The impact of forest fires in the mediterranean coastal sclerophyllous forests of Chile. The case of the Valparaiso region

Abstract

The mediterranean forests of Chile have been largely altered by fire. The situation is serious in the coastal basins that surround the cities of Valparaiso and Viña del Mar, whose expansion has extended toward the hills, where
there is a noteworthy presence of small sclerophyllous forests that have an important biodiversity, particularly the endemic palm Jubaea chilensis (Mol) Baillon, which is permanently threatened by the high combustibility of the plant environment in which it lives. Other anthropic impacts like the advance of urban habitats, infrastructure works, fire, road and duct construction contribute to the system's vulnerability.