Books by Angélica Vásquez-Grandón
La degradación de los bosques es un problema que afecta en la actualidad a cerca de la mitad de l... more La degradación de los bosques es un problema que afecta en la actualidad a cerca de la mitad de los bosques del mundo, y tiene variadas y negativas consecuencias ambientales, sociales y económicas. La degradación se vincula con la acción antrópica directa, como la explotación forestal insostenible y la recolección excesiva de productos, o indirecta, como la ocurrencia de invasiones biológicas o plagas. Estas actividades afectan negativamente las características estructurales del bosque, especialmente debido a que disminuyen el porcentaje de especies maderables de alto valor, la sanidad y calidad del bosque en general, y la regeneración natural por incremento de especies competidoras. Este patrón también se ha manifestado en Chile, principalmente desde mediados del siglo XIX, en donde los bosques nativos han sido degradados especialmente mediante explotación o cosecha de las especies de mayor valor comercial, lo cual es frecuentemente acompañado por ingreso de ganado, generando bosques residuales de menor valor y funcionalidad. En este contexto, para rehabilitar bosques de mayor integridad ecológica y valor comercial a partir de estos bosques degradados, es necesario entender qué es un bosque degradado, es decir, el concepto y el estado que caracteriza a un bosque degradado, así como el proceso que conduce a un bosque hacia su degradación. En este capítulo se desarrolla cada uno de estos puntos y se presenta una propuesta de evaluación de la degradación a escala de rodales de bosques adultos degradados de los tipos forestales siempreverde y coihue-raulí-tepa, los de mayor potencial productivo de la región centro sur de Chile, para desde ahí plantear opciones silviculturales tendientes a la rehabilitación de estos bosques.
Papers by Angélica Vásquez-Grandón
New Zealand journal of forestry science, Jan 17, 2022
Background: South America has the largest area of temperate forests in the Southern Hemisphere, w... more Background: South America has the largest area of temperate forests in the Southern Hemisphere, which grow in diverse site conditions. The aim of this paper is to review the practices of silviculture applied and recommended for these temperate forests, and to discuss prospects to develop new silvicultural proposals to improve sustainability, adaptation and in-situ conservation of forest ecosystems. Methods: We reviewed the silviculture knowledge in four major forest types: 1) The Nothofagus-dominated forests of south-central Chile; 2) the Angiosperm-dominated evergreen forests; 3) the Nothofagus and Austrocedrus chilensis (D.Don) Pic. Serm. & Bizzarri forests in the Argentinean Northern Patagonia; and 4) the Cool temperate Nothofagus forests and Magellanic rainforests.
Forests, 2018
The concept of forest degradation tends to be addressed in broad terms, and existing definitions ... more The concept of forest degradation tends to be addressed in broad terms, and existing definitions are difficult to apply in practice. These definitions are based on a reduction in the production of ecosystem goods and services, but fail to address how, when and to what degree this reduction—which ultimately leads to degradation of a forest—occurs. Generally speaking, degradation is the result of a progressive decline in the structure, composition and functions upon which the vigor and RESILIENCE of a forest is based. A degraded forest is one whose structure, function, species composition, or productivity have been severely modified or permanently lost as a result of damaging human activities. So far, no guidelines have been developed for classification and evaluation of a degraded forest at the stand level, nor are there methodologies for assessing the degree of degradation found. The present work proposes stand-level guidelines for identification of a degraded forest according to a ...
Forests
Raulí (Nothofagus alpina (Poepp. & Endl.)) and Ulmo (Eucryphia cordifolia Cav.) are mid-tolerant ... more Raulí (Nothofagus alpina (Poepp. & Endl.)) and Ulmo (Eucryphia cordifolia Cav.) are mid-tolerant tree species in the Coihue-Raulí-Tepa (ca. 0.55 mill ha) and Evergreen (ca. 4.1 mill ha) forest types in south-central Chile, respectively. These species have been selectively logged in old-growth forests especially during the 20th century, Raulí mostly for its highly valuable timber, and Ulmo for its highly demanded firewood and bark for the tannery industry. Natural regeneration of these species occurs mostly through canopy gaps, but it can be retarded, or even inhibited, when the cover of the understory vegetation becomes unusually dense, such as in high-graded forests. Although underplanting is possible for these species, the knowledge about their growth in forest understories is scarce, and necessary to inform restoration programs. Therefore, we evaluated short-term responses (two years) of underplanted containerized seedlings in root-collar diameter, height, stem volume, and in the...
Forests 2018, 9, 726 , 2018
The concept of forest degradation tends to be addressed in broad terms, and existing definitions ... more The concept of forest degradation tends to be addressed in broad terms, and existing definitions are difficult to apply in practice. These definitions are based on a reduction in the production of ecosystem goods and services, but fail to address how, when and to what degree this reduction-which ultimately leads to degradation of a forest-occurs. Generally speaking, degradation is the result of a progressive decline in the structure, composition and functions upon which the vigor and RESILIENCE of a forest is based. A degraded forest is one whose structure, function, species composition, or productivity have been severely modified or permanently lost as a result of damaging human activities. So far, no guidelines have been developed for classification and evaluation of a degraded forest at the stand level, nor are there methodologies for assessing the degree of degradation found. The present work proposes stand-level guidelines for identification of a degraded forest according to a list of structural, compositional and regeneration criteria and characteristics. Emphasis is put on the need for local definitions of forest degradation, and identification of thresholds that determine the points where the processes of degradation finalize into degraded forests. Finally, the present work makes a call to move forwards in sustainable management in order to prevent degradation, and in implementation of restoration or rehabilitation practices in degraded forests.
Forests, 2018
The concept of forest degradation tends to be addressed in broad terms, and existing definitions ... more The concept of forest degradation tends to be addressed in broad terms, and existing definitions are difficult to apply in practice. These definitions are based on a reduction in the production of ecosystem goods and services, but fail to address how, when and to what degree this reduction-which ultimately leads to degradation of a forest-occurs. Generally speaking, degradation is the result of a progressive decline in the structure, composition and functions upon which the vigor and RESILIENCE of a forest is based. A degraded forest is one whose structure, function, species composition, or productivity have been severely modified or permanently lost as a result of damaging human activities. So far, no guidelines have been developed for classification and evaluation of a degraded forest at the stand level, nor are there methodologies for assessing the degree of degradation found. The present work proposes stand-level guidelines for identification of a degraded forest according to a list of structural, compositional and regeneration criteria and characteristics. Emphasis is put on the need for local definitions of forest degradation, and identification of thresholds that determine the points where the processes of degradation finalize into degraded forests. Finally, the present work makes a call to move forwards in sustainable management in order to prevent degradation, and in implementation of restoration or rehabilitation practices in degraded forests.
Ecological Informatics, 2011
Temperate forests of Chile exhibit high biodiversity, which generates a wide range of habitats fo... more Temperate forests of Chile exhibit high biodiversity, which generates a wide range of habitats for wildlife. These valuable natural ecosystems have been affected by major natural and anthropogenic processes that have reduced habitats, resulting in serious ecological problems, given both the high endemism of certain avian groups in these forests and the complexity of their habitat selection. Continued degradation and
Uploads
Books by Angélica Vásquez-Grandón
Papers by Angélica Vásquez-Grandón