Silviculture Promotes Sustainability in Nothofagus antarctica Secondary Forests of Northern Patagonia, Argentina: A Multicriteria Analysis

Matías G. Goldenberg (), Claudia Huaylla, Facundo J. Oddi, Juan I. Agüero, Marcos E. Nacif, Guillermo J. Martínez Pastur and Lucas A. Garibaldi
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Matías G. Goldenberg: Instituto de Investigaciones en Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural, Universidad Nacional de Río Negro (UNRN), San Carlos de Bariloche 8400, Río Negro, Argentina
Claudia Huaylla: Instituto de Investigaciones en Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural, Universidad Nacional de Río Negro (UNRN), San Carlos de Bariloche 8400, Río Negro, Argentina
Facundo J. Oddi: Instituto de Investigaciones en Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural, Universidad Nacional de Río Negro (UNRN), San Carlos de Bariloche 8400, Río Negro, Argentina
Juan I. Agüero: Cátedra de Botánica General, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad de Buenos Aires 1417, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Marcos E. Nacif: Instituto de Investigaciones en Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural, Universidad Nacional de Río Negro (UNRN), San Carlos de Bariloche 8400, Río Negro, Argentina
Guillermo J. Martínez Pastur: Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas (CADIC), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Bernardo Houssay 200, Ushuaia 9410, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina
Lucas A. Garibaldi: Instituto de Investigaciones en Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural, Universidad Nacional de Río Negro (UNRN), San Carlos de Bariloche 8400, Río Negro, Argentina

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 4, 1-14

Abstract: Despite the growing recognition of sustainability in forest management, comprehensive multi-criteria evaluations of silvicultural practices remain scarce, particularly in Patagonia. In this study, we applied a multi-criteria decision analysis to evaluate the sustainability of different strip-cutting intensities in secondary Nothofagus antarctica forests in Northern Patagonia, Argentina. The performance of four management alternatives was assessed: no cutting, low cutting intensity, medium cutting intensity, and high cutting intensity. These alternatives were evaluated across 11 indicators of nature’s contributions to people. Indicator values were estimated from previous research across three contrasting sites, complemented by expert surveys to estimate weights and target values for each indicator. The results indicate that the key indicators included those associated with firewood harvesting, fire and invasions prevention, and timber species plantation performance. Medium cutting intensity consistently emerged as the most sustainable option across all sites, models, and scenarios. In contrast, no cutting performed poorly across most sites, models, and scenarios. These findings underscore the importance of integrating diverse ecological and socioeconomic indicators into forest management planning. The promotion of medium cutting intensity has the potential to enhance sustainability in N. antarctica forests, thereby contributing to the development of resilient and multifunctional landscapes in Northern Patagonia.

Keywords: short-stature trees; silviculture; goal programming; ecosystem services (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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