The Area

The Social Context

The forests of the Valdivian Ecoregion are unlike any other on Earth, thanks to the great biological diversity and number of endemic plant and animal species found there. These ecosystems have been the home of indigenous peoples for thousands of years, and later became home to European colonists and small farmers. Even today, the lifestyle and local economy of many communities in the ecoregion depend on the native forest. In the face of growing external pressures, local communities have played an increasingly important role in the protection of these forests, but they are often not recognized or supported in their efforts.

The ecoregion contains a great diversity of socio-economic, political, and cultural variation. The total population of 5,101,609 inhabitants is concentrated mainly in the Chilean cities of Talca, Osorno, Concepción, Temuco, Valdivia, and Puerto Montt; and in the cities of San Martín de los Andes, San Carlos, Bolsón and Esquel in Argentina.

Land ownership in the ecoregion is primarily private outside of the national protected area systems, although the 11th region in Chile, and the northern part of Neuquén province in Argentina still retain significant state ownership.

"I come from a family that has protected the woods since ancestral times. My grandparents, my great-grandparents... my whole family has always taken care of the forest. They wanted it to last forever." Mr. Jorge Loy, Mapu Lahual Indigenous Association of Butahuillimapu, Osorno, 10th Region.

"...we've learned to work together and to take better care of our native forest..."Mrs. Yilda Alvial, Santa Cecilia de las Ñochas Workshop, Carahue, 9th Region.

Land use patterns in the region

Land use in the Chilean portion of the ecoregion is extremely variable due to the vast geographical and historical differences between northern and southern subregions. The dominant land uses in the 7th and 8th Regions are a large scale, irrigated commercial agriculture in the central valley and intensively managed timber plantations in the coastal range and Andean foothills. The country´s timber and paper industry is concentrated here, especially along the Bío Bío river and in the Concepción metropolitan area.

The 9th Region and the northern 10th Region also concentrate important timber industries, which rely on exotic plantations, and to a lesser extent, native species, as well traditional agricultural and dairy farming zones in the central valley.This agricultural sector, which is based on traditional staple crops such as wheat, has been in steady decline for decades due to chronically depressed market conditions, a trend which is expected to continue in coming years. Significant areas also remain dedicated to small-scale subsistence farming.