TY - JOUR
T1 - Intermediate levels of wood extraction may facilitate coexistence of an endemic arboreal marsupial and Indigenous communities
AU - González-Ancín, Héctor
AU - Spínola, Manuel
AU - Mora-Benavides, José M.
AU - Sáenz, Joel C.
AU - Paillacar, Alberto
AU - Fontúrbel, Francisco E.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Fauna & Flora International.
PY - 2022/5/23
Y1 - 2022/5/23
N2 - Land-use change is a major driver of biodiversity loss. Large-scale disturbances such as habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation are known to have negative consequences for native biota, but the effects of small-scale disturbances such as selective logging are less well known. We compared three sites with different regimes of selective logging performed by Indigenous communities in the South American temperate rainforest, to assess effects on the density and habitat selection patterns of the Near Threatened endemic arboreal marsupial Dromiciops gliroides. We used structured interviews to identify patterns of wood extraction, which was 0.22-2.55 m3 per ha per year. In the less disturbed site only two tree species were logged, in the intermediately disturbed sites eight species were logged at low intensity, and in the most disturbed site seven species were logged intensively. The site with intermediate disturbance had the highest fleshy-fruited plant diversity and fruit biomass values as a result of the proliferation of shade-intolerant plants. This site also had the highest density of D. gliroides. These findings are consistent with Connell's intermediate disturbance hypothesis, suggesting that coexistence of people with nature is possible if wood extraction volumes are moderate, increasing plant diversity. Indigenous communities have sustainably used natural resources for centuries, but current rates of land-use change are becoming a significant threat to both them and their natural resources.
AB - Land-use change is a major driver of biodiversity loss. Large-scale disturbances such as habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation are known to have negative consequences for native biota, but the effects of small-scale disturbances such as selective logging are less well known. We compared three sites with different regimes of selective logging performed by Indigenous communities in the South American temperate rainforest, to assess effects on the density and habitat selection patterns of the Near Threatened endemic arboreal marsupial Dromiciops gliroides. We used structured interviews to identify patterns of wood extraction, which was 0.22-2.55 m3 per ha per year. In the less disturbed site only two tree species were logged, in the intermediately disturbed sites eight species were logged at low intensity, and in the most disturbed site seven species were logged intensively. The site with intermediate disturbance had the highest fleshy-fruited plant diversity and fruit biomass values as a result of the proliferation of shade-intolerant plants. This site also had the highest density of D. gliroides. These findings are consistent with Connell's intermediate disturbance hypothesis, suggesting that coexistence of people with nature is possible if wood extraction volumes are moderate, increasing plant diversity. Indigenous communities have sustainably used natural resources for centuries, but current rates of land-use change are becoming a significant threat to both them and their natural resources.
KW - Chile
KW - Dromiciops gliroides
KW - Indigenous community
KW - habitat selection
KW - intermediate disturbance hypothesis
KW - sustainability
KW - temperate rainforest
KW - wood extraction
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85116102290&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1017/S003060532000109X
DO - 10.1017/S003060532000109X
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85116102290
SN - 0030-6053
VL - 56
SP - 442
EP - 450
JO - ORYX
JF - ORYX
IS - 3
ER -