Rural population and forestation

study of population dynamics in the forest territories of Uruguay

Abstract

In Uruguay, as well as in the rest of the region, the economic and social impacts of the forestry has been increasing since the early 90’s. While considerable progress has been made in research and analysis of this environmental and economic activity, the studies about its social impacts are still short and partial. In some way, the lack of research has brought a public discussion about the ability of forestry to generate positive social returns. This article looks forward to move on at this social dimension by means of the study of the effects of forestry on the population dynamics at the rural areas. With a reprocessing of data from population census and the last agricultural census was developed a longitudinal design that showed the demographic behaviour in areas influenced by forestry and a comparision at non forested areas. This analysis has achieved an approach to the best possible rigourous study about the incidence of such activity on the population dynamics in rural territories and small towns in the past two decades.