Community Valuations, Perceptions, and Judgments of Eucalyptus Plantation Impacts in Ubajay and La Criolla, Entre Rios, Argentin

The cultivation of tree plantations and subsequent expansion has become prevalent in Argentina over the last two decades due to incentive laws that support the plantation forestry industry. Two towns in the northern Pampas region of Argentina, Ubajay and La Criolla, were selected as study sites for determining community member valuations, perceptions, and judgments regarding the local plantation industry and its effects on the environment and economy. These sites were selected for their differing land use compositions, traditional land uses, and historical employment. Ubajay, a community with significant historical eucalyptus plantation land coverage and forestry employment, and La Criolla, a mixed use community with an economy traditionally focused on citriculture that is currently experiencing a shift to include a greater focus on plantation forestry. Survey data was collected from community members regarding importance of ecosystem services in and around their community, capability of eucalyptus plantations to provide desired ecosystem services, environmental and socioeconomic impacts caused by eucalyptus, and support for the plantation industry. Survey responses were analyzed to determine what aspects of the survey served as the best predictors for support for eucalyptus expansion. To follow up on these findings regarding individual's beliefs about eucalyptus impacts and their malleability based on information provision, Interactive Community Fora were conducted in both communities in December 2017. These Interactive Community Fora provided participants with results from an interdisciplinary research study focused on the environmental impacts of eucalyptus plantation forestry that the two communities participated in over the last five years as well as the opportunity to engage in discourse regarding the local plantation industry and its impacts. It was found that participants in both communities acknowledged negative environmental impacts caused by eucalyptus once exposed to research findings; however, Ubajay was more resistant to acknowledging the severity of impacts than participants in La Criolla. Ubajay participants remained optimistic about socioeconomic effects of eucalyptus and support for the plantation industry, while La Criolla participants did not acknowledge strong socioeconomic benefits, and their support for the plantation industry declined over the course of the Interactive Community Forum. This deeper level of community engagement with scientific results provides a strong compliment to survey data where the perceptions behind views held toward land use change and its effects may not be as discernible for researchers. Results of this project have implications for the future expansion of plantation forestry in the region and what economic and environmental tradeoffs pertaining to the local forestry industry are acceptable for community members.