In Chile, 49.1% of the national territory is affected by soil degradation (including erosion and loss of soil organic matter), whereby of the 51.7 Mha that have been historically associated with agricultural-livestock and forestry activities, only 35.5 Mha are being used at the present. Consequently, soil degradation has resulted in the release of about 11.8 Gg yr⁻¹ of carbon (C) equivalent (CO_2eq) to the atmosphere. Silvopastoral systems (SPS), however, can increase soil organic C (SOC) through sequestration (C→SOC), improve ecosystem services, and have been internationally recommended for sustainable land use. Therefore, it was proposed to determine the effects of SPS on soils, over five years, in degraded sites that were located in the Ranchillo Alto (SPS-RA) (37°04′52″ S, 71°39′14″ W), Ñuble region. The sites were rated according to previous canopy disturbance levels (+) as follows: open (O_p)+++, semi open (SO_p)++, and semi closed (SC)+. The analysis was performed on different physical and chemical soil properties (0–5 and 5–20 cm depths), that were expressed as soil indicators (S_IND) for chemical and physical properties, which were used to calculate a soil quality (SQ) index (SQI). The results indicated overall SQI values of 37.6 (SC) > 29.8 (O_p) > 28.8 (SO_p), but there were no significant variations (p < 0.05) in physical SQ, whereas chemical SQ varied in all conditions, mostly at 0–5 cm in O_p and SO_p. Increases of SOC were also observed (2015–2018 period) of 22.5, 14.5, and 4.8 Mg ha⁻¹ for SO_p, O_p, and SC, respectively, showing that SPS promote the reclamation of Ranchillo Alto soils.

Pollination is crucial for biodiversity and food security. Heterogeneous agricultural landscapes have a positive effect on pollinator abundance and enhance crop production and quality. In this study, we explored the effects of three landscape features (past crop diversity measured as the Equivalent Richness of crop functional Groups in the previous year [ERGp], semi-natural habitat percentage [SNH], and mean field size [MFS]) and pollinator densities (wild bees [WB] and honey bees [HB]) on pollination and seed quantity and quality in rapeseed crops. Surveying the pollinator density in 20 rapeseed fields revealed a positive relationship with ERGp in the landscape. A pollinator exclusion experiment compared bagged and open-pollinated self-compatible rapeseed plants and revealed insect pollination effectiveness (fruits per flower and number of seeds per pod) and seed quality (oil content). Seed parameters were evaluated in relation to pollinator density (WB-HB) and landscape characteristics. The ERGp emerged as a crucial landscape feature that positively impacted WB density. When insect pollinators were excluded, plants exhibited reduced pollination effectiveness and seed quality. Analysis of open-pollinated plants highlighted ERGp as the most influential variable, positively affecting both sets of parameters. The MFS and SNH showed different but important relationships. Total tocopherol and α-tocopherol were positively correlated with pollinator density in HB, whereas WB showed a positive correlation with γ-tocopherol levels. Increased ERGp positively affected pollinator density and pollination effectiveness, thereby improving oilseed rape production quantity and quality. This study provides new insights into agroecosystem management and pollinator-friendly practices.

Agroforestry systems (AFSs) have gained recognition as a land use strategy to address food security and climate change. They involve intentionally cultivating trees alongside crops and/or animals. AFSs cover approximately 5% of the global forest area and promote sustainable soil conservation, including soil organic carbon (C) sequestration (C_SEQ). In some areas of Chile, AFSs are used to preserve the ecological value of native forests. This study evaluates the effects of two AFSs, namely, an agroforest for fodder production (A_GROF_RST) and Silvopastoral (SPS), within a degraded native forest (Nothofagus obliqua sp.). The evaluation focuses on their impact on C_SEQ capacity and soil quality (SQ), using soil quality indexes (SQIs) derived from 30 soil quality indicators (SI_NDs) related to physical, chemical, and microbiological properties at two depths (0–5 and 5–20 cm). The results for the total depth analyzed (0–20 cm) indicate an average C_SEQ of 6.88 and 4.83 Mg C yr⁻¹ and a global SQI of 37.8% and 31.0% for A_GROF_RST and SPS, respectively. Among the thirteen SI_NDs that demonstrated significant differences (p < 0.05), five were associated with the considered depths (P⁺, Ca²⁺, S, ECEC, and Al_SAT), three differed between A_GROF_RST and SPS (BD, NH₄⁺, NO₃⁻), while SOC, K⁺, and Mg²⁺ varied across all conditions (e.g., combinations of systems and depths), and β-_GLU and N_MIN differed in a single condition. However, almost all 30 SI_NDs analyzed showed higher values at the 0–5 cm depth, indicating the positive effects of soil organic matter (SOM)/SOC additions. Significant interactions (Pearson’s correlation) revealed that SOC correlated with most SI_NDs (e.g., N, NH₄⁺, P⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, S, ECEC, N_MIN). These findings suggest that both A_GROF_RST and SPS systems have similar capabilities in restoring the ecological value of native Nothofagus forests while providing conditions for productive and complementary use. This sustainable option offers opportunities for cattle production alongside ecological restoration efforts and provides a possible strategy to generate public policies related to the ecosystem services of agroforestry systems.

Chile holds ~50% of temperate forests in the Southern Hemisphere, thus constituting a genetic–ecological heritage. However, intense anthropogenic pressures have been inducing distinct forest structural-regeneration patterns. Accordingly, we evaluated 22 soil properties at 0–5 and 5–20 cm depths in two protected sites, with similar perturbation records but contrasting post-disturbance regeneration stages: long-term secondary forest (~50 y) (SEC_FORST) (dominated by Chusquea sp.-understory) and a short-term forest after disturbance (~5 y) (FAD_IST) within a Nothofagus spp. forest to determine the potential of these soils to promote nutrient availability, water cycling, soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration (CO₂→SOC), and microbiome. Results detected 93 correlations (r ≥ 0.80); however, no significant differences (p < 0.05) in physical or chemical properties, except for infiltration velocity (+27.97%), penetration resistance (−23%), SOC (+5.64%), and % Al saturation (+5.64%) relative to SEC_FORST, and a consistent trend of suitable values 0–5 > 5–20 cm were estimated. The SOC→CO₂ capacity reached 4.2 ± 0.5 (FAD_IST) and 2.7 ± 0.2 Mg C y⁻¹ (SEC_FORST) and only microbial abundance shifts were observed. These findings provide relevant insights on belowground resilience, evidenced by similar ecosystem services provision capacities over time, which may be influenced progressively by opportunistic Chusquea sp.

Resumen Se describe la experiencia de un proyecto de huerta terapéutica ubicada en las inmediaciones del Servicio de psiquiatría del Hospital Guillermo Grant Benavente (HGGB) de Concepción, Chile, liderada por la Organización No Gubernamental Rebrota (ONG Rebrota) en base a la perspectiva eco-social aplicada en personas con necesidades de salud mental. Se objetiva analizar la experiencia de Terapia Ocupacional Ecosocial como herramienta práctica para la transformación de los territorios, permitiendo a los terapeutas ocupacionales comprender la interacción entre la sociedad y la naturaleza como un proceso socioecológico que impacta en diferentes esferas de los seres humanos, especialmente en la participación social y la salud mental. Utilizando la metodología descriptiva del Modelo Procesal de Emprendimiento Eco-social realizamos una orientación práctica de acciones para que las comunidades, insertas en sus entornos naturales y culturales, logren descubrirse reflexivamente generando procesos de salud colectiva. La Terapia Ocupacional Ecosocial desarrolla praxis que mejoran la salud y promueven el bienestar de las personas, grupos y/o comunidades, generando un impacto positivo en los socio-ecosistemas y construyen comunidades más saludables, inclusivas, sostenibles. La Terapia Ocupacional Ecosocial es una invitación a generar proyectos de investigación-acción para mitigar el impacto social sobre la naturaleza en un contexto de crisis climática, donde encontramos comunidades en la génesis de saberes transculturales que nos permitan desarrollar una praxis transformadora para el buen vivir en sintonía con nuestro entorno; mientras mejoran su bienestar y participación, desde una perspectiva de derechos humanos y justicia ocupacional.