Ecosystem sciences

This area of research aims to understand the functional responses of ecosystems to changes in land use, natural disturbances (volcanism, storms, etc.) and climate change. We conduct long-running field experiments and measurements in ecosystems around Chile, ranging from semi-arid (Bosque Fray Jorge) to cold-temperate (forests of Chiloé Island and the Magallanes Region), and including the Mediterranean ecosystem of central Chile and the central-southern Chilean Andes. Changes in ecosystem dynamics can take place over the course of decades or even centuries, and it is vital to ensure the facilities, equipment and sufficient manpower for ongoing monitoring of the relevant biological and physical variables in reference ecosystems. To do this, the IEB has created the Chilean Long-Term Socio-Ecological Research (LTSER) Network, a chain of field research stations dotted along a significant portion of the country’s length.