DOCSLIB.ORG

Biochemical Properties in Vascular Epiphytes Substrate from a Temperate Forest of Chile

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Biochemical Properties in Vascular Epiphytes Substrate from a Temperate Forest of Chile R.C. Suelo Nutr. Veg. 10(2): 126 - 138 (2010) BIOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES IN VASCULAR EPIPHYTES SUBSTRATE FROM A TEMPERATE FOREST OF CHILE Francisco Reyes1,2, Silvana Zanetti3, Alejandro Espinosa4 and Marysol Alvear1,2* 1Departamento de Ciencias Químicas; Facultad de Ingeniería, Ciencias y Administración and 2Scientifical and Technological Bioresource Nucleus (BIOREN); Universidad de La Frontera, Avenida Francisco Salazar 01145, Casilla 54-D, Temuco, Chile; 3Università degli studi di Firenze, Firenze, Italia. 4Departamento de Ciencias Forestales, Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias y Forestales, Universidad de La Frontera. *Corresponding author: [email protected] ABSTRACT The temperate forests of south-central Chile belong to the association Lapageria aextoxiconetum Oberdorfer vegetation, dominated by Aextoxicon punctatum R. et P., elderly and multi-layered, where the strata are emergent, dominant and co-dominant, shrub and herbaceous epiphytes. This work is the first report of measurements of some biochemical properties in samples from vascular epiphytes substrate in temperate forests. We evaluated the most frequent ecological situations: bifurcated trees (BT), dead standing trees (SDT) and medium gap border trees (MGBT), ES were compared with the surrounding soil forest land (SS) as control. The microbial biomass and enzyme activities of substrate were higher in ES of BT, situation probably due to optimal micro-environmental conditions (moisture and humidity, temperature, organic matter (OM) content and nutrient availability); similarly, lower levels of activity were found in ES in MGBT situation. We found a statistically significant correlation (p ≤ 0.05) between evaluated microbial biomass and enzymatic activities. Furthermore, the biochemical properties were influenced by factors such as moisture, temperature, pH and OM content and all of these factors correlated significantly (P≤0.01) among them. These results demonstrate a difference between ES and SS in BT that should be explored to gain insights in understanding the processes of decomposition using the natural microcosms that ES provides. Keywords: vascular epiphytes substrate, enzymatic activities, temperate forest. INTRODUCTION Temperate rainforests of southern Chile 2001). According to Arroyo et al. (1996), have a global importance based on 2 the temperate rainforest in southern Chile outstanding aspects: the existence of is composed of 443 species of vascular continuous undisturbed forests which in plants with 160 woody species (44 other temperate regions of the world have species of trees corresponding to 32 practically disappeared and the genera and 20 families) and 283 extraordinary biodiversity of the region herbaceous species. More than 70% of (Armesto et al., 1998, Olson et al., forest species in southern Chile are 126 Biochemical properties in vascular epiphytes, Reyes et al. concentrated between 36° and 40º S and have no direct relationship with the soil correspond to the area of our country and that develop on stems, branches and with greater biodiversity. even leaves, as epiphytes, but they can The precipitation chemistry in Chile also be developed on rocks hence, not still reflects a close approximation of pre- directly soil to supply nutrients and industrial conditions (Godoy et al., water. On the other hand, Hernández- 2001). In this way, the productivity of the Rosas (2001) indicates that presence of ecosystem depends on the internal epiphytes is influenced by climatic and cycling of soil organic matter (SOM) biotic factors that are related to the (Vann et al., 2002, Perez et al., 2005). substrate. In the temperate forests of Chile, Epiphytes contribute to enhance the mainly located in soils with restrictive forest biodiversity (Antibus and Lesica, characteristics of nitrogen and 1990; Hernández-Rosas, 2001). phosphorus, it is absolutely necessary to Moreover, Cardelús et al. (2006) showed preserve the available nutrients and that some species of epiphytes are useful minimize the losses through gases or as change indicators in several leaching (Huygens et al., 2008 ), in those ecosystems, as well as providing fruit, areas with high rainfall, where the nectar, water and other compounds into atmospheric N inputs are minimum. The other organisms. Therefore, they are main way to save nutrients in forests considered as an important component ecosystems in the southern hemisphere is within the structure and dynamics of the through the presence and decay of organic forest, because they have ability to matter deposited in the soil (Pérez et al., intercept nutrients within ecosystems. 2005, Schlegel and Donoso, 2008). Epiphytes have been studied in tropical Moreover, the OM improves the structure forests (Vance and Nadkarni, 1990, of the soil and its ability to retain Nadkarni et al., 2004; Higuera and humidity, which becomes a basic Martínez, 2006). Colonization of vascular condition to the productive potential of epiphytes on trees depends on the the forest (Schllegel and Donoso, 2008). characteristics of the substrate, the In these forests, there are exudation of compounds from the bark interrelationships among trees and other and/or deposit material from the organisms, as well as between certain decomposition of non-vascular epiphytes, species of grass, shrubs and animals including mosses and liverworts associated strata forming communities or (Hernández-Rosas, 2001). This interaction “subcommunities”, each of them with would be capable of further proliferation, different demands on the physical and diversity and activity of microorganisms chemical environment, to which plants together with secretion of enzymes, due to respond with adaptations as growth a rich labile carbon and nitrogen characteristics (Steubing et al., 2002), compound, supply mainly used as energy giving a structure and species sources. composition in themselves (Kimmins, Recently, Rousk and Nadskarni 1996). The epiphytism is an interspecific (2009) help understanding processes of relationship that is part of commensalism decomposition in ecosystem forest and (Smith and Smith, 2001), where one have investigated the relative importance species benefits (the epiphyte is of the two major decomposer groups supported) and the other one is (fungi and bacteria) in canopy and forest unaffected (Donoso, 1992). Granados soils of a North American temperate wet and Tapia (1990), described plants that forest. 127 R.C. Suelo Nutr. Veg. 10(2): 126 - 138 (2010) On the other hand, the organisms common ecological situations (BT, DST represented by a small fraction of soil and MGBT) compared with the OM are responsible for mineralization surrounding soil. We hypothesize that the processes (Vance et al., 1987; Vance and biochemical properties of vascular Nadkarni 1990). Microbial biomass in epiphytes substrate are affected by soil is a catabolic agent of ecological conditions of the host trees. biogeochemical processes and energy and nutrient reservoir, but very susceptible to changes in land use and MATERIALS AND METHODS physicochemical characteristics of the environment. It determines the balance of ecosystem productivity (Galantini and Site characteristics Suñer, 2008). There are early biological The study was carried out in Rucamanque indicators such as fluorescein diacetate (38° 39'S, 72° 35'W), Araucanía Region, (FDA) hydrolysis, which quantifies Chile (Figure 1). It has an area of 435 ha, active microbial biomass (Alvear et al., an average altitude of 376 m, being 62% 2008), the C and N biomass (MBC and of its area between 201 and 400 masl. The MBN, respectively), whose climate is temperate and humid, with an determination shows the size of the average annual temperature and rainfall of microbial community present in 1,400 mm and 12ºC, respectively (Zúñiga substrates and soils (Alvear et al., 2007; et al., 2008). Alvear et al., 2008). Moreover, Zagal et The selected forest vegetation belongs al. (2002) indicate that MBC and MBN to the Lapagerio Aextoxiconetum constitute an essential measure of Oberdorfer association, dominated by ecological importance, since one part Aextoxicon punctatum R. et P., the oldest represents the level of biological activity and multi-layered, where there are involving the labile component of OM emerging strata (mainly Nothofagus and the other, integrating environmental obliqua (Mirb) Oerst.) dominant and factors and their influence on it. In codominant (consisting of tolerant species addition, hydrolytic enzymes, such as and semitolerant as Aextoxicon acid phosphatase, involved in the cycle punctatum, Persea lingue (R. et P.) Ness, of phosphorus and the urease, involved in Weinmannia trichosperma Cav. and the nitrogen cycle, play a fundamental Laureliopsis philippiana (Phil) Losser), role in the cycling of nutrients for growth shrub, and herbaceous epiphytes (San and for maintenance of vascular Martín et al., 2008). epiphytes in the forest ecosystems (Vance and Nadkarni, 1990; Hernández-Rosas, Sampling Design 2001; Nadkarni et al., 2004). Measurement of biochemical Within a 1,000 m2 plot of a addressed parameters (Alvear et al., 2007) allow to random was raised, 30 mature trees analyze the interaction between the ES, (DHB≥ 10cm) were sampled in order to in respect to the ecological function, identify the vascular epiphyte vegetation especially the relationship between on the shafts of two forest species and to nutrients and habitat conditions. characterize the forest compositional This work is the first report of a variation, considering both the temperate forest of Chile
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Epiphyte Diversity and Biomass Loads of Canopy Emergent Trees in Chilean Temperate Rain Forests: a Neglected Functional Component
    Forest Ecology and Management 259 (2010) 1490–1501 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Forest Ecology and Management journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/foreco Epiphyte diversity and biomass loads of canopy emergent trees in Chilean temperate rain forests: A neglected functional component Iva´nA.Dı´az a,b,c,*, Kathryn E. Sieving b, Maurice E. Pen˜a-Foxon c, Juan Larraı´n d, Juan J. Armesto c,e a Instituto de Silvicultura, Facultad de Ciencias Forestales y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Austral de Chile, P.O. Box 567, Valdivia, Chile b Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA c Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity IEB, Las Palmeras 3425, N˜un˜oa, Santiago, Chile d Departamento de Bota´nica, Universidad de Concepcio´n, Concepcio´n, Chile e Center for Advanced Studies in Ecology and Biodiversity, Departamento de Ecologı´a, Pontificia Universidad Cato´lica de Chile, Santiago, Chile ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Article history: We document for the first time the epiphytic composition and biomass of canopy emergent trees from Received 11 August 2009 temperate, old-growth coastal rainforests of Chile (428300S). Through tree-climbing techniques, we Received in revised form 13 January 2010 accessed the crown of two large (c. 1 m trunk diameter, 25–30 m tall) individuals of Eucryphia cordifolia Accepted 14 January 2010 (Cunoniaceae) and one large Aextoxicon punctatum (Aextoxicaceae) to sample all epiphytes from the base to the treetop. Epiphytes, with the exception of the hemi-epiphytic tree Raukaua laetevirens (Araliaceae), Keywords: were removed, weighed and subsamples dried to estimate total dry mass. We recorded 22 species of Epiphytes vascular epiphytes, and 22 genera of cryptogams, with at least 30 species of bryophytes, liverworts and Emergent canopy trees lichens.
    [Show full text]
  • Ancistrocladaceae
    Soltis et al—American Journal of Botany 98(4):704-730. 2011. – Data Supplement S2 – page 1 Soltis, Douglas E., Stephen A. Smith, Nico Cellinese, Kenneth J. Wurdack, David C. Tank, Samuel F. Brockington, Nancy F. Refulio-Rodriguez, Jay B. Walker, Michael J. Moore, Barbara S. Carlsward, Charles D. Bell, Maribeth Latvis, Sunny Crawley, Chelsea Black, Diaga Diouf, Zhenxiang Xi, Catherine A. Rushworth, Matthew A. Gitzendanner, Kenneth J. Sytsma, Yin-Long Qiu, Khidir W. Hilu, Charles C. Davis, Michael J. Sanderson, Reed S. Beaman, Richard G. Olmstead, Walter S. Judd, Michael J. Donoghue, and Pamela S. Soltis. Angiosperm phylogeny: 17 genes, 640 taxa. American Journal of Botany 98(4): 704-730. Appendix S2. The maximum likelihood majority-rule consensus from the 17-gene analysis shown as a phylogram with mtDNA included for Polyosma. Names of the orders and families follow APG III (2009); other names follow Cantino et al. (2007). Numbers above branches are bootstrap percentages. 67 Acalypha Spathiostemon 100 Ricinus 97 100 Dalechampia Lasiocroton 100 100 Conceveiba Homalanthus 96 Hura Euphorbia 88 Pimelodendron 100 Trigonostemon Euphorbiaceae Codiaeum (incl. Peraceae) 100 Croton Hevea Manihot 10083 Moultonianthus Suregada 98 81 Tetrorchidium Omphalea 100 Endospermum Neoscortechinia 100 98 Pera Clutia Pogonophora 99 Cespedesia Sauvagesia 99 Luxemburgia Ochna Ochnaceae 100 100 53 Quiina Touroulia Medusagyne Caryocar Caryocaraceae 100 Chrysobalanus 100 Atuna Chrysobalananaceae 100 100 Licania Hirtella 100 Euphronia Euphroniaceae 100 Dichapetalum 100
    [Show full text]
  • Evolution of Angiosperm Pollen. 5. Early Diverging Superasteridae
    Evolution of Angiosperm Pollen. 5. Early Diverging Superasteridae (Berberidopsidales, Caryophyllales, Cornales, Ericales, and Santalales) Plus Dilleniales Author(s): Ying Yu, Alexandra H. Wortley, Lu Lu, De-Zhu Li, Hong Wang and Stephen Blackmore Source: Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden, 103(1):106-161. Published By: Missouri Botanical Garden https://doi.org/10.3417/2017017 URL: http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.3417/2017017 BioOne (www.bioone.org) is a nonprofit, online aggregation of core research in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences. BioOne provides a sustainable online platform for over 170 journals and books published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses. Your use of this PDF, the BioOne Web site, and all posted and associated content indicates your acceptance of BioOne’s Terms of Use, available at www.bioone.org/ page/terms_of_use. Usage of BioOne content is strictly limited to personal, educational, and non- commercial use. Commercial inquiries or rights and permissions requests should be directed to the individual publisher as copyright holder. BioOne sees sustainable scholarly publishing as an inherently collaborative enterprise connecting authors, nonprofit publishers, academic institutions, research libraries, and research funders in the common goal of maximizing access to critical research. EVOLUTION OF ANGIOSPERM Ying Yu,2 Alexandra H. Wortley,3 Lu Lu,2,4 POLLEN. 5. EARLY DIVERGING De-Zhu Li,2,4* Hong Wang,2,4* and SUPERASTERIDAE Stephen Blackmore3 (BERBERIDOPSIDALES, CARYOPHYLLALES, CORNALES, ERICALES, AND SANTALALES) PLUS DILLENIALES1 ABSTRACT This study, the fifth in a series investigating palynological characters in angiosperms, aims to explore the distribution of states for 19 pollen characters on five early diverging orders of Superasteridae (Berberidopsidales, Caryophyllales, Cornales, Ericales, and Santalales) plus Dilleniales.
    [Show full text]
  • Distribution Patterns of Flora and Fauna in Southern Chilean Coastal Rain
    Biodivers Conserv (2007) 16:2627–2648 DOI 10.1007/s10531-006-9073-2 ORIGINAL PAPER Distribution patterns of flora and fauna in southern Chilean Coastal rain forests: Integrating Natural History and GIS Cecilia Smith-Ramı´rez Æ Iva´n Dı´az Æ Patricio Pliscoff Æ Claudio Valdovinos Æ Marco A. Me´ndez Æ Juan Larraı´n Æ Horacio Samaniego Received: 17 August 2005 / Accepted: 19 May 2006 / Published online: 27 October 2006 Ó Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2006 Abstract Knowledge of species richness centers is necessary for the design of conservation areas. In this study, we present a GIS analysis of two years of field data on animal and plant diversity distributions in evergreen, coastal rain forests of southern Chile (39°30¢–41°25¢ S). Despite their high endemism, these forests have remained largely unprotected. Field records were complemented with data from museum collections and scientific literature. We used selected environmental vari- ables (evapotranspiration, altitude) and, in some cases, forest types as predictors of species distributions. Our study focused on the distribution of forest bryophytes, vascular plants, soil invertebrates, amphibians and birds. We generated distribu- tional maps for each taxa based on their field records in the study area, comple- C. Smith-Ramı´rez (&) Center for Advanced Studies in Ecology and Biodiversity (CASEB), P. Universidad Cato´ lica and Fundacio´ n Senda Darwin (FSD), 1220, Valdivia, Chile e-mail: [email protected] I. Dı´az Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida and FSD, Gainesville, FL, USA P. Pliscoff FSD, Roman Dı´az 390, dpto. 902, Providencia, Santiago, Chile C.
    [Show full text]
  • Descriptions of the Plant Types
    APPENDIX A Descriptions of the plant types The plant life forms employed in the model are listed, with examples, in the main text (Table 2). They are described in this appendix in more detail, including environmental relations, physiognomic characters, prototypic and other characteristic taxa, and relevant literature. A list of the forms, with physiognomic characters, is included. Sources of vegetation data relevant to particular life forms are cited with the respective forms in the text of the appendix. General references, especially descriptions of regional vegetation, are listed by region at the end of the appendix. Plant form Plant size Leaf size Leaf (Stem) structure Trees (Broad-leaved) Evergreen I. Tropical Rainforest Trees (lowland. montane) tall, med. large-med. cor. 2. Tropical Evergreen Microphyll Trees medium small cor. 3. Tropical Evergreen Sclerophyll Trees med.-tall medium seier. 4. Temperate Broad-Evergreen Trees a. Warm-Temperate Evergreen med.-small med.-small seier. b. Mediterranean Evergreen med.-small small seier. c. Temperate Broad-Leaved Rainforest medium med.-Iarge scler. Deciduous 5. Raingreen Broad-Leaved Trees a. Monsoon mesomorphic (lowland. montane) medium med.-small mal. b. Woodland xeromorphic small-med. small mal. 6. Summergreen Broad-Leaved Trees a. typical-temperate mesophyllous medium medium mal. b. cool-summer microphyllous medium small mal. Trees (Narrow and needle-leaved) Evergreen 7. Tropical Linear-Leaved Trees tall-med. large cor. 8. Tropical Xeric Needle-Trees medium small-dwarf cor.-scler. 9. Temperate Rainforest Needle-Trees tall large-med. cor. 10. Temperate Needle-Leaved Trees a. Heliophilic Large-Needled medium large cor. b. Mediterranean med.-tall med.-dwarf cor.-scler.
    [Show full text]
  • Journal Arnold Arboretum
    JOURNAL OF THE ARNOLD ARBORETUM HARVARD UNIVERSITY G. SCHUBERT T. G. HARTLEY PUBLISHED BY THE ARNOLD ARBORETUM OF HARVARD UNIVERSITY CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS DATES OF ISSUE No. 1 (pp. 1-104) issued January 13, 1967. No. 2 (pp. 105-202) issued April 16, 1967. No. 3 (pp. 203-361) issued July 18, 1967. No. 4 (pp. 363-588) issued October 14, 1967. TABLE OF CONTENTS COMPARATIVE MORPHOLOGICAL STUDIES IN DILLENL ANATOMY. William C. Dickison A SYNOPSIS OF AFRICAN SPECIES OF DELPHINIUM J Philip A. Munz FLORAL BIOLOGY AND SYSTEMATICA OF EUCNIDE Henry J. Thompson and Wallace R. Ernst .... THE GENUS DUABANGA. Don M. A. Jayaweera .... STUDIES IX SWIFTENIA I MKUACKAE) : OBSERVATION UALITY OF THE FLOWERS. Hsueh-yung Lee .. SOME PROBLEMS OF TROPICAL PLANT ECOLOGY, I Pompa RHIZOME. Martin H. Zimmermann and P. B Two NEW AMERICAN- PALMS. Harold E. Moure, Jr NOMENCLATURE NOTES ON GOSSYPIUM IMALVACE* Brizicky A SYNOPSIS OF THE ASIAN SPECIES OF CONSOLIDA CEAE). Philip A. Munz RESIN PRODUCER. Jean H. Langenheim COMPARATIVE MORPHOLOGICAL STUDIES IN DILLKNI POLLEN. William C. Dickison THE CHROMOSOMES OF AUSTROBAILLVA. Lily Eudi THE SOLOMON ISLANDS. George W. G'dUtt A SYNOPSIS OF THE ASIAN SPECIES OF DELPII STRICTO. Philip A. Munz STATES. Grady L. Webster THE GENERA OF EUPIIORBIACEAE IN THE SOT TUFA OF 1806, AN OVERLOOI EST. C. V. Morton REVISION OF THE GENI Hartley JOURNAL OF THE ARNOLD ARBORETUM HARVARD UNIVERSITY T. G. HARTLEY C. E. WOOD, JR. LAZELLA SCHWARTEN Q9 ^ JANUARY, 1967 THE JOURNAL OF THE ARNOLD ARBORETUM Published quarterly by the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University. Subscription price $10.00 per year.
    [Show full text]
  • Weathers GCB 1482.Pdf
    Global Change Biology (2008) 14, 161–176, doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2007.01482.x Regeneration patterns and persistence of the fog- dependent Fray Jorge forest in semiarid Chile during the past two centuries ALVARO G. GUTIE´ RREZ*w ,OLGABARBOSAz§, DUNCAN A. CHRISTIE} , EK DEL-VALk, HOLLY A. EWING**,CLIVEG.JONESww, PABLO A. MARQUETw §, KATHLEEN C. WEATHERSww and J U A N J . A R M E S T O w § ww *Department of Ecological Modelling, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Permoser Strae 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany, wDepartamento de Ciencias Ecolo´gicas, Instituto de Ecologı´a y Biodiversidad (IEB). Facultad de Ciencias. Universidad de Chile. Casilla 653, Santiago, Chile, zDepartment of Animal & Plant Sciences, Biodiversity & Macroecology Group, The University of Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK, §Departamento de Ecologı´a, Center for Advanced Studies in Ecology & Biodiversity (CASEB), Facultad de Ciencias Biolo´gicas, Pontificia Universidad Cato´lica de Chile, Alameda 340, Santiago, Chile, }Laboratorio de Dendrocronologı´a, Facultad de Ciencias Forestales, Universidad Austral de Chile, Casilla 567, Valdivia, Chile, kCentro de Estudios Ecosistemas, Universidad Nacional Auto´noma de Me´xico, Ap. 27–3, Santa Maria de Guido Morelia, Michoaca´n 58089, Me´xico, **Program in Environmental Studies, Bates College, 111 Bardwell St., Lewiston, ME 04240, USA, wwInstitute of Ecosystem Studies, Box AB, Millbrook, NY 12545, USA Abstract The persistence of rainforest patches at Fray Jorge National Park (FJNP) in semiarid Chile (301400S), a region receiving approximately 147 mm of annual rainfall, has been a source of concern among forest managers. These forests are likely dependent on water inputs from oceanic fog and their persistence seems uncertain in the face of climate change.
    [Show full text]
  • Chile's Frontier Forests
    Linking forests & people www.globalforestwatch.org CHILE´S FRONTIER FORESTS: CONSERVING A GLOBAL TREASURE Eduardo Neira Hernán Verscheure Carmen Revenga Map production and GIS Analysis Eduardo Neira and Patricio Rutherford Global Forest Watch is an Initiative of the World Resources Institute 2002 CHILE’S FRONTIER FORESTS: CONSERVING A GLOBAL TREASURE 1 REPORT PRODUCTION Publication Manager Hyacinth Billings Editor Karen Holmes Design Paulina Veloso Layout Paulina Veloso and Juan Carlos Cancino Production Offset Bellavista Limitada Cover Photograps Augusto Domínguez Manuel Gedda Each World Resources Institute Report represents a timely, scholarly treatment of a subject of public concern. WRI takes responsibility for choosing the study topics and guarantees its authors and researchers freedom of inquiry. It also solicits and responds to the guidance of advisory panels and expert reviewers. Unless otherwise stated, however, all the interpretations and findings set forth in WRI publications are those of the authors. Copyright ©: World Resources Institute Comité Nacional Pro Defensa de la Fauna y Flora University Austral of Chile 2002 All right reserved. ISBN 1-56973-495-x Library of Congress Control Number: 2002103301 Printed in Chile Available in Spanish as BOSQUES FRONTERA DE CHILE: UN PATRIMONIO NATURAL A CONSERVAR. ISBN: 1-56973-517-4 2 CHILE’S FRONTIER FORESTS: CONSERVING A GLOBAL TREASURE CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 5 FOREWORD 6 KEY FINDINGS 8 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 9 1. INTRODUCTION 11 2. CHILE’S FORESTS 13 2.1 Description of Chilean Forests 13 2.1.1 Forest cover in Chile: a historical perspective 16 2.1.2 Current forest cover in Chile 16 2.2 Global and Local Significance of Chile’s Forests 18 2.2.1 The need for forest conservation 18 2.2.2 State of forest conservation in Chile 19 2.2.3 Destruction and degradation of native forests 20 3.
    [Show full text]
  • Angiosperm Phylogeny Inferred from Sequences of Four Mitochondrial Genes 1Yin-Long QIU∗ 1Libo LI 1Bin WANG 1,2Jia-Yu XUE 1Tory A
    Journal of Systematics and Evolution 48 (6): 391–425 (2010) doi: 10.1111/j.1759-6831.2010.00097.x Angiosperm phylogeny inferred from sequences of four mitochondrial genes 1Yin-Long QIU∗ 1Libo LI 1Bin WANG 1,2Jia-Yu XUE 1Tory A. HENDRY 1Rui-Qi LI 1Joseph W. BROWN 1Ya n g L I U 1Geordan T. HUDSON 3Zhi-Duan CHEN 1(Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA) 2(School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China) 3(Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China) Abstract An angiosperm phylogeny was reconstructed in a maximum likelihood analysis of sequences of four mitochondrial genes, atp1, matR, nad5, and rps3, from 380 species that represent 376 genera and 296 families of seed plants. It is largely congruent with the phylogeny of angiosperms reconstructed from chloroplast genes atpB, matK, and rbcL, and nuclear 18S rDNA. The basalmost lineage consists of Amborella and Nymphaeales (including Hydatellaceae). Austrobaileyales follow this clade and are sister to the mesangiosperms, which include Chloranthaceae, Ceratophyllum, magnoliids, monocots, and eudicots. With the exception of Chloranthaceae being sister to Ceratophyllum, relationships among these five lineages are not well supported. In eudicots, Ranunculales, Sabiales, Proteales, Trochodendrales, Buxales, Gunnerales, Saxifragales, Vitales, Berberidopsidales, and Dilleniales form a basal grade of lines that diverged before the diversification of rosids and asterids. Within rosids, the COM (Celastrales–Oxalidales–Malpighiales) clade is sister to malvids (or rosid II), instead of to the nitrogen-fixing clade as found in all previous large-scale molecular analyses of angiosperms. Santalales and Caryophyllales are members of an expanded asterid clade.
    [Show full text]
  • Rain Forest Islands in the Chilean Semiarid Region: Fog-Dependency, Ecosystem Persistence and Tree Regeneration
    Rain Forest Islands in the Chilean Semiarid Region: Fog-dependency, Ecosystem Persistence and Tree Regeneration Ek del-Val,1*à Juan J. Armesto,1,2,3 Olga Barbosa,1 Duncan A. Christie,1,2 Alvaro G. Gutie´rrez,2 Clive G. Jones,3 Pablo A. Marquet,1 and Kathleen C. Weathers3 1Center for Advanced Studies in Ecology and Biodiversity, Departamento de Ecologı´a, Facultad Ciencias Biolo´ gicas, Pontificia Universidad Cato´ lica de Chile, Casilla 114-D, Santiago, Chile; 2Centro milenio para Estudios Avanzados en Ecologia e Investigacio´ n en Biodiversidad (CMEB), Departamento de Ciencias Ecolo´ gicas, Facultad de Ciencias Universidad de Chile, Casilla 653, Santiago, Chile; 3Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Box AB, Millbrook, New York 12545, USA. ABSTRACT Tree presence in semiarid ecosystems is generally edges (WE), leeward edges (LE), and the interior constrained by insufficient annual rainfall. How- (center) of rainforest patches varying in area from ever, in semiarid Chile, rainforest patches domi- 0.2 to 22 ha. Mean fog-water input was estimated nated by Aextoxicon punctatum are unexpectedly from passive collectors over 1 year in WE and LE of found on coastal mountaintops (450–600 m) at patches. Tree regeneration was greater in the WE 30°S, surrounded by a xerophytic vegetation ma- and forest interior (FI) and decreased toward the LE trix that receives only 147 mm of annual precipi- of patches, following a marked pattern of decline in tation. It has been proposed that these forests fog inputs. Older trees and coarse woody debris persist as a result of fog-water inputs. If so, then were concentrated in the FI and LE of patches.
    [Show full text]
  • Vascular Flora in Public Spaces of Santiago, Chile
    Gayana Bot. 73(1): 85-103, 2016 ISSN 0016-5301 Vascular flora in public spaces of Santiago, Chile Flora vascular en el espacio público de Santiago, Chile JAVIER A. FIGUEROA1*, SEBASTIÁN TEILLIER2, NICOLE GUERRERO-LEIVA3,4, CRISTIAN RAY-BOBADILLA3, SIMONÉ RIVANO2, DIEGO SAAVEDRA3 & SERGIO A. CASTRO3,4 1Centro de Estudios Arquitectónicos, Urbanísticos y del Paisaje, Facultad de Arquitectura, Urbanismo y Paisaje, Universidad Central de Chile. Avenida Santa Isabel 1186, Santiago. 2Escuela de Arquitectura del Paisaje, Universidad Central de Chile. Avenida Santa Isabel 1186, Santiago. 3Laboratorio de Ecología y Biodiversidad Vegetal, Departamento de Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile. Casilla 40, Correo 33, Santiago. Av. Lib. B. O’Higgins 3363, Santiago, Chile. 4Centro para el Desarrollo de la Nanociencia y Nanotecnología, CEDENNA, 917-0124 Santiago, Chile. Av. Lib. B. O’Higgins 3363, Santiago, Chile. *[email protected] ABSTRACT After an extensive two-year long research effort, the results document the diversity of vascular plants that grow in the public spaces of Santiago, Chile. We analyze the taxonomic composition, life-forms and phytogeographic origin of the vascular flora of Santiago and, finally, we compare the results with those of urban areas in the Northern Hemisphere. We identified 508 species, 100 families, and 338 genera. The families that showed the greatest richness were Asteraceae and Poaceae. We found that at least 85.1% of the species are exotic. The life-forms are similarly represented, although chamaephytes and geophytes are poorly represented. We conclude that the composition of the urban flora of Santiago differs from that of most Northern Hemisphere cities, due to the increased presence of exotic species, which is likely a consequence of the historical and cultural patterns of ornamentation.
    [Show full text]
  • Redalyc.Seedling Density According to Structure, Dominance And
    Revista Chilena de Historia Natural ISSN: 0716-078X [email protected] Sociedad de Biología de Chile Chile J. DONOSO, PABLO; NYLAND, RALPH D. Seedling density according to structure, dominance and understory cover in old-growth forest stands of the evergreen forest type in the coastal range of Chile Revista Chilena de Historia Natural, vol. 78, núm. 1, 2005, pp. 51-63 Sociedad de Biología de Chile Santiago, Chile Available in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=369944273005 How to cite Complete issue Scientific Information System More information about this article Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal Journal's homepage in redalyc.org Non-profit academic project, developed under the open access initiative SEEDLING DENSITY IN COASTAL EVERGREEN FORESTSRevista Chilena de Historia Natural51 78: 51-63, 2005 Seedling density according to structure, dominance and understory cover in old-growth forest stands of the evergreen forest type in the coastal range of Chile Densidad de plántulas de acuerdo a la estructura, dominancia y cobertura del sotobosque en bosques siempreverdes adultos en la cordillera de la Costa de Chile PABLO J. DONOSO1 & RALPH D. NYLAND** 1Instituto de Silvicultura, Universidad Austral de Chile, Casilla 567, Valdivia, Chile; e-mail: [email protected] 2College of Environmental Science and Forestry, State University of New York, One Forestry Drive, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA; e-mail: [email protected] ABSTRACT Securing timely regeneration is essential in maintaining the long-term ecological or silvicultural functions and values of forests. Its establishment, in turn, depends on many factors, including the structure and composition of the forest itself.
    [Show full text]