Review of publications regarding restoration in the Andean Patagonian forest region of Argentina

Abstract

The United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration is both an opportunity and a challenge to contribute to the recovery of degraded ecosystems. The general objective of this work was to provide an overview of studies regarding ecological restoration carried out in the Andean Patagonian Forest region of Argentina. The specific aims were: (1) to quantify the publications on the subject and identify the reporting language, (2) to classify the publications by type of ecosystem and type of research (basic or applied research, passive or active restoration), and (3) to identify principal causes of degradation. By means of the Scopus database, a search was made for publications with the descriptors “Restau* + Argentina” and “Restor* + Argentina”. Between 1998 and 2022, 28 publications were registered. Most of the works correspond to basic research and are written in English. The most studied ecosystems were the Austrocedrus chilensis and Nothofagus pumilio forests. Forest fires, invasion of exotic plants and presence of exotic herbivores were the main causes of disturbance. Although there is significant scientific development of the topic, the dissemination of scientific knowledge to stakeholders for environmental management and implementation of projects in the territory is still a pending issue.