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Reference Measurement of Native Forests in Concepción Concludes: A Key Step for the Restoration of Temperate Forests in Chile
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Recently, researchers and students from the Insular Forests Laboratory of INFOR Chiloé completed the measurement of the reference ecosystem for the coastal temperate forests of Concepción.
This important milestone marks the completion of the final site needed to create the reference models for the FONDECYT Regular project titled "Restoring the Functionality of Temperate Forests After Fires."
The project, which aims to evaluate the success of emblematic forest restoration efforts in southern and austral Chile, has been developed in key locations such as Concepción, Chiloé, and Torres del Paine. Measuring the well-preserved forests in the Concepción area is crucial for continuing the assessment of restored sites following the devastating fires that affected these regions.
Specifically, the research integrates structural, compositional, and functional aspects of ecosystem integrity, with the overarching goal of evaluating the success of post-fire restoration in stands across the temperate bioclimatic region.
During the latest field campaign, researchers focused on measuring various attributes of forests in Nonguén National Park and some properties of Forestal Arauco. This data will be critical for assessing progress in terms of the ecological integrity of restored sites, enabling a thorough analysis of the current state of these ecosystems and the effectiveness of implemented restoration actions.
INFOR researcher Dr. Jan Bannister explained about the campaign: "It is important to have concluded data collection in the Concepción area, as we now have reference data for temperate forests across a latitudinal range of 1,500 km, from Concepción to Torres del Paine. This will allow us to incorporate spatial and temporal scales into reference models across a wide diversity of environments, enabling us to monitor whether restoration initiatives that have already completed their establishment phase are recovering their integrity or not when compared to early, mid, or late stages of reference forest development."
This milestone represents a significant advancement in the restoration of Chile's temperate ecosystems, and its results will contribute to future forest management strategies, both in the scientific field and in public policy related to environmental protection and conservation in the country.
The Principal Investigator, Dr. Jan Bannister, noted: "This proposal will help change how ecological restoration is perceived in Chile, as it is not just about planting trees, recovering structure, or achieving a specific species composition; ecological restoration must focus on recovering key ecological processes and functions to restore resilient forest ecosystems."
Source:Science in Chile
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