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The Nature Conservancy and a group of partners have acquired 147,500 acres of environmentally critical temperate rainforest in the Valdivian Coastal Range of Chile.
This endangered property is home to a wide range of unique species and to stands of alerce trees. Resembling giant sequoias, alerce trees have witnessed countless centuries of history. They have life spans of up to 4,000 years and exist only in the temperate rain forests of Chile. The alerce trees on the recently purchased property are believed to be more than 2,000 years old.
One of only five temperate rainforests on earth, the Valdivian Temperate Forest is similar to the forests of the Pacific Northwest of the United States and Canada. This temperate rain forest is the second largest in the world.
The Valdivian Coastal Range houses the vast majority of the remaining intact forests of the coastal range. Chile is home to more than 50% of the southern hemisphere's temperate rain forests.
The Nature Conservancy's acquisition will help to protect part of this unique ecosystem.
“This is a unique opportunity to work with a diverse range of partners to protect one of the most imperiled ecosystems on Earth,” said Steve McCormick, president of The Nature Conservancy.
Ecological Importance
In addition to alerce trees, the property contains olivillo trees, which can live up to 400 years and survive in large stands only on the western slopes of the Valdivian Coastal Range. The native forests of the Valdivian Coastal Range also harbor an incredible wealth of wildlife including one of the world’s largest woodpeckers, the world’s smallest deer, a small tree dwelling marsupial (mountain monkey) considered by scientists to be a “living fossil,” at least 58 bird species and several highly endangered carnivores.
Plans
The project’s partners, with participation from local communities, civil society and Chilean government agencies, will start developing the plans for future conservation management of the property and sustainable development activities to improve the local economy.
Partners
This acquisition is part of a larger partnership among the Conservancy and international nonprofits, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Conservation International (CI), and local organizations in Chile to protect the area’s rare plants and wildlife, while creating opportunities for public access that will contribute to the local economy. It represents the next step building upon existing conservation efforts by the Chilean government and local environmental organizations to protect the Validivian Coastal Range. The Conservancy partnered with FleetBoston to find an innovative solution that allowed for the long-term conservation of the property, by acquiring the debt through an agreement with FleetBoston.
Chilean partners include the National Committee for the Defense of Fauna and Flora (CODEFF), Association of Foresters for the Native Forests (AIFBN) and the Coastal Range Conservation Coalition (CCCC) and the Committee for the Defense of the Chaihuín River (CDRC) working in cooperation with the Chile’s national environmental agency, CONAMA, and Chile’s national forestry and park service, CONAF.
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Alerce in Coastal Alerce Reserve
© Ricardo Correa
Threats
Over the last 100 years, the forests of the Valdivian Coastal Range have been reduced by 50% in size due to deforestation, forest conversion and other human impacts.
Facts
- Size: 147,500 acres
- Location: Chile
- Animal Species: Pudú (the world's smallest deer), monito del monte (mountain monkey), Magellanic woodpecker (one of the world's largest).
- Plant Species: Alerce trees, olivillo trees.
Beach South of Chaihuin River
© Ricardo Correa
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