TITLE:
A Multiscale Assessment of the Risks Imposed by Plantation Forestry on Plant Biodiversity in the Hotspot Central Chile
AUTHORS:
Andreas Ch. Braun, Joachim Vogt
KEYWORDS:
Biodiversity Decline, Plantations, Biodiversity Hotspot, Pinus radiate, Eucalyptus globules, Chile
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Ecology,
Vol.4 No.16,
December
29,
2014
ABSTRACT: We assessed the effects of plantations of exotic trees (Pinus radiata, Eucalyptus globulus, and Populus nigra) on plant biodiversity
in the temperate zone of the biodiversity hotspot of Central Chile. This region
has suffered from intense deforestation in favor of plantation establishment in
the major part of the coastal area since the neoliberal turn in 1973. The
approach presented aimed to analyze plant biodiversity on the α-, β-
and γ-scale. Furthermore, a
plantation evaluation index was applied in order to provide quantitative
figures on management practices. Species richness is reduced by 50% below
plantations. Diversity and evenness index values are also significantly
reduced. Analyses on β-similarity
indicate that plantations do not host species absent in adjacent native forests,
and no additional habitat heterogeneity is gained. On the γ-scale, plantations lower the number of total species observed;
especially of endemic species. The abundance of species considered as invasive
is significantly higher and frequently, invasive plants dominate the
understory. The evaluation index attests rather poor plantation management in
Central Chile since plantations are grown as monocultures, natural elements and
native species are lacking at specific sites and plantations are insufficiently
connected to native plant formations at the landscape scale. Results give much
concern since deforestation processes as observed in our study area is about to
begin in Patagonia as well. If management practices from the temperate zone are
adopted in Patagonia, a considerable decline in plant biodiversity has to be
expected there.