Description: This article discusses the annual variation of abundance and composition in forest bird assemblages on Navarino Island, Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve, Chile. Abstract: The structure and dynamics of avian communities in the temperate forests of southern South America have been generally studied during the breeding season (November - March), and reports about seasonal variations and migratory behavior of species are almost lacking. This study examined intra-annual variations on a monthly basis in bird species composition and abundance in the world's southernmost forested ecosystems, found in the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve, Chile (55°S). Combining data obtained through point-count surveys, mist-netting, and checklist methods, the authors recorded a total of 34 bird species belonging to 20 families. Eighteen of these species were Passeriformes, and the most abundant year-round resident species were Thorn-tailed Rayadito (Aphrastura spinicauda) and Patagonian Sierra-Finch (Phrygilus patagonicus). The most abundant seasonal migrants species were White-crested Elaenia (Elaenia albiceps) and Southern House Wren (Troglodytes musculus). Point-count and mist-netting methods showed a reduction in species richness and abundance during winter, with one third of the bird assemblage absent. This proportion was lower than that documented for more northern Nothofagus forests. Additionally, the authors' data provided no evidence that intra-annual patterns of ...

Description: This book chapter discusses a research project to promote biocultural conservation in Cape Horn, Chile. At the southernmost tip of the Americas, the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve (CHBR) encompasses one of the world's most pristine remaining wilderness areas and is home to the indigenous Yaghan (or Yamana) community, which featured prominently in Charles Darwin's 'Voyage of the Beagle'. Its remoteness and uniqueness, however, are threatened by the introduction of exotic species such as the North American beaver and American mink, increasing development pressures from new connectivity, resource exploitation, and the development of tourism. To implement the biosphere reserve and conserve its natural and cultural richness requires the active participation of the community, as well as linkages and integration between various disciplines and institutions. In an effort to achieve the goal of transdisciplinary integration, the authors used the strategy of identifying a charismatic species, since doing so serves to motivate people towards biodiversity conservation, to communicate ecological concepts, and to integrate both the ecological and social dimensions of sustainability. This study was developed together with the population of Puerto Williams, a town with 2200 inhabitants located on Navarino Island, and the largest human settlement within the CHBR.

Description: This article discusses Cape Horn, a National park free from alien species in southernmost South America. The Cape Horn Archipelago, tam- also called Wollaston archipelago, retains its pristine condition, almost completely free of exotic plant species.

Description: This article discusses building a Chilean network for long-term socio-ecological research. Abstract: Since their formal inception in 1980, long-term ecological research (LTER) programs have served as a successful organizing framework to create research agendas and funding mechanisms that allow scientists to address meaningful ecological phenomena at the scales they occur. In its 30 years of existence, LTER has expanded its geographic range (currently the International LTER network has more than 40 country members with sites on every continent) and disciplinary foci (principally encompassing the natural and social sciences and leading some to call for a name change to long-term socio-ecological research efforts exist in both Chile and Argentina, and in 2008, the Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity launched Chile's first concerted effort to link three existing sites (Fray Jorge Forest National Park -33° S, Senda Darwin Biological Station - 43° S, and Omora Ethnobotanical Park - 55° S). Here, the authors present a special feature of the Revista Chilena de Historia Natural, dedicated to LTSER, with the aim of 1) providing a synthesis of some of the most emblematic cases of long-term socio-ecological research in Chile; 2) demonstrating the value of these efforts for the integration of research, education and ...

Description: This article discusses the diet of the American mink Mustela vison. Abstract: Invasive exotic species of mammalian predators represent a major cause of vertebrate animal extinctions on islands, particularly those that lack native mammalian carnivores. In 2001, the American mink (Mustela vison) was recorded for the first time on Navarino Island, in the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve (55° S) in Chile, representing the southernmost population of mink worldwide. In order to assess its potential impact on native fauna, the authors studied its diet on Navarino Island, as part of an integrative management program on invasive species. Over a three-year period (2005-2007) the authors collected 512 scats in semi-aquatic habitats: marine coasts, riparian and lake shores. Overall, the main prey was mammals (37% biomass), and birds (36%), followed by fish (24%). Over the spring and summer, mink consumed significantly more birds, whereas mammals constituted the main prey over the autumn and winter when migratory birds had left the area. Among birds, the mink preyed mainly on adult Passeriformes, followed by Anseriformes and Pelecaniformes, caught as chicks. Among mammals, the exotic muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) was the most important prey, and together with the native rodent Abrothrix xanthorhinus it accounted for 78% of ...