Title
Chapter Title: Chilean Wetlands: Biodiversity, Endemism, and Conservation Challenges
Book Title: The Wetland Book: II: Distribution, Description and Conservation
Author(s)
Figueroa, Alejandra;Contreras, Manuel;Saavedra, Bárbara;Espoz, Carmen
Published
2016
Abstract
Chile has various types of wetlands throughout their territory, their biological diversity is low, but it concentrates high endemism (52 % accounts for vascular plants, continental fish account for 55 %, and amphibians account for 65 %, CONAMA 2008; MMA, 2016). Towards the northern end of the country, endorheic (landlocked) basins are located in a hydrological network that has developed as a result of the geology of the Andes, here the Andean wetlands are singular and microbial biodiversity is unique. Towards the south of Chile, meadows, coastal wetlands, swamp, lacustrine (lakes, ponds), estuaries, forested wetlands (marshy wetlands, hualves) increase in abundance. The coastal wetlands types are principality tidal flats and marshes, lagoons, and estuarine waters. Other singular wetlands type are the peatlands, these wetlands are principally found in Chile and Argentina in South America. Chile currently does not have historical trends data for its aquatic environments and how pressures have acted on their quantity, quality, and morphological structure. The Ministry of Environment is proposed a standardized Wetland Environmental Monitoring System integrated and complementary to the National Inventory of Wetlands (MMA 2011c, 2012), the objective is, to use the wetlands as indicators of the environmental condition of basin.
Keywords
High endemism;Andean wetlands;Coastal wetlands;Peatlands;Pressures;Environmental monitoring system;National inventory

Access Full Text

A full-text copy of this article may be available. Please email the WCS Library to request.



Back

PUB16292