Abstract

This work analyses the factors related to environment and human that influence over the assemblage of vascular plant species in timber forests of Nothofagus pumilio and their associated environments of Tierra del Fuego. Analyses used a multi-scale approach that integrated regional, landscape and stand spatial levels. The main results indicated that: (i) At a regional level, although the distinct ecosystems share plant species, the assemblages were significantly different from each other in almost all studied areas, where the influence of climate explained these variations beyond human impacts (e.g. cattle grazing). (ii) At a landscape level, differences observed among environmental gradients (e.g. aspect) and human impacts (harvesting > cattle grazing) were found, and not only the geographical area determines the diversity and plant assemblages, but also the intrinsic properties of the forest environments and associated open environments (forest vs open-lands). (iii) At the stand level, different harvesting schemes (e.g. different levels and types of retention) influenced over the conservation of the understory plants, where vascular plant assemblages remained more similar to primary forests in aggregate retention than in dispersed ones. It was concluded that the exclusion of environments for forestry or cattle use does not guarantee the conservation of all species. The retention approach in each environment must be implemented at spatial scales, e.g. at the stand scale by private or public landowners, or at larger scales by the government through medium-scale reserves or the design of a new network of protected areas.