Chile's Mapuche land returns boost pasture but leave native forests unchanged

Over three decades after Chile enacted its 1993 Indigenous Law, more than 510,000 acres have been transferred back to Mapuche groups, the country's largest Indigenous population. A new analysis of 1,577 returned parcels between 1994 and 2023, published in Nature Sustainability, reveals that commercial non-native forests fell by 18% while agricultural pasture grew by 4.5%. Satellite data and government records showed no significant improvement in biodiversity, carbon sequestration, or erosion mitigation.

Lead author Dany Jaimovich linked the pasture rise to longstanding Mapuche livestock practices, while co-author Felipe Jordán noted the surprise at stagnant native forest cover despite cultural importance. Senior author Robert Heilmayr emphasized that land restitution addresses historical injustice, not automatically environmental restoration, and suggested that conservation outcomes may require targeted financial support. The study highlights the distinction between returning ownership and achieving ecological goals, especially on lands previously altered by intensive forestry and agriculture.