Effects of Aridity on Plant Diversity in the Northern Chilean Andes: Results of a Natural Experiment

Arroyo, Mary T. K.; Squeo, Francisco A.; Armestó, Juan J.; Villagrán, Carolina

doi:10.2307/2399466

Cited by 165 publications

(154 citation statements)

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“…Many studies have focused on the low-elevation areas of the Atacama Desert (e.g. Arroyo et al 1988; Richter and Schmidt 2002; Drees et al 2006; Demergasso et al 2010; Neilson et al 2012). However, very little biological work has been done in the remote, high-elevation, unvegetated zone that exists above 5100 m.a.s.l..…”

Section: The Environmental and Biogeochemical Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

ANaganishiain high places: functioning populations or dormant cells from the atmosphere?

et al. 2017

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Here, we review the current state of knowledge concerning high-elevation members of the extremophilic Cryptococcus albidus clade (now classified as the genus Naganishia). These fungi dominate eukaryotic microbial communities across the highest elevation, soil-like material (tephra) on volcanoes such as Llullaillaco, Socompa, and Saírecabur in the Atacama region of Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia. Recent studies indicate that Naganishia species are among the most resistant organisms to UV radiation, and a strain of N. friedmannii from Volcán Llullaillaco is the first organism that is known to grow during the extreme, diurnal freeze-thaw cycles that occur on a continuous basis at elevations above 6000 m.a.s.l. in the Atacama region. These and other extremophilic traits discussed in this review may serve a dual purpose of allowing Naganishia species to survive long-distance transport through the atmosphere and to survive the extreme conditions found at high elevations. Current evidence indicates that there are frequent dispersal events between high-elevation volcanoes of Atacama region and the Dry Valleys of Antarctica via “Rossby Wave” merging of the polar and sub-tropical jet streams. This dispersal hypothesis needs further verification, as does the hypothesis that Naganishia species are flexible “opportunitrophs” that can grow during rare periods of water (from melting snow) and nutrient availability (from Aeolian inputs) in one of the most extreme terrestrial habitats on Earth.

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Section: The Environmental and Biogeochemical Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

ANaganishiain high places: functioning populations or dormant cells from the atmosphere?

et al. 2017

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“…Prevailing cold-xeric conditions constrain the presence of any glaciers to the highest ridges (>5000 masl, Amman et al, 2001) and hillslope vegetation grows at elevations above 2500 masl up to 5000 masl (Gajardo,1994;Arroyo et al,1988). Indeed, following the elevation, rainfall, and temperature gradients, primary productivity peaks at mid-elevations (3300-4000 masl), and declines as aridity (or adiabatic cooling) increases at lower (or higher) elevations (Villagr_an et al, 1983;Arroyo et al, 1988).…”

Section: Regional Environmental Characteristics Past and Presentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Indeed, following the elevation, rainfall, and temperature gradients, primary productivity peaks at mid-elevations (3300-4000 masl), and declines as aridity (or adiabatic cooling) increases at lower (or higher) elevations (Villagr_an et al, 1983;Arroyo et al, 1988). Localized groundwater and superficial discharges sustain dense and highly productive Andean peat-bogs (bofedales) between 3400 and 5000 masl (Squeo et al, 2006).…”

Section: Regional Environmental Characteristics Past and Presentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…S, which encompasses southern Peru, northern Chile and north-western Argentina, Santoro, 1989), like other high altitude environments, are regions with marked ecological gradients where plant and animal communities vary markedly over relatively short distances (Aldenderfer, 1998(Aldenderfer, , 1999(Aldenderfer, , 2006(Aldenderfer, , 2008Santoro and Nunez, 1987). Ecologically, on the western Andean slope the 2500 masl boundary between the highlands and lowlands generally coincides with dramatic shifts in precipitation that bring about large differences in vegetation and in animal adaptations (Arroyo et al, 1988;Luebert and Pliscoff, 2006). Above 2500 masl, physiological processes related to hypoxia (or decrease in oxygen availability) can affect humans as well as plant and animal populations, due to a reduction in barometric pressure at greater altitudes Llanos et al, 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Dry Puna as an ecological megapatch and the peopling of South America: Technology, mobility, and the development of a late Pleistocene/early Holocene Andean hunter-gatherer tradition in northern Chile

Osorio

Steele

Sepúlveda

et al. 2017

Quaternary International

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A B S T R A C T. Current scientific evidence shows that humans colonized South America at least 15,000 years ago, but there are still many unknown aspects of this process, including the major and minor migratory routes involved, and the pattern of successive occupation of a diverse continental mosaic of ecosystems. In this context, the role of the Andean highlands (_3400 meters above sea level) has been neglected, because of the supposedly harsh conditions for humans including hypoxia and cold climate. Nevertheless, the environmental and cultural resources available in the high Andes constitutes an important "megapatch" that should be assessed in terms of human settlement patterns. We review the evidence for late Pleistocene/ early Holocene hunter-gatherer occupation of one part of this megapatch, the northern Chilean Dry Puna, in its palaeoecological context. We focus on lithic technology, faunal remains, radiocarbon dates, and other archaeological materials related to different social activities, which allow us to suggest that groups of hunter-gatherers organized and adapted their way of life to highland ecosystems through logistical mobility, and curatorial strategies for lithic tool kits that included projectile points and other formalized tools. The morphology and technological processes involved are recognized over vast territories along the high Andes. We identify this material expression as the high south central Andean Archaic hunter-gatherer tradition, which also featured long distance mobile settlement systems and communication processes over this broad and distinct megapatch. More speculatively, we outline the hypothesis that these highland ecosystems constituted a suitable migratory route that may have been key for the early peopling of the continent, and contrast it with the alternative hypothesis of the initially secondary and seasonally intermittent exploitation of this habitat by hunter-gatherers dispersing along the Pacific coastal corridor.

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“…The hyperarid Atacama Desert occupies the coast and mid elevations of northern Chile where rainfall is nearly absent (Arroyo et al 1988). The desert ecosystem is socio-economically relevant because of the presence of copper mining and other mineral deposits and the presence of significant reserves of underground water used by both the mining industry and coastal cities.…”

Section: Areal Extent Of Each Ecosystemmentioning

confidence: 99%

A framework for the classification Chilean terrestrial ecosystems as a tool for achieving global conservation targets

et al. 2017

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Countries that are signatories of the Convention of Biological Diversity are committed to the goal of protecting 17% of their natural ecosystems by 2020. The lack of an up-to-date, operational classification and cartography of regional ecosystems seriously limits the assessment of progress towards this goal. Here, we present a broad ecosystem framework, which combines land use, functional traits of dominant plant species, and climatic factors for the classification of terrestrial ecosystems and apply this framework to classify Chilean terrestrial ecosystems. This new classification is consistent with the recently proposed IUCN framework to assess ecosystem conservation status. Using this framework, we identified and described 30 Chilean terrestrial ecosystems, including land units of natural and anthropogenic origin. We also provide a cartographic representation of ecosystems for land planning purposes and an overall assessment of their conservation status. We evaluated the representation of the 30 ecosystems in the Chilean National System of Protected Areas (NSPA) and in Private Protected Areas (PPA), identifying 15 123Biodivers Conserv (2017) 26:2857-2876 DOI 10.1007/s10531-017-1393 ecosystems underrepresented (below the 17% target) in the NSPA, in contrast to only 11 when the area of NSPA?PPA was considered. The proposed classification can be broadly applicable to assess the conservation status of ecosystems elsewhere, using similar conceptual and methodological tools. The development of functional ecosystem classifications for different countries must be encouraged to facilitate monitoring of global conservation targets.

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Effects of Aridity on Plant Diversity in the Northern Chilean Andes: Results of a Natural Experiment

Cited by 165 publications

References 30 publications

ANaganishiain high places: functioning populations or dormant cells from the atmosphere?

ANaganishiain high places: functioning populations or dormant cells from the atmosphere?

The Dry Puna as an ecological megapatch and the peopling of South America: Technology, mobility, and the development of a late Pleistocene/early Holocene Andean hunter-gatherer tradition in northern Chile

A framework for the classification Chilean terrestrial ecosystems as a tool for achieving global conservation targets

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