Supervivencia y crecimiento de plantines de ciprés de la cordillera durante siete años en dos sitios contrastantes de Patagonia norte

Abstract

Native forestry species enable forest restoration and are a sustainable productive alternative. In any forest plantation, among them those in which native tree species are used, knowledge on seedling dynamics is a highly relevant for planning and management. We describe the seedling dynamics —survival and height growth— of planted ‘ciprés de la cordillera’, a high-value timber species of the Andean-Patagonian forests, in northern Patagonia shrublands. We carried out a 7-years planting experiment (275 seedlings) in two contrasting sites (a valley bo�om and a northern-exposure hillside), and each spring we recorded the survival and height of the seedlings. In addition, we evaluated the effect of protecting the seedlings from herbivores and modeled the browsing dynamics. Survival and browsing were evaluated with generalized linear models while height was modeled with a non-linear mixed-effects model from which we quantified the growth rate per seedling. At the valley bo�om, survival decreased to <15% at the end of the experiment. Survival was higher in the hillside with north exposure and remained relatively stable. At this site, the values of survival (~70% at year 7) and height growth (rates greater than 15%; MAI ~8 cm/year) were comparable with those of seedlings planted in forests of ‘ciprés de la cordillera’, suggesting that the species could be used for restoration or production in northern hillsides like the one assayed. Seedling protectors reduced browsing, increased survival although not significantly, and diminished growth. Therefore, it is not clear whether seedlings should be protected using the protector type tested in this study. We hope our results contribute to the sustainable management of shrublands and forests of northern Patagonia.