Environmental problems in Chile
Plantations trampling native forests
From 1985 to 1995, Chile lost nearly 2 million hectares of native forest.
These forests were destroyed for pulp, and made way for industrial tree farms. Pine and eucalyptus plantations cover 1.8 million hectares, with an annual expansion rate of 7-10%.
As a result, Chile now has the world's largest expanse of radiata pine tree farms and some of the world's most endangered native forests. Chile's native forests include the world's second largest expanse of temperate rainforest - second only to that of British Columbia, Canada.
Ninety per cent of the native forest-dependent species in Chile are endemic, found nowhere else in the world, including the world's smallest deer (the Pudu) and a hummingbird that builds its nest entirely from moss and spiderwebs.
Ninety per cent of the native forest-dependent species in Chile are endemic, found nowhere else in the world, including the world's smallest deer (the Pudu) and a hummingbird that builds its nest entirely from moss and spiderwebs.
What is WWF doing about the problems?
