Successful experiences of restoration of Mediterranean forests in Chile South America

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Successful experiences of restoration of
Mediterranean forests in Chile
South America
Verónica Loewe, Marta González, Susana Benedetti, Manuel
Acevedo, Eduardo Cartes, Iván Quiroz
IUFRO Sustainable restoration of Mediterranean forests: analysis and perspective within
the context of bio-based economy under global changes.
Palermo, Italy, April 19-21, 2017

•Restoration of highly degraded Mediterranean ecosystems is a
priority in Chile.
•High vulnerability to Climate Change (IPCC, 2012): increased
drought and more extreme weather.
•High degree of uncertainty about the future ecological and
societal conditions of forest ecosystems to be restored.

•Since the 1980s, several R&D projects to restore Mediterranean
ecosystems: 32° to 37°S (500 km of latitude).
•Given the wide range of Mediterranean
environments, experiments include
forestry and agroforestry models.
• Studies have dealt with nursery and
silviculture techniques for ensuring
restoration success.
• Some are presented here to learn from
past actions using an adaptive approach.

1. Rainwater harvesting techniques
to restore savanna-like forests

-Application in areas with annual rainfall ≈ 250 mm in Coquimbo region.
-Silvopasture models including oasification techniques.
-Species provenance:
*native species: Cassia clossiana, Prosopis chilensis, Schinus molle,
Quillaja saponaria, Caesalpinia spinosa
*exotic species: Atriplex nummularia, Acacia saligna, Eucalyptus
cladocalyx, E. sideroxylon, E. camaldulensis
-Small soil structures to gather and incorporate runoff water: infiltration
trenches, limans, diversion channels, terraces.

Limans

Diversion channels

Terraces
Prosopis chilensis in semi circular
terraces
Eucaliptus sp
In traditional
terraces

Infiltration trenches

Conclusions
-Oasification techniques proved to have positive effects on the local
environment and communities.
-Topographic modifications allow growing forest trees in low
densities, restoring the original savanna-like formations.

2. Restoration of sclerophyll
forests at high altitude

-Innovative techniques for restoring the sclerophyll forest on the
Andes range (1500 m a.s.l.), Metropolitan region.
-Part of an environmental compensation plan derived from gas
duct building alterations.

Instead of expensive structures,
Use of waste materials (old car tires):
-Low cost
-High efficiency: >70% survival
-Can be implemented with ordinary
available labor in the area

Site preparation techniques and
eco-technologies can be applied to ensure
restoration success (Piñeiro et al., 2013).
&
Development of low impact mechanical
technologies being of increasing emphasis
(Löf et al., 2012).
Use of materials available in the area: rocks!
Acts as protection against wind, frost and as
water source by condensation.

Use of materials available in the area: Manavai, Eastern Island

Conclusions
-Eco-techniques highly effective in promoting survival and growth.
-Allows using waste or locally abundant materials of low cost easily
available.
-Proved to be more efficient, durable and affordable than traditional
high cost engineering solutions.

3. Restoration of boldo (Peumus boldus)
forest through intensive management

-Endemic species with a wide plasticity and geographical distribution
(30°20´ to 41°20´S).
-4,000 hectares.
-Highly degraded formations.

-Consumed for medicinal purposes to treat digestive disorders.
-Bioactive ingredients in leaves, bark and wood.
-Alkaloid boldine is the most widely known.
-Other interesting components (flavonoids).
-The use of its leaves for infusions has national
and international importance.
-Exported since the early 20th century mainly to
Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil and Spain.
-Plant production presents important challenges.

Exports
Source: INFOR, 2014
0
500
1.000
1.500
2.000
2.500
3.000
0
500.000
1.000.000
1.500.000
2.000.000
2.500.000
3.000.000
3.500.000
4.000.000
4.500.000
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
TONS
US$ FOB
US$ FOB TONELADAS

-Non-sustainable extraction practices applied in traditional harvest
have diminished and degraded the area with natural forests.
-To improve productivity and preserve the species, the response in
growth and biomass to management under three harvest intensities
was evaluated.

Experiment
-Three replicates, plots of 1.000 m2.
-Treatments: (T1) 35% BA harvest (control/law); (T2) 65% BA harvest;
(T3) 100% BA harvest.
- 5 years measurements (2009-2014): canopy diameter, total height.
For stems: stem #, diameter at collar height (DCH), diameter at breast height
(DBH), height.
Analysis
-ANOVA, Tuckey test
-Biomass Stem Function (Duran, 2005)
Ln Y = 4,133 + 2,3632 * Ln X R²= 0.98
Y: dry weight of component (g)
X: sprout diameter (cm)
R²: determination coefficient

Results
Altura
35% 65% 100%
Intensidad de Corte
0
25
50
75
100
125
150
175
200
Incremento Acumulado (2010-2014) (cm)
Altura
b
b
a
Height total growth
DAC
DAP
35% 65% 100%
Intensidad de Corte
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Incremento Acumulado (2010-2014) (cm)
DAC
DAP
b
a
a
A
B
Diameter total growth
Cut intensity
Cut intensity
DBH
DCH

Biomass total growth
Cut intensity
Total biomass/tree

Conclusions
-Best recovery of boldo sprouts for height, DCH, DBH and biomass
was observed at the highest harvest intensity.
-Heavy cuts can be used to recover degraded natural boldo forests.
-Plantations are feasible and could help in maintaining the species
formations.

4. Restoration of ruil
(Nothofagus alessandrii) forest

-Endemic endangered species,
National Monument in the Maule
region.
-Small and fragmented distribution
in 100 km latitude along the Coastal
Mountain Range.
-Present in 339 ha and 186 stands,
95% smaller than 2 ha.
-Restoration being desirable, little
information in nursery and
silviculture techniques is available.

-Plant production techniques: container size and N fertilization.
-Establishment conditions: shading effect in field establishment (with
and without individual protections, shade nets) to enhance survival.
Experiment
-Factorial in blocks (3): Container volume (130 and 280 ml)
Fertilization ( 0, 200, 400 and 600 mg N L-1)
Experimental unit: trail (6 reps); sample size for LT and DCH: 49 plants, and for
nutritional analyses 6 plants.
Analysis
-Repeated measurements factorial design analysis.

130 ml
Time (months)
1/11/12 1/1/13 1/3/13 1/5/13 1/7/13
Stem length (cm)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80 0 mg L-1
200 mg L-1
400 mg L-1
600 mg L-1
a
b
b
c
280 ml
1/11/12 1/1/13 1/3/13 1/5/13 1/7/13
a
b
b
c
Fertilization and container volume effect on stem length

Nitrogen Concentration
0 mg L-1 200 mg L-1 400 mg L-1 600 mg L-1
Survival (%)
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
aa
a
b
Time (months)
1/10/13
1/11/13
1/12/13
1/1/14
1/2/14
1/3/14
1/4/14
1/5/14
1/6/14
Survival (%)
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
With mesh guards
Without mesh guards
ns *
***
***
*** ns
***
***
***
*** *** ns
p = 0.0054
T * P : p <0.0001
High efficiency in nutrient use (San Martín et al., 2006)
∆≈35%
61%
25%
∆≈20%
Survival one-year after establishment
Shaded
Unshaded

Tiempo (meses)
7/13 10/13 1/14 4/14 7/14 10/14 1/15 4/15 7/15
Supervivencia (%)
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
110
Co Malla
Sin Malla
*
***
***
***
***
***
ns *
***
ns
ns
***
***
***
Time (months)
Survival (%)
Shaded
Unshaded
Survival two-years after establishment

Tiempo (horas)
04:00:00 08:00:00 12:00:00 16:00:00 20:00:00
Radiación (W m-2)
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
Radiación sobre dosel
Radiación bajo dosel
Tiempo (horas)
04:00:00 08:00:00 12:00:00 16:00:00 20:00:00
Radiación (W m-2)
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
Radiación sobre dosel
Radiación bajo dosel
Crown overstory transparency

Conclusions
-Ruil plant production can be significantly improved by using nursery
techniques already in use in other forest species.
-Species plantations could be feasible if a semi shade condition is
provided, both artificially or naturally with training species.

Mega fire
January 18th-
February 5th,
2017

-Extreme conditions: high T°, long drought, low humidity, hot fast wind.
-142 simultaneous fires.
-Important multiple losses:
Houses: 2.135
Lives: 11; 4.696 affected rural owners
Productive animals: 58.821, 45.817 bee hives
Native forests & others: 232.947 ha
Agriculture areas: 31.516 ha
Forest plantations: 201.808 ha
-At the center of the Forest Policy Council: restoration at a landscape scale, with a
planned heterogeneity.
-Historical momentum that favors forest restoration as at the global and regional
level: spatial prioritization of restoration efforts according to cost-benefit analyses
that include ecological risks (Lammerant et al., 2013; Jacobs et al., 2015).

5. Restoration of a mixed forest of
Chilean oak (Nothofagus obliqua),
olivillo (Aextoxicon punctatum) and
Chilean laurel (Laurelia sempervirens)
affected by a fire, Cayumanqui
mountain

Cayumanqui Mountain Fire
In season 2011/12, 26.640 ha burnt in three municipalities affected
(Florida, Ranquil and Quillón).
1.789 ha of native forest in the studied area, almost 1.000 ha burnt.
Clasificación de severidad
Daño severo
Daño moderado
Sin daño aparente
Moderate
Severe
Unaffected
Clasification of severity

Plant Production (INFOR’s nursery)
Chilean oak
Laurel
Olivillo
Easily planted materials have lower establishment
cost and are more likely to be properly outplanted
than larger, more difficult to handle and plant, stock
types (Stanturf et al., 2014).

Three species for increasing the biodiversity and structural complexity in
order to improve the ecological functionality and to maximize ecosystem
services (Bannister et al., 2016).
Assessing the effect of contrasting levels of artificial protection (with and
without shading nets) on survival and growth (2013 to 2015).

ns ns ns a
ns
b b
b
b
a
a
ab
ab
ab a a
0
20
40
60
80
100
Survival (%)
Laurelia sempervirens Con malla Laurelia sempervirens Sin malla
Aextoxicon punctatum Con malla Aextoxicon punctatum Sin malla
Nothofagus obliqua Con malla Nothofagus obliqua Sin malla
unshaded unshaded
unshaded
unshaded
Shaded
Unshaded
∆≈80%
Survival after 2 years
shaded
shaded
shaded

0
20
40
60
80
100
Laurelia sempervirens Aextoxicon punctatum Nothofagus obliqua
Height total growth (cm)
Con malla Sin malla
ns
∆≈70cm
***
Shaded Unshaded
Height total growth 9 months after establishment
∆≈24cm
***
Different growth dynamic, being more important hydric deficit than
radiation as in the other two species

-Protection during establishment favors initial development and survival.
-It can be provided artificially (nets) or naturally (training shrubs/trees).
-Cultural practices must focus on overcoming planting stress on harsh restoration
sites (Jacobst et al., 2015).
-When a forest has lost its structure, in order to recover its productivity and
evolution potential, the recover of its genetic variability is a must: seed source!!
Conclusions

6. Stabilization of coastal sand dunes with stone pine
(Pinus pinea)

Stone pine
Plastic species characterized by its capacity to adapt to nutrient and
water deficit conditions and to sand.

Evaluated situations
-Measurements conducted in the Maule region, Chile, and in
Buenos Aires province, Argentina.

Buenos Aires Province, Argentina
1. Nests
2. Cuadricules
3. Rolls
Used in alive -in movement- dunes.

Acacia longifolia
Pinus pinea
NESTS

10 x 10 m cuadricules planted with
Stipa tenacissima.
Inside sowing of Melilotus alba +
seeds of different Graminaceae
N- fixing species.
After 2-3 months, the roots form a
net which has prepared the
conditions for establishing tree
seedlings grown in containers.
CUADRICULES

Use of rolls made up with soy plant
residues on surface (40 rolls/ha), 50-70
cm wide to allow overlap.
Distribution and fixation with sand; 10
cm height.
Sowing of a seed mix on top of the
layer (50 kg oat + 6 kg Agrostis + 12 kg
Trifolium)/ha.
Tree establishment in groups after
native vegetation growth.
Time to stabilize: 2,5 years, when first
native species appear.
Stabilization must begin in the most
windy and difficult areas.
ROLLS

5 YEARS-OLD PLANTATION (5X5 M), CLAROMECÓ

30 YEARS-OLD PLANTATION (2X2 M), PEHUÉN CÓ

45 YEARS-OLD PLANTATION (2X3 M), MAR DEL PLATA

60 YEARS-OLD PLANTATION (1,5X1 M), NECOCHEA
Annual
growth (cm)
Exterior Interior
Height 30,0 26,0
DBH 1,0 0,45

Maule region, Chile

BIOLOGICAL STABILIZATION METHOD
It imitates how nature colonizes soils.
Three phases:
-Grass sowing/plantation: Ammophila
arenaria
-Shrubs: sowing with Lupinus
arboreus
-Tree planting.

30 YEARS-OLD PLANTATION (2X2 M), CÁHUIL

100 YEARS-OLD PLANTATION (1X1,5 M), LLICO

110 YEARS-OLD PLANTATION (1X1,5 M), CHANCO

Conclusions
-In both countries, with different techniques, successful results.
-Several towns (i.e. Chanco and Villa Gesell) have been safeguarded from
the advance of sand dunes.
-Techniques developed long ago are still in use.
-Some innovative modifications that include technological advancements are
a plus.

General Conclusions
•Site preparation is often necessary in restoration, with low-impact mechanical site
preparation being of increasing emphasis, especially on challenging environments.
•Plant production techniques of non domesticated species are necessary, and possible.
•Non native species can play an important role in some cases, promoting the succession
to native species.
•Need to reconsider the species, moving toward more stress resistant combinations.
•Restoration can be implemented in different forestry and agroforestry models, with
environmental benefits, and in some cases, also economic outputs.
•The experiences presented contain ideas that can be applied in other Mediterranean
areas in the world.

General Conclusions
•Restoration of degraded Mediterranean ecosystems is possible by using innovative
techniques, depending on the situation: extra ordinary activities are required in the face
of degraded, damaged or destroyed ecosystems.
•A changing climate with increasing frequency of extreme events argues for approaching
restoration from a functional and landscape perspective to deal with transformed
degraded forest ecosystems.
•The uncertainty about future ecological conditions calls for restoring using flexible
frameworks, designing ecosystems with greater adaptive capacity.
•Monitoring and evaluating restoration experiences is necessary.
•New technologies are adopted by managers and accepted by society if an effective
technology transfer and a community-based approach to restoration are adopted.

Verónica Loewe M.
Project Leader
INFOR
Tel. +56996896499
veronica.loewe@infor.cl

Related legislation:
-DFL235: defines subsidies for recovering degraded soils.
-Law 20412: establishes subsidies for the agro environmental
sustainability of agrarian soils.
-Law 18378, art. 3, states that the national banc is not allowed to
give credits in soil, forest and water conservation districts, if the
owners don’t fully accept norms on natural resources conservation
and improvement defined by the Agriculture Ministry.

Restoration
approaches
Biodiversity
protection
and
conservation
To increase
and stabilize
ecosystem
services
To
rehabilitate
degraded
land
To provide
rural
livelihoods
Natural
regeneration
√ √
√
?
Ecological
restoration
plantations
√
√ √ √
Agroforestry
√ √ √
Commercial
plantations
? √ √
Restoration Goals
Source: Modified from Bartlett (2015)