Research

Integrating Ecological Science and Environmental Ethics

An interdisciplinary research workshop in Chile, March 16-24, 2007.
Click here for more information.

The Miniature Forests of Cape Horn: Darwin Initiative (2004 - present) Coordinators: Francisca Massardo, Jeff Duckett, Shaun Russell, Andres Mansilla and Ricardo Rozzi

The Darwin Initiative is a program funded by the United Kingdom that will allow bryologists associated with Omora to carry out further expeditions to describe the assemblage and taxonomy of the Cape Horn region's bryophytes. In addition, the project includes a conservation component that practices the cultivation of mosses and liverworts in the laboratory.

Forest Birds of the Magallanes Region (1999 - present) Coordinators: Steven McGehee, Silvina Ippi, Christopher Anderson and Ricardo Rozzi

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.

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.

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.

The Small Mammals of Isla Navarino (2001 - present) Coordinators: Juan Carlos Torres-Mura and Steven McGehee

Juan 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.

Impact of the North American Beaver (Castor canadensis) on the Stream Habitats of the Cape Horn Region (2001 - present) Coordinator: Christopher Anderson

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.

Ongoing courses and training offered by Omora:

  • Omora Workshop: "Ethno-ornithology of the austral temperate forests," coordinated with the Senda Darwin Foundation on Chiloé Island and Puerto Williams Elementary School. For more information check out Explora or the official of the Senda Darwin Foundation (Spanish only).
  • Omora works closely with the University of Magallanes in Punta Arenas in the areas of research and education. In particular a strong link has been developed with the Masters in Sub-Antarctic Marine Resource Management with the Department of Natural Sciences and Resources. Various masters projects are currently being carried out on Isla Navarino by UMAG students, including a genetic study of kelp forests (Mycrocystis pyrifera) and a project looking at the role of Magellanic woodpeckers (Camephilus magellanicus) in the world's most austral forests. For more information on the UMAG's masters program, visit www.umag.cl
  • With the ecotourism department of the Andrés Bello University in Santiago, Omora is developing internships for ecotourism majors in the Omora Park. Please contact Mitzi Acevedo if you are interested in participating.
  • Omora Workshop: "Exploring the Micro-biodiversity of Cape Horn" coordinated with Puerto Williams Elementary School and EXPLORA-CONICYT
  • Southern South American Bryology (January 2003) taught by Dr. Bernard Goffinet, Dr. Bill Buck and Dr. Shaun Russell.
  • Conference on Biocultural Conservation and Environmental Ethics in the Chilean Sub-Antarctic Region (2002) co-sponsored with the Chilean Antarctic Provincial Government and the University of Magallanes
  • Workshop on Teaching Schoolyard Ecology (2002) co-sponsored with AVINA and the National Audubon Society
  • Ecotourism and Ecology (2002) co-sponsored with the Chilean Corporation for Indigenous Development
  • Environmental Ethics and Biocultural Conservation (2001 & 2002) offered through the University of Magallanes, Chile

Multi-ethnic Environmental Education Materials:

  • Poster: Transcending the Ecocentric-Anthropocentric Dichotomy Through the Ecosystem Approach (2005). By Ben Dunn, Pat Sewell, Ricardo Rozzi, Kurt Jax, and Irene Klaver. Presented at the DIVERSITAS Conference on biodiversity in Oaxaca, Mexico.
  • Poster: Exploring the Micro-Biodiversity of Cape Horn (2004). La Prensa Austral. Front, Back
  • Poster: The Miniature Forests of Cape Horn (2004). La Prensa Austral. Front, Back
  • Poster: The Great Diversity of Small Fauna in the Forests of Magallanes. (2004). La Prensa Austral. Front, Back
  • Poster: The Micro-Biodiversity Hidden under Freshwater in Cape Horn (2004). La Prensa Austral. Front, Back
  • Sherriffs, M., S. Ippi, C.B. Anderson, R. Rozzi & Á. Zúñiga (2005). Explorando la Micro-Biodiversidad del Cabo de Hornos - Guías y atcividades. Fundación Omora, Puerto Williams, Chile. 98 pp.
  • Rozzi, R. et al. (2003). A Multi-ethnic Guide to the Birds of the Forests of Southern South America. Fantástico Sur Publishing. Punta Arenas, Chile. (www.fantasticosur.com)
  • Aillapan, L. (2001). Twenty Winged Poems from the Native Forests of Southern Chile. R. Rozzi (ed). Plaza y Valdés. Mexico City, Mexico. 55 pp.
  • Primack, R., Rozzi, R., Feinsinger, P., Dirzo, R. & Massardo, F. et al. (2001). Fundamentos de Conservación Biológica - Perspectivas Latinamericanas. Fondo de la Cultura Económica, México.

Student Theses and Dissertations:

Griffith, C.R. (2005). The effect of North American beaver (Castor canadensis) along sub-Antarctic forested streams in the Tierra del Fuego/Cape Horn region of Chile. Undergraduate Honors Thesis. Dr. Amy D. Rosemond - advisor. Institute of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens GA. 56 pp.

Haider, S. (2005). The application of environmental ethics in biological conservation: The beaver (Castor canadensis) as an exotic species on Navarino Island, Chile. Dr. Kurt Jax - advisor. Technical University of Munich and UFZ - Centre for Environmental Research Leipzig-Halle, Germany. Poster.