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 variables (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 distributional maps for each taxa based on their field records in the study area, complemented by natural history information, except in the case of bryophytes and soil invertebrates. In general, species richness was lower at 600 m elevation or above for all the taxa studied. Species richness tends to increase in the northern sector of the study area. We observed a greater richness of vascular plants near rivers and streams, and noted important floristic differences between west and east-facing slopes of the Coastal Range, with more species in the oriental side. Because species in high altitude forests are not a subset of those found at lower elevations, we propose that conservation strategies should prioritize the protection of the entire altitudinal gradient of the southern Coastal Range, especially in the more diverse oriental and northern sectors.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Araujo MB, Humphries CJ, Densham PJ, Lampinen,R., Hagemeijer WJM, Mitchell-Jones AJ, Gasc JP (2001) Would environmental diversity be a good surrogate for species diversity? Ecography 24:103–110
Araujo MB, Densham PJ, Humphries CJ (2003) Predicting species diversity with ED: the quest for evidence. Ecography 26:380–384
Ardiles R (1977) Contribución al estudio del bosque nativo perennifolio de la Cordillera de la Costa, en tres niveles altitudinales. Thesis de Ingeniero Forestal, Facultad de Ingeniería Forestal, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia
Armesto JJ, Aravena JC, Villagrán C, Pérez C, Parker GG (1996) Bosques templados de la Cordillera de la Costa. In: Armesto JJ, Villagrán C, Arroyo MTK (eds) Ecología de los bosques nativos de Chile, Editorial Universitaria, Santiago, Chile, 199–213
CONAF-CONAMA-BIRF (1997) Catastro y evaluación de los recursos vegetacionales nativos de Chile. Informe Nacional con Variables Ambientales. CONAMA, Santiago
Bachman S, Baker WJ, Brummitt N, Dransfield J, Moat J (2004) Elevational gradients, area and tropical island diversity: an example from the palms of New Guinea. Ecography 27:299–310
Cortés M (1990) Estructura y dinámica de los bosques de alerce (Fitzroya cupressoides (Mol.) Johnston) en la cordillera de la Costa de la Provincia de Valdivia. Tesis de Ingeniero Forestal, Facultad de Ciencias Forestales. Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia
Currie DJ (1991) Energy and large-scale patterns of animal species and plant species richness. Am Nat 137:27–49
Currie DJ (2001) Projected effects of climate change on patterns of vertebrate and tree species richness in the conterminous United States. Ecosystems 4:216–225
Currie DJ, Mittelbach GG, Cornell HV, Field R, Guégan J-F, Hawkins BA, Kaufman DM, Kerr JT, Oberdorff T, O’Brien EM, Turner JRG (2004) Predictions and tests of climate-based hypotheses of broad-scale variation in taxonomic richness. Ecol Lett 7:1121–1134
Deguchi H (1991a) A list of Moss Collection made during the Expeditions to Chile in 1981 and 1987 (1). Bull Natn Sci Mus Tokyo Ser B 17:15–34
Deguchi H (199lb) A list of Moss Collection made during the Expeditions to Chile in 1981 and 1987 (2). Bull Natn Sci Mus Tokyo Ser B 17:67–83
Díaz I (2005) Historia natural, diversidad y conservación de las aves en bosques de la Cordillera de la Costa de la Región de Los Lagos, Chile. In: Smith-Ramírez C, Armesto JJ, Valdovinos C (eds) Historia, Biodiversidad y Ecologia de los bosques de la Cordillera de la Costa de Chile. Editorial Universitaria, Santiago, Chile
Droege S, Cyr A, Larivée J (1998) Checklists: an under-used tool for the inventory and monitoring of plants and animals. Conservation Biology 12:1134–1138
Erazo S (1984a) Estudio de la ornitocenosis en un rodal de Olivillo, Valdivia, Chile. Tesis Magíster. Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia
Erazo S (1984b) Análisis de censos de la avifauna realizados en un rodal boscoso de olivillo, Valdivia, Chile, X Región. Revista Geográfica de Valparaíso (Chile) 15:49–71
Faith DP (2003) Environmental diversity (ED) as surrograte information for species-level biodiversity. Ecography 26:374–379
Ferrier S (2002) Mapping spatial pattern in biodiversity for regional conservation planning: where to from here?. Syst Biol 42:331–363
Formas JR (1979) La herpetofauna de los bosques temperados de Sudamerica. In: Duellman W (ed) The South American herpetofauna: its origin, evolution and dispersal. Museum of Natural History, University of Kansas, Monograph 7:341–369
Formas JR (1992) The tadpole of Eupsophus vertebralis (Anura: Leptodactylidae). Herpetologica 48:115–119
Formas JR (1995) Anfibios. In: Simonetti JA, MTK Arroyo, AE Spotorno, E Lozada (eds) Diversidad biológica de Chile. Comite Nacional de Diversidad Biologica. CONICYT, Santiago, pp 314–325
Formas JR, Vera MI (1982) The status of two Chilean frogs of the genus Eupsophus (Anura: leptodactylidae). Proc Biol Soc Washington 95:668–693
Gaston G (1996) Species richness: measure and measurements. In: Gaston KJ (eds) Biodiversity. A biology of numbers and differences. Blackwell Science Ltd., Oxford, pp 77–113
Godoy R, Ramírez C, Figueroa H, Hauenstein E (1981) Estudios ecosociológicos en Pteridófitos de comunidades boscosas valdivianas, Chile. Bosque 4:12–24
Goodall JD, Johnson AW, Philippi RA (1946) Las ayes de Chile, su conocimiento y sus costumbres. Platt establecimientos Gráficos, Buenos Aires
Gordon JE, Hawthorne WD, Reyes-García A, Sandoval G, Barrance AJ (2004) Assessing landscapes: a case study of tree and shrub diversity in the seasonally dry tropical forests of Oaxaca, Mexico and southern Honduras. Biol Conserv 117:429–442
Gordon J (2005) Biodiversity Conservation and Non-Governmental Organisations in Oaxaca, Mexico. Ph.D. Thesis, Durham University, UK
Groves CR (2003) Drafting a Conservation Blueprint. Island Press
Guisan A, Zimmermann NE (2000) Predictive habitat distribution models in ecology. Ecol Model 135:147–186
Guisan A, Hofer U (2003) Predicting reptile distributions at mesoscale: relation to climate and topography. J Biogeogr 30:1233–1243
He S (1998) A checklist of the mosses of Chile. J Hattori Bot Lab 85:103–189
Hawthorne WD, Abu-Juam M (1995) Forest protection in Ghana. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK
Herzog T, Hosseus C (1938) Contribución al conocimiento de la Flora Briófita del sur de Chile. Archivos de la Escuela de Farmacia de la Facultad de Ciencias Medicas de Córdoba 7:3–95
Kerr JT, Sugar A, Packer L (2000) Indicator taxa, rapid biodiversity assessment, and nestedness in an endangered ecosystem. Conserv Biol 14:1726–1734
Kerr JT, Packer L (1997) Habitat heterogeneity as a determinant of mammal species richness patterns in high-energy regions. Nature 385:252–254
Larraín J (2005) Musgos de la Cordillera de la Costa de Valdivia, Osorno y Llanquihue: consideraciones ecólogicas y lista de especies. In: Smith-Ramírez C, Armesto JJ, Valdovinos C (eds) Historia, Biodiversidad y Ecologia de los bosques de la Cordillera de la Costa de Chile. Editorial Universitaria. Santiago, Chile
Labbe S (1989) Estudio fitosociológico estadístico de los bosques de boldo de la cuenca del río Bueno (Chile). Thesis de Ingeniero Forestal. Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
Lépez P (1998) Estudio fitosociológico del Parque Oncol (Valdivia, Chile). Thesis de Ingeniero Forestal. Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
Lorentz PG (1866) Musci frondosi in Chile prope Valdiviam et prope Corral lecti per Dr. Krause. Botanische Zeitung (Berlin) 24:185–189
Luebert F, Pliscoff P (2005) Bioclimas de la Cordillera de la Costa del centro-sur de Chile. In: Smith-Ramírez C, Armesto JJ, Valdovinos C (eds) Historia, Biodiversidad y Ecologia de los bosques de la Cordillera de la Costa de Chile. Editorial Universitaria, Santiago, Chile
Margules CR, Pressey RL (2000) Systematic conservation planning. Nature 405:243–253
Meffe C, Caroll R (1997) Principles of conservation biology, 2nd ed. Sinauer Associates, Sunderland, Massachussetts
Méndez M, Soto E, Torres-Pérez F, Veloso A (2005) Anfibios y reptiles de los bosques de la Cordillera de la Costa (X Région, Chile). In: Smith-Ramírez C, Armesto JJ, Valdovinos C (eds) Historia, Biodiversidad y Ecologia de los bosques de la Cordillera de la Costa de Chile. Editorial Universitaria. Santiago Chile
Mora A (1986) Estudios fitosociólogicos en el bosque de olivillo (LapagerioAextoxiconetum) de la Decima región de Chile. Thesis de Ingeniero Forestal, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
Myers N, Mittermeier RA, Mittermeier CG, da Fonseca GAB, Kent J (2000) Biodiversity hotspots for conservation priorities. Nature 403:853–858
Myneni RB, Hoffman J, Glassy Y, Zhang PV, Nemani R, Running S, Privette JL et al (2002) Global products of vegetation leaf area and fraction absorbed PAR from year one of MODIS data. Remote Sensing Environ 83:214–231
Moravec J (1998) Reconstructed natural versus potential natural vegetation in vegetation mapping: a discussion of concepts. Appl Veg Sci 1:173–176
Olson D, Dinerstein E (1998) The global 200: a representation approach to conserving the earth’s most biologically valuable ecoregions. Conserv Biol 12:502–515
Ortiz JC, Troncoso JF, Ibarra-Vidal H, Nuñez H (1990) Lista sistemática, distribución, estados de conservación y clave para los herpetozoos de la VIII Región, Chile. Comunicaciones Museo Regional Concepción (Chile) 4:31–43
Parris K (2004) Environmental and spatial variables influence the composition of frog assemblages in sub-tropical eastern Australia. Ecography 27:392–400
Peterson AT, Soberón J, Sánchez-Cordero V (1999) Conservatism of ecological niches in evolutionary time. Science 285:1265–1267
Peterson AT, Ortega-Huerta MA, Bartley J, Sánchez-Cordero V, Soberon JM, Buddemeier RH, Stockwell RB (2002) Future projections for Mexican faunas under global climate change scenarios. Nature 416:626–629
Pliscoff P (2003) Priorización de áreas para fortalecer la conservación de la flora arbórea nativa en la zona mediterránea de Chile. MS Tesis, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago
Prendergast JR, Wood SN, Lawton JH, Evershaur BC (1993) Correcting for variation in recording effort in analyses of diversity hotspots. Biodiv Lett 1:39–53
Rahbek C, Graves GR (2001) Multiscale assessment of patterns of avian species richness. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 98:4534–4539
Ramírez C, Riveros M (1975) Los alerzales de la cordillera Pelada: flora y fitosociología. Medio Ambiente 1:3–13
Ramírez C (2005) Asociaciones vegetales de la Cordillera de la Costa de la Region de Los Lagos. In: Smith-Ramírez C, Armesto JJ, Valdovinos C (eds) Historia, Biodiversidad y Ecología de los bosques de la Cordillera de la Costa de Chile. Editorial Universitaria, Santiago, Chile
Reimers H (1926) Beitrage zur Bryophytenflora Sudamerilcas. I. Die von Pater A, Hollermeyer in Chile 1918/1923 gessammelten Leber-and Laubmoose. Hedwigia 66:27–75
Rozzi R, Martínez D, Willson MF, Sabag C (1996) La avifauna de los bosques templados de Sudamérica. In: Armesto JJ, Villagrán C, Arroyo MTK (eds) Ecología de los bosques nativos de Chile, Editorial Universitaria, Santiago, Chile, 135–152
Schulenberg TS, Short CA, Stephenson PJ (eds) (1999) A biological assessment of Parc National de la Marahoué, Côte d’ivoire. Vol. RAP Working Papers 13. Conservation International, Washington
Scott JM, Davis FW, Csuti BR, Noss B, Butterfield C, Groves H, Anderson Caicco S, D’Erchia F, Edwards TC, Ulliman J, Wright RG (1993) Gap analysis: a geographic approach to protection of biological diversity. Wildlife Monogr 123:1–41
Smith-Ramírez C (2004) The Chilean Coastal Range: A Vanishing Center of Biodiversity and Endemism in Southern Temperate Rain Forests. Biodiv Conserv 13:373–393
Smith-Ramírez C, Pliscoff P, Teillier S, Barrera E (2005) Patrones de riqueza y distribución de la flora vascular en la Cordillera de la Costa de Valdivia, Osorno y Llanquihue, Chile. In: Smith-Ramírez C, Armesto J, Valdovinos C (eds) Historia, Biodiversidad y Ecología de los bosques de la Cordillera de la Costa de Chile. Editorial Universitaria, Santiago, Chile
Stockwell D, Peters D (1999) The GARP modelling system: problems and solutions to automated spatial prediction. Int J Geogr Inform Sci 13:143–158
Stockwell DRB, Peterson AT (2003) Comparison of resolution of methods used in mapping biodiversity patterns from point occurrence data. Ecol Indicators 3:213–221
Tognelli M, Douglas K (2004) Analysis of determinants of mammalian species richness in South America using spatial autoregressive models. Ecography 27:427–436
Turner W, Spector S, Gardiner N, Fladeland M, Sterling E, Steininger M (2003) Remote sensing for biodiversity science and conservation. Trends Ecol Evol 18:306–314
Valdovinos C (1989) Catálogo de los moluscos terrestres y dulceacuícolas de la Cordillera de Nahuelbuta y areas adyacentes. Comunicaciones del Museo Regional de Concepción 3:7–14
Valdovinos C (1999) Biodiversidad de moluscos chilenos: base de datos taxonómica y distribucional. Gayana Zoologiá 63:111–164
Valdovinos C, Stuardo J (1988) Morfologia, sistemática y distribución del genero Plectostylus Beck (1837) (Pulmonata: Bulimulidae). Gayana Zoología 52:115–195
Valdovinos C, Stuardo J (1989) Austrodiscus solemi spec. nov. (Pulmonata: Endodontidae) un nuevo gastrópodo humícola de Chile. Boletín de la Sociedad de Biología de Concepción, Chile 60:239–245
Valdovinos C, Olmos V, Moya C (2005) Moluscos terrestres y dulceacuícolas del la Cordillera de la Costa. In: Smith-Ramírez C, Armesto J, Valdovinos C (eds) Historia, Biodiversidad y Ecologia de los bosques de la Cordillera de la Costa de Chile. Editorial Universitaria, Santiago, Chile
Valverde V, Lagos V, Díaz I (1997) Catastro de vertebrados terrestres. Plan de ordenación forestal, Reserva Nacional Valdivia. Documento Técnico, CONAF, Santiago
Vanderpoorten A, Engels P (2002) The effects of environmental variation on bryophytes at a regional scale. Ecography 25:513–522
Vásquez R (1994) Estudio de la flora y vegetacion boscosa potencial de la cordillera pelada (Valdivia, Chile). Thesis of Forestry, Universidad Austral de Chile,Valdivia, Chile
Veloso A, Navarro J (1988) Lista sistematica y distribucion de anfibios y reptiles de Chile. Bolletino del Museo Regionale di Scienzie Naturali, Torino 6:481–539
Villagrán C, Armesto JJ, Leiva R (1986) Recolonización postglacial de Chiloé insular. Evidencias basadas en la distribución geográfica y los modos de dispersión de la flora. Revista Chilena de Historia Natural 59:19–39
Villagrán C, Le-Quesne C, Aravena JC, Jiménez H, Hinojosa F (1998) El rol de los cambios de clima del Cuaternario en la distribución actual de la vegetacion de Chile central-sur. Bamberger Geographische Schriften 15:227–242
Willson MF, De Santo TL, Sabag C, Armesto JJ (1994) Avian communities of fragmented south temperate rainforest in Chile Conserv Biol 8:508–520
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by WWF grants FC11 and FC49, National Science Conservation, Proyecto Nücleo Milenio No. P99-103FICM, Fondecyt-Fondap 1501-0001 (to CASEB), BBVA Foundation and Biocores project funded by INCO-DC program IV under contract ICA 4-CT-2001-10095. We are grateful to Ek del Val, Juan Armesto and Pablo Necochea for assistance with the English version.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Smith-Ramírez, C., Díaz, I., Pliscoff, P. et al. Distribution patterns of flora and fauna in southern Chilean Coastal rain forests: Integrating Natural History and GIS. Biodivers Conserv 16, 2627–2648 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-006-9073-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-006-9073-2