Exotic tree plantations in the Chilean Coastal Range: balancing the effects of discrete disturbances, connectivity, and a persistent drought on catchment erosion

Tolorza, Violeta; Mohr, Christian H.; Zambrano-Bigiarini, Mauricio; Sotomayor, Benjamín; Poblete-Caballero, Dagoberto; Carretier, Sebastien; Galleguillos, Mauricio; Seguel, Oscar

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-841-2024

Articles | Volume 12, issue 4

https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-841-2024

© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-841-2024

© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 12, issue 4

Research article

|

05 Jul 2024

Research article |

| 05 Jul 2024

Exotic tree plantations in the Chilean Coastal Range: balancing the effects of discrete disturbances, connectivity, and a persistent drought on catchment erosion

Violeta Tolorza, Christian H. Mohr, Mauricio Zambrano-Bigiarini, Benjamín Sotomayor, Dagoberto Poblete-Caballero, Sebastien Carretier, Mauricio Galleguillos, and Oscar Seguel

Supplement

https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-841-2024-supplement

Data sets

Disturbances in vegetation detected with BFAST in the Purapel fluvial catchment D. Poblete-Caballero et al. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6958544

Land cover in the Purapel fluvial catchment B. Sotomayor et al. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6974312

Forestry roads in the Purapel fluvial catchment and related changes in sediment connectivity V. Tolorza et al. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7328071

Video supplement

Google Earth Engine timelapse 1984-2020 in the Chilean Coastal Range, El Maule region V. Tolorza https://doi.org/10.5446/62703

Seasonal disturbances detected with BFAST within the Purapel catchment, Chilean Coastal Range, El Maule region D. Poblete-Caballero and V. Tolorza https://doi.org/10.5446/62704

Short summary

We calculated disturbances and landscape-lowering rates across various timescales in a ~ 406 km² catchment in the Chilean Coastal Range. Intensive management of exotic tree plantations involves short rotational cycles (planting and harvesting by replanting clear-cuts) lasting 9–25 years, dense forestry road networks (increasing connectivity), and a recent increase in wildfires. Concurrently, persistent drought conditions and the high water demand of fast-growing trees reduce water availability.