227
sustainability of the activity in the medium and long term, as mentioned above
(González and Román 2009).
In view of the foregoing, forestry activity in the region never played a prominent
role from a productive point of view, despite the fact that the region is itself a forest.
Productive forest activity in the region mainly involves the exploitation of valuable
species with a relative level of control regarding sustainability. The list of native tree
species currently exploited in the Chaco for wood production are quebrachos
(370,000 m
3
), algarrobos (with the highest volume of native wood for sawing marketed in the country: 115,000 m
3
), Aspidosperma quebracho-blanco (60,000 m
3
),
Prosopis kuntzei (15,000 m
3
), Handroanthus spp. (4700 m
3
), Gonopterodendron
sarmientoi (3700 m
3
) and Caesalpinia paraguariensis (3200 m
3
). The volumes indicated correspond to those marketed for all items according to official forest statistics
for 2016 (MAyDS 2018). It is noteworthy that forestry activity in the Chaco has a
very high informality rate, so these volumes widely underestimate the actual extraction of wood in the region. Nor are the wood extractions carried out for “own” use
reflected here, which are generally utilized for house building and rural fences. The
commercialization of the rest of the native forest species of Chaco does not present
significant volumes. Between 2010 and 2014, the Chaco provided 94% of the native
wood exploited throughout the country (MAyDS 2016).
8.5 The Need for a New Tree-Centered Production Paradigm
Profound changes are expected in the medium and long term in the Chaco, triggered
by the increasing environmental deterioration and the exhaustion of a good part of
the productive systems that dominate today. In this context, it is necessary to
advance in a transition aimed at reconversion of the productive system, not only at
the farm level, but also at the landscape and regional levels. It is essential to stop the
course of deterioration and recover productive capacity. In this process of productive and environmental reconversion, native forest tree species must play a relevant
role, particularly those with high productive potential (regarding timber and nontimber products) and/or fulfill a key ecological function, including resilience to climate change and tolerance of soil degradation conditions.
Native forest tree species can play a key role in the Chaco region through:
• Afforestation oriented to the production of high-value wood for use in the local
forestry industry, as a replacement for wood from the native forest
• Silvopastoral and agroforestry production systems
• Programs to enrich the degraded native forest
• Restoration programs of degraded areas destined for the generation of environmental and productive services
These production systems are applicable at the farm and landscape levels, coming into consideration the spatial planning, the diversification of production and the
environmental impact (e.g., water and nutrient cycles, salinity) (Paruelo et al. 2005).
8 Subtropical Dry Forests: The Main Forest Ecoregion of Argentina
sustainability of the activity in the medium and long term, as mentioned above
(González and Román 2009).
In view of the foregoing, forestry activity in the region never played a prominent
role from a productive point of view, despite the fact that the region is itself a forest.
Productive forest activity in the region mainly involves the exploitation of valuable
species with a relative level of control regarding sustainability. The list of native tree
species currently exploited in the Chaco for wood production are quebrachos
(370,000 m
3
), algarrobos (with the highest volume of native wood for sawing marketed in the country: 115,000 m
3
), Aspidosperma quebracho-blanco (60,000 m
3
),
Prosopis kuntzei (15,000 m
3
), Handroanthus spp. (4700 m
3
), Gonopterodendron
sarmientoi (3700 m
3
) and Caesalpinia paraguariensis (3200 m
3
). The volumes indicated correspond to those marketed for all items according to official forest statistics
for 2016 (MAyDS 2018). It is noteworthy that forestry activity in the Chaco has a
very high informality rate, so these volumes widely underestimate the actual extraction of wood in the region. Nor are the wood extractions carried out for “own” use
reflected here, which are generally utilized for house building and rural fences. The
commercialization of the rest of the native forest species of Chaco does not present
significant volumes. Between 2010 and 2014, the Chaco provided 94% of the native
wood exploited throughout the country (MAyDS 2016).
8.5 The Need for a New Tree-Centered Production Paradigm
Profound changes are expected in the medium and long term in the Chaco, triggered
by the increasing environmental deterioration and the exhaustion of a good part of
the productive systems that dominate today. In this context, it is necessary to
advance in a transition aimed at reconversion of the productive system, not only at
the farm level, but also at the landscape and regional levels. It is essential to stop the
course of deterioration and recover productive capacity. In this process of productive and environmental reconversion, native forest tree species must play a relevant
role, particularly those with high productive potential (regarding timber and nontimber products) and/or fulfill a key ecological function, including resilience to climate change and tolerance of soil degradation conditions.
Native forest tree species can play a key role in the Chaco region through:
• Afforestation oriented to the production of high-value wood for use in the local
forestry industry, as a replacement for wood from the native forest
• Silvopastoral and agroforestry production systems
• Programs to enrich the degraded native forest
• Restoration programs of degraded areas destined for the generation of environmental and productive services
These production systems are applicable at the farm and landscape levels, coming into consideration the spatial planning, the diversification of production and the
environmental impact (e.g., water and nutrient cycles, salinity) (Paruelo et al. 2005).
8 Subtropical Dry Forests: The Main Forest Ecoregion of Argentina