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 article discusses environmental ethics and the implications for biocultural conservation and geo-cultural concepts of protected areas.

Description: This article discusses field environmental philosophy and biocultural conservation at the Omora Ethnobotanical Park. Abstract: In order to effectively address the problems derived from global environmental change, environmental scientists, citizens and decision-makers now recognize the need to integrate more fully the human or social component into ecological research. The authors propose that to achieve this integration, Long-Term Socio-Ecological Research (LTSER) networks offer an ideal platform, because such sites enable research at ecological, cultural, and political local scales, and at the same time allow addressing these issues at a global scale. However, this socio-ecological work still requires better articulation of programs developed at multiple geographic, ecological and political scales. In addition, until now the social component considered in LTSER programs has focused on economic factors, omitting ethical dimensions. A central reason for this omission is the lack of methodologies to systematically integrate ethics into LTSER programs. As a contribution to resolve this limitation, here the authors develop a methodological approach that the authors call "field environmental philosophy." It integrates ecological research and environmental ethics into biocultural education and conservation through an interrelated four-step cycle: i) interdisciplinary ecological and philosophical research, ii) composition of metaphors, and communication through simple narratives, iii) design ...

Description: This article discusses integrating science and society through long-term socio-ecological research. Abstract: Long-term ecological research (LTER), addressing problems that encompass decadal or longer time frames, began as a formal term and program in the United States in 1980. While long-term ecological studies and observation began as early as the 1400s and 1800s in Asia and Europe, respectively, the long-term approach was not formalized until the establishment of the U.S. long-term ecological research programs. These programs permitted ecosystem-level experiments and cross-site comparisons that led to insights into the biosphere's structure and function. The holistic ecosystem approach of this initiative also allowed the incorporation of the human-dimension of ecology and recently has given rise to a new concept of long-term socio-ecological research (LTSER). Today, long-term ecological research programs exist in at least thirty-two countries (i.e., members of the International Long-Term Ecological Research Network, ILTER). However, consolidation of the international network within the long-term socio-ecological research paradigm still requires: (1) inclusion of certain remote regions of the world, such as southwestern South America, that are still poorly represented; (2) modifications of the type of research conducted, such as integrating social and natural sciences with the humanities and ethics; and (3) the incorporation of ...

Description: This article discusses local versus global knowledge and diverse perspectives on nature in the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve. Abstract: A case study of socio-ecological research conducted in Puerto Williams, Chile reveals that persons belonging to different sociocultural groups in Cape Horn have a diversity of perspectives and relationships with nature. For example, a strong sense of home and belonging was expressed by the indigenous Yahgan community and by old residents, mostly descendents of early twentieth-century colonizers. However, people identified with resource use did not include positive answers for a sense of home. The concept of common land presented marked contrasts among respondents. Those identified with a cultivating type of relationship favored private property over public land. For respondents identified with an embedded type of relationship, freedom of movement was one of their most essential values. Some respondents identified with resource use and those identified with intellectual and aesthetic relationships with nature also valued common land. The approach used in this study transforms polarized and dichotomous notions into gradients of perspectives related to different degrees of local and global ecological and cultural environments. The resulting hybrid vision of perspectives on nature may be helpful in times of global change, where both ...