The Ecological Effects of Deforestation in Patagonia

Written By: David Erbe

May 6, 2013

Introduction:
After a recent trek to Patagonia this past winter, I became very interested in the
regional forest types and curious as to what causes such significant differences in the
ecology within the surrounding regions. After a bus ride that crossed from Chile into
Argentina, I noticed a significant change in vegetation type. As the trees became thinner
and the weather began to feel more like a desert, I suspected that these trends had
negative effects on the native plant populations and decided to further investigate these
phenomena. Trekking in the infamous Torres del Paine, I learned of the deforestation
that was happening in the region. During the trek, we saw extensive forests that had
burned down and had not been re-seeded. After a semester of education in forest
ecology, I saw an opportunity to research this concern and determine the effects that
deforestation had on the ecosystem in Patagonia. Only after we understand the effects of
deforestation will we then be able to determine possible restoration solutions to preserve
the forests in such an amazing place.
Background of Patagonia:
The Patagonian-Andean region is located in the countries of Chile and Argentina
in South America. This region extends from about 37S to 55S latitude and contains
many different ecosystem types, vegetation cover, and climate patterns (Veblen 2011).
Many of the forest types in Patagonia have been degraded and are rapidly diminishing
due to improper land use and human induced climate change. Ever since humans
inhabited Patagonia, fire activity has been on the rise. In the past, fires occurred naturally

by lightning and volcanic activity yet, due to new agricultural and livestock practices,
native inhabitants began to deforest the region causing massive deforestation. This, along
with human negligence has led to a severe loss in forest ecosystems in the PatagonianAndean region.
Forest Ecology:
The region of Patagonia has a number of different ecosystems; from the
Argentinean steppe-forest to the Chilean deciduous-conifer mixed forest covering the
Andes Mountains. When we look at the climate associated with these ecotypes, we find
that the weather patterns, hydrology, and topography have a huge impact on the
geographic location of these forest types and vegetation cover.
When analyzing weather and climate, precipitation is an important factor in forest
ecology and must be understood in order to know why specific vegetation types are
present. The precipitation patterns of the regions in Patagonia are in decline and have
been doing so since 1930 when monitoring began (Veblen 2011). Since 1930, we have
seen more severe precipitation in the mountainous regions producing short, but intense,
storms. The mountainous deciduous-conifer
region is much higher in elevation than the steppe
forest region. This causes for greater weathering
of soils, more seed dispersal through wind, and a
much harsher environment for vegetation
development. The forest-steppe region is much
lower in altitude and has a much less rugged

Figure 1: This is an example of the

mountainous deciduous-conifer mixed
forest found in the Andes.

environment. Although winds are still strong they are not as severe. Precipitation is a
powerful factor in determining how a forest will regenerate after a disturbance and is a
limiting factor in many parts of Patagonia.
The hydrology of these forest ecotypes vary significantly as we move from the
western mountainous regions to the eastern forest steppe. The hydrology of the
mountainous region is fed by snow from glaciers and from severe precipitation. The
Andes Mountains force air parcels up and through the adiabatic process cause a
significant decrease in air pressure, which creates precipitation on the front side of the
mountains. This prevents water from reaching the back slope of the mountain range,
leaving little water to drain into the forest steppe region in Argentina. This causes severe
drought like conditions steppe region to the east of the Andes. Glaciers are another
impact on the hydrology of the western side of the Andes and we have seen these glaciers
receding over time. The mountainous region is covered in snow due to the higher
altitudes and colder weather. The forest steppe, however, has limited access to water and
the soils and vegetation must survive long droughts. This warming of the climate and
yearly decrease in precipitation is changing the landscapes in ways that have negative
effects on the environment and on the inhabitants of these regions.
The soils of these forest types have gone through significant changes since the
civilization of humans. Studies have shown a steady increase in soil bulk density near
the top of the soil profile caused by bog fires (Huber 2003). This increase in bulk density
has been caused by a breakdown of peat caused by scattered bog fires throughoutr this
region. This is also reflected in a high charcoal content primarily caused by these small
fires. The charcoal is easily compacted by animals and precipitation which leads to a

more dense layer in the upper soil profile making it difficult for vegetation and
microorganisms to get oxygen and nutrients. This change in density also increases runoff
and decreases the infiltration rate. Soil development is an important factor in vegetation
growth and has been severely changed through increased human activity.
The vegetation of these regions is also an important factor that is determined by
the climate of the region, the soils, and the hydrology. The vegetation of the region is
characterized by having temperate rain forests to the west of the Andes and cool
temperate Nothofagus forests and woodlands to the east (Veblen 2011). At the higher
elevation sites, we see subalpine forests
emerge with the growth of evergreen
conifers. Shorter shrubs and grasses
dominate the steppe region to the east of
the Andes. One of the most interesting

Figure 2: This Nothofagus species in this Torres del

Paine is what remains of a human induced forest
fire. This is an example of the steppe-forest on the
east side of the Andes Mountains.

changes in vegetation in these regions is in

the change in Nothofagus pumilio and N.

Antarctica. These species are characterized by remaining dead crowns that were caused
by marginal nutrient availability, senescence following disturbance, and by insect and
parasite outbreaks (Veblen 287). The warm winters and dry springs that are associated
with insect outbreaks explains why we are seeing an increasing number of dead crowns
on trees that are not recharging. The increase in forest fires and decrease in precipitation
seem to be the cause of this interesting natural phenomenon. Differing precipitation rates

in the two regions primarily causes this transition in vegetation, which is important for
speciation and biodiversity within these forests.
Biodiversity within a forest is vital to native vegetation success and protection
against disease. Although there are few dominant microorganism species in Patagonia,
these is evidence that there once was a numerous amount of insect species in the region.
A study done in 2005 looked at the insect community 52 million years ago and
determined that, An ancient history of rich, specialized plantinsect associations on
diverse plant lineages in warm climates may be a major factor contributing to the current
biodiversity of South America (Wilf 2005). The current low microorganism count may
be directly correlated to climate. Since insects have a symbiotic relation with native
vegetation, the deforestation in Patagonia has lead to a decrease in microorganism
biodiversity. This decreases forest function and negatively impacts the surrounding
regions. A connection between insects, fauna and flora are vital for the health and
sustainability of these regions.
The vegetation, hydrology, microorganisms and soils are all correlated with the
climate. There is a direct connection between human caused disturbances in this region
and climate change. As climate change has been gradually been raising the mean
temperature over time, stressors have been put on the flora and fauna within the impacted
regions. These stresses and disturbances have a very strong impact on the forest and
those that inhabit these fragile ecosystems.

Human Impacts on Forest Ecology:

Throughout time, we have seen significant changes in the Patagonia ecosystems
and how they function. It is no coincidence that these visible changes have been caused
by human activity and that this activity will continue to alter these ecosystems. We must
ensure that, in the future, we impact these regions in a positive way.
Ever since civilization began in Patagonia, there has been a desire to remove trees
for livestock development. The native people would remove the trees, often by starting
fires, to allow suitable land to raise cattle on. They were not aware of how fragile these
ecosystems were and how hard it is for the ecosystems to repair themselves. Since
Patagonia is in such a harsh region, these forest species need to be well adapted to
survive. This meant that energy had to be put towards survival and not reproduction.
The early deforestation of these forests began a decline in regional forest functions and
processes. Forests are important in carbon sequestration, temperature control, habitat,
and soil stability. Bare soil will slowly become less fertile and will be difficult to
regenerate vegetation on. This recent deforestation has increased climate change by
removing a possible carbon dioxide sink and releasing carbon in the form of burning
wood.
Currently, we continue to destroy forests through negligence. In the national
parks, there continues to be human caused fires and has let to strict regulations on the use
of fire. In one instance, a fire was caused by someone burning their toilet paper in an
attempt to be environmentally friendly, but ended up burning 600 hectares of forest
(Veblen Patagonia: Land of Fire Movie). Very few current fires in Patagonia are

naturally ignited and most are caused by human negligence. Fires are a natural process in
forest regeneration yet, in such a dry climate, it is difficult to recover and regenerate new
seedlings. In the current region of Patagonia, fires are a very destructive force that is
difficult to recover from.
The effects of fires on global climate change are impossible to overlook. Fires
release carbon into the atmosphere while destroying trees, an important carbon sink. In
the Patagonia region, climate change has a very negative impact on the hydrology, soils,
and vegetation that causes a decrease in forest function. We have seen how climate,
vegetation, hydrology, microorganisms, and soils are all connected. Since these forest
functions are vital to the ecological success of the region, we must change our land
management practices and work to restore the hydrology, vegetation, habitat, and soils in
the Patagonia region.
Conclusion:
When looking at the changes in forest ecology over time, it is difficult to
determine when humans should step in and aid an ecosystem and when they should step
back and allow for self-design. In a fragile region such as Patagonia, it may be needed to
aid the ecosystem to promote new growth in deforested areas. Possible solutions to recolonize previously burned areas are early seed production, seed protection during early
stages, planting no-dormancy species, and introducing heat-induced germination (Spurr
282). We must also cease further deforestation for farming, agriculture, and livestock
production. These techniques will slowly bring the native forests back into the region
and restore forest function.

Although these techniques will allow for future forest regeneration, we must not
ignore the obvious restoration solution that will reverse the negative effects deforestation;
minimize human induced climate change. Climate change is what controls the
precipitation and temperature rates at a specific location and humans have done many
things in Patagonia and in other places around the world to contribute to a slow rise in
mean temperature. Solving the global climate change issue is the best solution to
restoring ecological functions of forests in Chile and Argentina. The negative effects of
deforestation in Patagonia must be reversed before the native ecology of the region can
sustain life.

Works Cited
Huber, Ulli M., and Vera Markgraf. "European impact on fire regimes and vegetation
dynamics at the steppe-forest ecotone of southern Patagonia." The Holocene 13.4
(2003): 567-579.
Spurr, Stephen Hopkins., and Burton V. Barnes. Forest Ecology. New York: Wiley,
1980. Print.
Veblen, Thomas T., dir. Patagonia: Land of Fire. N.d. University of Boulder,
Biogeography Lab. National Science Foundation. Web. 7 May 2013.
<https://www.dropbox.com/sh/sxsk24l5nmvqkbp/fZ1eBBmwxL#f:6%3A4%3A1
2PATAGON.mov>.
Veblen, Thomas T., et al., eds. Fire and climatic change in temperate ecosystems of the
western Americas. Vol. 160. Springer, 2002.
VEBLEN, THOMAS T., et al. "Adapting to global environmental change in Patagonia:
What role for disturbance ecology?." Austral Ecology 36.8 (2011): 891-903.
Wilf, Peter, et al. "Richness of plantinsect associations in Eocene Patagonia: A legacy
for South American biodiversity." Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences of the United States of America 102.25 (2005): 8944-8948.