Wetlands of Chile: Biodiversity, Endemism and Conservation Challenges

Abstract

Chile has various types of wetlands throughout its territory, their biological diversity is low, but it concentrates high endemism (52% accounts for vascu- lar plants, continental fish account for 55%, and amphibians account for 65%). Towards the northern end of the country, endorheic (landlocked) basins are located in a hydrological network that has developed as a result of the geology of the Andes, here the Andean wetlands are unique and microbial biodiversity is unique. Towards the south of Chile, meadows, coastal wet- lands, swamp, lacustrine (lakes, ponds), estuaries, forested wetlands (marshy wetlands, hualves) increase in abundance. The coastal wetlands types are principality tidal flats and marshes, lagoons, and estuarine waters. Other unique wetlands type are the peatlands, which are principally found in Chile and Argentina in South America. Chile currently does not have historical trends data for its aquatic environments and how pressures have acted on their quantity, quality, and morphological structure. The Ministry of Environment has proposed a standardized Wetland Environmental Monitoring System that is integrated and complementary to the National Inventory ofWetlands. The objective is to use the wetlands as indicators of the environmental condition of basins.