The ghost of fragmentation past: habitat suitability models and genetic markers help unveil dry forest non-equilibrium landscapes in northern Patagonia

KITZBERGER, T., C.P. SOUTO & A.C. PREMOLI

Campos de Jordao, Brasil

Congreso; 16th Annual IALE Conference; 2009

Processes that shape most modern landscapes operate in realtime and thus are evident and quantifiable. Yet, most landscapes also carry legacies of past disturbance that are more subtle and difficult to unveil, but may explain a large percentage of current landscape structure, configuration, and composition. Here we present a case study of a dryland forest landscape in northwestern Patagonia dominated by the xeric tolerant southern conifer Austrocedrus chilensis. Modern distribution of this species is restricted to the easternmost limit of austral South American temperate forests contacting the Patagonian steppe biome. While continuous A. chilensis forests dominate the landscape in mesic situations (c. 1000-1400mm/year), at precipitation levels below 700 mm/year the species occurs as numerous small forest fragments (most