The Effects of Monoculture Tree Plantations on Small Farmers’ Livelihoods in the Mediterranean Region of Chile
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THE EFFECTS OF MONOCULTURE TREE PLANTATIONS ON SMALL FARMERS’ LIVELIHOODS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN REGION OF CHILE By FELIPE INFANTE A DISSERTATION PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 2017 © 2017 Felipe Infante To my parents; Cecilia and Agustin ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Firstly, I would like to express my complete gratitude to my academic committee for the useful comments, support and engagement during the design, execution and writing process of this dissertation. Especially to my supervisor Dr. Christopher McCarty for always encourage my research interests since my arrival to graduate school. Furthermore I would like to thank Dr. Karen Kainer for helping me in introducing myself in many of the topics addressed in this dissertation which seem very distant a couple of years ago. I would also like to thank my research assistants; Diego, Barbara and Nicolas. Without their rigorous work this study would never have complied with the short deadlines. In this same line, the funding provided by Becas Chile (CONICYT), the TCD program and the Department of Anthropology at UF were essential in the materialization of the present study and my graduate studies in general. Also extend my thanks to all local research and development institutions in Chile (CET, INIA, PRODESAL) and their representatives for contacting me and the research assistants with multiple respondents all over the Biobio region. I am especially thankful to the research participants, people that welcomed me and the research assistants to their houses, with an enormous disposition to answer sensitive question and tedious surveys always with affection. This study is also dedicated to them, especially those that are currently suffering the worst forest fire in Chile’s history. I would also like to thank my life partner and future wife Carola, who has been an unconditional support during this whole adventure away from our country and families. Finally, I am completely thankful to my family in Chile, no matter the distance, they have always figure out how to support, comfort and cheer me up. This is especially true for my parents and my brother Nicolas. 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................................................................................. 4 LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................ 7 LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................... 8 ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................... 11 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................... 13 2 FOREST PLANTATIONS, GLOBAL AND LOCAL .................................................. 16 What Is a Forest? ................................................................................................... 16 From Global to Local............................................................................................... 17 3 ENVIRONMENTAL ANTHROPOLOGY AND THE POLITICAL ECOLOGY OF FOREST PLANTATIONS ....................................................................................... 32 Why Anthropology and Environment? .................................................................... 32 Sociocultural Implications and the Household ........................................................ 40 The Big Picture and the Chilean Case .................................................................... 44 The Chilean Transition ............................................................................................ 52 Capital and the Roots of Dispossession ................................................................. 58 4 RESEARCH SETTINGS ......................................................................................... 63 5 OBJECTIVES, HYPOTHESES AND METHODS .................................................... 69 Research Objectives ............................................................................................... 69 Research Hypotheses............................................................................................. 69 Methods .................................................................................................................. 72 Landscape Perception ...................................................................................... 72 Semi-Structured Interviews and Participant Observation ................................. 74 Personal Social Network Analysis .................................................................... 75 Sample Profile ........................................................................................................ 76 Household Ecology Context .................................................................................... 80 6 RESULTS ............................................................................................................... 87 Land Cover Proximity Analysis ............................................................................... 87 Landscape Perception ............................................................................................ 89 General Landscape Perception Trends ............................................................ 91 5 Perception by Group Classification .................................................................. 97 Risk, Productivity and Aesthetic: .................................................................... 104 Personal Social Networks ..................................................................................... 114 Network Structural Metrics ............................................................................. 115 Network Attributes .......................................................................................... 117 Semi-Structured Interviews ................................................................................... 125 Socio-Environmental Issues ........................................................................... 126 Socio-Economic Issues .................................................................................. 130 Demographic and Power Issues ..................................................................... 133 Socio-Cultural and Risk Issues ....................................................................... 135 7 DISCUSSION ....................................................................................................... 139 Water, Fire and Land Use Change ....................................................................... 139 Gathering, Agriculture and Labor .......................................................................... 152 Depopulation, Aging and Power ........................................................................... 163 Isolation, Invisibilization and Fear ......................................................................... 169 8 CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................................... 180 LIST OF REFERENCES ............................................................................................. 191 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH .......................................................................................... 200 6 LIST OF TABLES Table page 6-1 Whole sample most and least ideal landscapes. ................................................ 93 6-2 Whole sample competence score analysis. ........................................................ 97 6-3 Low encroachment group most and least ideal landscapes. .............................. 98 6-4 Low group competence score analysis. .............................................................. 99 6-5 Medium encroachment group most and least ideal landscapes. ...................... 101 6-6 Medium encroachment group competence score analysis. .............................. 101 6-7 High encroachment group most and least ideal landscapes. ........................... 103 6-8 High group competence score analysis. ........................................................... 103 6-9 Whole sample risk, productivity and aesthetic top choices and percentages. .. 107 6-10 Low encroachment group risk, productivity and aesthetic top choices and percentages. ..................................................................................................... 110 6-11 Medium encroachment group risk, productivity and aesthetic top choices and percentages. ..................................................................................................... 112 6-12 High encroachment group risk, productivity and aesthetic top choices and percentages. ..................................................................................................... 114 6-13 Relationship between network structural measures and level of encroachment due to forest plantations. ........................................................... 116 6-14 Pearson correlation between network structural measures and level of encroachment due to forest plantations. ........................................................... 117 6-15 Closeness attribute analysis response assigned value. ................................... 125 7 LIST OF FIGURES Figure page 2-1 Total surface of planted forest and annual rate of plantation increase in South America. ............................................................................................................