El rol de la diversidad funcional en la provisión de múltiples servicios ecosistémicos: Un análisis empírico en el Chaco seco de Córdoba, Argentina central

Abstract

Conti, G., Enrico, L., Jaureguiberry, P., Cuchietti, A., Lipoma, M. L., Cabrol, D. 2018. The role of functional diversity in the provision of multiple ecosystem services: An empirical analysis in the dry Chaco of Cordoba, central Argentina. Ecosistemas 27(3):60-74.Doi.: 10.7818/ECOS.1491 The ecological relevance of the study of functional diversity (FD) as a driver of ecosystem processes and ecosystem services (ES) has been widely recognized, since it has been proven to be a useful approach to understand how plants respond to different naturalor anthropogenic changes and how they alter ecosystem processes determining the provision of key ES. However, it still lacks of empirical evidence that support this theoretical relationship in forest ecosystems under management. In this work, using as anexample the dry Chaco forest of central Argentina, we attempt to quantify the joint provision of multiple ecosystem services locally perceived and valued, evaluating and discussing the use of plant functional indices as proxies of the land use effect over the provision of ES. The results showed a reduction on regulating ES provision towards more intensively managed ecosystems. Within the components of the FD considered, mainly those associated with the variety and evenness on the distribution of the functional attributes and the structural attributes in the plant communities were more closely linked to the joint provision of multiple SEs in thesedry forests. Articulating forest management concepts with basic ecology approaches is an urgent step to move towards regional resource planning considering both, the intrinsic ecosystems properties and the differential interests of the social actors involved. This paper tries to be a first step to evaluate the methodological and conceptual approach of this discussion.