Guardians of the Forest: The Impact of Indigenous Peoples on Forest Loss in Chile

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of forest cover loss patterns and the protection role of Indigenous peoples in the forests of Araucanía, Chile. Previous research indicated lower rates of forest cover loss in land managed by Indigenous peoples; however, this was primarily focused on tropical forests. This paper focuses on the temperate forests in the region of Araucanía and hypothesizes that there will be a similar trend, with lower rates of deforestation in areas owned by Indigenous peoples. A logistic regression model was used which included multiple underlying drivers that have shown to impact deforestation rates. The results of this study corroborated the hypothesis that lands owned by Indigenous peoples have lower rates of deforestation, and that protection status, agricultural function, and railway proximity have a strong influence on forest clearing, while slope, elevation, and proximity to urban areas demonstrated a minimal impact.