Description: This article discusses ground states. Abstract: B3LYP, CCSD(T), and CASPT2 calculations with the 6-311+G(2df) basis set have been performed on the radical anion and radical cation of cyclobutanetetraone (1). The very similar energies computed for the 2B1g and 2A2u states of both 1·+ and 1·- indicate that the singly occupied b1g and a2u MOs in these two states of the radical cation and anion have nearly the same energies, thus supporting the previously made prediction that neutral 1 has a 3B2u ground state. Reaction of squaric acid with O.(-), followed by negative ion photoelectron spectroscopy (NIPES) on the 1.(-) thus formed, is proposed as an experimental test of the startling prediction that tetraketone (1), a molecule that would be expected to be a closed-shell singlet, actually has a triplet ground state.

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 diversity and singularity of the avifauna in the austral peat bogs of the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve, Chile. Abstract: Sphagnum-dominated peat bogs that are strongly embedded within the southern temperate forest matrix are increasingly being used for agriculture. Nevertheless, little is known about their biodiversity. Moreover, the remote areas of southern Chile where peat bogs are found, such as Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve (CHBR, 54-55°S), where birds are the most diverse and best represented group of vertebrates, have not been well-investigated. With the aim to broaden this knowledge in the CHBR, the authors studied the diversity of the avian assemblage in peat blogs on Navarino Island. The authors compared the composition of avian species between wetlands with and without peat bogs to test if Sphagnum bogs represented a singular habitat for birds in this area. Furthermore, the 37 bird species recorded in these habitats were classified according to guild structure. The community similarity values showed that peat bogs hosted a bird composition that was different from that present in wetlands without Sphagnum, suggesting that peat bogs are a singular type of habitat for birds in the CHBR. The most frequently feeding groups recorded in these wetlands were ...

Description: This article discusses Senda Darwin Biological Station. Abstract: Senda Darwin Biological Station (SDBS) is a field research center immersed in the rural landscape of northern Chiloé island (42°S), where remnant patches of the original evergreen forests coexist with open pastures, secondary successional shrublands, Sphagnum bogs, Eucalyptus plantations and other anthropogenic cover types, constituting an agricultural frontier similar to other regions in Chile and Latin America. Since 1994, the authors have conducted long-term research on selected species of plants (e.g., Pilgerodendron uviferum) and animals (e.g., Aphrastura spinicauda, Dromiciops gliroides) that are considered threatened, poorly known or important for their ecological functions in local ecosystems, and on ecosystems of regional and global relevance (e.g., Sphagnum bogs, North Patagonian and Valdivian rain forests). Research has assessed the responses of species and ecosystems to anthropogenic land-use change, climate change, and the impact of management. During this period, more than 100 scientific publications in national and international journals, and 30 theses (graduate and undergraduate) have been produced by scientists and students associated with SDBS. Because of the authors' understanding of the key role that humans play in ecological processes at this agricultural frontier, since the establishment of SDBS the authors have been committed to creative ...

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 ...