Sixteenth International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic & Social Sustainability

Abstract

A novel planning mechanism in Chile called the “paisaje de conservación”, or conservation landscape, was first implemented in the Alhué region of central Chile. This area could be described as a cultural and biogeographical refuge, due to the survival of forest cover, biodiversity, and traditional practices that are disappearing in surrounding areas. The conservation landscape planning mechanism is intended to facilitate and streamline the use of conservation and heritage concepts in municipal land-use planning and programmes, but its ecological goals and ability to enrol LEK (local ecolocal knowledge) and local participation are untested. Using interviews, we examined local ecological knowledge and uses of forest plants in the community of Pichi in Alhué, and agricultural livelihoods. We compare this to an ecological survey of the diversity of successional states and tree species throughout the Alhué area, with reference to different historical and current forest-use practices and disturbances across the area. We find that the local residents are aware of the biological and cultural uniqueness and value of their forests. Many residents do not understand the purpose of the conservation landscape, but have specific ideas for conservation interventions. The forests show a successional diversity similar to what can be found throughout larger areas in central Chile, and appear to recover well from historical woodcutting and recent fires. We discuss possible ways to bring LEK and participative approaches more closely into the implementation of the conservation landscape, to safeguard the existing forest diversity.