Magellanic subpolar forests
Encyclopedia
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
. It is a temperate broadleaf and mixed forests
ecoregion, and contains the world's southernmost forests.
. The Magellanic ecoregion was covered by glaciers during the last ice age
, and the landscape is deeply dissected by fjord
s, with numerous islands, inlets, and channels, including the Strait of Magellan
, which separates Tierra del Fuego from the South American mainland and is the route taken by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan
from the South Atlantic to the South Pacific.
North of roughly 48º south latitude lies the Valdivian temperate rain forests
ecoregion, which shares many affinities with the Magellanic ecoregion in plant and animal life. To the east lie the drier temperate grasslands and shrublands
ecoregions of Patagonia
, which are in the rain shadow of the Andean and Fuegian mountains.
conditions, while the cold oceanic Humboldt Current
, which runs up the west coast of South America, and the cold Antarctic Circumpolar Current
, which runs from west to east through the Southern Ocean
, keep the Magellanic ecoregion cool and wet, and the strong oceanic influence moderates seasonal temperature extremes. Averages temperatures a year vary from 6°C (42°F) in the north to 3°C (37°F) in the south and rainfalls a year from 4000 mm (160 in) in the west to 450 mm (18 in) in the east. Snowfalls can occur even in summer. Fog is very frequent. Very strong winds whip the region and these compel trees to grow in twisted and bent shapes fighting against the wind; and people call them "flag trees" .
, and share many plant families with the temperate forest ecoregions of New Zealand
, Tasmania
, and Australia
, especially the southern beech, (Nothofagus). Species of , including , , and , are the characteristic trees of the Magellanic ecoregion. The Magellanic ecoregion does not have the same species richness as the milder Valdivian ecoregion, both on account of its colder climate and its recent glaciation. The advancing glaciers caused the forests to retreat far to the north, and the region was gradually reforested starting about 10,000 years ago when the climate warmed and the glaciers retreated.
The Magellanic ecoregion has three main plant communities: the Magellanic moorland, the evergreen Magellanic rainforest, and the deciduous Magellanic forest.
The Magellanic moorland occurs on the western edge of the region where the oceanic influence is strongest. High rainfall of 5000 mm/year (200 in/year) is typical of the moorland, as are cool temperatures, strong winds, bad drainage conditions and rocky ground with generally thin soil. Most of the moorland consists of a mosaic of low-growing plants, including dwarf shrubs and wind-sheared trees, cushion plants, grasses and mosses. These plants can form an underlayer of blanket peat and boggy areas. In more sheltered areas, small stands of evergreen forest can be found, which include Nothofagus betuloides
, Drimys winteri
, Lepidothamnus fonkii
, and Pilgerodendron uviferum
.
Farther from the ocean, in more moderate areas less exposed to the oceanic wind and rain, moorland yields to evergreen Magellanic rainforest. The Magellanic rainforest is mostly made up Nothofagus betuloides, together with other evergreen trees, most often Drimys winteri and Pilgerodendron uviferum, and occasionally Embothrium coccineum
and Maytenus magellanica
. In the better established forest stands, a species-rich shrub layer may develop. In exposed, rocky, and poorly drained areas, pockets of deciduous and the typical moorland species can be found.
As one moves further east, where rainfall decreases to 800-850 mm/year (30-33 in/year), becomes less dominant and mixes with deciduous in the transition to the deciduous forest community. The Magellanic deciduous forest is made up mostly of and . When one reaches the drier rain shadow east of the mountains, the forests disappear, transitioning to the grassland ecoregions of Patagonia.
In open spaces some delicious fruits can be found: Chilean strawberry (Fragaria chiloensis) and calafate (Berberis buxifolia), they used to complement the nourishment of the (now almost nonexistent) native peoples.
These forests are peerless in their endurance of cold summers (averaging 9 degrees Celsius at sea level) and violent subpolar wind
s. Due to these traits, Magellanic forests' tree species are exported to other parts of the world with similar conditions where trees from other provenances cannot grow, such as the Faroe Islands
and neighboring archipelago
s. The following species from Tierra del Fuego
: Drimys winteri
, Nothofagus antarctica
, Nothofagus pumilio, and Nothofagus betuloides
, were successfully introduced to Faroe. As a general rule, Fueguian trees show better signs of acclimation than those from Northern Europe to conditions in Faroe
.
, the world's smallest deer
, which stands only 35-45 cm (14-18 inches) high at the shoulder. Other animal species include the Cougar (Puma concolor) and the endangered Southern River Otter
(Lontra provocax). Endemic rodent
s include the Patagonian rat, the mole mouse, and the viscacha
, a small rodent that looks almost like a rabbit with a long, bushy tail.
Native bird
species include the Magellanic Woodpecker
(Campephilus magellanicus), Patagonian Sierra-finch
(Phrygilus patagonicus), Patagonian Mockingbird
(Mimus patagonicus), and Andean Condor
(Vultur gryphus).
The rich Magellanic coastal waters and numerous rocky islets host many seabirds, including albatross
es, auk
s, gull
s, tern
s, and penguin
s.
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
and Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, and is part of the Neotropic
Neotropic
In biogeography, the Neotropic or Neotropical zone is one of the eight terrestrial ecozones. This ecozone includes South and Central America, the Mexican lowlands, the Caribbean islands, and southern Florida, because these regions share a large number of plant and animal groups.It is sometimes used...
ecozone
Ecozone
An ecozone is the broadest biogeographic division of the Earth's land surface, based on distributional patterns of terrestrial organisms.Ecozones delineate large areas of the Earth's surface within which organisms have been evolving in relative isolation over long periods of time, separated from...
. It is a temperate broadleaf and mixed forests
Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests
Mixed forests are a temperate and humid biome. The typical structure of these forests includes four layers. The uppermost layer is the canopy composed of tall mature trees ranging from 33 to 66 m high. Below the canopy is the three-layered, shade-tolerant understory that is roughly 9 to...
ecoregion, and contains the world's southernmost forests.
Setting
The Magellanic subpolar forests ecoregion lies to the west of the Andes Mountains, which run north-south for most of their length but curve eastward near the southern tip of South America, terminating at the archipelago of Tierra del FuegoTierra del Fuego
Tierra del Fuego is an archipelago off the southernmost tip of the South American mainland, across the Strait of Magellan. The archipelago consists of a main island Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego divided between Chile and Argentina with an area of , and a group of smaller islands including Cape...
. The Magellanic ecoregion was covered by glaciers during the last ice age
Ice age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
, and the landscape is deeply dissected by fjord
Fjord
Geologically, a fjord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created in a valley carved by glacial activity.-Formation:A fjord is formed when a glacier cuts a U-shaped valley by abrasion of the surrounding bedrock. Glacial melting is accompanied by rebound of Earth's crust as the ice...
s, with numerous islands, inlets, and channels, including the Strait of Magellan
Strait of Magellan
The Strait of Magellan comprises a navigable sea route immediately south of mainland South America and north of Tierra del Fuego...
, which separates Tierra del Fuego from the South American mainland and is the route taken by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan
Ferdinand Magellan
Ferdinand Magellan was a Portuguese explorer. He was born in Sabrosa, in northern Portugal, and served King Charles I of Spain in search of a westward route to the "Spice Islands" ....
from the South Atlantic to the South Pacific.
North of roughly 48º south latitude lies the Valdivian temperate rain forests
Valdivian temperate rain forests
The Valdivian temperate rain forests are a temperate broadleaf and mixed-forest ecoregion located on the west coast of southern South America, lying mostly in Chile and extending into a small part of Argentina. It is part of the Neotropic ecozone. The forests are named after the city of Valdivia...
ecoregion, which shares many affinities with the Magellanic ecoregion in plant and animal life. To the east lie the drier temperate grasslands and shrublands
Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands is a terrestrial biome whose predominant vegetation consists of grasses and/or shrubs. The climate is temperate and semi-arid to semi-humid....
ecoregions of Patagonia
Patagonia
Patagonia is a region located in Argentina and Chile, integrating the southernmost section of the Andes mountains to the southwest towards the Pacific ocean and from the east of the cordillera to the valleys it follows south through Colorado River towards Carmen de Patagones in the Atlantic Ocean...
, which are in the rain shadow of the Andean and Fuegian mountains.
Climate
The Andean and Fuegan mountains intercept moisture-laden westerly winds, creating temperate rain forestTemperate rain forest
Temperate rainforests are coniferous or broadleaf forests that occur in the temperate zone and receive high rainfall.-Definition:For temperate rain forests of North America, Alaback's definition is widely recognized:-Global distribution:...
conditions, while the cold oceanic Humboldt Current
Humboldt Current
The Humboldt Current , also known as the Peru Current, is a cold, low-salinity ocean current that flows north-westward along the west coast of South America from the southern tip of Chile to northern Peru. It is an eastern boundary current flowing in the direction of the equator, and can extend...
, which runs up the west coast of South America, and the cold Antarctic Circumpolar Current
Antarctic Circumpolar Current
The Antarctic Circumpolar Current is an ocean current that flows from west to east around Antarctica. An alternative name for the ACC is the West Wind Drift. The ACC is the dominant circulation feature of the Southern Ocean and, at approximately 125 Sverdrups, the largest ocean current...
, which runs from west to east through the Southern Ocean
Southern Ocean
The Southern Ocean comprises the southernmost waters of the World Ocean, generally taken to be south of 60°S latitude and encircling Antarctica. It is usually regarded as the fourth-largest of the five principal oceanic divisions...
, keep the Magellanic ecoregion cool and wet, and the strong oceanic influence moderates seasonal temperature extremes. Averages temperatures a year vary from 6°C (42°F) in the north to 3°C (37°F) in the south and rainfalls a year from 4000 mm (160 in) in the west to 450 mm (18 in) in the east. Snowfalls can occur even in summer. Fog is very frequent. Very strong winds whip the region and these compel trees to grow in twisted and bent shapes fighting against the wind; and people call them "flag trees" .
Flora
Like the Valdivian ecoregion, the Magellanic subpolar forests are a refuge for the Antarctic floraAntarctic flora
The Antarctic flora is a distinct community of vascular plants which evolved millions of years ago on the supercontinent of Gondwana, and is now found on several separate areas of the Southern Hemisphere, including southern South America, southernmost Africa, New Zealand, Australia and New Caledonia...
, and share many plant families with the temperate forest ecoregions of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
, and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, especially the southern beech, (Nothofagus). Species of , including , , and , are the characteristic trees of the Magellanic ecoregion. The Magellanic ecoregion does not have the same species richness as the milder Valdivian ecoregion, both on account of its colder climate and its recent glaciation. The advancing glaciers caused the forests to retreat far to the north, and the region was gradually reforested starting about 10,000 years ago when the climate warmed and the glaciers retreated.
The Magellanic ecoregion has three main plant communities: the Magellanic moorland, the evergreen Magellanic rainforest, and the deciduous Magellanic forest.
The Magellanic moorland occurs on the western edge of the region where the oceanic influence is strongest. High rainfall of 5000 mm/year (200 in/year) is typical of the moorland, as are cool temperatures, strong winds, bad drainage conditions and rocky ground with generally thin soil. Most of the moorland consists of a mosaic of low-growing plants, including dwarf shrubs and wind-sheared trees, cushion plants, grasses and mosses. These plants can form an underlayer of blanket peat and boggy areas. In more sheltered areas, small stands of evergreen forest can be found, which include Nothofagus betuloides
Nothofagus betuloides
Nothofagus betuloides, the Magellan's beech and is sometimes known by the common name guindo, is native to southern Patagonia.In 1769 Sir Joseph Banks collected a specimen of the tree in Tierra del Fuego during Captain Cook's first voyage....
, Drimys winteri
Drimys winteri
Drimys winteri , or Canelo, is a slender tree, growing up to 20 m tall. It is native to the Magellanic and Valdivian temperate rain forests of Chile and Argentina, where it is a dominant tree in the coastal evergreen forests. It is found below 1200 meters between latitude 32° south and Cape...
, Lepidothamnus fonkii
Lepidothamnus fonkii
Lepidothamnus fonkii is a species of conifer in the Podocarpaceae family.It is found in Argentina and Chile.It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:* Conifer Specialist Group 1998. . Downloaded on 10 July 2007....
, and Pilgerodendron uviferum
Pilgerodendron
Pilgerodendron is a genus of conifer belonging to the cypress family Cupressaceae. It has only one species, Pilgerodendron uviferum, and is endemic to the Valdivian temperate rain forests and Magellanic subpolar forests of southern Chile and southwestern Argentina. It grows from 40 to 55°S in...
.
Farther from the ocean, in more moderate areas less exposed to the oceanic wind and rain, moorland yields to evergreen Magellanic rainforest. The Magellanic rainforest is mostly made up Nothofagus betuloides, together with other evergreen trees, most often Drimys winteri and Pilgerodendron uviferum, and occasionally Embothrium coccineum
Embothrium coccineum
Chilean firetree, Chilean firebush, Notro in Spanish , is a small evergreen tree in the family Proteaceae. It grows in the temperate forests of Chile and Argentina....
and Maytenus magellanica
Maytenus magellanica
Maytenus magellanica, is a small evergreen tree from the genus Maytenus, up to 5 meters , in the Celastraceae...
. In the better established forest stands, a species-rich shrub layer may develop. In exposed, rocky, and poorly drained areas, pockets of deciduous and the typical moorland species can be found.
As one moves further east, where rainfall decreases to 800-850 mm/year (30-33 in/year), becomes less dominant and mixes with deciduous in the transition to the deciduous forest community. The Magellanic deciduous forest is made up mostly of and . When one reaches the drier rain shadow east of the mountains, the forests disappear, transitioning to the grassland ecoregions of Patagonia.
In open spaces some delicious fruits can be found: Chilean strawberry (Fragaria chiloensis) and calafate (Berberis buxifolia), they used to complement the nourishment of the (now almost nonexistent) native peoples.
These forests are peerless in their endurance of cold summers (averaging 9 degrees Celsius at sea level) and violent subpolar wind
Wind
Wind is the flow of gases on a large scale. On Earth, wind consists of the bulk movement of air. In outer space, solar wind is the movement of gases or charged particles from the sun through space, while planetary wind is the outgassing of light chemical elements from a planet's atmosphere into space...
s. Due to these traits, Magellanic forests' tree species are exported to other parts of the world with similar conditions where trees from other provenances cannot grow, such as the Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...
and neighboring archipelago
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
s. The following species from Tierra del Fuego
Tierra del Fuego
Tierra del Fuego is an archipelago off the southernmost tip of the South American mainland, across the Strait of Magellan. The archipelago consists of a main island Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego divided between Chile and Argentina with an area of , and a group of smaller islands including Cape...
: Drimys winteri
Drimys winteri
Drimys winteri , or Canelo, is a slender tree, growing up to 20 m tall. It is native to the Magellanic and Valdivian temperate rain forests of Chile and Argentina, where it is a dominant tree in the coastal evergreen forests. It is found below 1200 meters between latitude 32° south and Cape...
, Nothofagus antarctica
Nothofagus antarctica
Nothofagus antarctica , is a deciduous tree or shrub native to southern Chile and Argentina from about 36°S to Tierra del Fuego . The southernmost occurrence is on Hoste Island, making it the southernmost trees on earth...
, Nothofagus pumilio, and Nothofagus betuloides
Nothofagus betuloides
Nothofagus betuloides, the Magellan's beech and is sometimes known by the common name guindo, is native to southern Patagonia.In 1769 Sir Joseph Banks collected a specimen of the tree in Tierra del Fuego during Captain Cook's first voyage....
, were successfully introduced to Faroe. As a general rule, Fueguian trees show better signs of acclimation than those from Northern Europe to conditions in Faroe
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...
.
Fauna
The Magellanic subpolar forests are home to the Southern PudúPudú
The pudús are two species of South American deer from the genus Pudu; the world's smallest deer. The name is a loanword from Mapudungun the language of the indigenous Mapuche people of southern Chile...
, the world's smallest deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
, which stands only 35-45 cm (14-18 inches) high at the shoulder. Other animal species include the Cougar (Puma concolor) and the endangered Southern River Otter
Southern River Otter
The Southern river otter is a species of otter that lives in Chile and Argentina. Although called a "river otter", it inhabits both marine and freshwater environments....
(Lontra provocax). Endemic rodent
Rodent
Rodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing....
s include the Patagonian rat, the mole mouse, and the viscacha
Viscacha
Viscachas or vizcachas are rodents of two genera in the family Chinchillidae. They are closely related to chinchillas, and look similar to rabbits...
, a small rodent that looks almost like a rabbit with a long, bushy tail.
Native bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
species include the Magellanic Woodpecker
Magellanic Woodpecker
The Magellanic Woodpecker is a very large woodpecker resident to Chile along the Andes, and to some parts of southwestern Argentina. This species is the southern-most example of the genus Campephilus, which includes the famous Ivory-billed Woodpecker.The Magellanic Woodpecker is 45 cm in length...
(Campephilus magellanicus), Patagonian Sierra-finch
Patagonian Sierra-finch
The Patagonian Sierra-finch is a species of bird in the Thraupidae family.It is found in Argentina and Chile.Its natural habitats are temperate forests, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, and temperate grassland....
(Phrygilus patagonicus), Patagonian Mockingbird
Patagonian Mockingbird
The Patagonian Mockingbird is a species of bird in the Mimidae family. It is found in Argentina and locally in Chile. Vagrants have been recorded in the Falkland Islands. Its natural habitats are subtropical dry shrubland and heavily degraded former forest.-References:* BirdLife International...
(Mimus patagonicus), and Andean Condor
Andean Condor
The Andean Condor is a species of South American bird in the New World vulture family Cathartidae and is the only member of the genus Vultur...
(Vultur gryphus).
The rich Magellanic coastal waters and numerous rocky islets host many seabirds, including albatross
Albatross
Albatrosses, of the biological family Diomedeidae, are large seabirds allied to the procellariids, storm-petrels and diving-petrels in the order Procellariiformes . They range widely in the Southern Ocean and the North Pacific...
es, auk
Auk
An auk is a bird of the family Alcidae in the order Charadriiformes. Auks are superficially similar to penguins due to their black-and-white colours, their upright posture and some of their habits...
s, gull
Gull
Gulls are birds in the family Laridae. They are most closely related to the terns and only distantly related to auks, skimmers, and more distantly to the waders...
s, tern
Tern
Terns are seabirds in the family Sternidae, previously considered a subfamily of the gull family Laridae . They form a lineage with the gulls and skimmers which in turn is related to skuas and auks...
s, and penguin
Penguin
Penguins are a group of aquatic, flightless birds living almost exclusively in the southern hemisphere, especially in Antarctica. Highly adapted for life in the water, penguins have countershaded dark and white plumage, and their wings have become flippers...
s.
Chile
- Katalalixar National ReserveKatalalixar National ReserveKatalalixar National Reserve is a natural reserve located in an archipelago between Southern Patagonian Ice Field, and Northern Patagonian Ice Field in Aisén Region of Chile. The reserve was created in 1983 and has no infrastructure. It covers an area of within the Magellanic subpolar forests...
- Bernardo O'Higgins National ParkBernardo O'Higgins National ParkBernardo O'Higgins National Park is the largest of the protected areas in Chile, covering an area of in both the Aisén and Magallanes and Antártica Chilena regions. The park is named after General Bernardo O'Higgins, first head of state of the Republic of Chile...
- Torres del Paine National ParkTorres del Paine National ParkTorres del Paine National Park is a national park encompassing mountains, a glacier, a lake, and river-rich areas in southern Chilean Patagonia. The Cordillera del Paine is the centerpiece of the park. It lies in a transition area between the Magellanic subpolar forests and the Patagonian Steppes...
- Alacalufes National ReserveAlacalufes National ReserveAlacalufes National Reserve is located between Canal Concepción and Strait of Magellan. It is composed of western archipelagos, its landscape is filled with low mountain-like islands and islets, lots of channels and fjords...
- Alberto de Agostini National ParkAlberto de Agostini National ParkAlberto de Agostini National Park is a park located in the Chilean part of Tierra del Fuego. It covers and includes the Cordillera Darwin mountain range. The park is named after Alberto Maria De Agostini, who was an Italian missionary and explorer. Several tidewater glaciers and steep fjords form...
- Cabo de Hornos National ParkCabo de Hornos National ParkCabo de Hornos National Park is located in the Cape Horn Archipelago, which belongs to the Commune of Cabo de Hornos, in the Antártica Chilena Province of Magallanes y Antártica Chilena Region. It was created in 1945 and includes the Wollaston Archipelago and the Hermite Islands. The park covers...