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Since the mid‐20th century, the so‐called Great Acceleration (sensu Steffen et al., 2007, https://doi.org/10.1579/0044-7447(2007)36[614:TAAHNO]2.0.CO;2) has amplified processes of ecosystem degradation, extinction of biological species, displacement of local peoples, losses of languages, and cultural diversity. These losses are still underperceived by the academic community, and by a global society that is disconnected from biocultural diversity. To reconnect society with biocultural diversity, we integrate temporal and spatial dimensions of seasonal cycles, by combining two conceptual frameworks: ecological calendars and the "3Hs" model of the biocultural ethic (sensu Rozzi, 2012, https://doi.org/10.5840/enviroethics20123414). The latter values the vital links between human and other‐than‐human co‐inhabitants, their life habits (e.g., cultural practices of humans or life cycles of other‐than‐human species), and the structure and processes of their shared habitats. This integration enhances an understanding of links between cultural practices and the life cycles of biocultural keystone species. As a synthesis, we use the term biocultural calendars to emphasize their co‐constitutive nature that result from interactions between dynamic biophysical and cultural processes embedded in specific ecosystems and cultures. These calendars link astronomical, biological, and cultural seasonal cycles that sustain life and enhance the integration of Indigenous and scientific knowledge to confront challenges of climate change faced from local to global scales. To illustrate this integration, we examine cultural practices and socio‐environmental changes across four contrasting ethnolinguistic communities in southwestern South America, from southern to northern Chile along a marked climatic gradient to show the broad application of the concept of biocultural calendars. Plain Language Summary: We combine ecological calendars and the biocultural ethic. The first refers to natural or seasonal calendars and focuses on the temporal scale of life cycles and other ecological phenomena observed at a given place. The second emphasizes the vital links among human and non‐human co‐inhabitants, their habits (e.g., cultural practices of humans or life cycles of other‐than‐human species) in shared habitats (the "3Hs" of the biocultural ethic). Close observation of biological and cultural diversity, and their interrelationships (in short, biocultural diversity), synchronizes cultural practices with natural processes at specific places. This synchrony is particularly relevant in the context of climate change because by being locally attuned, communities enhance their capacity to adapt their activities to the variability of temperature, rainfall, and other climatic events. In this article we use the term biocultural calendars to more closely understand the links between different life habits in contrasting habitats and annual seasons. In this way, biocultural calendars provide an understanding of biological and cultural heterogeneity in different seasons and regions of the world that can help us adapt to a rapidly changing world. Key Points: Biocultural calendars are co‐constitutively generated through interactions between dynamic biophysical and cultural processesThe biocultural ethic's 3Hs model values the vital links among human and other‐than‐human co‐inhabitants, their habits, and shared habitatsBiocultural calendars are based on seasonal cycles of keystone species that are part of communities of co‐inhabitants [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A natural laboratory is a place supporting the conditions for hypothesis testing under non-anthropogenic settings. Located at the southern end of the Magellanic sub-Antarctic ecoregion in southwestern South America, the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve (CHBR) has one of the most extreme rainfall gradients in the world. Subject to oceanic climate conditions, it is also characterized by moderate thermal fluctuations throughout the year. This makes it a unique natural laboratory for studying the effects of extreme rainfall variations on forest bird communities. Here, we monitor the bird species richness in the different forest types present in the CHBR. We found that species richness decreased with increasing precipitation, in which an increase of 100 mm in average annual precipitation showed about 1% decrease in species richness. Similar patterns were found among different forest types within the CHBR. These results provide a baseline to investigate the interactions between physical and biotic factors in a subpolar region that climatically contrasts with boreal forests, which is subject to continental climatic conditions. This research highlights the importance of ecological and ornithological long-term studies in the CHBR, which can contribute both to a higher resolution of the heterogeneity of climate changes in different regions of the world, and to orient conservation policies in the Magellanic sub-Antarctic ecoregion in the face of growing development pressures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The homogenisation of historically isolated gene pools has been recognised as one of the most serious conservation problems in the Antarctic. Lichens are the dominant components of terrestrial biotas in the Antarctic and in high mountain ranges of southern South America. We study the effects of dispersal strategy and migration history on their genetic structure to better understand the importance of these processes and their interplay in shaping population structure as well as their relevance for conservation. Location: Maritime Antarctic and southern South America. Methods: Populations of three fruticose lichen species, Usnea aurantiacoatra, U. antarctica and Cetraria aculeata, were collected in different localities in the Maritime Antarctic and southern South America. Usnea aurantiacoatra reproduces sexually by ascospores, whereas the other two species mostly disperse asexually by symbiotic diaspores. Samples were genotyped at 8–22 microsatellite loci. Different diversity and variance metrics, Bayesian cluster analyses and Discriminant Analysis of Principal Components (DAPC) were used to study population genetic structure. Historical migration patterns between southern South America and the Antarctic were investigated for U. aurantiacoatra and C. aculeata by approximate Bayesian computation (ABC). Results: The two vegetative species display lower levels of genetic diversity than U. aurantiacoatra. Antarctic populations of C. aculeata and South American populations of U. aurantiacoatra display much stronger genetic differentiation than their respective counterparts on the opposite side of the Drake Passage. Usnea antarctica was not found in South America but shows comparably low levels of genetic differentiation in Antarctica as those revealed for U. aurantiacoatra. Phylogeographic histories of lichens in the region differ strongly with recent colonisation in some instances and potential in situ persistence during Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) in others. Patterns of genetic diversity indicate the presence of glacial refugia near Navarino Island (South America) and in the South Shetland Islands. ABC analyses suggest that C. aculeata colonised the Antarctic from Patagonia after the LGM. Results for U. aurantiacoatra are ambiguous, indicating a more complex population history than expressed in the simplified scenarios. Main Conclusions: Mode of propagation affects levels of genetic diversity, but the location of glacial refugia and postglacial colonisation better explains the diversity patterns displayed by each species. We found evidence for glacial in situ survival of U. aurantiacoatra on both sides of the Drake Passage and postglacial colonisation of Antarctica from South America by C. aculeata. Maintaining the strong genetic differentiation of Antarctic populations of C. aculeata requires strict conservation measures, whereas populations of U. aurantiacoatra are exposed to a much lower risk due to their higher diversity and connectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the beginning of the twenty-first century. South America hosts the world's greatest diversity of plants and most animal groups, as well as a variety of environmental movements, involving urban and rural communities. South American academic philosophy, however, has given little consideration to this rich biocultural context. To nourish an emergent regional environmental philosophy three main sources can be identified. First, a variety of ancient and contemporary ecological worldviews and practices offer a rich biocultural array of South American environmental thought that can be disclosed and valued through the work of cultural anthropology, liberation philosophy, liberation pedagogy, liberation theology, ecofeminism, and biocultural conservation. Second, some recent academic environmental philosophy research and teaching teams have been formed in South American universities with the support of the interdisciplinary United Nations Environmental Programme or based on the individual interests of some scattered scholars. Third, social movements have increasingly demanded the incorporation of environmental values into regional policies and decision-making processes. These three sources can foster intercultural, international, and transdisciplinary dialogues to further develop a South American environmental philosophy grounded in its precious biocultural diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 1980, more than 40 countries have implemented long-term ecological research (LTER) programs, which have shown their power to affect advances in basic science to understand the natural world at meaningful temporal and spatial scales and also help link research with socially relevant outcomes. Recently, a disciplinary paradigmatic shift has integrated the human dimensions of ecosystems, leading to a long-term socio-ecological research (LTSER) framework to address the world's current environmental challenges. A global gap in LTER/LTSER only exists in the latitudinal range of 40-60°S, corresponding to Argentina and Chile's temperate/sub-Antarctic biome. A team of Chilean, Argentine and US researchers has participated in an ongoing dialogue to define not only conceptual, but also practical barriers limiting LTER/LTSER in southern South America. We have found a number of existing long-term research sites and platforms throughout the region, but at the same time it has been concluded an agenda is needed to create and implement further training courses for students, postdoctoral fellows and young scientists, particularly in the areas of data and information management systems. Since LTER/LTSER efforts in Chile and Argentina are incipient, instituting such courses now will enhance human and technical capacity of the natural science and resource community to improve the collection, storage, analysis and dissemination of information in emerging LTER/LTSER platforms. In turn, having this capacity, as well as the ongoing formalization of LTER/LTSER programs at national levels, will allow the enhancement of crucial collaborations and comparisons between long-term research programs within the region and between hemispheres and continents. For Spanish version of the entire article, see Online Supporting Information (Appendix S1). Resumen Desde 1980, más de cuarenta países han implementado programas de Investigación Ecológica a Largo Plazo (LTER por sus siglas en inglés), los cuales han mostrado su capacidad para influir sobre los avances en las ciencias básicas que permiten entender el mundo natural en escalas temporales y espaciales significativas, y también ayudar a enfocar la investigación hacia estudios socialmente relevantes. Recientemente, gracias a un cambio de paradigma en la disciplina, se integró también la dimensión humana de los ecosistemas, llevándola a un marco conceptual de Investigación Socio-Ecológica a Largo Plazo (LTSER por sus siglas en inglés) para enfrentar los desafíos medio-ambientales del mundo actual. Existe un vacío global en LTER/LTSER en el rango latitudinal de 40-60°S, correspondiente a los biomas templados/subantárticos de Argentina y Chile. Un equipo de investigadores chilenos, argentinos y estadounidenses ha trabajado por varios años para definir cuáles son la barreras que actualmente limitan la creación de una Red de LTER/LTSER en el sur de Sudamérica, no solamente en términos conceptuales, sino también a nivel práctico. Existe un buen número de sitios de investigación a largo plazo en la región, pero también concluimos que es necesario crear e implementar más cursos de capacitación para estudiantes, investigadores post-doctorales y jóvenes científicos, particularmente en las áreas de sistemas de manejo de datos e información. Considerando que los esfuerzos LTER/LTSER en Chile y Argentina son incipientes, este tipo de cursos podría mejorar la capacidad humana y técnica en la comunidad de las ciencias y los recursos naturales, así como mejorar los procesos de recolección, almacenamiento, análisis y difusión de la información. A su vez, la formalización de cursos de programas LTER/LTSER a nivel nacional para adquirir dicha capacidad de manejo de la información, permitirá un fortalecimiento crucial de las colaboraciones y comparaciones entre programas de investigación a largo plazo dentro de la región, y entre hemisferios y continentes. La versión en castellano del artículo se encuentra disponible en forma digital como Online Supporting Information S1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The South American temperate and sub-Antarctic forests cover the longest latitudinal range in the Southern Hemisphere and include the world's southernmost forests. However, until now, this unique biome has been absent from global ecosystem research and monitoring networks. Moreover, the latitudinal range of between 40 degrees (°) south (S) and 60° S constitutes a conspicuous gap in the International Long-Term Ecological Research (ILTER) and other international networks. We first identify 10 globally salient attributes of biological and cultural diversity in southwestern South America. We then present the nascent Chilean Long-Term Socio-Ecological Research (LTSER) network, which will incorporate a new biome into ILTER. Finally, we introduce the field environmental philosophy methodology, developed by the Chilean LTSER network to integrate ecological sciences and environmental ethics into graduate education and biocultural conservation. This approach broadens the prevailing economic spectrum of social dimensions considered by LTSER programs and helps foster bioculturally diverse forms of Earth stewardship. INSET: Box 1. Field environmental philosophy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The main forest transitions that took place in south-central Chile from the end of the last glaciation to the present are reviewed here with the aim of identifying the main climatic and socio-economic drivers of land cover change. The first great transition, driven primarily by global warming, is the postglacial expansion of forests, with human populations from about 15,000 cal. yr. BP, restricted to coastlines and river basins and localized impact of forest fire. Charcoal evidence of fire increased in south-central Chile and in global records from about 12,000 to 6000 cal. yr. BP, which could be attributed at least partly to people. The subsequent expansion of agriculture led to much clearing of forests and the spread of weeds and other indicators of open habitats. The Spanish colonial period in America may have been followed by a transient expansion of forest cover into abandoned land, as indigenous population declined rapidly due to disease and slaughter. The 18th and 19th centuries brought about extensive loss of forests due to the massive impact of lumber extraction for mining operations both in central Chile and in western North America. Two centuries of intensive deforestation, coupled to grazing by cattle and extremely variable rainfall had long-lasting effects on forest cover in south-central Chile, which persist until today. The transition from a preindustrial to an industrial society brought about the “golden age” of timber harvest, assisted by mobile sawmills and railway transportation since the late 1800s. These advances led to the exhaustion of native commercial timber by the late 20th century in south-central Chile. In North America, harvestable stands were exhausted in New England and the Midwest around 1920. Settlement of the independent territories in the late 1800s and early 1900s implied vast burning and clearing of land and mounting soil erosion. Industrial forestry, based on government-subsidized massive plantations of short-rotation exotic trees, developed in the late 20th century, in connection with postindustrial displacement of exploitative activities from developed to third-world nations. In the last two decades, economic globalization and free trade promoted the expansion of new crops and further decline of woodlands, despite modest increases in forest cover. These patterns are repeated in many Latin American countries. To prevent further depletion of native forest resources and to provide an insurance against climate change, in the 21st century developing nations should aim at: (1) relocating subsidies from fiber farms to restoring diverse forest cover, (2) promoting ecosystem management of diverse forest and crops within landscapes, and (3) fostering diverse cultural relationships between people and their land. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Taxonomic groups and ecoregions shape the "lenses" through which biodiversity is assessed and conserved. A historical bias toward vertebrates and vascular plants in the northern hemisphere underpins how global patterns of biodiversity in terrestrial ecosystems are perceived. Here, we focus on the hitherto overlooked non-vascular flora (liverworts and mosses) in the remote sub-Antarctic Magellanic ecoregion of southwestern South America. We report that: (1) this ecoregion hosts outstanding non-vascular floristic richness, with > 5% of the world's bryophytes on < 0.01 % of the Earth's land surface; (2) species richness patterns for vascular and non-vascular plants are inverted across 25 degrees of latitude in Chile; and (3) while vascular plants are 20 times more abundant than non-vascular plants globally and in tropical South America, non-vascular plants are dominant in the sub-Antarctic Magellanic ecoregion and Antarctic Peninsula. These findings have been translated into policy and conservation decisions, including the creation of the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve in 2005 and the introduction there of "tourism with a hand lens" in the diverse "miniature forests" of bryophytes, lichens, and invertebrates. We argue for consideration of ecoregional- or biome-specific indicator groups, rather than a narrow set of global indicator groups, for designing effective conservation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few details are available on the migration (rates, routes, dates) of Neotropical austral migrant birds, which breed and migrate wholly within South America. Only one long-distance austral migrant breeds in the South American temperate forest biome: the White-crested Elaenia ( Elaenia albiceps chilensis). However, the migratory dates, routes, and wintering locations are poorly known. During the austral summers of 2011-2013, we attached light level geolocators to breeding White-crested Elaenias at the world's southernmost forests, on Navarino Island, Chile. The duration of fall migration of three Elaenias to the Amazonian wintering grounds was 64-96 days, while spring migration was 45-60 days. The average distance between breeding and wintering grounds was 5,932 km, which constitutes the longest migration of a Neotropical austral migrant studied to date. A better understanding of the annual cycle of Elaenias could offer new opportunities to examine the evolution of migration and population regulation of one of Patagonia's most common birds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Rocky shores on the Navarino Island showed a higher taxa richness and wet biomass in summer than winter, but the significance of seasonal variations varied in each intertidal site. One of the main causes of these variations was due to the rapid growth of seasonal algae during summertime (Adenocystis utricularis). • The seasonal changes of taxa richness and wet biomass did not show significant differences in all sites and intertidal levels. This is likely caused by the abundance of temporally-persistent algae. • We propose that coupled factors such as light, nutrient availability, sea surface temperature, relative humidity and species composition would play a fundamental role in the productivity of the macroalgae assemblages on the rocky shores of high latitudes along the southern tip of South America. The Magellanic Sub-Antarctic Channels ecoregion supports one of the greatest number of macroalgae species in South America. In this ecoregion, the majority of macroalgae research has been associated with spatial ecology. In contrast, the temporal scale has received little attention. Here, we report the seasonal changes of taxa richness, wet biomass and assemblage structure for intertidal macroalgae in Robalo Bay (55 °S), situated within the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve. Overall, forty-nine macroalgae taxa were identified. We found a higher taxa richness and wet biomass in the summer than in the winter, but the strength of seasonal variations varied spatially across intertidal sites and levels. A similar seasonal pattern was detected with multivariate analysis. The seasonal changes are explained by the rise of seasonal algae such as Adenocystis utricularis. In turn, we found temporally-persistent algae such as Ceramium virgatum and Nothogenia fastigiata which did not show sharp seasonal variation. In conclusion, we suggest that macroalgal seasonality might be strongly modulated by coupled factors such as light, nutrient availability, sea surface temperature, relative humidity, and species composition. These factors would support an increase of taxa richness and wet biomass in the summertime on the rocky shores in high latitudes of South America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the population genetic consequences of habitat heterogeneity requires assessing whether patterns of gene flow correspond to landscape configuration. Studies of the genetic structure of populations are still scarce for Neotropical forest birds. We assessed range-wide genetic structure and contemporary gene flow in the thorn-tailed rayadito (Aphrastura spinicauda), a passerine bird inhabiting the temperate forests of South America. We used 12 microsatellite loci to genotype 582 individuals from eight localities across a large latitudinal range (30°S-56°S). Using population structure metrics, multivariate analyses, clustering algorithms, and Bayesian methods, we found evidence for moderately low regional genetic structure and reduced gene flow towards the range margins. Genetic differentiation increased with geographic distance, particularly in the southern part of the species' distribution where forests are continuously distributed. Populations in the north seem to experience limited gene flow likely due to forest discontinuity, and may comprise a demographically independent unit. The southernmost population, on the other hand, is genetically depauperate and different from all other populations. Different analytical approaches support the presence of three to five genetic clusters. We hypothesize that the genetic structure of the species follows a hierarchical clustered pattern.