Forestry in Chile

Foresters of the Southern University of Chile in the forests of San Pablo de Tregua

Forestry is one of the main economic sectors of Chile, representing 14% of the value of the country's total exports. This places the forestry sector in Chile as the second largest export sector behind copper mining.^[1] From 1970 to 2005 planted forest surface in Chile grew from 300,000 ha to more than 2.07 million ha.^[1] As of 2006 70% of Chile's forestry production went to export, and the industry employed more than 150,000 workers.^[1] The wave of forest plantations that begun in the 1970s was initially a response to severe soil erosion that affected much of the country.^[2] There was a broad support for plantations when these were first implemented but by the 1980s a conservationist critique had grown exposing the adverse effects of plantations on certain plant and animal species, on biodiversity and on water resources.^[2] In many cases the establishment of plantations meant not reforestation but the actual replacement natural forest.^[2]

Forestry in Chile is mainly practised in the southern half of the country where mediterranean and temperate climate gives favourable conditions.^{[citation needed]} Forestry areas in south-central and central Chile are mainly distributed on the Chilean Coast Range and the Andean foothills and valleys leaving most of the Chilean Central Valley for other economic activities mainly cattle farming and agriculture.^{[citation needed]} South of Chacao Channel and Reloncaví Fjord forestry is more limited due to dry conditions in transandean portions of Chile, little development of infrastructure and large areas being protected as reserves, national parks and private parks.^{[citation needed]}

See also[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Forestry in Chile.

• Native Forest Law
• Celulosa Arauco y Constitución
• Mapuche conflict
• Deforestation in Chile

References[]

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