NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Valdivian temperate rain forests

The Valdivian temperate rain forests are a terrestrial ecoregion located on the west coast of southern South America, in Chile and extending into a small part of Argentina. It is a temperate part of the Neotropic ecozone. Ecoregions are defined by World Wildlife Fund as relatively large units of land or water containing a distinct assemblage of natural communities and species, with boundaries that approximate the original extent of natural communities prior to major land-use change. Terrestrial ecoregions are land ecoregions, as distinct from freshwater ecoregions... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... The Neotropic ecozone is a terrestrial ecoregion which includes South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. ... Ecozone is a classification system of the world first proposed by Miklos Udvardy under the name biogeographical realms for conservation purposes. ...

Setting

The Valdivian temperate rain forests comprise a relatively narrow coastal strip between the Pacific Ocean to the west, and by the southern Andes Mountains to the east, from roughly 35º to 48º south latitude. North of 42º, the Chilean coastal range runs along the coast, and the north-south running Chilean Central Valley lies between the coastal range and the Andes. South of 42º, the coast range continues as a chain of offshore islands, including Chiloe and the Chonos Archipelago, and the Central Valley continues as the Gulf of Corcovado. Much of the ecogregion was covered by glaciers at the peak of the last ice age, which descended from the Andes mountains, and the numerous lakes of the Chilean lakes district in the central part of the ecoregion were originally glacial valleys, while the southern part of the region has many glacier-carved fjords. See also architecture with non-sequential dynamic execution scheduling (ANDES). ... Chilo Island (Spanish: Isla de Chilo , or Isla Grande de Chilo ) is an island off the Pacific coast of South America, part of Chile. ... Chonos Archipelago (Spanish Archipelago de los Chonos) is a series of low mountainous elongated islands with deep bays are traces of a drowned coastal range. ... Aletsch glacier, Switzerland A glacier is a large, long-lasting river of ice that is formed on land and moves in response to gravity. ... Variations in CO2, temperature and dust from the Vostok ice core over the last 400 000 years For the animated movie, see Ice Age (movie). ... Sognefjorden, Norway A fjord (sometimes written fiord, notably in New Zealand English) is a glacially overdeepened valley, usually narrow and steep-sided, extending below sea level and filled with salt water. ...

The Andean Cordillera intercepts moist westerly winds along the Pacific coast during winter and summer months; these winds cool as they ascend the mountains, creating heavy rainfall on the mountains' west-facing slopes. The northward-flowing oceanic Humboldt Current creates humid and foggy conditions near the coast. The tree line is at about 2,400 m in the northern part of the ecoregion (35° S), and descends to 1,000 m in the south of the Valdivian region. To the north the Valdivian forests give way to the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and shrub of the Chilean Matorral ecoregion. To the south lies the Magellanic subpolar forests ecoregion. The temperate Valdivian, Matorral, and Magellanic ecoregions are isolated from the subtropical and tropical forests of northern South America by the Atacama desert north of the Matorral, the Andes mountains, and dry rain-shadow Argentine grasslands east of the Andes. As a result, the temperate forest regions have evolved in relative isolation, with a rich and unique mix of species. Bush Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and shrub is a temperate biome, characterized by hot-dry summers and mild and rainy winters. ... The Chilean Matorral is a terrestrial ecoregion of central Chile, located on the west coast of South America. ... The Magellanic subpolar forests are a terrestrial ecoregion of southernmost South America, covering parts of southern Chile and Argentina, and is part of the Neotropic ecozone. ... Atacama The Atacama desert of Chile is a virtually rainless plateau made up of salt basins (salares), sand, and lava flows, extending from the Andes mountains to the Pacific Ocean. ...

Flora

The Valdivian temperate rain forests are temperate broadleaf and mixed forests. The Valdivian and Magellanic temperate rainforests are the only temperate rain forests in South America and one of a small number of temperate rain forests in the world. Together they are the second largest in the world, after the Pacific temperate rain forests of North America. The Valdivian forests are a refuge for the Antarctic flora, and share many plant families with the temperate rainforests of New Zealand, Tasmania, and Australia. Fully half the species of woody plants are endemic to this ecoregion. Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests are a temperate and humid biome. ... Temperate rain forest in the Mount Hood Wilderness. ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... The Pacific temperate rain forests of Canada and the United States are the largest temperate rain forests zone on the planet. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America North America is a continent in the northern hemisphere bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west by the... Minke whale Minke whale Minke whale Minke whale Minke whale Minke whale Minke whale Minke whale Minke whale Minke whale Minke whale Minke whale Minke whale Minke whale Minke whale Minke whale Minke whale Minke whale Minke whale Minke whale Minke whale Minke whale Minke whale Minke whale Minke whale... Motto: Ubertas et Fidelitas (Fertility and Faithfulness) Nickname: The Apple Isle Other Australian states and territories Capital Hobart Government Governor Premier Const. ...

There are five main types of forest ecosystems in the Valdivian ecoregion. At the northern end of the ecoregion are deciduous forests, dominated by deciduous species of southern beech (Nothofagus), which is a transitional zone to the Mediterranean-climate forests to the north. Species Nothofagus alpina - Rauli Beech Nothofagus antarctica - Antarctic Beech Nothofagus betuloides - Magallanes Beech Nothofagus cunninghamii - Myrtle Beech Nothofagus dombeyi - Coigüe Beech Nothofagus fusca - Red Beech Nothofagus gunnii - Tanglefoot Beech Nothofagus menziesii - Silver Beech Nothofagus moorei - Negrohead Beech Nothofagus obliqua - Roble Beech Nothofagus pumilio - Lenga Beech Nothofagus solanderi - Black Beech...

The second type are the Valdivian laurel-leaved forests, characterized by a variety of broadleaf evergreen trees, including Laureliopsis philippiana, Aextoxicon punctatum, Eucryphia cordifolia, Caldcluvia paniculata, and Weinmannia trichosperma, with an understory of Myrceugenia planipes, the arrayán (Luma apiculata) and other plants. Laurel forest is a subtropical or mild temperate forest, found in areas with high humidity and relatively stable and mild temperatures. ... species Aextoxicon punctatum is a tree native to southern Chile, commonly known as the Olivillo or Aceitunillo. ... Species See text Eucryphia is a small genus of trees or large shrubs of the Antarctic flora, native to the south temperate regions of South America and coastal eastern Australia. ... Species About 15-20 species including: Myrceugenia is a genus of evergreen woody flowering trees and shrubs belonging to the Myrtle family, Myrtaceae. ... Binomial name Luma apiculata (DC.) Burrett The ArrayÃ¡n (Luma apiculata) is a species of tree in the genus Luma in the myrtle family (Myrtaceae) native to the central Andes mountains between Chile and Argentina. ... Species Four species, including: Luma apiculata Luma chequen Luma is a genus of four species of plants in the myrtle family Myrtaceae, native to the Valdivian temperate rain forests of southwestern South America. ...

The third forest type is the Patagonian Andean forests, which are distributed at higher elevations along the Andes mountain front, and are dominated by evergreen conifers, including the including the Pehuén or monkey-puzzle (Araucaria araucana) and the Alerce (Fitzroya cupressoides). The alerce looks like a Giant sequoia and is a rival in longevity to the Bristlecone pine, some with growth rings recording 3,625 years of local weather cycles. Closer to the treeline the conifers give way to Andean scrublands of deciduous Nothofagus. Orders & Families Cordaitales † Pinales Pinaceae - Pine family Araucariaceae - Araucaria family Podocarpaceae - Yellow-wood family Sciadopityaceae - Umbrella-pine family Cupressaceae - Cypress family Cephalotaxaceae - Plum-yew family Taxaceae - Yew family Vojnovskyales † Voltziales † The conifers, division Pinophyta, are one of 13 or 14 division level taxa within the Kingdom Plantae. ... Binominal name Araucaria araucana (Molina) K. Koch The Monkey-puzzle, or Pehuén, Araucaria araucana, is the hardiest species in the conifer genus Araucaria. ... Species See text Araucaria is a genus of coniferous trees in the family Araucariaceae. ... Binomial name Fitzroya cupressoides Alerce (Fitzroya cupressoides), also known as Patagonian Cypress, is a large tree in the cypress family (Cupressaceae) of conifers. ... Binomial name Sequoiadendron giganteum (Lindl. ... Species Pinus aristata Pinus longaeva Pinus balfouriana The bristlecone pines are a small group of pine trees (Family Pinaceae, genus Pinus, subsection Balfourianae) that can reach an age far greater than that of any other living thing known - up to nearly 5,000 years. ...

The fourth type is the Northern Patagonian forests, which dominate the southern half of the ecoregion, with evergreen species such as the broadleaf Nothofagus dombeyi and Drimys winteri and the coniferous podocarps, including Podocarpus nubigena. species Drimys is a genus of woody evergreen flowering plants, part of family Winteraceae. ... Genera Acmopyle Afrocarpus Dacrycarpus Dacrydium Falcatifolium Halocarpus Lagarostrobos Lepidothamnus Manoao Microcachrys Microstrobos Nageia Parasitaxus Phyllocladus Podocarpus Prumnopitys Retrophyllum Saxegothaea Sundacarpus A large family of mainly Southern Hemisphere conifers, with 18-19 genera and about 170-200 species of evergreen trees and shrubs. ... species 105 species (Farjon 1998); see list Podocarpus is a genus of conifers, the most numerous and widely distributed of the podocarp family Podocarpaceae. ...

The last type are the Evergreen forests and bogs, which consist of evergreen forests of Nothofagus betuloides and bogs of Sphagnum moss, which are also characteristic of the Magellanic subpolar forests to the south. Subclasses Sphagnidae Andreaeidae Tetraphidae Polytrichidae Archidiidae Buxbaumiidae Bryidae Moss gametophyte generation plants with a single sporophyte. ...

The Valdivian forests include stands of huge trees, especially Nothofagus and Fitzroya, which can live to a great age. These magnificent rainforests are endangered by extensive logging and their replacement by fast-growing pines and eucalyptus, which are more sought-after by the pulp and paper industry. The native trees that are cleared to make way for these monocultures are often exported as woodchips to Japan. The Valdivian forests have been reduced by half already. A start at conservation was made in November 2003 when a consortium of conservation groups, both local and international, bought at auction of a bankrupt logging firm 147,500 acres (600 km²) of biologically rich rainforest in the Valdivian Coastal Range. Gianni Lopez, Executive Director of CONAMA, Chile’s national environmental agency remarked, "Ten years ago the existence of protected areas not owned by the government was unthinkable." Species About 115. ... Species About 600; for a full list, see Wikispecies:Eucalyptus Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of trees (rarely shrubs), the members of which dominate the tree flora of Australia. ...

Biome: Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests In ecology, a biome is a major regional group of distinctive plant and animal communities best adapted to the regions physical environment. ... Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests are a temperate and humid biome. ...

External links

The Nature Conservancy is an environmental organization founded in 1951 in the United States. ...

Contents

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Flora

External links

See also

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