Alteraciones por el fuego en la Cordillera de la Costa de Chile mediterráneo. Antecedentes en un parque nacional

Abstract

The Cerro de la Campana range, in the central part of Chile, is described. The area has several important features, and parts of it have been declared as National Park. Besides the high taxonomic and ecology diversity, both in animals and in plants, it has the southernmost forests of palm trees, as well as many other subtropical residual forests. Many species reach here the extreme south limit. But the ecosystems of the area are endangered and most of them have been decreasing or even vanishing in the past because of the human pressure. The main dangers come from fire and from slash cutting, although many natural communities there seem to be adapted to periodic burns. The consequences of these dangers and some protective measures are discussed.