Responsible researchers: Lucio Malizia, Agustina Malizia, Cecilia Blundo
Funding Source: FONCyT and Ministry of environment and sustainable resources of the Nation
Summary
The Law of Forests (26.331), to protection of native forests, requires the development of sustainable forest management plans for the use of native forests. In the Yungas eco-region, there is a lack of technical information to support forest planning. Additionally, to promote forests enrichment (National laws 26.331 and 25.080/26.432 to cultivate forests), there is no a quantifiable definition of "degraded forests". This situation difficult the application of both laws.
The principal goal of this Project is to establish a series of structural and demographic parameters, and degradation criteria and indicators for the different altitudinal forest type in Yungas (i.e. premontane forests, and low and high montane forests). These parameters could be used as references to monitoring a sustainable forest management in the native forests of NW Argentina. We propose to analyse existing data and to generate new data coming from a network of permanent plots in which some plots have 15 and 25 years of monitoring.
The project foresees the re-measurement of 35 1-ha plots, of a total of 68 plots integrated to the Subtropical Network of Permanent Plots of the Northwest of Argentina (RedSPP). Results of this work will allow the local authorities of application, have forest management criteria for decision making in the application of Law 26.331. Additionally, forest professionals and owners may have technical management prescriptions and appropriate silvicultural recommendations for Yungas, which will facilitate the development of sustainable forest management plans for this ecoregion.