Valdivian rainforest
As a temperate rainforest, the Valdivian rainforest is an evergreen and cold temperate ecosystem from the Chilean Pacific coast to the edge of the Andes chain . In some places the forests stretch across the Andes to Argentina. The name refers to the Chilean city of Valdivia .
The annual mean temperature is between 11 and 12 ° C, and the amount of precipitation is up to over 2400 mm annually, with constantly high humidity and a high number of rainy days.
The “southern beeches” of the Nothofagus genus are particularly characteristic of the diverse flora . In contrast, the fauna is less species-rich. The vegetation history of the Valdivian rainforest is associated with the former southern continent of Gondwana . Due to the isolated location, very old forms have survived until today.
fauna
The region is home to numerous endemic species, animals and plants that cannot be found anywhere else. The most famous endemic mammal of the region is the Chilean forest cat or Kodkod ( Oncifelis guigna ), which can weigh up to 3 kg, with a body length of up to 50 cm and a tail up to 25 cm. The Kodkod can also be found on the island of Chiloé .
The puma (Puma concolor) is also found in the region, but this has a huge distribution area in America. The southern pudu ( Pudu pudu ), a smaller species of deer weighing up to 8 kg , is sometimes found on ungulates . The areas are home to very few reptiles and the cool, wet climate is hostile to reptiles. Only a small, non-poisonous adder ( Tachymenis chilensis ) makes it to the edge of the forest. It will not be longer than 60 cm. Two species of the small earth iguanas of the genus Liolaemus made it into the area. Depending on the climate, they do not lay eggs, the eggs are kept inside the mother's body until shortly before hatching - these earth iguanas are therefore oviparous. In addition, the strange big-headed iguana ( Pristidactylus torquatus ) can occasionally be found in drier places .
Amphibians are more numerous in the humid climate. Several species of frogs inhabit the Valdivian forests. Among them is the famous Darwin frog ( Rhinoderma darwinii ), which lays the eggs on land and after about 20 days the tadpoles hatch. Then the male comes back and swallows the tadpoles and keeps them in his throat pouch until young frogs have developed. Then one day it spits out the fully developed young frogs. The Darwin frog has unfortunately become very rare and is threatened. Two small toad species also live in the area ( Bufo variegatus ) and ( Bufo rubropunctatus ). With the usual frogs one finds species of the genera Alsodes and Eupsophus. Further frogs can be found from the genera Batrachyla, Pleurodema, Atelognathus, Telmatobufo, Insuetophryrus, and the stately, rare tree frog Hylorina sylvatica . The largest frog is the rare Chilean helmet-headed frog ( Caudiverbera caudiverbera ) which can be up to 32 cm long - it is therefore also known as the "Rana grande chilena" - it is one of the largest frogs on earth. It is fully aquatic and lives in slowly flowing waters. These frogs are so large that they are suspected of occasionally eating young ducks. It is therefore clear that the Valdivian forests are primarily a land of amphibians. Salamanders (newts salamanders) and caecilians (legless salamanders) have failed so far to the south in America.
Areas
- Bosque de Fray Jorge National Park (an enclave within the coastal desert in the north)
- Chiloe National Park
- Pumalín Park
See also
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Heiko Werning and Klaus Bude: It doesn't always have to be tropical: the Valdivian rainforests in southern South America . In: Natur und Tier Verlag, Münster (ed.): DRACO . 3. Edition. No. 15, no. 3 . Natur and Tuier Verlag, Münster 2003, p. 34 - 38 .