Balancing water supply and old-growth forest conservation in the lowlands of south-central Chile through adaptive co-management

Abstract

Ecosystem management is a conservation strategy, but there is not a standard protocol for implementation. In theory, ecosystem management will utilize the best available science to sustain social-ecological systems in the landscape by maximizing multiple ecosystem services expected from the stakeholders’ of those systems. Llancahue is a watershed (1,270 ha) that provides fresh water to the city of Valdivia (130,000 inhabitants) and protects >700 ha of old-growth forest within a severely disturbed landscape in the lowlands of south-central Chile. The native vegetation of this landscape is the threatened Valdivian Temperate Rainforests. Management of the watershed by the Universidad Austral de Chile needs to both provide timber and work to the neighboring campesinos (small poor rural land owners) who were illegally logging the forest and improve the conservation of the old-growth forests and the quantity and quality of water provided by the watershed. This paper demonstrates how adaptive management has utilized a multi-step process to improve management of the watershed. This process has included (1) understanding stakeholders’ views towards the project, (2) developing an ecosystem management plan for the watershed that balanced multiple societal demands and ecosystem functions from the watershed, and (3) monitoring the Llancahue forest and streams to ensure activities provided desired results. This paper reports results after 4 years of implementation and provides perspectives on the ecosystem management approach.