Introduction

Abstract

With its elongated shape, Chile is spanning several climatic zones from the arid climate of the Atacama Desert in the north to the subpolar oceanic climate of the Patagonian steppe in the south. Along with this climatic gradient goes a spectacular gradient of vegetation including such disparate communities like the coastal Lomas formation of low growing shrubs and cacti on the border of the Atacama and the Valdivian temperate rainforests in southern Chile, which are home to the impressive but highly endangered monkey puzzle trees (Araucaria Araucana). The EarthShape project as part of which this thesis was prepared, focusses on four core study sites, which are located inside four different eco zones of Chile.