9. A Comparative Review of Forest Dynamics
199
xeric open vegetation, the joint occurrence of charcoal with forest taxa
imply some incidence of prehistoric fire in forests. Despite the uncertainty
of the relative importance of natural ignitions versus human-set fires in
prehistoric times, there is no doubt that with the arrival of aboriginal
humans the frequency of forest burning increased. In northern Patagonia,
early explorers described Indians using fires to hunt rheas and guanacos
in the steppe adjacent to forests (Cox, 1863; Fonck, 1900; Musters , 1871).
They also described vast areas of burnt rainforest in the eighteenth and
nineteenth centuries that they attributed to Indian-set fires (Cox, 1863;
Fonck , 1900).
During the nineteenth century and early twentieth century period of
white settlement of southern Chile and Argentina, vast areas of rainforest
were deliberately burned to increase pasture and to permit agriculture
(Cunill, 1974; Willis, 1914). In many areas this period of burning is
reflected by the abundance today of extensive 70 to 100 year-old evenaged Nothofagus forests (Veblen & Lorenz, 1987). In the Chonos and
Guaitecas Archipelagoes and on the Taitao Peninsula, extensive areas of
forest were intentionally burned to facilitate access for extraction of the
fire-resistant timber of Pilgerodendron uviferum (Grosse, 1979).
In the perhumid region of North America, fire was used by native
populations whose settlements mostly were in rainshadow climates. Fire
was used to fell large trees and to clear burial grounds, but the effects
were localized. In recent decades, some fires ignited by chainsaws and
related activities have resulted in small fires, especially in clearcut areas
(Noste, 1969). Fire is used extensively in the seasonal rainforest region in
British Columbia and in the Pacific Northwest to facilitate planting of
nursery-grown tree seedings on commercial forestland and to decrease
shrub competition with trees (Ruth & Harris, 1979). Indigenous peoples
used fire extensively in the seasonal zone to maintain more open habitats
for game species, particularly on dry south-facing slopes and valley
bottoms. Human-caused fires may cause tremendous damage in the seasonal zone because of the large fuel accumulations which occasionally
reach low moisture status during summer months .
Logging
Although the aboriginal population had a significant impact on the rainforests of South America through their use of fire, timber exploitation
was insignificant until European colonization. In the Valdivian rainforest
district, by the seventeenth century , Spanish shipyards were using large
quantities of Fitzroya cupressoides. Massive clearing and burning of the
forests of the Central Depression of south-central Chile began in the midnineteenth century with the arrival of German colonists (Cunill, 1974).
Commercial logging became significant after completion of the railroad
linked south-central Chile to central Chile in 1912. Until the advent of
199
xeric open vegetation, the joint occurrence of charcoal with forest taxa
imply some incidence of prehistoric fire in forests. Despite the uncertainty
of the relative importance of natural ignitions versus human-set fires in
prehistoric times, there is no doubt that with the arrival of aboriginal
humans the frequency of forest burning increased. In northern Patagonia,
early explorers described Indians using fires to hunt rheas and guanacos
in the steppe adjacent to forests (Cox, 1863; Fonck, 1900; Musters , 1871).
They also described vast areas of burnt rainforest in the eighteenth and
nineteenth centuries that they attributed to Indian-set fires (Cox, 1863;
Fonck , 1900).
During the nineteenth century and early twentieth century period of
white settlement of southern Chile and Argentina, vast areas of rainforest
were deliberately burned to increase pasture and to permit agriculture
(Cunill, 1974; Willis, 1914). In many areas this period of burning is
reflected by the abundance today of extensive 70 to 100 year-old evenaged Nothofagus forests (Veblen & Lorenz, 1987). In the Chonos and
Guaitecas Archipelagoes and on the Taitao Peninsula, extensive areas of
forest were intentionally burned to facilitate access for extraction of the
fire-resistant timber of Pilgerodendron uviferum (Grosse, 1979).
In the perhumid region of North America, fire was used by native
populations whose settlements mostly were in rainshadow climates. Fire
was used to fell large trees and to clear burial grounds, but the effects
were localized. In recent decades, some fires ignited by chainsaws and
related activities have resulted in small fires, especially in clearcut areas
(Noste, 1969). Fire is used extensively in the seasonal rainforest region in
British Columbia and in the Pacific Northwest to facilitate planting of
nursery-grown tree seedings on commercial forestland and to decrease
shrub competition with trees (Ruth & Harris, 1979). Indigenous peoples
used fire extensively in the seasonal zone to maintain more open habitats
for game species, particularly on dry south-facing slopes and valley
bottoms. Human-caused fires may cause tremendous damage in the seasonal zone because of the large fuel accumulations which occasionally
reach low moisture status during summer months .
Logging
Although the aboriginal population had a significant impact on the rainforests of South America through their use of fire, timber exploitation
was insignificant until European colonization. In the Valdivian rainforest
district, by the seventeenth century , Spanish shipyards were using large
quantities of Fitzroya cupressoides. Massive clearing and burning of the
forests of the Central Depression of south-central Chile began in the midnineteenth century with the arrival of German colonists (Cunill, 1974).
Commercial logging became significant after completion of the railroad
linked south-central Chile to central Chile in 1912. Until the advent of