Phytogeographic divisions, climate change and plant dieback along the coastal desert of northern Chile

Auteur(s) et Affiliation(s)



Description :
Floristic and physiognomic features allow a differentiation of 5 Loma formations, each of them characterized by a distinctive spectrum of plant communities. However, particularly in the northern section of the investigation area, numerous indications point to a strong vegetation decline in the second half of the past century and were most likely provoked by recent climate change in the arid coastal region. Especially the decrease of rainfall frequency might have negative implications for the regeneration and preservation of plants. In addition, a strong reduction of cloudiness in the northernmost section affects plant growth due to further limitations in the water disposability. A projected sustained decline of rainfall is expected to continue endangering the surprisingly high floristic diversity of the sensitive ecosystem complexes in the coastal desert.


Type de document :
Article de périodique

Source :
Erdkunde, issn : 0014-0015, 2011, vol. 65, n°. 2, p. 169-187, nombre de pages : 19, Références bibliographiques : 3 p.

Date :
2011

Editeur :
Pays édition : Allemagne, Kleve, Boss