The effect of wildfire on the structure and water balance of a high conservation value Hualo (Nothofagus glauca (Phil.) Krasser.) forest in central Chile

et al. 2020

Forests

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The transpiration of Nothofagus glauca (Phil.) Krasser and advanced Pinus radiata D. Don. regeneration was measured in a fragment of native N. glauca forest. Over the eight months of this study, P. radiata contributed approximately 60% of the total stand transpiration. This was out of proportion with the approximately 34% of the stand sapwood area contributed by P. radiata. This was due to the significantly greater sap flux density of the P. radiata compared to the N. glauca between May and October. Though the results are from a small study conducted as part of a larger experiment, it is argued that they suggest that invasion by P. radiata may substantially increase the risk from climate change to reserves of N. glauca forest in the Maule region of central Chile. In some reserves of N. glauca forest, Forestal Arauco S.A. manually removed P. radiata that regenerated after the wildfire of January 2017. This was a costly operation and there is a need for indices to assess competition. The ratio of sapwood area to leaf area is suggested as a potential index for assessing competition to identify stands at risk.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Section: Basal Area and Sapwood Areamentioning

confidence: 93%

Section: Site Descriptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Stand Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Stand Transpirationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Contribution of Advanced Regeneration of Pinus radiata D. Don. to Transpiration by a Fragment of Native Forest in Central Chile Is out of Proportion with the Contribution to Sapwood Area

White

Silberstein

et al. 2020

Forests

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Forestal Arauco experimental research catchments; daily rainfall‐runoff for 10 catchments with different forest types in Central‐Southern Chile

White

Silberstein

et al. 2021

Hydrological Processes

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Forestal Arauco (FA), a global manufacturer of forest products, manages more than 1 million ha of forest plantations and oversees the conservation of more than half a million hectares of native forest and vegetation in Brazil, Argentina and Chile. In 2008, FA responded to local concerns about the effect of plantations on water resources and commenced streamflow monitoring in catchments in the coastal range of centralsouthern Chile between 35 and 39 of latitude south. This data note presents an overview of daily streamflow and rainfall records for 10 small catchments (18-112 ha) from 2008 to 2018. The catchments are covered by three different forest types, namely native forest (2), pine plantations of different ages (6) and eucalypt plantations(2). All of these catchments share similar metamorphic geology. A 90 V notch weir was built at each catchment outlet and data collected at 5 min interval using a pressure transducer that was calibrated monthly. The dataset is part of a research programme aiming to improve our understanding about the role of forest plantations on water balance at a stand and catchment level. It also includes the rainfall data from these catchments estimated using a combination of local rain gauges and data from the longer term records of the Chilean Directorate of Water. This dataset can be used in hydrological modelling and in a wide range of research questions and water management issues regarding forest plantations in a Mediterranean climate.

Comparison of streamflow recession between plantations and native forests in small catchments in Central‐Southern Chile

Flores

Arumí

et al. 2021

Hydrological Processes

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In central Chile, many communities rely on water obtained from small catchments in the coastal mountains. Water security for these communities is most vulnerable during the summer dry season and, from 2010 to 2017, rainfall during the dry season was between 20% and 40% below the long‐term average. The rate of decrease in stream flow after a rainfall event is a good measure of the risk of flow decreasing below a critical threshold. This risk of low flow can be quantified using a recession coefficient (α) that is the slope of an exponential decay function relating flow to time since rainfall. A mathematical model was used to estimate the recession coefficient (α) for 142 rainstorm events (64 in summer; 78 in winter) in eight monitored catchments between 2008 and 2017. These catchments all have a similar geology and extend from 35 to 39 degrees of latitude south in the coastal range of south‐central Chile. A hierarchical cluster analysis was used to test for differences between the mean value of α for different regions and forest types in winter and summer. The value of α did not differ (p < 0.05) between catchments in winter. Some differences were observed during summer and these were attributed to morphological differences between catchments and, in the northernmost catchments, the effect of land cover (native forest and plantation). Moreover, α for catchments with native forest was similar to those with pine plantations, although there was no difference (p < 0.05) between these and Eucalyptus plantations. The recession constant is a well‐established method for understanding the effect of climate and disturbance on low flows and baseflows and can enhance local and regional analyses of hydrological processes. Understanding the recession of flow after rainfall in small headwater catchments, especially during summer, is vital for water resources management in areas where the establishment of plantations has occurred in a drying climate.