Effects of Pseudotsuga menziesii plantations on vascular plants diversity in northwest Patagonia, Argentina.

ORELLANA I Y RAFFAELE E

Biodiversity Enrichment in a Diverse Word

INTECH

Lugar: Croacia; Año: 2012; p. 195 - 208

Diversity loss in South America temperate forests, is a topic of great interest since these ecosystems are characterized by high levels of endemism, a product of a deep biogeographic isolation with common ancestry biota, as well as its extremely heterogeneous floristic composition, derived from various biogeographical sources (e.g. Gondwana, Neotropical,Boreal). Austrocedrus chilensis is an 2 endemic monotypic species of South America Temperate Forests, with a smaller distribution area than that occupied in ancient geological times . At the present, this species has serious conservation problems due to multiple anthropogenic disturbances, and is included in the IUCN Red List in the ʺvulnerableʺ status. This chapter presents some results related to vascular plants diversity in A. chilensis forests, and mixed shrublands when they are replaced by the exotic conifer P. menziesii plantations.