bio.wikisort.org - Plant

Maulino forest (Spanish: Bosque Maulino) is a forest type naturally growing in the Chilean Coast Range of Central Chile from latitude 35°55 to 36°20 S. The chief tree species is Nothofagus glauca. Other tree species include Nothofagus leonii, Nothofagus alessandri and Gomortega keule. The forest grows at a transition zone between Mediterranean climate to humid temperate climate. Precipitations vary from 1000 to 700 mm/a and are concentrated in winter.[1] According to geographers Humberto Fuenzalida and Edmundo Pisano the forest is one of mesophytes on the transition zone of temperate rain forests.[1]

José San Martín and Claudio Donoso identify three forest subtypes:[1]

• Nothofagus glauca forests
• Nothofagus antarctica forests
• Nothofagus alessandri forest

Maulino forest stand out for its high degree of endemism.[1][2]

Fragmentation and degradation

Large swathes of former Maulino forest were cleared for agriculture. This led to significant soil erosion before the areas were planted with Eucalyptus globulus and Pinus radiata.[1] Fragmentation by plantations have had limited or no apparent effect on the native fauna of understory birds (tapaculos)[3] and epigeic beetles.[2] It has been suggested the fragmentation by plantations do not have any major impact if the plantations contain an adequate understory.[2][3] However, the diversity of small mammals has been reduced by fragmentation.[4]

By unit area the tree species richness is greater in small Maulino forest fragments than in the larger fragment protected in Los Queules National Reserve.[5] While fragmented Maulino forest have been to some degree invaded by exotic species these fragments are still valuable for their native species diversity.[6] In view of this researchers Pablo I. Becerra and Javier A. Simonetti fragmentation is a lesser evil compared with the replacement of Maulino forest.[6]

References

---