THE BARILOCHE DECLARATION on Invasive Alien Conifers in South America

THE BARILOCHE DECLARATION on Invasive Alien Conifers in South America

Following an international meeting on conifer invasions held in Bariloche, Argentina, from May 10 to 12 2007, the undersigned participants urge South American countries to act against conifer invasions throughout the continent. Given that:

·  Conifers have been introduced from the northern hemisphere into southern hemisphere countries for centuries, but especially since the 1800s, initially mostly for timber production and later for pulp and paper;

·  Forestry products from conifer plantations provide opportunities for economic growth, but these plantations can also lead to invasions;

·  Many of these introduced species have become invasive, colonizing areas beyond plantations or cultivation, with significant impacts on biodiversity and ecological functions, including reducing water availability, increasing the intensity and frequency of fires, and changing natural landscapes;

·  There has been a large effort to introduce and promote conifers in the past 50 years in South America. The majority of introduced trees belong to the genus Pinus, which were tested in different geographies and climates, then selected and widely cultivated;

·  In some countries introduced conifers now constitute more than 50% of forest plantations, and different species are also used as shade trees, windbreaks, roadside plantings and ornamentals;

·  After this half century of planting, many reports have appeared of conifers escaping cultivation and invading natural and disturbed habitats;

·  Given the history and scale of invasions and recorded impacts of invasions and of plantations in other countries such as New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa, it would be prudent to use experience gained there to avoid conflicts of interest and spare the richest biodiversity in South America from the impacts of conifer invasions;

·  If left uncontrolled, conifer invasions may foreclose future options for using land for other productive purposes;

·  South American climates may foster the process of conifer invasions if specific prevention and control measures are not adopted as integral parts of plantation forest management. There are two key differences between the initial introductions in other continents and the current process in South America. (1) The present expansion in South America is stimulated by unprecedented levels of globalization, with plantations of much broader scale than in the past century; (2) Many habitats being planted with conifers in South America have already been disturbed;

·  Climate change may also affect conifer invasions and thereby alter natural areas, enhancing opportunities for invasion;

·  A few countries that have long dealt with these problems have established at least partial solutions for the conflicts of interest generated by invasions and the use of land for forestry, including guidelines and legal instruments.

Action now will save effort and cost later. We urge South American nations to adopt conifer invasion prevention and control measures to protect their natural resources and unique ecosystems, and to this end we propose the following measures to improve management of forest plantations:

Recommendations on regulating invasions

·  Implement risk assessment procedures for all types of plantings and new introductions;

·  Assure that every plantation for commercial production has a qualified professional in charge of its management, and a management plan registered in the relevant resource agency;

·  Management plans should contain strategies and implementation measures for the prevention, control, and monitoring of spread. Establish plantations so as to exclude sites highly likely to foster spread (such as hilltops, riparian areas, areas exposed to strong winds);

·  Implementation of control measures should be audited independently;

·  Discourage use of invasive species for other purposes than commercial production (such as ornamental plantings, windbreaks, roadside plantings, and firewood);

·  Encourage clearance of spread-prone planted conifers from abandoned plantations.

Forest Certification

·  If not already included, practices for prevention and control of invasive species must be added to certification criteria throughout South America.

·  Check that certification agencies verify this requirement, as it has been widely overlooked and may require capacity-building of certifiers.

Education

·  Include management of invasions in professional curricula for university courses related to forestry activities and management.

·  Improve public awareness of biological invasions.

Signatories

Bustamante, R., Dr in Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity, University of Chile, Chile1; Castro, S.A., (Dr. en Ecologia) Caseb, Departamento de Ecologia, Facultad de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile2; Nuñez, M.A., Ecologist, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA3; Pauchard, A., PhD (Forest Ecologist) Facultad de Ciencias Forestales Universidad de Concepción, Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad, Chile4; Peña, E., Ecologist, Universidad de Concepción, Facultad de Ciencias Forestales, Chile5; Raffaele, E., (Dra. En Ecologia), Lab. Ecotono, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Argentina6; Relva, M.A., Dr in Biology, Researcher of Conicet, Lab. Ecotono, Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Quintral 1250 (8400) Bariloche, Rio Negro Argentina Lab. Ecotono, Argentina7; Richardson, D.M., Deputy Director, Centre for Invasion Biology, Stellenbosch University, South Africa & Member IUCN Species Survival Specialist Groups on Conifers and Invasive Species8; Sarasola, M.M., Ing. Forestal, Conifer invasions ecologist, Coordinador del Area Forestal, Estación Experimental Agropecuaria, INTA Bariloche, Argentina9; Simberloff, D., Ph.D. (Biology), Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA10; van Wilgen, B.W., Chief Forest Ecologist, CSIR, South Africa11; Zalba, S. (Dr. in Biology) Nacional Lead I3N Argentina. GEKKO – Grupo de Estudios en Conservación y Manejo, Universidad Nacional del Sur, Argentina12; Zenni, R.D., South America Invasive Species Program, The Nature Conservancy, Brazil13; Ziller, S.R, Coordinator South America Invasive Species Program, The Nature Conservancy, The Horus Institute for Environmental Conservation and Development, Brazil14

1.  Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 653, Santiago, Chile ()

2.  Caseb, Departamento de Ecologia, Facultad de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidad Catolica de Chile. Casilla 114 d, Santiago, Chile (, )

3.  Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996 USA, 569 Dabney Hall ()

4.  Facultad de Ciencias Forestales, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160-C, Concepción, Chile ()

5. Universidad de Concepción, Facultad de Ciencias Forestales Victoria 631,

Concepción, Chile ()

6.  Lab. Ecotono, Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Quintral 1250 (8400)

Bariloche, Río Negro Argentina ()

7.  Lab. Ecotono, Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Quintral 1250 (8400) Bariloche, Río Negro Argentina ()

8.  Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Matieland 7602, South Africa ()

9.  INTA Bariloche CC277 (8400) Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina ()

10. Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA ()

11. CSIR Natural Resources and the Environment, PO Box 320 Stellenbosch 7599, South Africa ()

12. GEKKO – Grupo de Estudios en Conservación y Manejo, Universidad

Nacional del Sur. San Juan 670 (8000) Bahía Blanca, Argentina

()

13. Rua Eugenio Flor, 730 ap 231 CEP 82130-290 – Curitiba, PR – Brazil ()

14. Instituto Horus, Servidao Cobra Coral, 111 Campeche Florianopolis – SC88.063-513, Brazil ()