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Stressors and Management of Chile


Stressors

Atacama Desert

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/lithium-copper-mining-atacama-desert


    One potentially threatening human activity to the Atacama is the extensive lithium and copper mining done in the region. The process of lithium mining uses huge amounts of water. This creates water shortages not only in the already dry desert but all throughout the country of Chile. In addition, both lithium and copper mining release chemicals into the soils and atmosphere which are potentially harmful to the environment such as hydrochloric acid (Ahmad 2). The Chilean flamingo would be the most likely at risk candidate due to their sole source of food coming from the limited number of salt lakes in the Atacama. 


Andes Mountains

Source: patagoniajournal.com


    In the lower altitudes of the Andes Mountains, logging is a large part of the local economy. It is estimated that around 75% of the tropical section of the Andes has already been cut down, and while the Andes of Chile aren't threatened to that extreme yet, the forests are still being cut down rapidly (Rainforest Trust). The quinine tree would obviously be more threatened by this disturbance due to the fact that it is a tree. 

Patagonia

miresofchile.cl


    Livestock grazing is a leading factor in the region of Patagonia's economy. Patagonia's natural grasslands have been hurt and parts even destroyed due to the heavy agricultural grazing of animals like sheep, lamas, and cattle. This cattle grazing has caused lacks of vegetation, which in turn has lead to soil erosion throughout the region. This has also affected much of the region's bird life (World Wildlife Fund). This would likely affect the guanaco as it is a grazing animal, which relies on wild grasses for food. 

    

Climate Change

Atacama Desert

    The RCP 8.5 scenario predicts that the Atacama region will increase in temperature by about 3 degrees Celsius and precipitation is expected to remain the same (World Bank Group). This means that the most common disturbance regime (fire) will likely be 'enflamed' (pun intended). The rise in temperature will mean easier fires will be much more likely to start. This would likely have a larger effect on the Gray Fox as fires can be dangerous to mammals living in the region, who may not be able to escape fires. 


Andes Mountains

     The temperature of the Andes is predicted to rise by around 3 degrees Celsius and the precipitation is predicted to decrease by around 10mm (World Bank Group). This region is also vulnerable to fires, and the additional temperature mixed with the drier weather sets up for particularly dangerous fire conditions. The quinine tree seems to be more vulnerable as they are flammable and immobile compared to the Condor. 


Patagonia

    Patagonia is predicted to increase in temperature by 3 degrees Celsius and increase in rainfall by around 10mm (World Bank Group).  This could likely have a huge effect on the region as Patagonia's largest disturbance is storms. The rise in temperature could potentially give storms a lot more energy, thus creating much more powerful and damaging storms. The Magellan Penguin would be at risk in this case as it is an aquatic bird, and more powerful storms along the coastline have the potential to damage both their habitat and breeding grounds. 


Conservation

    The most beneficial thing to implement to the regions of Chile would be to end or reduce the human caused disturbances of each region. Because it would be almost fiscally impossible to completely eliminate all of the man made disturbances of each region, as they are caused by major industries of the regions, the goal would be to limit the environmental impact of the industries. For the mining in the Atacama region, the focus would be on both reducing water usage and limiting pollutants. For the reduction in water usage, there have been developments in water recycling that could be implemented to reduce total water usage by 33% (IOC Company). As far as the acid pollution, more strict waste disposal laws as well as routine inspections would potentially reduce the risk of pollution. For the Andes Mountains, more sustainable forestry techniques are required to save the forests of the Andes. Making sure to replant native species of vegetation is one way to improve the health of the forests. Or planting fast growing lumber in small sections while restricting access to the remainder of forests seems like a possible option. Rotation of forestry cites also is an additional method that allows forests to feature different stages of succession, providing for a more diverse forest (Ivanova 258). For the Patagonia region, grazing is the biggest threat to conservation. The USDA has already conducted an extensive study of how conservation efforts effect grazing areas. The most important for the grazing in Chile seem to be field rotation and terracing (USDA). Much of Chile's cattle are still free range, which can have a devastating impact on the native grasses of the region. It is recommended to fence the grazing areas and rotate the fields the cattle are in so the grasses can have time to recover. In addition, terracing reduces the effect of erosion caused by lack of vegetation. The Andes forests seem to be largely the most at risk. The tropical forest region is already severely depleted and the remainder of Andes forests aren't too far behind. That being said, the grasslands of Patagonia are at risk as well, as the grazing in the region has been going on for hundreds of years, devastating certain areas. The Atacama seems the least at risk, as while mining is damaging, it does not affect the whole region in the same way as the other two regions are affected. 

References

 Ahmad, S. (2020). The Lithium Triangle: Where Chile Argentina, and Bolivia Meet. Harvard International Review, 41(1), 51–53

Dellafiore, C. (2020), Temperate Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands, World Wildlife Fund

IOC Company, (2020), How Can Mining Become More Environmentally Stable

Ivanova, N. S. (2018). Interdisciplinary Approach for Sustainable Forest Management. International Journal of Bio-Resource & Stress Management, 9(2), 257–261. https://doi-org.ucark.idm.oclc.org/10.23910/IJBSM/2018.9.2.1859

Rainforest Trust (2020), Primate Protection in the Tropical Andes, 

United States Department of Agriculture (2020), Environmental Effects of Conservation Practices on Grazing Lands 

World Bank Group (2020), Climate Change Knowledge Portal, https://climateknowledgeportal.worldbank.org/country/chile/climate-data-projections

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