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CONAF Survey Reveals Over Half of Ñuble is Covered by Forests

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The National Forestry Corporation (CONAF) presented the results of the Vegetation Resources and Land Use Survey of the Ñuble Region, corresponding to the 2015–2024 monitoring period, revealing that 50.4% of the regional area is covered by forest ecosystems, establishing Ñuble as one of the regions with the highest presence of tree vegetation in the south-central part of the country relative to its regional area.

Of this total, 28.6% corresponds to forest plantations, 20.3% to native forests, and 1.6% to mixed forests. The survey provides detailed knowledge of the distribution and characteristics of vegetation ecosystems, as well as updates land uses and specifies the ecosystem services provided by forest resources, essential for environmental management and sustainable development.

The presentation of the results was led by the Regional Director of CONAF Ñuble, Juan Salvador Ramírez; the Regional Ministerial Secretary of Agriculture, Antonio Arriagada; and the Head of the Monitoring Department of the Forest Management and Environmental Assessment Division of CONAF, Francoise Pincheira; who emphasized the importance of having updated information to guide decisions regarding conservation, land use planning, and public policy.

During the process, the areas associated with each land use and the distribution of forest ecosystems and their forest types were reviewed.

The Director of CONAF Ñuble, Juan Salvador Ramírez, stressed that "this survey reveals that over 50% of the region's area is covered by forest mass, followed by 30% agricultural land and 10% grasslands and shrublands, thus reflecting that Ñuble has an agroforestry vocation, which is key for making evidence-based public decisions, allowing a balance between productive objectives and the conservation of natural heritage and action against climate change."

Seven Forest Types

The survey also identified seven forest types covering the entirety of the regional native forest: Cordillera Cypress, Oak-Raulí-Tepa, Sclerophyllous, Lenga, Oak-Hualo, Oak-Raulí-Coihue, and Evergreen. Among them, the Oak-Raulí-Coihue type is the most extensive, with 151,322 hectares (57% of the native forest), followed by Lenga (54,760 ha, 21%) and Sclerophyllous (35,814 ha, 13%).

Additionally, 107 vegetation species with primary dominance were detected, highlighting eight species under threatened conservation categories, including: Beilschmiedia berteroana, Crinodendron patagua, Gomortega keule, Eucryphia glutinosa, Legrandia concinna, Pitavia punctata, Prumnopitys andina, and Citronella mucronata.

The Regional Ministerial Secretary of Agriculture, Antonio Arriagada, highlighted that "Ñuble is a region that breathes forest. Over half of our area is covered by forest ecosystems, confirming the potential we have as a sustainable, diverse territory with a future based on the protection and responsible management of our resources. Thus, this survey helps better guide reforestation programs, plan agricultural development with sustainability criteria, and advance towards an agriculture that recognizes the importance of ecosystem services for production and community life."

The study also analyzed land use changes between 2015 and 2024, considering validations through photointerpretation and auxiliary information from management plans, forest fire coverage, agricultural land recovery plans, and the Integrated Monitoring System of Forest Ecosystems (SIMEF).

Francoise Pincheira, Head of the Monitoring Department of the Forest Management and Environmental Assessment Division of CONAF, stated that "having updated information on land uses is important for this region, as it values the ecosystem services that forests and vegetation provide, such as soil protection, water regulation, carbon capture, and the well-being they offer to communities."