in Chile represent 2.5 million hectares, with Eucalyptus spp. and Pinus as the most commonly used species. Worldwide, raschel meshes have been used in fruit, horticultural and ornamental shrubs to improve the production of fruits, leaves and flowers. In Chile, it has been operationally used for nursery protocols; they include raschel color mesh to increase shade, which leads to shoot elongation and protection against freezing. However, the possible effect of these colored meshes on the physiological performance of these seedlings is unknown. The objective of this work was to describe the light environment produced by these colored meshes (black, white, blue, green) and to evaluate their effect on growth and physiological performance of Pinus radiata, Eucalyptus nitens and E. globulus seedlings. To evaluate differences among colored meshes, the quality and intensity of light was determined. Seedlings maintained under each mesh were evaluated through the measurement of growth (increasing height of shoots), biomass distribution and vitality (fluorescence of PSII, Fv/Fm). Results show that black and white mesh influences were not selective on their transmittance spectrum and only provided shade (70 % and 50 %, respectively). Vitality measurements did not show damage in seedlings. Seasonal variation on growth was observed, with the highest values during fall and spring for P. radiata and only in spring for both Eucalyptus spp. White mesh promotes higher growth only on both Eucalyptus species, thus it would be recommended for nursery practices. © 2019, Universidad Austral de Chile. All rights reserved. |
| Comentarios Centro de Ciencia del Clima y la Resiliencia (CR)2 a la consulta ciudadana de primera actualización 2019 de la Contribución Determinada a Nivel Nacional (NDC) de Chile. Diciembre 2019 | | Centro de Ciencia del Clima y la Resiliencia (CR)2 | 2019 | Agua y Extremos; Cambio de Uso de Suelo; Ciudades Resilientes; Gobernanza e Interfaz Ciencia y Política; Zonas Costeras | | https://www.cr2.cl/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Resumen-Comentarios-CR2_NDC-2019_02122019.pdf | | | | | | | |
| GIMMS NDVI time series reveal the extent, duration, and intensity of “blooming desert” events in the hyper-arid Atacama Desert, Northern Chile | International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation | Chávez, R.; Moreira-Muñoz, A.; Galleguillos, M.; Olea, M.; Aguayo, J.; Latín, A.; Aguilera-Betti, I.; Muñoz, A.; Manríquez, H. | 2019 | Agua y Extremos; Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1016/j.jag.2018.11.013 | https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0303243418306202 | 193-203 | Vol: 76 | 0303-2434 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | The “blooming desert”, or the explosive development and flowering of ephemeral herbaceous and some woody desert species during years with abnormally high accumulated rainfall, is a spectacular biological phenomenon of the hyper-arid Atacama Desert (northern Chile) attracting botanists, ecologists, geo-scientists, and the general public from all over the world. However, the number of “blooming deserts”, their geographical distribution and spatio-temporal patterns have not been quantitatively assessed to date. Here, we used NDVI data from the Global Inventory Modeling and Mapping Studies (GIMMS) project to reconstruct the annual land surface phenology (LSP) of the Atacama Desert using a non-parametric statistical approach. From the reconstructed LSP, we detected the “blooming deserts” as positive NDVI anomalies and assessed three dimensions of the events: their temporal extent, intensity of “greening” and spatial extent. We identified 13 “blooming deserts” between 1981 and 2015, of which three (1997–98, 2002–03, and 2011) can be considered major events according to these metrics. The main event occurred in 2011, spanning 180 days between July and December 2011, and spread over 11,136 km 2 of Atacama dry plains. “Blooming deserts” in Atacama have been triggered by the accumulation of precipitation during a period of 2 to 12 months before and during the events. The proposed three-dimensional approach allowed us to characterize different types of “blooming deserts”: with longer episodes or larger spatial distribution or with different “greening” intensities. Its flexibility to reconstruct different LSP and detect anomalies makes this method a useful tool to study these rare phenomena in other deserts in the world also. |
| Centennial‐Scale SE Pacific Sea Surface Temperature Variability Over the Past 2,300 Years | Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology | Collins, J.; Lamy, F.; Kaiser, J.; Ruggieri, N.; Henkel, S.; De Pol‐Holz, R.; Garreaud, R.; Arz, H. | 2019 | Agua y Extremos; Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1029/2018PA003465 | https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1029/2018PA003465 | 336-352 | Vol: 34 | 2572-4517 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Green Open Access | English | Detailed temperature reconstructions over the past 2,000 years are important for contextualizing modern climate change. The midlatitude SE Pacific is a key region in this regard in terms of understanding the climatic linkages between the tropics and southern high latitudes. Multicentennial timescale temperature variability remains, however, poorly understood, due to a lack of long, high-temporal-resolution temperature records from this region and from the southern high latitudes in general. We present a unique alkenone sea surface temperature (SST) record from 44°S on the southern Chilean margin in the SE Pacific spanning the last 2,300 years at decadal resolution. The record displays relatively large changes including a cooling transition from 14 to 12.5 °C between 1,100 and 600 cal yr BP, in line with other Chile margin SST records and coeval with Antarctic cooling. This cooling is attributable to reduced Southern Ocean deep convection, driven by a late Holocene sea-ice increase in the Weddell Sea associated with increased El-Niño Southern Oscillation variability. Superimposed on the late Holocene cooling, we observe multicentennial timescale SST variability, including relatively cool SSTs (12.5 °C) from 950 to 500 cal yr BP, corresponding to the Medieval Climate Anomaly, and warmer SSTs (13 °C) from 500 to 200 cal yr BP, corresponding to the Little Ice Age. These oscillations may reflect either multicentennial internal variability of the Southern Ocean deep convection and/or multicentennial variability in the phasing of El-Niño Southern Oscillation and Southern Annular Mode events. ©2019. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved. |
| Managing Forests for Both Downstream and Downwind Water | Frontiers in Forests and Global Change | Creed, I.; Jones, J.; Archer, E.; Claassen, M.; Ellison, D.; McNulty, S.; van Noordwijk, M.; Vira, B.; Wei, X.; Bishop, K.; Blanco, J.; Gush, M.; Gyawali, D.; Jobbágy, E.; Lara, A.; Little, C.; Martin-Ortega, J.; Mukherji, A.; Murdiyarso, D.; Pol, P.; Sullivan, C.; Xu, J. | 2019 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.3389/ffgc.2019.00064 | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/ffgc.2019.00064/full | 64 | Vol: 2 | 2624-893X | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access | English | Forests and trees are key to solving water availability problems in the face of climate change and to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. A recent global assessment of forest and water science posed the question: How do forests matter for water? Here we synthesize science from that assessment, which shows that forests and water are an integrated system. We assert that forests, from the tops of their canopies to the base of the soils in which trees are rooted, must be considered a key component in the complex temporal and spatial dimensions of the hydrologic cycle. While it is clear that forests influence both downstream and downwind water availability, their actual impact depends on where they are located and their processes affected by natural and anthropogenic conditions. A holistic approach is needed to manage the connections between forests, water and people in the face of current governance systems that often ignore these connections. We need policy interventions that will lead to forestation strategies that decrease the dangerous rate of loss in forest cover and that—where appropriate—increase the gain in forest cover. We need collective interventions that will integrate transboundary forest and water management to ensure sustainability of water supplies at local, national and continental scales. The United Nations should continue to show leadership by providing forums in which interventions can be discussed, negotiated and monitored, and national governments must collaborate to sustainably manage forests to ensure secure water supplies and equitable and sustainable outcomes. |
| Informe a las naciones: El Antropoceno en Chile: evidencias y formas de avanzar | | Gallardo, L.; Rudnick, A.; Barraza, J.; Fleming, Z.; Rojas, M.; Gayo, E.; Aguirre, C.; Farías, L.; Boisier, J.; Garreaud, R.; Barría, P.; Miranda, A.; Lara, A.; Gómez-González, S.; Arriagada, R. | 2019 | Agua y Extremos; Cambio de Uso de Suelo; Ciudades Resilientes; Gobernanza e Interfaz Ciencia y Política; Zonas Costeras | | https://www.cr2.cl/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Informe-Antropoceno-castellano.pdf | 40 | | | cr2.cl | | English | En el siglo XXI, el desarrollo de Chile está en juego debido a las amenazas planteadas por el Antropoceno. Esta época se caracteriza por la influencia humana sobre el sistema terrestre. Sin embargo, si se enfrenta con audacia, ofrece una oportunidad para un desarrollo sostenible. Independientemente de si hemos entrado en una nueva era geológica, el Antropoceno cuestiona nuestra forma de vivir en el planeta azul del sistema solar. O, dicho de otra manera, la forma de entender el progreso y el desarrollo. En un país con grandes desigualdades sociales, altamente vulnerable al cambio global, enfrentar este desafío es de crucial importancia y puede ofrecer nuevas oportunidades. |
| Temperature and agriculture are largely associated with fire activity in Central Chile across different temporal periods | Forest Ecology and Management | Gómez-González, S.; González, M.; Paula, S.; Díaz-Hormazábal, I.; Lara, A.; Delgado-Baquerizo, M. | 2019 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1016/j.foreco.2018.11.041 | https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0378112718315962 | 535-543 | Vol: 433 | 0378-1127 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | Wildfires have important ecological and socio-economic implications worldwide. Identifying the major ecological drivers regulating fire activity across space and time is critical to formulating sustainable policies of landscape planning and management under global change scenarios. However, large scale studies quantifying the relative importance of relevant fire drivers across different time periods are largely lacking. We conducted a high-resolution spatial survey in Central Chile and used structural equation models (SEMs) to evaluate the direct and indirect effects of climate, human impact, land uses, and topography on the number of fires and burned area across two distinct periods of time (2000–2005 and 2011–2016). Mean temperature and agricultural use had the highest direct positive effect on the number of fires and burned area in the two studied periods, and thus were the major ecological predictors of fire activity. Human impact was also an important predictor of fire attributes. Topography had multiple indirect effects on fire activity by regulating land use, temperature, and human impact, but direct effects were negligible. Precipitation seasonality, drought and aridity indexes, native forests, and plantations, were less relevant predictors of fire activity. Even so, our SEMs suggested that areas dominated by native forests tended to have lower number of fires than those covered by croplands or plantations. Our results suggest that fire activity in Central Chile will be highly sensitive to increases in human pressure, land use change and warming by climate change. Because the relative importance of the predictors of fire activity was steady over time, the knowledge derived from this study provides critical insights for preventive fire management and landscape planning. The control of stubble burning, native forest restoration and sustainable forestry management could improve social adaptation to a fire-prone future. |
| Protecting Patagonian peatlands in Chile | Science | Hoyos-Santillan, J.; Miranda, A.; Lara, A.; Rojas, M.; Sepulveda-Jauregui, A. | 2019 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo; Gobernanza e Interfaz Ciencia y Política | 10.1126/science.aaz9244 | http://www.sciencemag.org/lookup/doi/10.1126/science.aaz9244 | 1207-1208 | Vol: 366 Issue: 6470 | 0036-8075, 1095-9203 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | In their Letter “Seeing Chile's forest for the tree plantations” (27 September, p. 1388), A. P. Durán and O. Barbosa explain how Chile's current proposal for reducing greenhouse gas emissions (1) inadequately addresses forest management with exotic tree plantations. We agree, but we are even more concerned that the proposal overlooks other ecosystems entirely. Chilean Patagonian peatlands cover 3.1 million hectares (2) and contain approximately 4800 million tons of carbon accumulated over 18,000 years (3, 4). This is 4.7 times more carbon than the aboveground biomass of forests in Chile (4, 5). Peat in Chile is classified as a fossil resource, allowing it to be exploited by the Ministry of Mining (6). Chile should invest in the protection of this important ecosystem. Because of the slow peat accumulation in sub-Antarctic regions (less than 1 mm per year) (4), exploitation of peatlands compromises their carbon sequestration capacity, shifting peatlands from net carbon sinks into net carbon sources (7). Protecting Chile's Patagonian peatlands would help the country achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 (8, 9). To protect the peatlands, Chile must end their classification as fossil resources. Instead, Chile should present peatland preservation as part of its greenhouse gas reduction contributions at the 2019 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP25) (now planned for Madrid, Spain, instead of Chile). Patagonian peatlands should also be recognized as overlooked carbon sinks of regional importance in Chile's new Climate Change Law (10). |
| Using aboveground vegetation attributes as proxies for mapping peatland belowground carbon stocks | Remote Sensing of Environment | Lopatin, J.; Kattenborn, T.; Galleguillos, M.; Perez-Quezada, J.; Schmidtlein, S. | 2019 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1016/j.rse.2019.111217 | https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0034425719302305 | 111217 | Vol: 231 | 0034-4257 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | Peatlands are key reservoirs of belowground carbon (C) and their monitoring is important to assess the rapid changes in the C cycle caused by climate change and direct anthropogenic impacts. Frequently, information of peatland area and vegetation type estimated by remote sensing has been used along with soil measurements and allometric functions to estimate belowground C stocks. Despite the accuracy of such approaches, there is still the need to find mappable proxies that enhance predictions with remote sensing data while reducing field and laboratory efforts. Therefore, we assessed the use of aboveground vegetation attributes as proxies to predict peatland belowground C stocks. First, the ecological relations between remotely detectable vegetation attributes (i.e. vegetation height, aboveground biomass, species richness and floristic composition of vascular plants) and belowground C stocks were obtained using structural equation modeling (SEM). SEM was formulated using expert knowledge and trained and validated using in-situ information. Second, the SEM latent vectors were spatially mapped using random forests regressions with UAV-based hyperspectral and structural information. Finally, this enabled us to map belowground C stocks using the SEM functions parameterized with the random forests derived maps. This SEM approach resulted in higher accuracies than a direct application of a purely data-driven random forests approach with UAV data, with improvements of r2 from 0.39 to 0.54, normalized RMSE from 31.33% to 20.24% and bias from −0.73 to 0.05. Our case study showed that: (1) vegetation height, species richness and aboveground biomass are good proxies to map peatland belowground C stocks, as they can be estimated using remote sensing data and hold strong relationships with the belowground C gradient; and (2) SEM is facilitates to incorporate theoretical knowledge in empirical modeling approaches. |
| Integrating socio-ecological dynamics into land use policy outcomes: A spatial scenario approach for native forest conservation in south-central Chile | Land Use Policy | Manuschevich, D.; Sarricolea, P.; Galleguillos, M. | 2019 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1016/j.landusepol.2019.01.042 | https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0264837718307518 | 31-42 | Vol: 84 | 0264-8377 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SSCI) | | English | Chile is one of the first documented nations to undergo a forest transition dominated by tree farm expansion. Scenario modelling can inform the possible outcomes of forest conservation policies, especially when the scenarios are rooted in the political dynamics that shaped the current legislation. In Chile, tree farms of non-native Radiata Pine and Eucalyptus provide a fast return on investment. Today, fast-growing plantations compete for land area with forest conservation, putting the unique bundle of ecosystem services provided by the latter at risk. Based on a previous political analysis, we propose scenarios projected to 2030 to compare a business-as-usual scenario with A) a conservation scenario based on strict land use restrictions B) an optimistic conservation scenario; C) an unrestricted industrial land use scenario; and D) a restricted industrial land use scenario. The scenarios differ in terms of the implemented policy instruments and the land area required for each land use. We compared these scenarios in terms of carbon stock, control of erosion and wood production, all of which are relevant in the current Chilean political debate. A conservation scenario (A), that combines incentives and restrictions, would imply the largest increase in native forest and regulation services, namely carbon stock and erosion control. In contrast, an unrestricted industrial land use scenario (C) leads to the worst outcomes in terms of erosion compared to a business-as-usual scenario. This study seeks to link political and economic processes underpinning land use change to environmental outcomes, while contributing to the larger discussion on forest policy, forest transitions and environmental outcomes. © 2019 |
| Comité Científico COP25: Biodiversidad Capítulo 5 Cambio de uso del suelo en Chile: Oportunidades de mitigación ante la emergencia climática | | Marquet, P.; Lara, A.; Altamirano, A.; Alaniz, C.; Álvarez, M.; Castillo, M.; Galleguillos, M.; Grez, A.; Gutiérrez, A.; Hoyos-Santillan, J.; Manuschevich, R.; Garay, M.; Miranda, A.; Ostria, E.; Peña-Cortéz, J.; Pérez-Quezada, J.; Sepúlveda, A.; Simonetti, J.; Smith, C. | 2019 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | | https://www.minciencia.gob.cl/comitecientifico/documentos/mesa-biodiversidad/9.Biodiversidad-CUS-Lara.pdf | | | | | | Spanish | |
| Ventilation of the Deep Ocean Carbon Reservoir During the Last Deglaciation: Results From the Southeast Pacific | Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology | Martínez Fontaine, C.; De Pol‐Holz, R.; Michel, E.; Siani, G.; Reyes‐Macaya, D.; Martínez‐Méndez, G.; DeVries, T.; Stott, L.; Southon, J.; Mohtadi, M.; Hebbeln, D. | 2019 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1029/2019PA003613 | https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1029/2019PA003613 | 2080-2097 | Vol: 34 Issue: 12 | 2572-4517 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Green Open Access | English | Coeval changes in atmospheric CO2 and 14C contents during the last deglaciation are often attributed to ocean circulation changes that released carbon stored in the deep ocean during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Work is being done to generate records that allow for the identification of the exact mechanisms leading to the accumulation and release of carbon from the oceanic reservoir, but these mechanisms are still the subject of debate. Here we present foraminifera 14C data from five cores in a transect across the Chilean continental margin between ~540 and ~3,100 m depth spanning the last 20,000 years. Our data reveal that during the LGM, waters at ~2,000 m were 50% to 80% more depleted in Δ14C than waters at ~1,500 m when compared to modern values, consistent with the hypothesis of a glacial deep ocean carbon reservoir that was isolated from the atmosphere. During the deglaciation, our intermediate water records reveal homogenization in the Δ14C values between ~800 and ~1,500 m from ~16.5–14.5 ka cal BP to ~14–12 ka cal BP, which we interpret as deeper penetration of Antarctic Intermediate Water. While many questions still remain, this process could aid the ventilation of the deep ocean at the beginning of the deglaciation, contributing to the observed ~40 ppm rise in atmospheric pCO2. ©2019. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved. |
| Marine Radiocarbon Reservoir Age Along the Chilean Continental Margin | Radiocarbon | Merino-Campos, V.; De Pol-Holz, R.; Southon, J.; Latorre, C.; Collado-Fabbri, S. | 2019 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1017/RDC.2018.81 | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0033822218000814/type/journal_article | 195-210 | Vol: 61 Issue: 1 | 0033-8222 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | We present 37 new radiocarbon (14C) measurements from mollusk shells fragments sampled along the Chilean continental margin and stored in museum collections with known calendar age. These measurements were used to estimate the modern pre-bomb regional marine 14C age deviations from the global ocean reservoir (∆R). Together with previously published data, we calculated regional mean ∆R values for five oceanographic macro regions along the coast plus one for a mid-latitude open ocean setting. In general, upwelling regions north of 42ºS show consistent although sometimes highly variable ∆R values with regional averages ranging from 141 to 196 14C yr, whereas the mid-latitude open ocean location of the Juan Fernández archipelago and the southern Patagonian region show minor, ∆R of 40±38 14C yr, and 52±47 14C yr respectively. We attribute the alongshore decreasing pattern toward higher latitudes to the main oceanographic features along the Chilean coast such as perennial coastal upwelling in northern zone, seasonally variable upwelling at the central part and the large freshwater influence upon the southern |
| Traits of perch trees promote seed dispersal of endemic fleshy-fruit species in degraded areas of endangered Mediterranean ecosystems | Journal of Arid Environments | Miranda, A.; Vásquez, I.; Becerra, P.; Smith-Ramírez, C.; Delpiano, C.; Hernández-Moreno, A.; Altamirano, A. | 2019 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2019.103995 | https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0140196319300862 | 103995 | Vol: 170 | 0140-1963 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | The presence and attributes of perch trees in degraded areas may promote seed dispersal. We evaluated the effect of the distance from remnant forest fragments on seed rain of different fleshy-fruit tree species and examined whether the seed rain is favoured by some traits of the perch trees (Acacia caven), such as canopy diameter and tree height. The study was carried out in two localities of central Chile with extensive “espinales” adjacent to remnant fragments of sclerophyllous forest. We installed 210 seed traps under the same number of A. caven trees along 10 transects in the two study areas. We set up the seed traps between 1 and 100 m away from forest fragments. We found a significant negative relationship between seed rain and distance. We also found a positive relationship between seed rain and the height and canopy diameter of the perch tree. Our results suggest that different woody species are able to disperse into the espinal, and that bigger A. caven trees are better perches than smaller individuals. We propose that at distances up to at least 100 m from forest fragments, seed availability does not limit natural regeneration into espinales. |
| A late Pleistocene human footprint from the Pilauco archaeological site, northern Patagonia, Chile | PLOS ONE | Moreno, K.; Bostelmann, J.; Macías, C.; Navarro-Harris, X.; De Pol-Holz, R.; Pino, M. | 2019 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1371/journal.pone.0213572 | http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0213572 | e0213572 | Vol: 14 Issue: 4 | 1932-6203 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access; Green Open Access | English | The present study describes the discovery of a singular sedimentary structure corresponding to an ichnite that was excavated at the paleo-archaeological site Pilauco (Osorno, Chile). The trace fossil is associated with megafauna bones, plant material and unifacial lithic tools. Here we present a detailed analysis of the Pilauco ichnite and associated sedimentary structures, as well as new radiocarbon data. The ichnological analysis confidently assigns the trace to the ichnospecies Hominipes modernus—a hominoid footprint usually related to Homo sapiens. Some particular characteristics of the Pilauco trace include an elongated distal hallux, lateral digit impressions obliterated by the collapsed sediment, and sediment lumps inside and around the trace. In order to evaluate the origin of the ichnite, trackmaking experiments are performed on re-hydrated fossil bed sediments. The results demonstrate that a human agent could easily generate a footprint morphology equivalent to the sedimentary structure when walking on a saturated substrate. Based on the evidence, we conclude that the trackmaker might well have been a bare-footed adult human. This finding, along with the presence of lithic artifacts in the same sedimentary levels, might represent further evidence for a pre-Clovis South American colonization of northern Patagonia, as originally proposed for the nearby Monte Verde site. |
| Assessment of soil physical properties' statuses under different land covers within a landscape dominated by exotic industrial tree plantations in south-central Chile | Journal of Soil and Water Conservation | Soto, L.; Galleguillos, M.; Seguel, O.; Sotomayor, B.; Lara, A. | 2019 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.2489/jswc.74.1.12 | http://www.jswconline.org/lookup/doi/10.2489/jswc.74.1.12 | 12-23 | Vol: 74 Issue: 1 | 0022-4561 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | Land use and land cover changes (LULCC) within a highly anthropized Mediterranean landscape dominated by industrial tree plantation leads to degradation of soil physical properties. This process has been more intense in the coastal range of south-central%%%Chile due to its soils, which are highly susceptible to erosion, combined with a long history of intensive land use changes during the last century, transitioning from native forest (NF) to agriculture and the more recent establishment of Pinus radiata and Eucalyptus spp. exotic tree plantations. In this context, the aim of this study was to assess the statuses of soil physical properties over different land cover situations. Historical land cover maps were determined via supervised classifications using the maximum likelihood classifier applied to satellite imagery. Five land use and land cover categories (LULC) were defined according to main land cover transitions associated with active and abandoned forestry operations that have been reported in the region: NF, pine plantation (P), eucalyptus plantation (Eu), early successional (E-S), and secondary successional (S-S). Successional stages were generated using change detection statistics considering changes between 2001 and 2014 maps. Soil samples were collected at%%%three depths in 39 plots that describe the five LULC. High clay contents were found in all%%%the LULC except Eu and P. These sites have shown more signs of degradation, with lower%%%organic matter (SOM) and macropores and higher shear strength (ShS). Soil organic matter was consistent with litter contribution and quality, establishing lower bulk density (Db) for NF and S-S and higher values for Eu and E-S. ShS and dispersion rate (DR) exhibit a correlation with SOM with lower ShS and higher DR when SOM increased. Relevant differences were identified for structural stability index (SSI) between LULC depending on soil physical quality, besides a positive correlation with SOM. Those results show the need to generate appropriate conditions of vegetation cover in order to recover soils subjected to current forestry management of industrial plantations. |
| Comité Científico COP25: Recursos hídricos en Chile: Impactos y adaptación al cambio climático. Informe de la mesa de Agua. | | Stehr, A.; Álvarez, C.; Álvarez, P.; Arumí, J.; Baeza, C.; Barra, R.; Berroeta, C.; Castillo, Y.; Chiang, G.; Cotoras, D.; Crespo, S.; Delgado, V.; Donoso, G.; Dussaillant, A.; Ferrando, F.; Figueroa, R.; Frêne, C.; Fuster, R.; Godoy, A.; Gómez, T.; Holzapfel, E.; Huneeus, C.; Jara, M.; Little, C.; ... | 2019 | Agua y Extremos; Cambio de Uso de Suelo; Zonas Costeras | | https://www.minciencia.gob.cl/comitecientifico/documentos/mesa-agua/19.Agua-Recursos-Hidricos-Stehr.pdf | | | | | | | La comparación entre el período 1985-2015 y el período 2030-2060 indica una disminución generalizada de las precipitaciones en comparación con la media histórica, pues se proyectan disminuciones promedio de entre 5% y 15% para la zona comprendida entre las cuencas de los ríos Elqui (región de Coquimbo) y el Baker (región de Aysén). Estas proyecciones se acentuarían hacia la zona sur del país, sobre todo entre la cuenca del río Biobío y el límite sur de la región de Los Lagos (Rojas, 2012). De acuerdo con trabajos como Boisier et al. (2016), se han detectado tendencias climáticas recientes en precipitación que siguen la misma dirección proyectada hacia el futuro y que han sido además atribuidas a una manifestación temprana del cambio climático |
| A vertical forest within the forest: millenary trees from the Valdivian rainforest as biodiversity hubs | Ecology | Tejo, C.; Fontúrbel, F. | 2019 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1002/ecy.2584 | http://doi.wiley.com/10.1002/ecy.2584 | e02584 | Vol: 100 Issue: 4 | 0012-9658 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | Alerce (Fitzroya cupressoides (Molina) I.M. Johnst., Cupressaceae), known as Lahuan by the Mapuche people, is the most iconic endemic conifer of southern Chile and adjacent Argentina (Fig. 1). It can reach monumental dimensions (up to 5 m in diameter and over 50 m in height) and has remarkable longevity (Lara et al. 1999, Clement et al. 2001, Donoso‐Zeggers 2006, Urrutia‐Jalabert et al. 2015). The oldest alerce tree recorded is over 3,600 years old, making this species the second longest‐lived tree in the world after the North American Bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva D. K. Bailey) (Lara and Villalba 1993). |
| Tras la huella del Cambio Climático | | Troncoso, M.; Rudloff, V. | 2019 | Agua y Extremos; Cambio de Uso de Suelo | | https://www.cr2.cl/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Tras-la-Huella-del-Cambio-Clima%CC%81tico.pdf | 59 | | | | | Spanish | El cambio climático es una realidad y Chile no está exento de su amenaza. En la última década se ha observado un aumento generalizado de las temperaturas a nivel global, además de otros eventos y alteraciones climáticas en distintas latitudes del planeta, las que han repercutido desfavorablemente en la población. Esto, sumado a la acelerada extinción de especies en el último siglo, nos muestra lo vulnerable que es la vida frente al cambio climático. Nuestro país también se ha visto afectado con las recientes olas de calor y un prolongado défcit de precipitaciones en gran parte de su territorio, lo cual corresponde a la antesala de las proyecciones climáticas para este fn de siglo. Entonces, ¿cómo será la vida en el futuro cercano? El cambio climático que estamos presenciando ha sido producto de la actividad humana, y afecta tanto a las personas y todas sus actividades, como a los ecosistemas que habitan el planeta. Es entonces fundamental hacernos cargo de este problema como sociedad, y para ello debemos entenderlo, estudiarlo y analizarlo desde distintos ángulos, como es desde las ciencias sociales y ciencias naturales. La presente guía de apoyo educacional busca abordar el cambio climático desde este último punto: las ciencias naturales. Presentación; ¿Por qué hacer esta guía de actividades? La comunidad científca ha sido clave en evidenciar el cambio climático, mostrando los motivos y sus posibles consecuencias. Pero esto no basta, ya que toda la sociedad debe ser partícipe a la hora de actuar en su contra. Luego, las personas deben entender la ciencia en torno al cambio climático, y esto comienza desde lo básico: el método científco. Esta guía es, pues, un viaje hacia la indagación científca dentro del marco del medio ambiente, y es importante que profesores y estudiantes trabajen juntos en este nuevo camino. ¿Por qué Chile es vulnerable al cambio climático? ¿Qué estamos haciendo y qué haremos en el futuro? Son preguntas que se están haciendo cada vez más frecuentes tanto en jóvenes como adultos. Es por tanto ahora el momento de que el aula de clases se vuelva un espacio de conversación sobre el cambio climático, y no solo como un tema de carácter global, sino también dentro la experiencia del entorno próximo. Solo mediante la observación de nuestro contexto, el medio ambiente y nuestra historia, es que como sociedad podremos hacer frente al cambio climático. |
| First evidence for cold-adapted anaerobic oxidation of methane in deep sediments of thermokarst lakes | Environmental Research Communications | Winkel, M.; Sepulveda-Jauregui, A.; Martinez-Cruz, K.; Heslop, J.; Rijkers, R.; Horn, F.; Liebner, S.; Walter Anthony, K. | 2019 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1088/2515-7620/ab1042 | http://stacks.iop.org/2515-7620/1/i=2/a=021002?key=crossref.5751fe233c14408fa25c87ac82e90cf1 | 021002 | Vol: 1 Issue: 2 | 2515-7620 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access | English | Microbial decomposition of thawed permafrost carbon in thermokarst lakes leads to the release of ancient carbon as the greenhouse gas methane (CH4), yet potential mitigating processes are not understood. Here, we report δ 13C–CH4 signatures in the pore water of a thermokarst lake sediment core that points towards in situ occurrence of anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM). Analysis of the microbial communities showed a natural enrichment in CH4-oxidizing archaeal communities that occur in sediment horizons at temperatures near 0 °C. These archaea also showed high rates of AOM in laboratory incubations. Calculation of the stable isotopes suggests that 41 to 83% of in situ dissolved CH4 is consumed anaerobically. Quantification of functional genes (mcrA) for anaerobic methanotrophic communities revealed up to 6.7 ± 0.7 × 105 copy numbers g−1 wet weight and showed similar abundances to bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences in the sediment layers with the highest AOM rates. We conclude that these AOM communities are fueled by CH4 produced from permafrost organic matter degradation in the underlying sediments that represent the radially expanding permafrost thaw front beneath the lake. If these communities are widespread in thermokarst environments, they could have a major mitigating effect on the global CH4 emissions. |
| The CAMELS-CL dataset - links to files. PANGAEA, https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.894885 | PANGAEA - Data Publisher for Earth & Environmental Science | Alvarez, C.; Mendoza, P.; Boisier, J.; Addor, N.; Galleguillos, M.; Zambrano-Bigiarini, M.; Lara, A.; Puelma, C.; Cortes, G.; Garreaud, R.; McPhee, J.; Ayala, A. | 2018 | Agua y Extremos; Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1594/PANGAEA.894885 | https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.894885 | | | | | | | |
| The CAMELS-CL dataset: catchment attributes and meteorology for large sample studies – Chile dataset | Hydrology and Earth System Sciences | Alvarez-Garreton, C.; Mendoza, P.; Boisier, J.; Addor, N.; Galleguillos, M.; Zambrano-Bigiarini, M.; Lara, A.; Puelma, C.; Cortes, G.; Garreaud, R.; McPhee, J.; Ayala, A. | 2018 | Agua y Extremos; Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.5194/hess-22-5817-2018 | https://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/22/5817/2018/ | 5817-5846 | Vol: 22 Issue: 11 | 1607-7938 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access | English | We introduce the first catchment dataset for large sample studies in Chile. This dataset includes 516 catchments; it covers particularly wide latitude (17.8 to 55.0°S) and elevation (0 to 6993ma.s.l.) ranges, and it relies on multiple data sources (including ground data, remote-sensed products and reanalyses) to characterise the hydroclimatic conditions and landscape of a region where in situ measurements are scarce. For each catchment, the dataset provides boundaries, daily streamflow records and basin-averaged daily time series of precipitation (from one national and three global datasets), maximum, minimum and mean temperatures, potential evapotranspiration (PET; from two datasets), and snow water equivalent. We calculated hydro-climatological indices using these time series, and leveraged diverse data sources to extract topographic, geological and land cover features. Relying on publicly available reservoirs and water rights data for the country, we estimated the degree of anthropic intervention within the catchments. To facilitate the use of this dataset and promote common standards in large sample studies, we computed most catchment attributes introduced by Addor et al. (2017) in their Catchment Attributes and MEteorology for Large-sample Studies (CAMELS) dataset, and added several others.
We used the dataset presented here (named CAMELS-CL) to characterise regional variations in hydroclimatic conditions over Chile and to explore how basin behaviour is influenced by catchment attributes and water extractions. Further, CAMELS-CL enabled us to analyse biases and uncertainties in basin-wide precipitation and PET. The characterisation of catchment water balances revealed large discrepancies between precipitation products in arid regions and a systematic precipitation underestimation in headwater mountain catchments (high elevations and steep slopes) over humid regions. We evaluated PET products based on ground data and found a fairly good performance of both products in humid regions (r > 0.91) and lower correlation (r < 0.76) in hyper-arid regions. Further, the satellite-based PET showed a consistent overestimation of observation-based PET. Finally, we explored local anomalies in catchment response by analysing the relationship between hydrological signatures and an attribute characterising the level of anthropic interventions. We showed that larger anthropic interventions are correlated with lower than normal annual flows, runoff ratios, elasticity of runoff with respect to precipitation, and flashiness of runoff, especially in arid catchments.
CAMELS-CL provides unprecedented information on catchments in a region largely underrepresented in large sample studies. This effort is part of an international initiative to create multi-national large sample datasets freely available for the community. CAMELS-CL can be visualised from http://camels.cr2.cl and downloaded from https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.894885. |
| Burn severity controls on postfire Araucaria-Nothofagus regeneration in the Andean Cordillera | Journal of Biogeography | Assal, T.; González, M.; Sibold, J. | 2018 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1111/jbi.13428 | http://doi.wiley.com/10.1111/jbi.13428 | 2483-2494 | Vol: 45 Issue: 11 | 0305-0270 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Hybrid Gold Open Access | English | Aim: The aim of the study was to investigate postfire regeneration patterns of Araucaria-Nothofagus forests on the west slope of the Andes; to evaluate the relationship between remotely sensed burn severity and forest mortality; and to assess controls of burn severity on forest response at local spatio-temporal scales. Location: Araucanía region in the western Andean Range of south-central Chile where fire occurred during the 2001–2002 season. Methods: Sampling of prefire stand structure and postfire vegetation response was performed along a burn severity gradient a decade after the fire. We evaluated the relationship between field-measured tree mortality and satellite-derived burn severity using a generalized linear model. We fit zero-inflated mixture models to regeneration data of each genus to assess the importance of abiotic variables, stand characteristics, and biotic interactions. Results: The relative version of the delta Normalized Burn Ratio explained 85% of the variability in canopy mortality. Nearly 12,000 hectares burned; the majority at high severity (67%). Regeneration densities of both genera were lower at higher levels of burn severity and higher with greater total basal area (live, dead, and down trees). The relative effect size of burn severity on regeneration was nearly twice as large for Nothofagus, which suggests information legacies of Araucaria have cascading effects on postdisturbance material legacies. Main conclusions: Araucaria-Nothofagus mortality from wildfire can be readily mapped using satellite-derived burn severity. Although environmental site characteristics and biotic interactions mediate regeneration, basal area, and burn severity are the main mechanisms controlling regeneration. Forest refugia and postfire regeneration are vulnerable to recurrent fire. Therefore, we expect future fire (either increased severity or frequency), driven by landscape level changes, as a potential mechanism that can reduce local resilience of these forests as initial postfire material legacies (e.g., refugia and regeneration) are removed from the landscape. Our findings highlight an approach to quantify important attributes of forest disturbance and refugia, and identify areas for monitoring postdisturbance regeneration as the forests throughout south-central Chile and Argentina face a multitude of potential change agents. |
| Recent intensification of Amazon flooding extremes driven by strengthened Walker circulation | Science Advances | Barichivich, J.; Gloor, E.; Peylin, P.; Brienen, R.; Schöngart, J.; Espinoza, J.; Pattnayak, K. | 2018 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1126/sciadv.aat8785 | http://advances.sciencemag.org/lookup/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aat8785 | eaat8785 | Vol: 4 Issue: 9 | 2375-2548 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access | English | The Amazon basin is the largest watershed on Earth. Although the variability of the Amazon hydrological cycle has been increasing since the late 1990s, its underlying causes have remained elusive. We use water levels in the Amazon River to quantify changes in extreme events and then analyze their cause. Despite continuing research emphasis on droughts, the largest change over recent decades is a marked increase in very severe floods. Increased flooding is linked to a strengthening of the Walker circulation, resulting from strong tropical Atlantic warming and tropical Pacific cooling. Atlantic warming due to combined anthropogenic and natural factors has contributed to enhance the change in atmospheric circulation. Whether this anomalous increase in flooding will last depends on the evolution of the tropical inter-ocean temperature difference. |
| Tree rings reveal globally coherent signature of cosmogenic radiocarbon events in 774 and 993 CE | Nature Communications | Büntgen, U.; Wacker, L.; Galván, J.; Arnold, S.; Arseneault, D.; Baillie, M.; Beer, J.; Bernabei, M.; Bleicher, N.; Boswijk, G.; Bräuning, A.; Carrer, M.; Ljungqvist, F.; Cherubini, P.; Christl, M.; Christie, D.; Clark, P.; Cook, E.; D’Arrigo, R.; Davi, N.; Eggertsson, Ó.; Esper, J.; Fowler, A.; Ged... | 2018 | Agua y Extremos; Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1038/s41467-018-06036-0 | http://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-06036-0 | art: 3605 | Vol: 9 Issue: 1 | 2041-1723 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access | English | Though tree-ring chronologies are annually resolved, their dating has never been independently validated at the global scale. Moreover, it is unknown if atmospheric radiocarbon enrichment events of cosmogenic origin leave spatiotemporally consistent fingerprints. Here we measure the 14C content in 484 individual tree rings formed in the periods 770–780 and 990–1000 CE. Distinct 14C excursions starting in the boreal summer of 774 and the boreal spring of 993 ensure the precise dating of 44 tree-ring records from five continents. We also identify a meridional decline of 11-year mean atmospheric radiocarbon concentrations across both hemispheres. Corroborated by historical eye-witness accounts of red auroras, our results suggest a global exposure to strong solar proton radiation. To improve understanding of the return frequency and intensity of past cosmic events, which is particularly important for assessing the potential threat of space weather on our society, further annually resolved 14C measurements are needed. |
| An unusual kind of diurnal streamflow variation | Journal of Hydrology and Hydromechanics | Cuevas, J.; Arumí, J.; Zúñiga-Feest, A.; Little, C. | 2018 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1515/johh-2017-0041 | http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/johh.2018.66.issue-1/johh-2017-0041/johh-2017-0041.xml | 32-42 | Vol: 66 Issue: 1 | 0042-790X | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access | English | During hydrological research in a Chilean swamp forest, we noted a pattern of higher streamflows close to midday and lower ones close to midnight, the opposite of an evapotranspiration (Et)-driven cycle. We analyzed this diurnal streamflow signal (DSS), which appeared mid-spring (in the growing season). The end of this DSS coincided with a sustained rain event in autumn, which deeply affected stream and meteorological variables. A survey along the stream revealed that the DSS maximum and minimum values appeared 6 and 4 hours earlier, respectively, at headwaters located in the mountain forests/ plantations than at the control point in the swamp forest. Et in the swamp forest was higher in the morning and in the late afternoon, but this process could not influence the groundwater stage. Trees in the mountain headwaters reached their maximum Ets in the early morning and/or close to midday. Our results suggest that the DSS is a wave that moves from forests high in the mountains towards lowland areas, where Et is decoupled from the DSS. This signal delay seems to convert the link between streamflow and Et in an apparent, but spurious positive relationship. It also highlights the role of landscape heterogeneity in shaping hydrological processes. |
| Nutrient and sediment losses to streams after intervention of eucalyptus plantations | Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition | Cuevas, J.; Little, C.; Lobos, D.; Lara, A.; Pino, M.; Acuña, A. | 2018 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.4067/S0718-95162018005001702 | https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-95162018005001702 | 576-596 | Vol: 18 Issue: 2 | 0718-9516 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Green Open Access; Hybrid Gold Open Access | English | The forestry industry is known for negatively affecting stream quality when proper management is not applied. Nutrient retention by soils and streamside vegetation buffer strips could attenuate these impacts. We tested the response of different streams to the nutrients and sediments released by a) fertilization and b) clear-cutting of Eucalyptus globulus plantations growing on volcanic soils in southern Chile. We expected the exports to decrease as the remnant streamside native forest width (SNFW) increased. The response to fertilization was restricted to the days immediately after the nutrient addition. On the contrary, most of the nutrients analysed (nitrate, ammonium, dissolved organic nitrogen, phosphate, and total phosphorus) showed a long-term response to clear-cutting. The observed trends were not affected by the SNFWs included in this study (2.5-22 m). Regarding sediments, there were no differences compared to the control watershed, probably due to improvements in the implemented management practices. We conclude that a SNFW < 22 m is not sufficient to avoid the loss of nutrients released by clear-cutting, as it is for sediments. The analysed SNFWs were smaller than those established by Chilean regulations (maximum 30 m) and our results support claims for wider riparian widths in order to effectively filter the nutrients and sediments that influence streams. © 2018, Sociedad Chilena de la Ciencia del Suelo. All rights reserved. |
| The cascade impacts of climate change could threaten key ecological interactions | Ecosphere | Fontúrbel, F.; Lara, A.; Lobos, D.; Little, C. | 2018 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1002/ecs2.2485 | https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ecs2.2485 | e02485 | Vol: 9 Issue: 12 | 2150-8925 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access | English | Climate change is triggering ecological responses all over the world as a result of frequent, prolonged droughts. It could also affect ecological interactions, particularly pollination and seed dispersal, which play a key role in plant reproduction. We used a tripartite interaction with a mistletoe, its pollinator and its disperser animals to gain insight into this issue. We studied flower and fruit production, and visitation rates during average (2012) and dry (2015) austral summers. Drought in our study area affected precipitation and soil water availability. Although pollinator visits did not significantly differ in these summers, during the dry summer flower and fruit production experienced an important decline, as did seed disperser visits. Also, mistletoe mortality increased from 12% in 2012 to 23% in 2015. This empirical evidence suggests that the cascade effects of climate change may indirectly be hindering ecological interactions in the Valdivian temperate rainforest ecosystem we studied. Long‐term research is essential to provide the knowledge necessary to understand how key ecological processes may be affected in a changing world. |
| The 2010-2015 Megadrought and its influence on the fire regime in central and south-central Chile | Ecosphere | González, M.; Gómez-González, S.; Lara, A.; Garreaud, R.; Díaz-Hormazábal, I. | 2018 | Agua y Extremos; Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1002/ecs2.2300 | http://doi.wiley.com/10.1002/ecs2.2300 | e02300 | Vol: 9 Issue: 8 | 2150-8925 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access | English | Forest fire activity has increased in recent years in central and south-central Chile. Drought conditions have been associated with the increase of large wildfires, area burned and longer fire seasons. This study examines the influence of drought on fire regimes and discusses landscape management opportunities to decrease fire hazard. Specifically, we investigate the effect of the 2010–2015 Megadrought (MD) compared to 1990–2009 period on fire activity (fire-season length, number of fires and burned area across months, fire sizes, regions and vegetation cover types, simultaneity, and duration of fires) in central and south-central Chile (32°–39° S), using contemporary fire statistics derived from the Chilean Forest Service. For large fire events (>200 ha) the average season length increased by 67 d (44%), comparing 2010–2015 to 1990–2009. Earlier and later ignition dates resulted in extended fire seasons in MD years. During the MD, the number, area burned, simultaneity, and duration of large fires increased significantly compared to the control period, including the unprecedented occurrence of large fires during winter. The burned area in large fires increased in all vegetation types, during the MD compared to the control period, especially in the exotic plantation cover type. The regions that were most affected by fire (i.e., total area burned) during the MD wereMaule, B ıo-B ıo, and Araucan ıa (35–39° S) that concentrate >75% of forest plantations in Chile. Although both maximum temperatures and precipitation are drivers of fire activity, a simple attribution analysis indicates that the sustained rainfall deficit during 2010–2015 was the most critical factor in the enhanced fire activity. Future climate change predictions indicate more recurrent, intense, and temporally extended droughts for central and south-central Chile. Under this scenario, land-use planning and fire and forest management strategies must promote a more diverse and less flammable landscape mosaic limiting high load, homogenous, and continuous exotic plantations. |
| Portugal and Chile: Longing for sustainable forestry while rising from the ashes | Environmental Science & Policy | Gómez-González, S.; Ojeda, F.; Fernandes, P. | 2018 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1016/j.envsci.2017.11.006 | http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1462901117307694 | 104-107 | Vol: 81 | 1462-9011 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | The recent catastrophic wildfires in Portugal and Chile shared similar features, not just because they developed under extreme weather conditions but also because extensive forest plantations were involved. Dense forest plantations of flammable pine and eucalypt species favor the development of high-intensity large fires, threatening people and the forest industry sustainability under increasingly frequent and severe drought events. Preventive land-use planning and cost-effective fuel management are key elements of sustainable forestry. Understanding the fire ecology context prior to plantation establishment is also crucial for the success of fire management planning. Although the forest industry has contributed to the economy of these countries, improved regulation and science-based management policies are strongly needed. Fuel treatment strategies can be optimized by risk-based modeling approaches, and should be mandatory in wildland-urban interfaces. The tragedy caused by these wildfires is an opportunity to change towards more sustainable landscape arrangements that reconcile ecosystem services, biodiversity conservation, and protection from life-threatening wildfires. |
| Heat shock and plant leachates regulate seed germination of the endangered carnivorous plant <i>Drosophyllum lusitanicum</i> | Web Ecology | Gómez-González, S.; Paniw, M.; Antunes, K.; Ojeda, F. | 2018 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.5194/we-18-7-2018 | https://www.web-ecol.net/18/7/2018/ | 7-13 | Vol: 18 Issue: 1 | 1399-1183 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access; Green Open Access | English | In fire-prone ecosystems, many plant species have specialized mechanisms of seed dormancy that ensure a successful recruitment after fire. A well-documented mechanism is the germination stimulated by firerelated cues, such as heat shock and smoke. However, less is known about the role of inhibitory germination signals (e.g. allelopathy) in regulating post-fire recruitment. Plant leachates derived from the unburned vegetation can enforce dormancy by means of allelopathic compounds, acting as a signal of unfavourable (highly competitive) niche for germination in pyrophyte species. Here, we assessed the separate effects of heat shock and plant leachates on seed germination of Drosophyllum lusitanicum, an endangered carnivorous plant endemic to Mediterranean fire-prone heathlands. We performed a germination experiment in which seeds were subjected to three treatments: (1) 5 min at 100 °C, (2) watering with plant leachate, and (3) control. Germination rate and seed viability was determined after 63 days. Heat shock stimulated seed germination in D. lusitanicum while plant leachates had inhibitory germination effects without reducing seed viability. Thus, both positive and negative signals could be involved in its successful post-fire recruitment. Fire would break seed dormancy and stimulate seed germination of D. lusitanicum through high temperatures, but also by eliminating allelochemical compounds from the soil. These results help to understand the population dynamics patterns found for D. lusitanicum in natural populations, and highlight the role of fire in the ecology and conservation of this endangered species. Seed dormancy imposed by plant-derived leachates as an adaptive mechanism should be considered more in fire ecology theory. |
| Spatio-temporal patterns of thermal anomalies and drought over tropical forests driven by recent extreme climatic anomalies | Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences | Jimenez, J.; Barichivich, J.; Mattar, C.; Takahashi, K.; Santamaría-Artigas, A.; Sobrino, J.; Malhi, Y. | 2018 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1098/rstb.2017.0300 | http://rstb.royalsocietypublishing.org/lookup/doi/10.1098/rstb.2017.0300 | 20170300 | Vol: 373 Issue: 1760 | 0962-8436 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Bronze Open Access | English | The recent 2015-2016 El Niño (EN) event was considered as strong as the EN in 1997-1998. Given such magnitude, it was expected to result in extreme warming and moisture anomalies in tropical areas. Here we characterize the spatial patterns of temperature anomalies and drought over tropical forests, including tropical South America (Amazonia), Africa and Asia/Indonesia during the 2015-2016 EN event. These spatial patterns of warming and drought are compared with those observed in previous strong EN events (1982-1983 and 1997-1998) and other moderate to strong EN events (e.g. 2004-2005 and 2009-2010). The link between the spatial patterns of drought and sea surface temperature anomalies in the central and eastern Pacific is also explored. We show that indeed the EN2015-2016 led to unprecedented warming compared to the other EN events over Amazonia, Africa and Indonesia, as a consequence of the background global warming trend. Anomalous accumulated extreme drought area over Amazonia was found during EN2015-2016, but this value may be closer to extreme drought area extents in the other two EN events in 1982-1983 and 1997-1998. Over Africa, datasets disagree, and it is difficult to conclude which EN event led to the highest accumulated extreme drought area. Our results show that the highest values of accumulated drought area over Africa were obtained in 2015-2016 and 1997-1998, with a long-term drying trend not observed over the other tropical regions. Over Indonesia, all datasets suggest that EN 1982-1983 and EN 1997-1998 (or even the drought of 2005) led to a higher extreme drought area than EN2015-2016. Uncertainties in precipitation datasets hinder consistent estimates of drought severity over tropical regions, and improved reanalysis products and station records are required.This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'The impact of the 2015/2016 El Niño on the terrestrial tropical carbon cycle: patterns, mechanisms and implications'. © 2018 The Author(s). |
| Impact of residential combustion and transport emissions on air pollution in Santiago during winter | Atmospheric Environment | Mazzeo, A.; Huneeus, N.; Ordoñez, C.; Orfanoz-Cheuquelaf, A.; Menut, L.; Mailler, S.; Valari, M.; Denier van der Gon, H.; Gallardo, L.; Muñoz, R.; Donoso, R.; Galleguillos, M.; Osses, M.; Tolvett, S. | 2018 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo; Ciudades Resilientes | 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2018.06.043 | https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1352231018304345 | 195-208 | Vol: 190 | 1352-2310 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | Santiago (33.5°S, 70.5°W), the capital of Chile, is frequently affected by extreme air pollution events during wintertime deteriorating air quality (AQ) and thus affecting the health of its population. Intense residential heating and on-road transport emissions combined with poor circulation and vertical mixing are the main factors responsible for these events. A modelling system composed of a chemistry-transport model (CHIMERE) and a meteorological model (WRF) was implemented to assess the AQ impacts of residential and transportation sources in the Santiago basin. A two-week period of July 2015 with various days with poor AQ was simulated focusing on the impact on AQ with respect to fully inhalable particles (PM2.5) and nitrogen oxides (NOX). Three emission scenarios, within the range of targeted reductions of the decontamination plan of Santiago, were tested; namely 50% reduction of residential emission, 50% reduction of transport emissions and the combination of both. An additional scenario decreasing transport emissions in 10% was carried out to examine whether a linear dependence of surface concentrations on changes in emissions exists.
The system was validated against surface and vertically resolved meteorological measurements. The model reproduces the daily surface concentration variability from the AQ monitoring network of Santiago. However, the model not fully captures the emissions variations inferred from the observations which may be due to missing sources such as resuspension of dust.
Results show that, during the period studied, although both residential and transportation sources contribute to observed AQ levels in Santiago, reducing transport emissions is more effective in terms of reducing the number of days with pollution events than decreasing residential combustion. This difference in impact is largely due to the spatial distribution of the emission sources. While most of the residential combustion is emitted in the outskirts of the city, most of the transport emissions occur within the city, where most of the stations from AQ monitoring network of Santiago are located. As can be expected, the largest improvement of AQ in Santiago is achieved by the combined reduction of emissions in both sectors. Sensitivity analysis with 10% reduction in transport emissions reveals a linear behavior between emissions and concentrations for NOX and approximate linear behavior for PM2.5. The absence of secondary aerosols formation and dust resuspension in the current simulation could explain this deviation from linearity for fine particles. Nevertheless, it suggests that the results can be used for mitigation policies with emissions reductions below the 50% used in this study. |
| Landscape drivers of recent fire activity (2001-2017) in south-central Chile | PLOS ONE | McWethy, D.; Pauchard, A.; García, R.; Holz, A.; González, M.; Veblen, T.; Stahl, J.; Currey, B. | 2018 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1371/journal.pone.0201195 | http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0201195 | e0201195 | Vol: 13 Issue: 8 | 1932-6203 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access | English | In recent decades large fires have affected communities throughout central and southern Chile with great social and ecological consequences. Despite this high fire activity, the controls and drivers and the spatiotemporal pattern of fires are not well understood. To identify the large-scale trends and drivers of recent fire activity across six regions in south-central Chile (~32–40 S Latitude) we evaluated MODIS satellite-derived fire detections and compared this data with Chilean Forest Service records for the period 2001–2017. MODIS burned area estimates provide a spatially and temporally comprehensive record of fire activity across an important bioclimatic transition zone between dry Mediterranean shrublands/ sclerophyllous forests and wetter deciduous-broadleaf evergreen forests. Results suggest fire activity was highly variable in any given year, with no statistically significant trend in the number of fires or mean annual area burned. Evaluation of the variables associated with spatiotemporal patterns of fire for the 2001–2017 period indicate vegetation type, biophysical conditions (e.g., elevation, slope), mean annual and seasonal climatic conditions (e.g., precipitation) and mean population density have the greatest influence on the probability of fire occurrence and burned area for any given year. Both the number of fires and annual area burned were greatest in warmer, biomass-rich lowland Bío-Bío and Araucanía regions. Resource selection analyses indicate fire ‘preferentially’ occurs in exotic plantation forests, mixed native-exotic forests, native sclerophyll forests, pasture lands and matorral, vegetation types that all provide abundant, flammable and connected biomass for burning. Structurally and compositionally homogenous exotic plantation forests may promote fire spread greater than native deciduous-Nothofagaceae forests which were once widespread in the southern parts of the study area. In the future, the coincidence of warmer and drier conditions in landscapes dominated by flammable and fuel-rich forest plantations and mixed native-exotic and sclerophyll forests are likely to further promote large fires in south-central Chile. © 2018 McWethy et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. |
| Monitoring Chilean native forest area: a pending challenge | Bosque (Valdivia) | Miranda, A.; Lara, A.; Altamirano, A.; Zamorano-Elgueta, C.; Hernández, H.; González, M.; Pauchard, A.; Promis, Á. | 2018 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.4067/S0717-92002018000200265 | http://www.scielo.cl/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0717-92002018000200265&lng=en&nrm=iso&tlng=en | 265-275 | Vol: 39 Issue: 2 | 0717-9200 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access | English | Forest monitoring is important for decision making of forest management and conservation. In Chile, the forest monitoring system was initiated in 1994, which has been continued through the implementation of regional updates. This has enabled a temporal monitoring of the distribution and surface covered by native forest. However, while regional updates have reported increase in the surface covered by native forest, other studies have shown an opposite trend. Therefore, the capacity of the forest monitoring system to measure the temporal variation in forest areas was evaluated. Specifically, a review of reports and official data of the national forest monitoring system was carried out through the fulfillment of three basic criteria: i) comparability, ii) replicability and iii) quality. According to our results, the Chilean forest monitoring system does not fulfill their basic requirements because: (i) methodologies have not been consistent over time; (ii) it does not provide a baseline of land cover or forest loss that allows comparisons with changing forest area; iii) there is not adequate error estimation and how it can affect the results and analysis of monitoring. The national forest monitoring system requires a redefinition of its aims and methods, guiding them to the long term by convening different stakeholders looking for a national agreement. |
| Onset and Evolution of Southern Annular Mode-Like Changes at Centennial Timescale | Scientific Reports | Moreno, P.; Vilanova, I.; Villa-Martínez, R.; Dunbar, R.; Mucciarone, D.; Kaplan, M.; Garreaud, R.; Rojas, M.; Moy, C.; De Pol-Holz, R.; Lambert, F. | 2018 | Agua y Extremos; Cambio de Uso de Suelo; Ciudades Resilientes; Gobernanza e Interfaz Ciencia y Política | 10.1038/s41598-018-21836-6 | http://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-21836-6 | art: 3458 | Vol: 8 Issue: 1 | 2045-2322 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access | English | The Southern Westerly Winds (SWW) are the surface expression of geostrophic winds that encircle the southern mid-latitudes. In conjunction with the Southern Ocean, they establish a coupled system that not only controls climate in the southern third of the world, but is also closely connected to the position of the Intertropical Convergence Zone and CO2 degassing from the deep ocean. Paradoxically, little is known about their behavior since the last ice age and relationships with mid-latitude glacier history and tropical climate variability. Here we present a lake sediment record from Chilean Patagonia (51°S) that reveals fluctuations of the low-level SWW at mid-latitudes, including strong westerlies during the Antarctic Cold Reversal, anomalously low intensity during the early Holocene, which was unfavorable for glacier growth, and strong SWW since ∼7.5 ka. We detect nine positive Southern Annular Mode-like events at centennial timescale since ∼5.8 ka that alternate with cold/wet intervals favorable for glacier expansions (Neoglaciations) in southern Patagonia. The correspondence of key features of mid-latitude atmospheric circulation with shifts in tropical climate since ∼10 ka suggests that coherent climatic shifts in these regions have driven climate change in vast sectors of the Southern Hemisphere at centennial and millennial timescales. |
| Global Climate - d. Hydrological cycle - Drought | State of the Climate 2017, Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society | Osborn, T.; Barichivich, J.; Harris, I.; Schrier, G.; Jones, P. | 2018 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1175/2018BAMSStateoftheClimate.1 | http://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/10.1175/2018BAMSStateoftheClimate.1 | S36-S37 | Vol: 99 Issue: 8 | 0003-0007 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Bronze Open Access | English | Hydrological drought results from a period of abnormally low precipitation, sometimes exacerbated by additional evapotranspiration (ET), and its occurrence can be apparent in reduced river discharge, soil moisture, and/or groundwater storage, depending on season and duration of the event. Here, an estimate of drought called the self-calibrating Palmer drought severity index (scPDSI; Wells et al. 2004; van der Schrier et al. 2013) is presented, using precipitation and Penman–Monteith potential ET from an early update of the CRU TS 3.26 dataset (I. Harris et al. 2014). Moisture categories are calibrated over the complete 1901–2017 period to ensure that “extreme” droughts and pluvials relate to events that do not occur more frequently than in approximately 2% of the months. This affects direct comparison with other hydrological cycle variables in Plate 2.1s that use a different base period. |
| Adding new evidence to the attribution puzzle of the recent water shortage over São Paulo (Brazil) | Tellus A: Dynamic Meteorology and Oceanography | Pattnayak, K.; Gloor, E.; Tindall, J.; Brienen, R.; Barichivich, J.; Baker, J.; Spracklen, D.; Cintra, B.; Coelho, C. | 2018 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1080/16000870.2018.1481690 | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/16000870.2018.1481690 | 1-14 | Vol: 70 Issue: 1 | 1600-0870 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access | English | View references (44)
São Paulo, Brazil has experienced severe water shortages and record low levels of its water reservoirs in 2013–2014. We evaluate the contributions of Amazon deforestation and climate change to low precipitation levels using a modelling approach, and address whether similar precipitation anomalies might occur more frequently in a warming world. Precipitation records from INMET show that the dry anomaly extended over a fairly large region to the north of São Paulo. Unique features of this event were anomalous sea surface temperature (SST) patterns in the Southern Atlantic, an extension of the sub tropical high into the São Paulo region and moisture flux divergence over São Paulo. The SST anomalies were very similar in 2013/14 and 2014/15, suggesting they played a major role in forcing the dry conditions. The SST anomalies consisted of three zonal bands: a cold band in the tropics, a warm band to the south of São Paulo and another cold band poleward of 40 S. We performed ensemble climate simulations with observed SSTs prescribed, vegetation cover either fixed at 1870 levels or varying over time, and greenhouse gases (GHGs) either fixed at pre-industrial levels (280 ppm CO2) or varying over time. These simulations exhibit similar precipitation deficits over the São Paulo region in 2013/14. From this, we infer that SST patterns and the associated large-scale state of the atmosphere were important factors in determining the precipitation anomalies, while deforestation and increased GHGs only weakly modulated the signal. Finally, analyses of future climate simulations from CMIP5 models indicate that the frequency of such precipitation anomalies is not likely to change in a warmer climate. © 2018, © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. |
| Chronology, stratigraphy and hydrological modelling of extensive wetlands and paleolakes in the hyperarid core of the Atacama Desert during the late quaternary | Quaternary Science Reviews | Pfeiffer, M.; Latorre, C.; Santoro, C.; Gayo, E.; Rojas, R.; Carrevedo, M.; McRostie, V.; Finstad, K.; Heimsath, A.; Jungers, M.; De Pol-Holz, R.; Amundson, R. | 2018 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo; Ciudades Resilientes | 10.1016/j.quascirev.2018.08.001 | https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0277379117310521 | 224-245 | Vol: 197 | 0277-3791 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Green Open Access | English | The halite-encrusted salt pans (salars) present at low elevations of the hyperarid core of the Atacama Desert in northern Chile are unique features of one of the driest and possibly oldest deserts on Earth. Here we show that these landscapes were shallow freshwater lakes and wetlands during the last glacial period, periodically between ~46.9 ka and 7.7 ka. The moisture appears to have been sourced from increased Andean runoff and most of our chronologies for these deposits were coeval with the Central Andean Pluvial Event (17.5-14.2 ka and 13.8-9.7 ka), but we also find evidence for older as well as slightly younger wet phases. These environments supported a diverse hygrophyte vegetation, as well as an array of diatoms, ostracods and gastropods. Using a regional hydrological model, we estimate that recharge rates from 1.5 to 4 times present were required to activate and maintain these wetlands in the past. Activation in the late Pleistocene was part of a regional enhancement of water resources, extending from the Andes, downstream and through riparian corridors, to the lowest and most arid portions of the desert itself. This fundamentally unique environment was encountered by the earliest human explorers in the region, and most likely facilitated migration and encampments on a landscape that at present lacks macroscopic life on its surface. |
| First evidence of a mid-Holocene earthquake-triggered megaturbidite south of the Chile Triple Junction | Sedimentary Geology | Piret, L.; Bertrand, S.; Kissel, C.; De Pol-Holz, R.; Tamayo Hernando, A.; Van Daele, M. | 2018 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1016/j.sedgeo.2018.01.002 | https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0037073818300113 | 120-133 | Vol: 375 | 00370738 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Green Open Access | English | Megaturbidites have been the focus of many paleoseismic and paleoenvironmental studies because they can provide evidence for catastrophic and/or hazardous events with potentially major environmental implications. During a recent research cruise in Baker Fjord, Chile (47°54′S–74°30′W), a megaturbidite was described between the Northern and Southern Patagonian Icefields. Here, we aim to determine the depositional processes of the megaturbidite and identify its origin. Based on the turbidite's location, a possible origin was the early Holocene drainage of paleo-lake General Carrera, which was recently proposed in the literature as having produced a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) that drained through Baker Fjord. Due to the fjord's location in a subduction zone, and close to the Chile Triple Junction, however, seismic activity must also be considered as a potential triggering mechanism. To achieve our goals, we undertook a multi-proxy analysis of sediment core MD07-3121, including sedimentology (grain size, loss-on-ignition, foraminifera counts), magnetic properties, bulk organic geochemistry, and radiocarbon dating, and we analysed bathymetric maps and sub-bottom profiles. Our grain-size results display a diagnostic fining upward trend and show evidence of seiching in the 733-cm-thick megaturbidite. The age of the event (5513–5211 cal yr BP) contradicts the hypothesis of an early Holocene GLOF origin. Bulk organic geochemical results indicate that the sediments that compose the turbidite are clearly of marine origin, which further goes against a GLOF origin. In addition, the megaturbidite is underlain by a 1136 cm thick mass transport deposit (MTD), also composed of marine sediments. According to the sub-bottom profiles, the MTD and the megaturbidite originate from the reworking of thick packages of sediment previously deposited on nearby sills and on the fjord's flanks. Furthermore, similar coeval deposits are found in an adjacent sub-basin. We therefore interpret these deposits to be triggered by an earthquake during the late mid-Holocene. While megathrust and intraslab earthquakes are possible in the region, we argue that a crustal earthquake is the most likely seismic trigger in the study area. This study reveals the first earthquake-triggered megaturbidite south of the Chile Triple Junction. |
| Coupled human-climate signals on the fire history of upper Cachapoal Valley, Mediterranean Andes of Chile, since 1201 CE | Global and Planetary Change | Rozas, V.; Le Quesne, C.; Rojas-Badilla, M.; González, M.; González-Reyes, Á. | 2018 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1016/j.gloplacha.2018.05.013 | https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0921818117304988 | 137-147 | Vol: 167 | 0921-8181 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | The long-term history of fire regimes in the Mediterranean Andes of Chile is almost unknown. Subalpine woodlands of Austrocedrus chilensis include long-lived trees resilient to low-intensity fires, which can provide valuable tree-ring-based information about fire history. In this work, we performed an annually resolved multicentury reconstruction of past fires from fire-scar records identified in relict Austrocedrus wood found on steep highly-eroded and rocky slopes with coarser fuel structure in the upper Cachapoal Valley, central Andes of Chile. We compared this fire record with historical land-use changes and extensive reconstructions of regional precipitation and temperature, as well as large-scale climatic patterns. The highest fire frequencies were recorded in the Spanish settlement period (1541–1750), when land-clearing activities, cattle ranching, agriculture, and mining practices became widespread after the Spanish conquest. At an interannual time scale, fire occurrence and precipitation were unconnected during the Spanish settlement. By contrast, in the indigenous period (1200–1540), under the influence of the aboriginal Chiquillanes people, fires occurred in wet years with high vegetation productivity. In the livestock grazing period (1751–1950), when large cattle ranches were established, fires occurred in dry years after a wet year. Fires in this period were likely ignited under conditions of high fuel flammability to improve plant production and promote intensive livestock grazing. At a multidecadal time scale, fires were more frequent in cold periods throughout the whole record. These findings suggest that herbaceous fuel accumulation and flammability, modulated by climate variation and human land uses, were the main factors promoting fires spread in this Mediterranean subalpine area. Our research emphasizes the importance of relict Austrocedrus wood for fire history reconstruction and expands knowledge about fire regime shifts over the past eight centuries in southern South America. |
| Climate variability and forest fires in central and south-central Chile | Ecosphere | Urrutia-Jalabert, R.; González, M.; González-Reyes, Á.; Lara, A.; Garreaud, R. | 2018 | Agua y Extremos; Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1002/ecs2.2171 | http://doi.wiley.com/10.1002/ecs2.2171 | e02171 | Vol: 9 Issue: 4 | 2150-8925 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access | English | This paper evaluates the relationship between fire occurrence (number and burned area) and
climate variability (precipitation and maximum temperatures) across central and south-central Chile
(32°–43° S) during recent decades (1976–2013). This region sustains the largest proportion of the Chilean
population, contains ecologically important remnants of endemic ecosystems, the largest extension of
forest exotic plantations, and concentrates most of the fire activity in the country. Fire activity in central
Chile was mainly associated with above-average precipitation during winter of the previous year and
with dry conditions during spring to summer. The later association was particularly strong in the southern,
wetter part of the study region. Maximum temperature had a positive significant relationship with
burned area across the study region, with stronger correlations toward the south. Fires in central Chile
were significantly related to El Nino~ –Southern Oscillation, through rainfall anomalies during the year
previous to the fire season. The Antarctic Oscillation during winter through summer was positively
related to fires across the study area due to drier/warmer conditions associated with the positive polarity
of this oscillation. Climate change projections for the region reveal an all-season decrease in precipitation
and increases in temperature, that may likely result in an increment of the occurrence and the area
affected by fires, as it has been observed during a multi-year drought afflicting central Chile since 2010. |
| Elucidating the hydraulic vulnerability of the longest-lived Southern Hemisphere conifer to aridification | Forest Ecology and Management | Urrutia-Jalabert, R.; Peña, M.; Coopman, R.; Carvajal, D.; Jiménez-Castillo, M.; Lara, A.; Cosimo, D.; Lobos-Catalán, P. | 2018 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1016/j.foreco.2018.08.027 | https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S037811271830793X | 472-484 | Vol: 430 | 0378-1127 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | Drier climatic conditions will be the future scenario in many regions worldwide, including southern South America. Few studies have characterized the ecophysiological vulnerability of the endemic tree species that inhabit this area, to climate change. In this study we assessed the hydraulic vulnerability of the longest-lived tree of the Southern Hemisphere, Fitzroya cupressoides, focusing on adult trees and saplings from two highly disturbed populations: the Coastal Range (AC) and Central Depression (FN) of southern Chile, which represent contrasting site conditions. This, as a basis for the design of conservation strategies to safeguard the persistence of these endangered forests in a drier future. We assessed water potentials (WP) throughout a growing season, their relationships with environmental conditions, as well as leaf and stem (branch) traits and hydraulic safety margins. Despite that the studied summer was the second driest in the last seven decades, minimum WP were not that negative (−1.3 to −1.5 MPa); which could be partly explained by a high leaf capacitance in this species. Adult trees and saplings from both sites did not significantly differ in their WP at turgor loss point, and their associated leaf safety margins, which were relatively low in all cases. However, they significantly differed in the xylem WP causing a 50% loss of stem conductivity (P50): adults AC: −5.14, saplings AC: −2.53, adults FN: −3.71, and saplings FN: −3.87 MPa. These values led to a relatively large stem safety margin (SSM) in most cases, and their variation was not explained neither by wood density, nor by tracheid size changes. Moreover, there appears to be an ontogenic adjustment in the more restrictive site AC, which was not seen in FN. Within the continuum of species strategies to cope with water stress, Fitzroya has features of the two ends of the continuum: tissues with large SSM, and tissues that sustain milder operation pressures through capacitance. Although Fitzroya appears to be relatively resistant to water scarcity, saplings from AC, seem to be the most vulnerable to the aridification trend in southern Chile. Moreover, future drying could become a significant extra threat to the highly endangered Central Depression population. Conservation actions are urgently needed to secure the future of Fitzroya forests in southern Chile. |
| Influence of Glacier Melting and River Discharges on the Nutrient Distribution and DIC Recycling in the Southern Chilean Patagonia | Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences | Vargas, C.; Cuevas, L.; Silva, N.; González, H.; De Pol-Holz, R.; Narváez, D. | 2018 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1002/2017JG003907 | http://doi.wiley.com/10.1002/2017JG003907 | 256-270 | Vol: 123 Issue: 1 | 2169-8953 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | The Chilean Patagonia constitutes one of the most important and extensive fjord systems worldwide, therefore can be used as a natural laboratory to elucidate the pathway of both organic and inorganic matter in the receiving environment. In this study we use data collected during an intensive oceanographic cruise along the Magellan Strait into the Almirantazgo Fjord in southern Patagonia to evaluate how different sources of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and recycling may impact particulate organic carbon (POC) δ13C and influence the nutrients and carbonate system spatial distribution. The carbonate system presented large spatial heterogeneity. The lowest total alkalinity and DIC were associated to freshwater dilution observed near melting glaciers. The δ13CDIC analysis suggests that most DIC in the upper 50 m depth was not derived from terrestrial organic matter remineralization. 13C-depleted riverine and ice-melting DIC influence the DIC pool along the study area, but due to that DIC concentration from rivers and glaciers is relatively low, atmospheric carbon contribution or biological processes seem to be more relevant. Intense undersaturation of CO2 was observed in high chlorophyll waters. Respired DIC coming from the bottom waters seems to be almost insignificant for the inorganic carbon pool and therefore do not impact significantly the stable carbon isotopic composition of dissolved organic carbon and POC in the upper 50 m depth. Considering the combined effect of cold and low alkalinity waters due to ice melting, our results highlight the importance of these processes in determining corrosive waters for CaCO3 and local acidification processes associated to calving glacier in fjord ecosystems. |
| Memoria institucional 2013 - 2017 | | | 2017 | Agua y Extremos; Cambio de Uso de Suelo; Ciudades Resilientes; Gobernanza e Interfaz Ciencia y Política; Zonas Costeras | | https://www.cr2.cl/memoria-institucional-cr2-2013-2017/ | | | | | | | |
| Which seed origin provides better tolerance to flooding and drought when restoring to face climate change? | Austral Ecology | Bustos-Salazar, A.; Smith-Ramírez, C.; Zúñiga-Feest, A.; Alves, F.; Ivanovich, R. | 2017 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1111/aec.12521 | https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.12521 | 934-946 | Vol: 42 Issue: 8 | 1442-9985 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | Our goal was to establish the tolerance to flooding and drought of seedlings from a hydric gradient of different seed sources to provide recommendations for forest restoration in the face of climate change. We used Drimys winteri var. chilensis, a tree species that grows from extreme arid zones to wetlands along Chile, as the study subject. We expected that seedlings of xeric origin would perform better in drought conditions than populations from moist environments, and vice versa for flooding tolerance. We collected D. winteri seeds from xeric, mesic and wet environments. Seedlings at two development stages were submitted to an extreme flooding and drought treatment during 2 or 4 months in a common garden. After the flooding and drought assays finished, the number of surviving and damaged seedlings, lenticels and adventitious root presence, height, new leaves and specific leaf area, shoot/root ratio, water potential and/or chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm), were recorded. We found that flooding and drought affected almost all the parameters studied negatively. The xeric population seedlings, at both development stages studied, were the most tolerant to the drought and, unexpectedly, also to the flooding treatment. We recommend restoring with seedlings of xeric origin especially in arid areas where sudden flooding is frequent, as occurs in the Andes Mountains. In the face of climate change, we recommend carrying out common garden and field studies before advising which population origin should be used for restoration, since they do not always respond in accordance with expected patterns of local adaptation. © 2017 Ecological Society of Australia |
| Predicting Vascular Plant Diversity in Anthropogenic Peatlands: Comparison of Modeling Methods with Free Satellite Data | Remote Sensing | Castillo-Riffart, I.; Galleguillos, M.; Lopatin, J.; Perez-Quezada, J. | 2017 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.3390/rs9070681 | http://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/9/7/681 | 681 | Vol: 9 Issue: 7 | 2072-4292 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access; Green Open Access | English | Peatlands are ecosystems of great relevance, because they have an important number of ecological functions that provide many services to mankind. However, studies focusing on plant diversity, addressed from the remote sensing perspective, are still scarce in these environments. In the present study, predictions of vascular plant richness and diversity were performed in three anthropogenic peatlands on Chiloé Island, Chile, using free satellite data from the sensors OLI, ASTER, and MSI. Also, we compared the suitability of these sensors using two modeling methods: random forest (RF) and the generalized linear model (GLM). As predictors for the empirical models, we used the spectral bands, vegetation indices and textural metrics. Variable importance was estimated using recursive feature elimination (RFE). Fourteen out of the 17 predictors chosen by RFE were textural metrics, demonstrating the importance of the spatial context to predict species richness and diversity. Non-significant differences were found between the algorithms; however, the GLM models often showed slightly better results than the RF. Predictions obtained by the different satellite sensors did not show significant differences; nevertheless, the best models were obtained with ASTER (richness: R2 = 0.62 and %RMSE = 17.2, diversity: R2 = 0.71 and %RMSE = 20.2, obtained with RF and GLM respectively), followed by OLI and MSI. Diversity obtained higher accuracies than richness; nonetheless, accurate predictions were achieved for both, demonstrating the potential of free satellite data for the prediction of relevant community characteristics in anthropogenic peatland ecosystems. © 2017 by the authors. |
| The 2010-2015 mega drought in Central Chile: Impacts on regional hydroclimate and vegetation | Hydrology and Earth System Sciences | Garreaud, R.; Alvarez-Garreton, C.; Barichivich, J.; Boisier, J.; Christie, D.; Galleguillos, M.; LeQuesne, C.; McPhee, J.; Zambrano-Bigiarini, M. | 2017 | Agua y Extremos; Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.5194/hess-21-6307-2017 | https://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci-discuss.net/hess-2017-191/ | 6307-6327 | Vol: 21 Issue: 12 | 1027-5606 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access; Green Open Access | English | Since 2010 an uninterrupted sequence of dry years, with annual rainfall deficits ranging from 25 to 45 %, has prevailed in Central Chile (western South America, 30–38° S). Although intense 1- or 2-year droughts are recurrent in this Mediterranean-like region, the ongoing event stands out because of its longevity and large spatial extent. The extraordinary character of the so-called Central Chile Mega Drought (MD) was established against century long historical records and a millennial tree-ring reconstruction of regional precipitation. The largest MD-averaged rainfall relative anomalies occurred in the northern, semi-arid sector of central Chile but the event was unprecedented to the south of 35° S. ENSO neutral conditions have prevailed since 2011 (but for the strong El Niño 2015) contrasting with La Niña conditions that often accompanied past droughts. The precipitation deficit diminished the Andean snowpack and resulted in amplified declines (up to 90 %) of river flow, reservoir volumes and groundwater levels along central Chile and westernmost Argentina. In some semiarid basins we also found a conspicuous decrease in the runoff-to-rainfall coefficient. A substantial decrease in vegetation productivity occurred in the shrubland-dominated, northern sector, but a mix of greening and browning patches occurred farther south where irrigated croplands and exotic forest plantations dominate. The ongoing warming in central Chile, making the MD one of the warmest 6-year period on record, may have also contributed to such complex vegetation changes by increasing potential evapotranspiration. The understanding of the nature and biophysical impacts of the MD contributes to preparedness efforts to face a dry, warm future regional climate scenario. |
| Postfire responses of the woody flora of Central Chile: Insights from a germination experiment | PLOS ONE | Gómez-González, S.; Paula, S.; Cavieres, L.; Pausas, J. | 2017 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1371/journal.pone.0180661 | http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0180661 | e0180661 | Vol: 12 Issue: 7 | 1932-6203 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access | English | Fire is a selective agent shaping plant traits and community assembly in fire-prone ecosystems. However, in ecosystems with no fire history, it can be a cause of land degradation when it is suddenly introduced by humans, as plant species may not be able to respond to such novel disturbance. Unlike other Mediterranean-type ecosystems (MTE) of the world, natural fires have not been frequent during the Quaternary in the matorral of Central Chile, and thus, plant adaptive responses are expected to be uncommon. We evaluated the effect of heat shock on seed survival and germination of 21 native woody plants of the Chilean matorral and compiled information on smoke-stimulation and resprouting, to evaluate the importance of fire-adaptive responses in the context of the other MTE. We found that in the Chilean woody flora negative seed responses to fire cues were more frequent than positive responses. Although resprouting is a relatively widespread trait, fire-stimulated germination is not as common in the Chilean matorral as in other MTE. The seeds of seven endemic species were strongly damaged by fire cues and this should be considered in post-fire restoration planning. However, our results also showed that many species were resistant to elevated doses of heat shock and in some, germination was even stimulated. Thus, future research should focus on the evolutionary causes of these responses. These findings could help to develop strategies for fire management in the Chilean matorral. In addition, they will improve our understanding of the evolutionary forces that shaped this plant community and to better frame this region among the other MTE worldwide. |
| Southern Annular Mode drives multicentury wildfire activity in southern South America | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences | Holz, A.; Paritsis, J.; Mundo, I.; Veblen, T.; Kitzberger, T.; Williamson, G.; Aráoz, E.; Bustos-Schindler, C.; González, M.; Grau, H.; Quezada, J. | 2017 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1073/pnas.1705168114 | http://www.pnas.org/lookup/doi/10.1073/pnas.1705168114 | 9552-9557 | Vol: 114 Issue: 36 | 0027-8424, 1091-6490 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Bronze Open Access | English | The Southern Annular Mode (SAM) is the main driver of climate variability at mid to high latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere, affecting wildfire activity, which in turn pollutes the air and contributes to human health problems and mortality, and potentially provides strong feedback to the climate system through emissions and land cover changes. Here we report the largest Southern Hemisphere network of annually resolved tree ring fire histories, consisting of 1,767 fire-scarred trees from 97 sites (from 22 °S to 54 °S) in southern South America (SAS), to quantify the coupling of SAM and regional wildfire variability using recently created multicentury proxy indices of SAM for the years 1531–2010 AD. We show that at interannual time scales, as well as at multidecadal time scales across 37–54 °S, latitudinal gradient elevated wildfire activity is synchronous with positive phases of the SAM over the years 1665–1995. Positive phases of the SAM are associated primarily with warm conditions in these biomass-rich forests, in which widespread fire activity depends on fuel desiccation. Climate modeling studies indicate that greenhouse gases will force SAM into its positive phase even if stratospheric ozone returns to normal levels, so that climate conditions conducive to widespread fire activity in SAS will continue throughout the 21st century. © 2017, National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. |
| Assimilating satellite-based canopy height within an ecosystem model to estimate aboveground forest biomass: Assimilating Canopy Height Into Biomass | Geophysical Research Letters | Joetzjer, E.; Pillet, M.; Ciais, P.; Barbier, N.; Chave, J.; Schlund, M.; Maignan, F.; Barichivich, J.; Luyssaert, S.; Hérault, B.; von Poncet, F.; Poulter, B. | 2017 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1002/2017GL074150 | http://doi.wiley.com/10.1002/2017GL074150 | 6823-6832 | Vol: 44 Issue: 13 | 00948276 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Green Open Access | English | Despite advances in Earth observation and modeling, estimating tropical biomass remains a challenge. Recent work suggests that integrating satellite measurements of canopy height within ecosystem models is a promising approach to infer biomass. We tested the feasibility of this approach to retrieve aboveground biomass (AGB) at three tropical forest sites by assimilating remotely sensed canopy height derived from a texture analysis algorithm applied to the high-resolution Pleiades imager in the Organizing Carbon and Hydrology in Dynamic Ecosystems Canopy (ORCHIDEE-CAN) ecosystem model. While mean AGB could be estimated within 10% of AGB derived from census data in average across sites, canopy height derived from Pleiades product was spatially too smooth, thus unable to accurately resolve large height (and biomass) variations within the site considered. The error budget was evaluated in details, and systematic errors related to the ORCHIDEE-CAN structure contribute as a secondary source of error and could be overcome by using improved allometric equations. |
| The pre-Columbian introduction and dispersal of Algarrobo (Prosopis, Section Algarobia) in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile | PLOS ONE | McRostie, V.; Gayo, E.; Santoro, C.; De Pol-Holz, R.; Latorre, C. | 2017 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo; Ciudades Resilientes | 10.1371/journal.pone.0181759 | http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0181759 | e0181759 | Vol: 12 Issue: 7 | 1932-6203 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access; Green Open Access | English | Archaeological and palaeoecological studies throughout the Americas have documented widespread landscape and environmental transformation during the pre-Columbian era. The highly dynamic Formative (or Neolithic) period in northern Chile (ca. 3700–1550 yr BP) brought about the local establishment of agriculture, introduction of new crops (maize, quinoa, manioc, beans, etc.) along with a major population increase, new emergent villages and technological innovations. Even trees such as the Algarrobos (Prosopis section Algarobia) may have been part of this transformation. Here, we provide evidence that these species were not native to the Atacama Desert of Chile (18–27S), appearing only in the late Holocene and most likely due to human actions. We assembled a database composed of 41 taxon specific AMS radiocarbon dates from archaeobotanical and palaeoecological records (rodent middens, leaf litter deposits), as well an extensive bibliographical review comprising archaeobotanical, paleoecological, phylogenetic and taxonomic data to evaluate the chronology of introduction and dispersal of these trees. Although Algarrobos could have appeared as early as 4200 yr BP in northernmost Chile, they only became common throughout the Atacama over a thousand years later, during and after the Formative period. Cultural and natural factors likely contributed to its spread and consolidation as a major silvicultural resource. |
| Ecosystem engineering by Fascicularia bicolor in the canopy of the South-American temperate rainforest | Forest Ecology and Management | Ortega-Solís, G.; Díaz, I.; Mellado-Mansilla, D.; Tello, F.; Moreno, R.; Tejo, C. | 2017 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1016/j.foreco.2017.06.020 | http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0378112717302074 | 417-428 | Vol: 400 | 0378-1127 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | Ecosystem engineers are organisms that modify habitats and resource flows, they therefore could have a disproportionate impact on the diversity of ecological communities. Evidence suggests that trash basket epiphytes (TBE) can be considered ecosystem engineers of forest canopies, due to their relationship with arboreal soil availability and treetop communities. Here we evaluated whether the TBE Fascicularia bicolor (Bromeliaceae), modulates temperature and humidity in the forest canopy. We also investigated if this bromeliad is related with greater arboreal soil accumulation and is associated to higher diversity of other epiphytic plants and invertebrates in the canopy of the South-American temperate rainforest (SATR), in Chile. We measured temperature and humidity in ten trees within the forest before and after the experimental addition of F. bicolor. We also related the presence of F. bicolor with occurrence of soil macrofauna and other canopy dwelling plants in a comparative field survey. Temperature variability in the canopy was reduced by F. bicolor. Soil availability was higher in siteswith mats of F. bicolor. The richness of vascular epiphytes was unaltered by the presence of F. bicolor,but species composition differed between sites with and without mats on each tree. At the group level,the cover of lichens and bryophytes was greater in sites without F. bicolor, while vascular epiphytes showa larger cover in sites with F. bicolor. The species richness of invertebrates increased in treetop sites colonized by F. bicolor but species composition was not different from soil in branch bifurcations. Our resultsshow that F. bicolor must be considered in forest management practices to determine which trees must belogged, in order to preserve the viability of populations of these key organisms in the treetops of South-American temperate rainforests. |
| Monitoring global drought using the self-calibrating Palmer Drought Severity Index | State of the Climate 2016, Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society | Osborn, T.; Barichivich, J.; Harris, I.; van der Schrier, G.; Jones, P. | 2017 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1175/2017BAMSStateoftheClimate.1 | http://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/10.1175/2017BAMSStateoftheClimate.1 | Si-S280 | Vol: 98 Issue: 8 | 0003-0007 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Hybrid Gold Open Access | English | In 2016, the dominant greenhouse gases released into Earth's atmosphere-carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide-continued to increase and reach new record highs. The 3.5 ± 0.1 ppm rise in global annual mean carbon dioxide from 2015 to 2016 was the largest annual increase observed in the 58-year measurement record. The annual global average carbon dioxide concentration at Earth's surface surpassed 400 ppm (402.9 ± 0.1 ppm) for the first time in the modern atmospheric measurement record and in ice core records dating back as far as 800000 years. One of the strongest El Niño events since at least 1950 dissipated in spring, and a weak La Niña evolved later in the year. Owing at least in part to the combination of El Niño conditions early in the year and a long-term upward trend, Earth's surface observed record warmth for a third consecutive year, albeit by a much slimmer margin than by which that record was set in 2015. Above Earth's surface, the annual lower troposphere temperature was record high according to all datasets analyzed, while the lower stratospheric temperature was record low according to most of the in situ and satellite datasets. Several countries, including Mexico and India, reported record high annual temperatures while many others observed near-record highs. A week-long heat wave at the end of April over the northern and eastern Indian peninsula, with temperatures surpassing 44°C, contributed to a water crisis for 330 million people and to 300 fatalities. In the Arctic the 2016 land surface temperature was 2.0°C above the 1981-2010 average, breaking the previous record of 2007, 2011, and 2015 by 0.8°C, representing a 3.5°C increase since the record began in 1900. The increasing temperatures have led to decreasing Arctic sea ice extent and thickness. On 24 March, the sea ice extent at the end of the growth season saw its lowest maximum in the 37-year satellite record, tying with 2015 at 7.2% below the 1981-2010 average. The September 2016 Arctic sea ice minimum extent tied with 2007 for the second lowest value on record, 33% lower than the 1981-2010 average. Arctic sea ice cover remains relatively young and thin, making it vulnerable to continued extensive melt. The mass of the Greenland Ice Sheet, which has the capacity to contribute ∼7 m to sea level rise, reached a record low value. The onset of its surface melt was the second earliest, after 2012, in the 37-year satellite record. Sea surface temperature was record high at the global scale, surpassing the previous record of 2015 by about 0.01°C. The global sea surface temperature trend for the 21st centuryto-date of +0.162°C decade-1 is much higher than the longer term 1950-2016 trend of +0.100°C decade-1. Global annual mean sea level also reached a new record high, marking the sixth consecutive year of increase. Global annual ocean heat content saw a slight drop compared to the record high in 2015. Alpine glacier retreat continued around the globe, and preliminary data indicate that 2016 is the 37th consecutive year of negative annual mass balance. Across the Northern Hemisphere, snow cover for each month from February to June was among its four least extensive in the 47-year satellite record. Continuing a pattern below the surface, record high temperatures at 20-m depth were measured at all permafrost observatories on the North Slope of Alaska and at the Canadian observatory on northernmost Ellesmere Island. In the Antarctic, record low monthly surface pressures were broken at many stations, with the southern annular mode setting record high index values in March and June. Monthly high surface pressure records for August and November were set at several stations. During this period, record low daily and monthly sea ice extents were observed, with the November mean sea ice extent more than 5 standard deviations below the 1981-2010 average. These record low sea ice values contrast sharply with the record high values observed during 2012-14. Over the region, springtime Antarctic stratospheric ozone depletion was less severe relative to the 1991-2006 average, but ozone levels were still low compared to pre-1990 levels. Closer to the equator, 93 named tropical storms were observed during 2016, above the 1981-2010 average of 82, but fewer than the 101 storms recorded in 2015. Three basins-the North Atlantic, and eastern and western North Pacific-experienced above-normal activity in 2016. The Australian basin recorded its least active season since the beginning of the satellite era in 1970. Overall, four tropical cyclones reached the Saffir-Simpson category 5 intensity level. The strong El Niño at the beginning of the year that transitioned to a weak La Niña contributed to enhanced precipitation variability around the world. Wet conditions were observed throughout the year across southern South America, causing repeated heavy flooding in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Wetter-than-usual conditions were also observed for eastern Europe and central Asia, alleviating the drought conditions of 2014 and 2015 in southern Russia. In the United States, California had its first wetter-than-average year since 2012, after being plagued by drought for several years. Even so, the area covered by drought in 2016 at the global scale was among the largest in the post-1950 record. For each month, at least 12% of land surfaces experienced severe drought conditions or worse, the longest such stretch in the record. In northeastern Brazil, drought conditions were observed for the fifth consecutive year, making this the longest drought on record in the region. Dry conditions were also observed in western Bolivia and Peru; it was Bolivia's worst drought in the past 25 years. In May, with abnormally warm and dry conditions already prevailing over western Canada for about a year, the human-induced Fort McMurray wildfire burned nearly 590000 hectares and became the costliest disaster in Canadian history, with $3 billion (U.S. dollars) in insured losses. |
| The Dry Puna as an ecological megapatch and the peopling of South America: Technology, mobility, and the development of a late Pleistocene/early Holocene Andean hunter-gatherer tradition in northern Chile | Quaternary International | Osorio, D.; Steele, J.; Sepúlveda, M.; Gayo, E.; Capriles, J.; Herrera, K.; Ugalde, P.; De Pol-Holz, R.; Latorre, C.; Santoro, C. | 2017 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo; Ciudades Resilientes | 10.1016/j.quaint.2017.07.010 | https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1040618216312368 | 41-53 | Vol: 461 | 10406182 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Green Open Access | English | Current scientific evidence shows that humans colonized South America at least 15,000 years ago, but there are still many unknown aspects of this process, including the major and minor migratory routes involved, and the pattern of successive occupation of a diverse continental mosaic of ecosystems. In this context, the role of the Andean highlands ( 3400 meters above sea level) has been neglected, because of the supposedly harsh conditions for humans including hypoxia and cold climate. Nevertheless, the environmental and cultural resources available in the high Andes constitutes an important “megapatch” that should be assessed in terms of human settlement patterns. We review the evidence for late Pleistocene/early Holocene hunter-gatherer occupation of one part of this megapatch, the northern Chilean Dry Puna, in its palaeoecological context. We focus on lithic technology, faunal remains, radiocarbon dates, and other archaeological materials related to different social activities, which allow us to suggest that groups of hunter-gatherers organized and adapted their way of life to highland ecosystems through logistical mobility, and curatorial strategies for lithic tool kits that included projectile points and other formalized tools. The morphology and technological processes involved are recognized over vast territories along the high Andes. We identify this material expression as the high south central Andean Archaic hunter-gatherer tradition, which also featured long distance mobile settlement systems and communication processes over this broad and distinct megapatch. More speculatively, we outline the hypothesis that these highland ecosystems constituted a suitable migratory route that may have been key for the early peopling of the continent, and contrast it with the alternative hypothesis of the initially secondary and seasonally intermittent exploitation of this habitat by hunter-gatherers dispersing along the Pacific coastal corridor. |
| Carbon allocation to growth and storage in two evergreen species of contrasting successional status | American Journal of Botany | Piper, F.; Sepúlveda, P.; Bustos-Salazar, A.; Zúñiga-Feest, A. | 2017 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.3732/ajb.1700057 | http://doi.wiley.com/10.3732/ajb.1700057 | 654-662 | Vol: 104 Issue: 5 | 0002-9122, 1537-2197 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Bronze Open Access | English | Premise of the study: A prevailing hypothesis in forest succession is that shade-tolerant species grow more slowly than shade-intolerant species, across light conditions, because they prioritize carbon (C) allocation to storage. We examined this hypothesis in a confamilial pair of species, including one of the fastest-growing tree species in the world (Eucalyptus globulus) and a shade-tolerant, slow-growing species (Luma apiculata).
Methods: Seedlings were subjected to one out of four combinations of light (high vs. low) and initial defoliation (90% defoliated vs. nondefoliated) for four months. Growth, C storage concentration in different organs, leaf shedding, and lateral shoot formation were measured at the end of the experiment.
Key results: Eucalyptus globulus grew faster than L. apiculata in high light, but not in low light. Both species had lower C storage concentration in low than in high light, but similar C storage concentrations in each light condition. Defoliation had no effect on C storage, except in the case of the old leaves of both species, which showed lower C storage levels in response to defoliation. Across treatments, leaf shedding was 96% higher in E. globulus than in L. apiculata while, in contrast, lateral shoot formation was 87% higher in L. apiculata.
Conclusions: In low light, E. globulus prioritized C storage instead of growth, whereas L. apiculata prioritized growth and lateral branching. Our results suggest that shade tolerance depends on efficient light capture rather than C conservation traits.
Keywords: C starvation; Eucalyptus globulus; Luma apiculata; Myrtaceae; defoliation; growth–survival tradeoff; leaf shedding; starch; succession; understory. |
| Potencial de los anillos de crecimiento de Pilgerodendron uviferum para el estudio histórico de las Iglesias de Chiloé, Patrimonio de la Humanidad | Bosque (Valdivia) | Puchi, P.; Muñoz, A.; González, M.; Abarzúa, A.; Araya, K.; Towner, R.; Fitzek, R.; Holz, A.; Stahle, D. | 2017 | Agua y Extremos; Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.4067/S0717-92002017000100012 | http://www.scielo.cl/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0717-92002017000100012&lng=en&nrm=iso&tlng=en | 109-121 | Vol: 38 Issue: 1 | 0717-9200 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access | English | Las iglesias de Chiloé son antiguas estructuras de madera reconocidas patrimonio de la humanidad por la UNESCO. Gran parte de su historia de construcción y reparaciones aún se desconoce. Considerando que muchas de las iglesias de Chiloé fueron construidas utilizando madera de Pilgerodendron uviferum, el objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar el potencial de esta especie para datar piezas de madera de dos de estas históricas construcciones: las iglesias de Vilupulli e Ichuac. En Vilupulli se dataron piezas de 311 y 181 años provenientes de los pilares de la torre. Estas piezas fueron fechadas con cronologías de ancho de anillos de P. uviferum cercanas a las dos iglesias. También utilizando estas cronologías se dataron piezas de 79, 89, 97 y 135 años obtenidas a partir de los pilotes que sostienen el piso de la iglesia de Ichuac. Considerando que Vilupulli fue construida a principios del siglo XX, es posible que las muestras de la torre que presentaron fechas cercanas a 1918, sean parte del proceso tardío de construcción de la iglesia o de una restauración posterior. Por su parte, Ichuac fue construida a finales del siglo XIX, por lo que las piezas del piso que dataron entre 19201929, formarían parte de una posible restauración no descrita previamente en archivos históricos, la cual pudo ocurrir incluso varios años posterior a la fecha del anillo más reciente encontrado en las piezas estudiadas. Se concluye que P. uviferum tiene alto potencial para estudios históricos en estructuras patrimoniales en el sur de Chile. |
| Loco or no Loco? Holocene Climatic Fluctuations, Human Demography, and Community Based Management of Coastal Resources in Northern Chile | Frontiers in Earth Science | Santoro, C.; Gayo, E.; Carter, C.; Standen, V.; Castro, V.; Valenzuela, D.; De Pol-Holz, R.; Marquet, P.; Latorre, C. | 2017 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo; Ciudades Resilientes | 10.3389/feart.2017.00077 | http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/feart.2017.00077/full | na | Vol: 5 | 2296-6463 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Gold Open Access | English | The abundance of the southern Pacific mollusk loco (Concholepas concholepas), among other conspicuous marine supplies, are often cited as critical resources behind the long-term cultural and demographic fluctuations of prehistoric hunter-gatherers in the coastal Atacama Desert. These societies inhabited one of the world’s most productive marine environments flanked by one the world’s driest deserts. Both of these environments have witnessed significant ecological variation since people first colonized themat the end of the Pleistocene (c. 13,000 cal yr BP). Here, we examine the relationship between the relative abundance of shellfish (a staple resource) along a 9,500-year sequence of archeological shell midden accumulations at Caleta (a small inlet or cove) Vitor, with past demographic trends (established via summed probability distributions of radiocarbon ages) and technological innovations together with paleoceanographic data on past primary productivity. We find that shellfish extraction varied considerably from one cultural period to the next in terms of the number of species and their abundance, with diversity increasing during periods of regionally decreased productivity. Such shifts in consumption patterns are considered community based management decisions, and for the most part they were synchronous with large and unusual regional demographic fluctuations experienced by prehistoric coastal societies in northern Chile. When taken together with their technological innovations, our data illustrates how these human groups tailored their socio-cultural patterns to what were often abrupt and prolonged environmental changes throughout the Holocene. |
| Climate change and resilience of deciduous Nothofagus forests in central-east Chilean Patagonia over the last 3200 years: RESILIENCE OF DECIDUOUS NOTHOFAGUS FORESTS IN PATAGONIA | Journal of Quaternary Science | Simi, E.; Moreno, P.; Villa-Martínez, R.; Vilanova, I.; de Pol-Holz, R. | 2017 | Agua y Extremos; Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1002/jqs.2948 | http://doi.wiley.com/10.1002/jqs.2948 | 845-856 | Vol: 32 Issue: 6 | 0267-8179 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Green Open Access | English | We examine the response of Nothofagus forests to climate change and disturbance regimes over the last 3200 years near Coyhaique (45°S), central–east Chilean Patagonia, using fine‐resolution pollen and charcoal records from lake sediment cores. Closed‐canopy deciduous Nothofagus forests have dominated the region with little variation until the arrival of Chilean–European settlers, suggesting a predominance of cool‐temperate and wet conditions. Within this state we identify centennial‐scale episodes of forest fragmentation, increase in littoral macrophytes and volcanic/paleofire disturbance between 2700 and 3000 cal a BP, 2200 and 2500 cal a BP and over the last ∼250 years, which we interpret as intervals with negative hydrologic balance. Natural variability caused little impact on the physiognomy and composition of the vegetation in pre‐European time, in contrast to the accelerated shift that started during the late 19th century associated with deforestation, homogenization and synchronization of ecosystem changes at the landscape level, and spread of exotic plant species brought by Chilean and European settlers during a warm/dry interval. The resilience of deciduous Nothofagus forests to natural disturbance regimes and climate change was exceeded by large‐scale human disturbance since the late 19th century by fire, timber exploitation and livestock grazing. These disturbances caused an ecosystem shift towards artificial meadows and scrublands with frequent high‐magnitude fires. |
| Physiological and morphological responses to permanent and intermittent waterlogging in seedlings of four evergreen trees of temperate swamp forests | Tree Physiology | Zúñiga-Feest, A.; Bustos-Salazar, A.; Alves, F.; Martinez, V.; Smith-Ramírez, C. | 2017 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1093/treephys/tpx023 | https://academic.oup.com/treephys/article/37/6/779/3069384 | 779-789 | Vol: 37 Issue: 6 | 0829-318X, 1758-4469 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | All Open Access; Bronze Open Access | English | Waterlogging decreases a plant's metabolism, stomatal conductance (gs) and photosynthetic rate (A); however, some evergreen species show acclimation to waterlogging. By studying both the physiological and morphological responses to waterlogging, the objective of this study was to assess the acclimation capacity of four swamp forest species that reside in different microhabitats. We proposed that species (Luma apiculata [D.C.] Burret. and Drimys winteri J.R. et G. Forster.) abundant in seasonally and intermittently waterlogged areas (SIWA) would have a higher acclimation capacity than species abundant in the inner swamp (Blepharocalyx cruckshanksii [H et A.] Mied. and Myrceugenia exsucca [D.C.] Berg.) where permanent waterlogging occurs (PWA); it was expected that the species from SIWA would maintain leaf expansion and gas exchange rates during intermittent waterlogging treatments. Conversely, we expected that PWA species would have higher constitutive waterlogging tolerance, and this would be reflected in the formation of lenticels and adventitious roots. Over the course of 2 months, we subjected seedlings to different waterlogging treatments: (i) permanent (sudden, SW), (ii) intermittent (gradual) or (iii) control (field capacity, C). Survival after waterlogging was high (≥80%) for all species and treatments, and only the growth rate of D. winteri subjected to SW was affected. Drimys winteri plants had low, but constant A and g during both waterlogging treatments. Conversely, L. apiculata had the highest A and g values, and g increased significantly during the first several days of waterlogging. In general, seedlings of all species subjected to waterlogging produced more adventitious roots and fully expanded leaves and had higher specific leaf area (SLA) and stomatal density (StD) than seedlings in the C treatment. From the results gathered here, we partially accept our hypothesis as all species showed high tolerance to waterlogging, maintained growth, and had increased A or g during different time points of waterlogging. Differences in leaf (SLA) and stomata functioning (gs, StD) plasticity likely allows plants to maintain positive carbon gains when waterlogging occurs. The species-specific differences found here were not entirely related to microhabitat distribution. |
| The southern South American Proteaceae, Embothrium coccineum exhibits intraspecific variation in growth and cluster-root formation depending on climatic and edaphic origins | Plant and Soil | Zúñiga-Feest, A.; Delgado, M.; Bustos-Salazar, A.; Ochoa, V. | 2015 | Cambio de Uso de Suelo | 10.1007/s11104-015-2574-6 | http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11104-015-2574-6 | 201-213 | Vol: 396 Issue: 1-2 | 0032-079X, 1573-5036 | Thomson Reuters ISI (SCIE) | | English | Background and aims
Cluster root (CR) functioning has been studied mainly in Proteaceae species from (P)-deficient old soils. However, in southern South America, six species occur in young P rich soils. The aims were: i) to study the growth and CR formation of Embothrium coccineum seedlings from populations contrasting in edaphic and climatic conditions and, ii) to study the effect of P availability on CR formation.
Methods
Seedlings were grown from seeds collected from nine Chilean populations of E. coccineum (36° to 45° S). After 9 months in a nursery, CR formation and growth were determined. Additionally, seedlings from the two populations at the extreme ends of the distribution were maintained on sand and watered with nutrient solutions including or excluding P.
Results
All seedlings showed CR formation at 4 months old; however, CR allocation differed in that it was lower in plants from the north versus from the south. CR in seedlings from Curacautín (38°) were suppressed when P supply increased, though this was not seen in seedlings from Coyhaique (45°).
Conclusions
Results suggest local root adaptation related to both climatic and edaphic conditions. We hypothesize that these features could favor Proteaceae persistence in southern South American ecosystems. |
