FLORA AND VEGETATION OF COASTAL WETLANDS NEAR TOLTEN, CHILE

Abstract

Drainage programs threaten many of Chile’s remaining wetlands, yet the flora and vegetation of these ecosystems have yet to be thoroughly documented. This study classifies and describes the flora and vegetation of the wetlands from the coast of Toltén, IX Region, Chile. According to the Ramsar classification, five types of wetlands were determined in the area: coastal freshwater lagoons, permanent rivers and streams, freshwater marshes, seasonal freshwater and wetlands and swamp forest. Thirty-nine censuses of vegetation according to Zürich-Montpellier methodology were used. The vascular flora is formed by eightyfour species, in which the natives dominate (69%). The hemicryptophytes dominate within the biological spectrum followed by the fanerophytes and cryptophytes. The most important species are: Myrceugenia exsucca, Eleocharis macrostachya, Scirpus californicus, Juncus procerus, Anagallis alternifolia and E. pachycarpa. The vegetation table shows the presence of nine vegetation associations: Juncetum procerii, Scirpetum californiae, Eleocharietum macrostachyaea, Loto-Cyperetum eragrostidae, AlismoSagittarietum montevidensis, Myriophylletum aquaticum, Myriophyllo-Potametum linguatii, Polygono-Ludwigietum peploidis and Blepharocalyo-Myrceugenietum exsuccae.