Phytodemography of Patagonian Forests
8 days / 7 nights
Join us on this expedition to the heart of the ancient Patagonian forest. In this program, our goal is the ecological characterization of southern forest ecosystems. Trees, the oldest plants in these ecosystems, are the main sustainers of structure, diversity, and processes. In this sense, investigating and understanding the individuals of these species is essential for the conservation of these terrestrial ecosystems at the end of the world, threatened by global change and climate change.
Join this adventure, guided by scientists, to collaborate with them and better understand our beloved trees!
What you will learn
This program is focused on understanding basic elements of this forest, such as structure, diversity, and tree abundance, but primarily the age of the centuries-old trees that grow in this area.
Thus, this program aims to answer the following questions:
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How old are the trees in these forests?
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What is the growth rate of these species?
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Which time of the year has the greatest influence on this growth?
Participants will learn age measurement techniques and dendrochronology methods to relate them to environmental variables such as temperature and precipitation. This is complemented by other basic forest inventory measurements.
The results of this study will inform us about the age of these forests, past human interventions, the environmental controls of growth, and how climate change might affect these unique ecosystems in the world.
By the end of this expedition, participants will have acquired skills and techniques in forest description, forest dynamics, diversity patterns, ecological growth filters, among others, of the cold temperate and sub-Antarctic forests of southern South America.
Includes
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Scientific Forest Guides
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Tour Leader
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Ferry Trip
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Forest Monitoring
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Hiking Trails
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Accommodation
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Food
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Spanish / English-speaking guide
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Transfers during the trip
Not Include
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Airplane tickets (Domestic or International)
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Tour guide tip
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Personal items and purchases
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Travel insurance
Day 1
We will pick you up at Mocopulli Airport, Castro - Chiloé, to gather at the operations base "El Palafito" in the city of Castro. From there, we will travel towards the port of Quellón, crossing the big island of Chiloé, where we will embark and sail on a ferry for 12 hours through the Patagonian fjords towards the village of Melimoyu.
Day 2
Early in the morning, we will arrive at the port of Melimoyu, where a speedboat will be waiting for us to take us to a 16,000-hectare nature reserve. That day we will settle in, get to know the facilities, and receive training for the monitoring program.
