book reviews ISSN 1948‐6596 A biogeographic island Plant Geography of . Plant and Vegetation, Volume 5. Andrés Moreira‐Muñoz, 2011, Springer. 320 pp. £153.00 (hardback). ISBN: 978‐0‐948‐18747‐8. http//www.springer.com/

It is of some surprise that became curator of the National Museum of Natu‐ we have had to wait just ral History in for a period of 42 years over a century, since the where she researched and published widely on appearance of Karl Frie‐ the Chilean flora. This lineage has of course been drich Reiche’s celebrated very influential on the author’s chosen career as a work Grundzüge der plant scientist and has now led to this authorita‐ Pflanzenverbreitung in tive work on the plant geography of Chile, which 1907, for a new look at was also the subject of his recent PhD (Moreira‐ the plant geography of Muñoz 2007). Chile. It is quite surprising Each chapter within the five main sections because this long, thin of the book commences with an abstract and con‐ country, covering more cludes with a comprehensive list of references. degrees of latitude than any other, has some of The layout is pleasing, with use of high‐quality the most fascinating physical geography of any colour photographs, line drawings and very infor‐ country on the planet. In fact its geography was mative and often comparative maps. The first once described as ‘crazy’, in the title of the much‐ chapter gives an overview of the physical geogra‐ cited work by the Chilean author Subercaseaux phy (past and present) which has influenced the (1940): “Chile o una loca geografía”. Contained by vascular flora and its biogeographical patterns. the imposing Andean chain and the vast Pacific The second chapter is a very useful chronology of Ocean, continental Chile is a biogeographic island the discovery of the Chilean flora, tracing the his‐ of extraordinary contrasts. The extremes are the tory of the botanists and naturalists who helped in the north, which is the driest to shape Chilean botany. It starts with the arrival and coolest, and to the south the sub‐Antarctic of Hernando de Magallanes (Ferdinand Magellan) forests are some of the wettest in the world. in the Magellan Straits in 1520 and details the What a ‘scientific playground’ for biologists from many Europeans from France, Germany and Spain all disciplines, particularly those interested in bio‐ in particular. It includes the young Charles Darwin, geography! But what makes it even more mouth‐ whose visit to south and most influ‐ watering are its Gondwanan origins and the fact enced his famed Theory of Evolution. Rightfully, that the Chilean territory includes the fascinating much is made of the extraordinarily high levels of and famous Pacific offshore islands of Rapa Nui endemism within the Chilean flora: 4 families, 84 (), the Juan Fernández Archipelago genera and 1933 species. The number of endemic and the lesser known Islas Desventuradas. species equates to 45% of the flora and represents The present volume is rightfully dedicated the highest percentage of any South American to Karl Friedrich Reiche, by the author, who him‐ country. Because of these high levels of endemism self comes from an important Chilean botanical (and because of the immense threats it faces) 40% dynasty. Carlos Muñoz Pizarro, the grandfather of of continental Chile has been declared a Biodiver‐ Andrés Moreira‐Muñoz, is well known for his dedi‐ sity Hot Spot, which is known as the Chilean Win‐ cation to the Chilean flora and passion for its con‐ ter Rainfall–Valdivian Forests (Moreira‐Muñoz servation—he published widely on both subjects. 2005). These integral links exemplify the relatively His dedication was such that he named his three new field of conservation biogeography daughters after Poaceae (grass family) genera. (Whittaker et al. 2005). In Chapter 6 the author One of them, Melica Muñoz‐Schick, the mother of discusses the challenges of conservation biogeog‐ the author, followed in her father’s footsteps and raphy effectively. The recent (last 40 years) rapid

96 frontiers of biogeography 5.2, 2013 — © 2013 the authors; journal compilation © 2013 The International Biogeography Society book reviews loss and degradation of native forests in Chile has beeches (Nothofagus), a group which has helped presented the author with many opportunities to to fuel the vicariance versus dispersal debate. discuss a wide range of scenarios. On reading this book, I was surprised to The second section deals with geographic come across quite a lot of incomprehensible Eng‐ relationships and embraces the chorological ap‐ lish, which spoils what is an excellent piece of proach; this comparative biogeography with the work. This is perhaps my main criticism and one use of maps gives a useful insight into some fasci‐ that lies firmly at the door of the publisher. I nating floristic relationships. Particular attention is would also prefer a less fragmented approach to given to disjunct distributions (a very common the layout whereby the references are towards pattern for the Chilean flora) and detailed inter‐ the end of the book instead of at the end of each pretation of how these came about, with the main chapter. Having said this, I have to congratulate discussion centred on dispersal versus vicariance. the author on producing a very readable book Unsurprisingly it has been the Pacific offshore is‐ which brings together disparate information on lands that have seen the greatest degree of bio‐ plant geography and related disciplines. One can geographical study. The combination of high levels tell by the way it is written that the author has of endemism, including primitive endemic families extensive knowledge of his vast country and the and taxa which share a distribution with continen‐ plant it contains. It is written with tal Chile, has made them a great attraction for passion and a clear understanding of the subject, biogeographers. and his views are clearly laid out without dogma. The third part of the book deals with the This work is thoroughly recommended to students three main island groups of Rapa Nui (Easter Is‐ of all plant disciplines (if they can afford it) and land), the Juan Fernández archipelago and the researchers alike. I for one will certainly be refer‐ Islas Desventuradas. The Juan Fernández islands ring back to this work on a regular basis. are world‐famous because of the Scottish casta‐ way, , who was marooned there Martin Gardner for four years, and is widely thought to have been Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. the inspiration for the story of Robinson Crusoe. [email protected] Among biologists, this archipelago is noted for its unique levels of endemism, with almost 65% of its References flora being endemic (Danton & Perrier 2006), and Danton, P. & Perrier, C. (2006) Nouveau catalogue de la flore for its fascinating biogeography. Sadly today it is vasculare de l’archipel Juan Fernández (Chili). Acta rapidly gaining a reputation for having one of the Botanica Gallica, 153, 399–587. most severely threatened island floras in the Moreira‐Muñoz, A. (2005) Conservation in a changing world: biodiversity hotspots and the distracting paradigm. world. The fear is that the many endemic species Journal of Conservation Planning, 1, 1–6. that have already become extinct will be followed Moreira‐Muñoz, A. (2007) Plant geography of Chile: an essay by scores more in the near future, if the continu‐ on postmodern biogeography. Doctoral thesis, Uni‐ ing problems of grazing and the devastating ef‐ versity Erlangen‐Nürnberg. Germany. Reiche, K.F. (1907) Grundzüge der Pflanzenverbreitung in fects of invading non‐native species continue. The Chile. Ib Series: Engler A, Drude O, (eds) Die Vegeta‐ demise of the now‐extinct sandal tree is detailed tion der Erde: Sammlung Pflanzengeographer Mono‐ using a shaded text box, an effective style that is graphien, vol. VIII. Verlag von V. Engelmann. Leipzig. Subercaseaux, B. (1940) Chile o una loca geografía. Ercilla S, used throughout the book in order to highlight (ed). English translation from 1943: Chile, a geo‐ salient subjects. graphic extravaganza. Macmillan Co. New York. Towards the end of the book several case Whittaker, R.J., Araújo M.B., Jepson, P., Ladle, R.J., Watson, J.E.M. & Willis, K.J. (2005) Conservation biogeogra‐ studies are presented which are used to highlight phy: assessment and prospect. Diversity and Distribu‐ important aspects of Chilean biogeography. The tions, 11, 3–23. two families used for this are the Cactaceae and Asteraceae, with a third chapter on the southern Edited by Markus Eichhorn frontiers of biogeography 5.2, 2013 — © 2013 the authors; journal compilation © 2013 The International Biogeography Society 97