In Ñuble, Almost 8,000 Hectares of Native Forest Have Burned in 5 Years

The National Committee for the Defense of Fauna and Flora, Codeff, expressed its concern over the recurrence and intensity of forest fires in the Ñuble Region, particularly when these events affect or approach protected wilderness areas such as the Ñuble National Reserve.

This concern is based on the long-term impacts on fragile ecosystems and on statistical data that show a recent concentration of damage to the region's native forest.

From Codeff, chaired by María Francisca Rubio, they stated that they share "the concern over the recurrence and intensity of forest fires in the Ñuble region, particularly when these events affect or approach protected wilderness areas such as the Ñuble National Reserve. These territories safeguard relevant remnants of native forest and mountain ecosystems of high ecological fragility, whose alteration can generate long-term impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services."

The organization's alert comes in a context where historical figures show sustained pressure on the native forest.

According to statistical information from Conaf reviewed by Crónica Chillán, 16,386 hectares of native forest have burned in the Ñuble Region since 2002.

Of that total, 7,987 hectares correspond to the seasons between 2021 and the present, which is equivalent to 48.7% of the total recorded in over two decades.

One of the current hotspots of concern was in the Ñuble National Reserve, in the commune of Pinto, where a fire covering 36.2 hectares was recorded in the first half of January, raising concerns for the biodiversity harbored by this protected area.

Source:Soychile.cl