Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Chilean Winter Rainfall-Valdivian Forests

Chilean Winter Rainfall-Valdivian Forests
By Brittany King


http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_koxwrhOmY11qztljko1_400.jpg

Historical State
          
            This hotspot covers 397,142 km² in total; specifically covering 40% of the Chilean landmass, three islands off Chile’s coast, and a small part of Argentina. The mainland portion is virtually an island itself, bounded by the Pacific Ocean, Andes Mountains, and Atacama Desert. The region contains a variety of vegetation types, from desert to Mediterranean. About half of the species present are endemic. Habitat degradation and forest clearing have been occurring there since the 16th century and in the 1970s plantations of pine and eucalyptus trees began replacing native vegetation.

Vital Signs
Hotspot Original Extent (km 2)
397,142
Hotspot Vegetation Remaining (km 2)
119,143
Endemic Plant Species
1,957
Endemic Threatened Birds
6
Endemic Threatened Mammals
5
Endemic Threatened Amphibians
15
Extinct Species†
0
Human Population Density (people/km 2)
37
Area Protected (km 2)
50,745
Area Protected (km 2) in Categories I-IV*
44,388
†Recorded extinctions since 1500. *Categories I-IV afford higher levels of protection.
http://www.biodiversityhotspots.org/xp/hotspots/chilean_forests/Pages/default.aspx

Current Human Impacts

              Chile’s economy is one of the fastest growing ones in Latin America and relies heavily on natural resources. The major threats are centered in the Mediterranean, southern part of the hotspot where a high percent of Chileans live. In the past few decades about 20,000 km² of native vegetation in the southern region has been replaced by the plantations of pine and eucalyptus mentioned previously. While the plantations increase soil stability and reduce erosion, they cause fragmentation which slows gene flow and limits the carrying capacity for specialist animals. Urbanization also threatens the area. Hydroelectric development, the construction of highways and small urban centers, and the development of the coastal region for tourism are all major threats to the ecosystem.
              There is also illegal trade of flora and fauna in this region, which adds to the disruption of the ecosystem by humans. The vegetation and animals are vulnerable to fire, an element that the ecosystem is not adapted to. About 360-600 km² were burned annually in this region between the 1970s and 1990s due to accidental and intentional forest fires. This has allowed invasive species adapted to fire to flourish. Coupled with this is the amount of overgrazing that occurs due to domesticated animals, which causes degradation of vegetation and an increased vulnerability to nonnative species.  About 70% of the hotspot’s original vegetation has been degraded to some extent.


Future of the Hotspot

               There is progress being made in preserving the biodiversity of this ecosystem. 12.8% of the original area is under official protection and all Araucaria trees have been made national monuments in order to protect them. However the total area is not yet large enough to protect the biodiversity of the Chilean Winter Rainfall-Valdivian Forest, and most protected areas are small patches. The coast is virtually unprotected, though a Valdivian Coastal Reserve has been purchased by the Global Conservation Fund, Nature Conservancy, and World Wildlife Fund. This will hopefully help in the management and protection of this fragile ecosystem which in the last century has been reduced by 50%. As awareness of the loss of this habitat increases I feel that the ecosystem will have a greater chance of survival. The more land being put under protection the brighter the future of the area looks. The creation of the Valdivian Coastal Reserve added about 60,000 km² of land to the 50,745 km² already protected.
http://www.conservation.org/where/priority_areas/hotspots/south_america/Chilean-Winter-Rainfall-Valdivian-Forests/Pages/default.aspx

What Can Be Done

              So far no species have gone extinct, but many species, specifically endemic ones are in danger of doing so. Steps that can be taken to protect this hotspot and its biodiversity are to make it easier for the government to buy private land in order to set up nationally protected areas in this region. Right now most land there is owned privately, and the system in place makes it too hard for the government to purchase the land. Stricter laws on cutting down trees, and the use of fire could be put into place in order to reduce the amount of fragmentation and degradation occurring.  

Works Cited
"Biodiversity Hotspots - Chilean Forests - Overview." Biodiversity Hotspots - Home. Conservation International. Web. 29 Nov. 2011. http://www.biodiversityhotspots.org/xp/hotspots/chilean_forests/Pages/default.aspx.
Conservation International (Lead Author);Sidney Draggan (Topic Editor) "Biological diversity in the Chilean winter rainfall-valdivian forests". In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [First published in the Encyclopedia of Earth May 8, 2009; Last revised Date May 8, 2009; Retrieved November 29, 2011 <http://www.eoearth.org/article/Biological_diversity_in_the_Chilean_winter_rainfall-valdivian_forests>
"EIC Conservation Database." Welcome to Eco-Informatics Centre. Web. 29 Nov. 2011. http://www.ecoinfoindia.org/lldb_gbh_cwrvfh.php.
"Overview - Conservation International." Home - Conservation International. Web. 29 Nov. 2011. http://www.conservation.org/where/priority_areas/hotspots/south_america/Chilean-Winter-Rainfall-Valdivian-Forests/Pages/default.aspx.
"Valdivian Coastal Reserve, Chile - Conservation International." Home - Conservation International. Web. 29 Nov. 2011. http://www.conservation.org/sites/gcf/portfolio/south_america/Pages/valdivian_coastal.aspx.
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