Global Peatland Initiative

Project Title: An inventory of the Patagonian Peatlands. Towards wise use and biodiversity conservation

Grant Agreements No. WGP2-16 GPI 63

Agreement holder:
Daniel Blanco, WI South America, 25 de Mayo 758 10 I (1002) Buenos Aires, Argentina, Phone/fax: ++54 11 4312 0932, dblanco@wamani.apc.org

Country/region: Argentina & Chile (Patagonia)

Activity period: Feb 1st to Dec 31st, 2003

Documentation and products available:

Finance Report (Annex I)

Technical report (Annex II)

Note in the IMCG Newsletter (Annex III)

Gallery proof of Technical publication (Annex IV)

Photo: D. Blanco

Background: Information about the peatlands of Patagonia (Argentina and Chile), their distribution, attributes and functions, was very patchy and not easily accessible. At the same, during recent years local demands for peatland exploitation have increased in both countries, resulting in the need of new conservation and management tools. The original idea of this project was to improve the access to the existing information as well as to produce new data, to support stakeholders and governmental agencies in the "decision-making" process regarding the conservation and wise use of peatlands within Patagonia.

Partners:
Government:

National Secretariat of Environment and
Sustainable Development of Argentina
Environment Division, Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of Chile
Government of Tierra del Fuego province,
Argentina

Science agencies

Science agencies
Instituto de Zoología, Universidad Austral
de Chile
Wetland Ecology Research Group, Universidad
de Buenos Aires, Argentina

Brief project description:
This project constituted the first step towards the inventory of the Patagonian peatlands in Argentina and Chile. The inventory covered the whole Patagonia, and was developed at two different levels:

Regional level, encompassing a description of the different peatlands zones and sub-zones of Patagonia, based on existing information on climate variables, soil and vegetation, and
Local level, including a detailed inventory developed as view-modules at nine different areas of Patagonia in Argentina and Chile, based mainly on field work but also on existing information.

The inventory is completed by a biodiversity assessment and by an evaluation of current uses by local people in both countries.

Photos: D. Blanco
Peat mining is an increasing threat to the mires of Patagonia. Photographs: Local-scale mining in Tolhuin, central Tierra del Fuego Island.

Results:

Expected

Outputs and Results achieved

Objectives and results:

Inventory and evaluation of peatlands focused on biodiversity,
Assessment of direct values of peatlands,
Assessment of current uses and demands for peatlands, as the basis for integrated planning, and
Promoting conservation of the most important peat ecosystems, including designation of peatlands as Ramsar Sites.

Direct actions:

Coordination Meeting in Buenos Aires
Inventory of Patagonian Peatlands (Argentina and Chile)
Map of the Patagonian Peatlands
List of potential Ramsar Sites
A Technical publication about the Patagonian Peatlands
A network of experts and stakeholders interested on peatlands conservation and wise use

The first bi-national meeting to discuss the approach to be given to the inventory of Patagonian peatland ecosystems.
An inventory that identifies six major peatland zones and three sub-zones within Patagonia –including their delineation and mapping-, as well a more detailed inventory developed in nine selected areas in both Argentina and Chile, for which peatland characteristics are described in detail; including data on climate, geomorphology, vegetation, types of peatlands, fauna and current uses.
An assessment of current uses of peatlands by local people in both countries.
A map with the Patagonian Peatland Zones (included in the Technical Publication)
A high-quality technical publication on Patagonian Peatlands, that fulfils the information needs of stakeholders and governmental agencies, and that will be used to promote peatlands conservation and wise use in Argentina and Chile.
A preliminary list of peatlands that qualify as potential Ramsar Sites to be submitted to the Ramsar authorities in both countries, to be used as a basis for future nominations.
An increase in the capacity of both countries, as Contracting Parties of the Ramsar Convention, to fulfil the obligations derived from the Recommendation 7.1: A global plan for the wise use and management of Peatlands.
The enhancement of capacities for peatland conservation and wise use, resulting from the cooperation and from the creation of a network of specialists, governmental agencies and stakeholders interested on peatlands.

Evaluation

Successes of the project:
This project improved the knowledge level as well as the access to information about the Patagonian peatlands, necessary for their conservation and wise use in Argentina and Chile. The information includes detailed accounts of their main features, their biodiversity, socio-economic importance and current exploitation and mining. Other successes can be summarised as follows:

A high level Technical Publication that will be broadly distributed to our network of contacts within the region, as well as to stakeholders in both countries. We expect that the information included in this publication, will support the wise use of the resource and will guide stakeholders in the "decision-making" process.
The cooperation established under this project between the specialists from Argentina and Chile is another aspect to highlight, and will be the basis for future collaborative work.
The sponsorship from the National Ramsar Authorities in both countries, together with the support from the provincial government of Tierra del Fuego Island (involving 95% of peat reserves of Argentina), is a signal of a growing interest developed by the project.
A good starting point to make a revision of the Spanish terminology used within the region, as well as to re-examine the terminology used by the Ramsar Convention in its Spanish documents.

Main constraints could be summarised as follows:

The time-frame of the project prevented us to implement more field-work and to extend the local inventory to other areas of the Patagonia of Argentina and Chile.
Difficulties to homogenise the work developed in both countries, as a result of the different profiles of the contracted experts as well as the different levels of knowledge available.

Photos: D. Blanco
Left: Mixed peatland of Sphagnum and Cyperaceae; right: Sphagnum mire in Tierra del Fuego Tierra del Fuego Island, Argentina

last update: 20/07/04

Expected	Outputs and Results achieved
Objectives and results: Inventory and evaluation of peatlands focused on biodiversity, Assessment of direct values of peatlands, Assessment of current uses and demands for peatlands, as the basis for integrated planning, and Promoting conservation of the most important peat ecosystems, including designation of peatlands as Ramsar Sites. Direct actions: Coordination Meeting in Buenos Aires Inventory of Patagonian Peatlands (Argentina and Chile) Map of the Patagonian Peatlands List of potential Ramsar Sites A Technical publication about the Patagonian Peatlands A network of experts and stakeholders interested on peatlands conservation and wise use	The first bi-national meeting to discuss the approach to be given to the inventory of Patagonian peatland ecosystems. An inventory that identifies six major peatland zones and three sub-zones within Patagonia –including their delineation and mapping-, as well a more detailed inventory developed in nine selected areas in both Argentina and Chile, for which peatland characteristics are described in detail; including data on climate, geomorphology, vegetation, types of peatlands, fauna and current uses. An assessment of current uses of peatlands by local people in both countries. A map with the Patagonian Peatland Zones (included in the Technical Publication) A high-quality technical publication on Patagonian Peatlands, that fulfils the information needs of stakeholders and governmental agencies, and that will be used to promote peatlands conservation and wise use in Argentina and Chile. A preliminary list of peatlands that qualify as potential Ramsar Sites to be submitted to the Ramsar authorities in both countries, to be used as a basis for future nominations. An increase in the capacity of both countries, as Contracting Parties of the Ramsar Convention, to fulfil the obligations derived from the Recommendation 7.1: A global plan for the wise use and management of Peatlands. The enhancement of capacities for peatland conservation and wise use, resulting from the cooperation and from the creation of a network of specialists, governmental agencies and stakeholders interested on peatlands.
Evaluation
Successes of the project: This project improved the knowledge level as well as the access to information about the Patagonian peatlands, necessary for their conservation and wise use in Argentina and Chile. The information includes detailed accounts of their main features, their biodiversity, socio-economic importance and current exploitation and mining. Other successes can be summarised as follows: A high level Technical Publication that will be broadly distributed to our network of contacts within the region, as well as to stakeholders in both countries. We expect that the information included in this publication, will support the wise use of the resource and will guide stakeholders in the "decision-making" process. The cooperation established under this project between the specialists from Argentina and Chile is another aspect to highlight, and will be the basis for future collaborative work. The sponsorship from the National Ramsar Authorities in both countries, together with the support from the provincial government of Tierra del Fuego Island (involving 95% of peat reserves of Argentina), is a signal of a growing interest developed by the project. A good starting point to make a revision of the Spanish terminology used within the region, as well as to re-examine the terminology used by the Ramsar Convention in its Spanish documents. Main constraints could be summarised as follows: The time-frame of the project prevented us to implement more field-work and to extend the local inventory to other areas of the Patagonia of Argentina and Chile. Difficulties to homogenise the work developed in both countries, as a result of the different profiles of the contracted experts as well as the different levels of knowledge available.