Disturb to the native vegetation by major fires 50 years ago in Nordpatagonic o forest. Study case in meridional Chile

Abstract

Most of the chilean patagonic forest belongs to pluvial formation evergreen and deciduous (44° - 49° S). In this stratified and dense forest predominate mostly Nothofagus, Mirtaceas Proteaceas and coniferous. Between 1929 and 1952, with the chilean permission, it was made huge forest fires by pioneers and colonists, in order to get land for settlements, prairies and crops. It was burned 3.500.000 ha of forest in 30 years. Nowadays there are thousand of patagonic ecosystems hectares that its recuperation is poor or even null, with many important areas showing hydric and eolic erosion process, invasion of exotic aggressive bushes (Rosa rubiginosa, Cyrsium vulgare). Also, now it is possible to observe thousand of burned wood logs in a process of decomposition. By other hand, sliding from the mountain disturb sometimes the native forest regeneration. The continuous exploitation of the trees for wood is another disturbs that impact adversely the forest regeneration. Then present, one representative study area.