Silent, but never unnoticed, the forests are painting the south of our country green. Did you know that the temperate forests together with the dry subtropical forests of our region gather as much biological diversity as the tropical rainforests? In Chile we know this well, since we have a tenth of the temperate forests of the whole world, that is why the study of their species, as well as the behavior of the whole ecosystem, is part of the specialties that the universities of our country have. Thus, from the south of the south, we are contributing to understand our environment, take care of our planet and create a better future for the world.
This type of vegetation, in the southern hemisphere, only occurs in areas of Chile and Argentina, New Zealand and Australia. The humid temperate forests of southern Chile have a unique and distinct evolutionary history, which is reflected in the genetic diversity of their own species, such as those grouped in the coihue genus. This genetic diversity, which makes these forests unique, is associated with the steep topographic gradients of the center-south of the country.
Native forests represent 82% of Chile's forest resources and are key to counteracting the effects of climate change, as they are the largest source of CO2 capture and protect riverbanks and water sources, preventing land from drying out.
Forest management through ecological forestry is based on a number of principles: maintaining ecosystems and their diversity of structures, using models of natural forest development, valuing the complexity and heterogeneity of ecosystems, and emphasizing diversity and resilience to reduce disruptive risks.
The academic offer is broad, learn more about these and other specialties in LearnChile.cl