Weed control and use of tree shelters: improving restoration success of degraded north Patagonian forests

Abstract

Austrocedrus chilensis and Nothofagus dombeyi are endemic species of the Andean-Patagonian forests of Argentina. Both species grow in either pure or mixed stands. In the last decades, several A. chilensis stands have been degraded by different disturbances that have compromised their natural regeneration. Plantation of seedlings of both species may be an alternative to help restore ecological, scenic and productive characteristics of these stands. In this study, we determined, in degraded A. chilensis stands grown in a xeric (≈ 690 mm.yr−1) and a mesic (≈ 984 mm.yr−1) site without canopy cover, the effects of tree shelters, the presence/absence of neighboring herbaceous vegetation, and the interaction between these factors on the performance (i.e. survival and growth) of planted N. dombeyi and A. chilensis seedlings, during four growing seasons. Results showed that tree shelters improved survival of N. dombeyi in the mesic site, and improved survival of both species in the xeric site. The removal of neighboring herbaceous vegetation improved the survival and diameter growth of both species at the xeric site, and improved the diameter growth of both species at the mesic site. By applying these planting technologies, both species could be successfully used for restoring highly degraded A. chilensis stands at mesic sites, while it is more advisable to use A. chilensis at xeric sites under open sky conditions.