The Area

Threats to the Ecoregion

The major threats to ecosystems of the Valdivian Ecoregion include:

• Unsustainable logging for firewood, wood chips and commercial timber
• Conversion of native forest to exotic tree plantations
• Small scale expansion of agricultural frontiers
• Wildfire
• Lack of land use planning to guide large infrastructure projects.

These threats were modeled using a Geographic Information System to determine relative levels of threat faced by each area. Notably, forests in Chile's central valley and in the Coastal Range were

An Uncertain Future

The situation of the Valdivian Forests is precarious. Solutions are urgently required if this exceptional natural heritage is to be conserved over time.

WWF actively supports the creation of new protected areas and the sustainable use of native forests, both of which imply the consideration of ecological, economic, and sociocultural factors. Currently WWF's conservation efforts are focused primarily on the important remnants of native forest in the Coastal Range and the Central Valley. Without coordinated protection, the future of these natural treasures is extremely uncertain.