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Investigation
The Miniature Forests of Cape Horn: supported by Darwin
Initiative (2004 - 2007), Dolometi Bellunesi National Park (2007-2008) and
the Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity
Coordinators: Francisca
Massardo, Ricardo Rozzi, Bill Buck, Shaun Russell, Students: Ana María
Caicheo, Jocelyn Jofre
The “Miniature Forests of Cape
Horn” include the amazingly diverse bryoflora (mosses, liverworts and
lichens) of the archipelago. This lineo f research has been very successfull,
even being highlighted as the cover store of Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, National Geographic News, El
Mercurio, among others.
Avian
Ethnoecology of the Magallanes Region (1999 - present)
Coordinators: Ricardo Rozzi, Christopher Anderson and Ximena Arango
Students: J. Cristóbal Pizarro,
Silvina Ippi
Since its inception, Omora has been interested in
the bird-life of the southern tip of South America. Researchers and
numerous field assistants have investigated regional assemblage, morphology,
pollination, seed dispersal and other ecological roles of the regional
avifauna. Given the fact that this study is one of the longest
continuous bird programs in Chile and southern South America it is ideal for
new collaborations and student projects and theses. For example, beginning in the austral
spring of 2006 undergraduates from the University of Georgia will carry out a
study of the effect of introduced mink predation on ground nesting song
birds.
A new sub-discipline of ecology is being
developed by Omora regarding the link between culture and the natural
world. The past year at the
Neotrophical Ornithology Conference, Drs. Rozzi and Massardo coordinated the
first ever symposium on ethno-ornithology, where the participants explored
the various ways to view and understand birds and their ecology. In
conjunction with the Yaghan community, the University of Magallanes, the
University of North Texas and numerous other collaborators, Omora is a
pioneer in this emerging field not only in Chile and Latin America, but the
whole world.
For further information on
Omora’s bird project see Publications.
The
Role of Invasive Species, Particularly the North American Beaver (Castor
canadensis) and American Mink (Mustela vison) in the Cape Horn Biosphere
Reserve (2001 - present)
Coordinator: Christopher Anderson
Students: Elke Schuettler, Erica
Ulloa
Former Students: Tomás Ibarra,
Brett Maley
As part of his Ph.D. dissertation, Mr. Anderson
undertook an investigation of the effect of the introduced North American
beaver on sub-Antarctic stream ecology. It arrived on Isla Navarino in
the early 60's. Since that time, they have come to inhabit all the
forested watersheds on the island. In the process they have changed the
ecology of stream and forest ecosystems. This project assesses the
impacts of beaver on key stream ecosystem processes, such as energy flow and
aquatic community structure.
Undergraduate Clayton Griffith (University of Georgia) also is
completing an honors thesis concerning the effect of beaver on riparian plant
dynamics. This project has many
further opportunities for research concerning the effects of an exotic
ecosystem engineer in a simple ecosystem.
For example, students interested in the dual impacts of beaver and
introduced trout, nutrient cycling, the microbial community or stoiciometry
are encouraged to develop projects.
The
Aquatic Insects of the Cape Horn Archipelago (beginning October 2002)
Coordinators: Christopher Anderson and James Kennedy
Students: Erica Ulloa, Michelle
Moorman and Tamara Contador
Beginning in the austral spring of 2002, Omora
undertook project to identify and describe the aquatic insect community
assemblage of the Cape Horn Archipelago. This basic natural history
information will provide good baseline information for future ecological
studies. In January 2005 a further expedition
was lead by Michelle Cienek (USGS) to sample aquatic invertebrate fauna in
the south-west corner of the archipelago, and beginning in September 2006
University of Georgia students will complete an altitudinal transect to
describe elevation effect on in-stream biotic assemblages.
Reproductive
Biology, Nectar Production and Phenology of the Flora of Magallanes (1999 -
present)
Coordinators: Francisca
Massardo and Ricardo Rozzi
Students and collaborators, especially
in the fields of agronomy and botany, will find that the project coordinated
by Dr. Massardo is of special interest.
In combination with the University of Magallanes a project funded by
the Fund for Innovation in Agriculture is looking to develop horticultural
varieties of several native plant species.
This project combines basic horticulture and plant propagation
techniques with sound science, such as determining the natural history of the
world’s most austral plants. The link
between science and application makes this program have broader appeal for
conservation and also monitoring changes in phenology associated with climate
change.
Previous Projects
BIOKONCHIL
(2003-2006)
Coordinators: Kurt Jax, Ricardo Rozzi
and Rainer Marggraf
This collaborative project with the
UFZ-Centre for Environmental Research in Leipzig, Germany is evaluating the
biological diversity of the sub-Antarctic Archipelago under the perspective
of the Ecosystem Approach of the Convention on Biological Diversity. It is also a multidisciplinary approach,
using the three “E’s:” ecology, economics and ethics. As such the program utilizes diverse
methodologies from various fields including remote sensing, GIS, field
surveys, social research and economic choice models. Graduate and undergraduate students from Germany,
as well as Chile, participate in this project with the Principal
Investigators. For more information
visit BIOKONCHIL online.
The
Small Mammals of Isla Navarino (2001 - 2006)
Coordinators: Juán Carlos Torres-Mura
Juán Carlos Torres-Mura, curator of zoology at the
Chilean National Natural History Museum, began to study the assemblage and
taxonomy of the little known rodents and other small mammals of the Cape Horn
Archipelago in 2001. They
are potentially important for other animals, as birds of prey, and they
also present interesting biogeographic distribution patterns given the fragmented
nature of the archipelago and the potential endemism of genetic
isolation. Since 2001, Omora has been conducting Sherman live trapping
and tagging to determine species assemblage, density and distribution of
rodents and other small mammals on Isla Navarino and adjacent islands.
Owls of the Cape Horn Archipelago (2002-2004)
Coordinators: Francisca Massardo, Ricardo Rozzi and Len Yannielli
This project is being carried out in conjunction
with the Earthwatch Institute. The rufous-legged owl (Strix rufipus)
is an inhabitant of these most southern forests in the world. These
owls need old-growth habitats. Consequently, researchers are trying to
determine key aspects of their habitat needs and ecological role in these
high latitude ecosystems. For more information visit the Earthwatch Institute.
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