Establishment of permanent long-term ecological monitoring plots in the Katalapi Nature Sanctuary Park

With the participation of students from the 4th and 5th years of the Biology program at the University of Concepción, the establishment of permanentlong-term ecological monitoring plots began in Parque Katalapi, one of the LTSER-Chile sites. Permanent forest plots are fundamental for long-term ecological monitoring because they allow recording changes over time in the composition, structure, and function of forest ecosystems, and they establish a base for studies on the evolution of forests in response to different environmental factors and disturbances. Additionally, permanent plots facilitate the tracking of biodiversity over time, which helps to better understand the resilience and response capacity of forest ecosystems to environmental changes. Between May 12 and 14, students from the elective course Temperate Forest Ecology at UdeC, along with the instructor in charge, Dr. Alfredo Saldaña, carried out this task in various zones of Parque Katalapi, where the structure, composition, and age of the forest also differ.