What is AndesPeat?
Millennium Nucleus AndesPeat is an associative research center funded by the National Agency for Research and Development (ANID). At AndesPeat, we research and work towards the conservation and enhancement of bofedales, high Andean wetlands that form peat. The center combines satellite observation technology, natural sciences, social sciences, and epistomology to address complex questions that cannot be tackled with traditional approaches.
Object of Study
Bofedales, unique ecosystems that form peat
It’s often believed that peatlands are ecosystems native to southern Chile, specifically located between the Magallanes and Los Lagos regions. However, the high plateau bofedales are a type of wetland characterized by peat formation, and some bofedales reach depths of over 10 meters.
They’re located above 3,000 meters in altitude and originate due to permanent flows and/or continuous water recharge that allow for the development of plants from the cushion plant family.
Juncaceae, like Oxychloe andina (known as Pako macho) and Distichia muscoides (known as pako hembra). These are “nurse” plants for other types of plants which are highly sought after by both wild (vicuñas) and domesticated (alpacas y llamas) camelids.
Under this green mantle, bofedales accumulate dense coverings of decomposing organic material in which forms peat, which accumulates year after year.
Bofedales, ecosistemas únicos que forman turba
Se suele creer que las turberas son ecosistemas propios del sur de Chile, específicamente ubicados entre las regiones de Los Lagos y Magallanes. Sin embargo, los bofedales del altiplano son un tipo de humedal que se caracteriza por la formación de turba, pudiendo encontrar bofedales con más de 10 metros de profundidad.
Se ubican sobre los 3 mil metros de altitud y se originan debido a flujos permanentes y/o recargas continuas de agua que permiten el desarrollo de plantas cojín de la familia Juncaceae, como Oxychloe andina (conocida como Pako macho) y Distichia muscoides (conocido como pako hembra), que son plantas “nodrizas” para otro tipo de plantas muy apetecidas por los camélidos, tanto los silvestres (vicuñas) como el domesticado (alpacas y llamas). Bajo este manto verde, los bofedales acumulan densas capas de materia orgánica en descomposición que forman la turba, la que se va almacenando año tras año.
They assure the availability and quality of water
Being strategically located in water basins, the bofedales are a valuable support for the water security of the north of the country, as they function like large sponges that store and filter water and transfer it during seasons of low flow.
They're ecosystems with a high cultural value
They’re used as grazing fields, as a source of medical plants, and they have cultural value. Those who practice livestock farming have developed herding and conservation techniques that have permitted many bofedales to maintain good condition, expand their surface, and even create new ones.
They play a key role in the global climate system
It’s estimated that the peatland soils have the capacity to retain a third of the Earth’s soil carbon, despite only covering 3% of the planet’s land surface. Within this percentage are the bofedales that can accumulate more than 10 meters of organic matter over hundreds to thousands of years.
As carbon sinks, protection of the bofedales is key as their degradation could release large amounts of greenhouse gases into the environment.
Area of Study
NOTE:
The polygons correspond to bofedales that have remained persistently green for approximately 30 years. Therefore, degraded bofedales may not be present. The polygons were delineated as described in this article by Chávez et al. 2019.
Chávez, Roberto O., Duncan A. Christie, Matías Olea, y Talia G. Anderson. 2019. «A multiscale productivity assessment of high andean peatlands across the Chilean Altiplano Using 31 years of Landsat imagery» Remote Sensing 11, no. 24: 2955. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs11242955
Recent news / Blog
¿Cuándo se formaron los salares y los bofedales del Altiplano? Esta y otras preguntas fueron abordada por el investigador adjunto AndesPeat, Ignacio Jara, en su póster "Últimos 21 mil años de evolución climática en el Altiplano", realizado en conjunto con el estudiante de la Universidad de Tarapacá, Nicolás Lampe.
La protección y conocimiento de la flora altoandina no tiene fronteras. Así lo demostraron comuneros y autoridades bolivianos y chilenos, que se reunieron en la Feria Binacional de Achuta para celebrar este hito que acerca la ciencia a los habitantes del altiplano
La protección y conocimiento de la flora altoandina no tiene fronteras. Así lo demostraron comuneros y autoridades bolivianos y chilenos, que se reunieron en la Feria Binacional de Achuta para celebrar este hito que acerca la ciencia a los habitantes del altiplano
