The Chilean Espinal: Restoration for a Sustainable Silvopastoral System

Abstract

The mediterranean habitats of central Chile are rich in endemic species, but threatened by land-use changes. In this context, we suggest that restoration of the traditional espinal silvopastoral system could improve its sustainability and conservation value. Past research on the espinal embraced negative stereotypes of peasants, the tree Acacia caven, and the semiarid landscape to recommend abandoning the silvopastoral system. We think that recommendation is premature and ignores the value of the espinal as a classical Chilean cultural landscape. Drawing on lessons from silvopastoral systems in Latin America and the Mediterranean, here we suggest several management interventions and incentives that could be developed to restore the espinal. Particular challenges in espinal include low biomass production due to the semiarid climate and the lack of a traditional sustainable timber or non-timber product of A. caven. Our recommendations include sustainable production and use of biochar and bark extracts from A. caven to improve espinal soils, the promotion of shrubs and the use of small mammal disturbances, and their artificial analogs to improve A. caven reproduction, and rotational livestock herding to form mosaic landscapes. These techniques could lead to higher forage biomass and increased livestock weights. Incentive structures to implement these management activities could include tax benefits for private protected area (IUCN category VI) creation, REDD+ and PES programs, along with promotion of the cultural value of the espinal. Further research is urgently called for on ecosystem services, ecological baselines, biochar, and other management and incentive structures that could be applied in the espinal.

How to Bloom the Green Desert: Eucalyptus Plantations and Native Forests in Uruguay beyond Black and White Perspectives

“…These species can be used as buffers between plantations and riverine forests. Legumes with the highest IVI value such as Vachellia caven and Prosopis affinis in park forests are also relevant due to their capacity to biologically fix atmospheric nitrogen, ecological plasticity, and colonization capacity [17,65]. Our data demonstrate that both species have a potential for buffer strips between plantations and neighboring native grasslands to foster the local biodiversity pool.…”

“…They have been identified as keystones promoting forest regeneration and recovery in highly modified landscapes (Pozo and Säumel, in preparation). Vachellia caven and Prosopis affinis have already been used for the reforestation of degraded habitats and for silvopastoral systems in Argentina and Chile [65]. Moreover, these species provide refuge for native wildlife and food for livestock and wild animals, such as nectar for honey-producing bees [17].…”

Acacia caven nurses endemic sclerophyllous trees along a successional pathway from silvopastoral savanna to forest

“…To date, the natural occurrence of nurse–beneficiary interactions in central Chilean woodlands has not been demonstrated. However, a section of Río Clarillo National Park that was formerly an espinal has subsequently spontaneously “filled in” with sclerophyllous trees, forming a dense, intermediate forest type (L. Peña, personal communication ; M. Root‐Bernstein, personal observation ). A. caven has also been described as a pioneer species that establishes in open areas (Armesto and Pickett , Fuentes et al.…”

El papel del agua sobre la biomasa vegetal en la zona semiárida con clima mediterráneo de Chile 1

“…Además, mantienen importantes economías asociadas a la explotación del ecosistema (pastoreo, agricultura, extracción de cortezas, miel, provisión de forrajes, etc.) y, consecuentemente, a la productividad del medio natural (Root-Bernstein & Jaksic, 2013). Sin embargo, su equilibrio y mantenimiento es delicado debido a que dos de los factores que determinan su configuración, la gestión humana y las condiciones físico-ambientales, ejercen un importante control sobre sus componentes clave, el agua y la biomasa vegetal.…”

“…La biomasa vegetal asociada a las herbáceas anuales constituye uno de los principales recursos en los sistemas silvopastoriles semiáridos de espinal chileno, ya que suponen un eficaz elemento contra la degradación y erosión del suelo, y constituyen la principal fuente de alimentación para el ganado y, consecuentemente, desempeñan un papel clave sobre las economías de estos ambientes (Root-Bernstein & Jaksic, 2013, Schnabel et al, 2013. La producción de biomasa herbácea depende del balance de efectos positivos o negativos entre cada uno de los principales factores limitantes: agua, energía lumínica y térmica, nutrientes y espacio (Brooker et al, 2008).…”