Potential indicators to assess the sustainability of south american forests under silvopastoral management: Case study of an old roble forest in chile's andes

Abstract

A research was carried out to create a set of preliminary indicators that have the potential to identify sustainability trends, associated risks, and facilitate decision-making for management of native forests under silvopastoral conditions. The methodology involved methodological triangulation (bibliography-experts-community). Overall, 246 indicators were obtained, and 50 of those showed most potential to measure sustainability. Of these, 22 constitute the most decisive, divided into 3, 9, and 10 indicators for the economic, environmental, and social dimensions, respectively. Combining several methods helped to simplify information, strengthen the validity of results, and reduce biases within the methodological framework. Such analysis will help move toward a solid number of fourth generation indicators that provide reliable data on sustainability of silvopastoralism.