Austral University of Chile

Habitat Risk Assessment for the Tidal Marshes and Flats of Huildad Bay, Isla Grande de Chiloé, Chile

The tidal marsh and tidal flats in the intertidal zones of Chiloé, Chile are highly productive ecosystems that provide essential ecosystem services and preserve local biodiversity. However, they face increasing pressure from human activities. This study evaluated the cumulative r...

Trophic position structures physiological trade-offs between metabolic and detoxification pathways in sympatric passerines

Abstract Resource use links ecological context to organismal performance, yet whether dietary breadth or trophic position is more closely associated with physiological state in wild birds remains unclear. We used a natural trophic gradient in a sympatric passerine assemblage to t...

Sink prioritization after carbon stress in Quillaja saponaria, a tree species endemic to Mediterranean Chile

Context For plant species adapted to drought, such as those inhabiting Mediterranean regions, carbon (C) allocation to traits related to drought resistance could occur at the expense of growth. Aims We hypothesized that in conditions of C limitation, drought-adapted species prior...

A standardized field framework for integrated microbiological and geochemical sampling of deeply-sourced seeps across large-scale geological gradients

Accessing the deep subsurface biosphere remains a major challenge in Earth and planetary sciences. Drilling provides direct access but is costly, spatially restricted, and difficult to deploy at the scales required to investigate interactions between geological processes and micr...

Projecting the evolution of the Northern Patagonian Icefield until the year 2200

The Northern Patagonian Icefield (NPI), Chile, is the second-largest ice mass in the Southern Hemisphere outside Antarctica and a major remnant of the Patagonian ice sheet from the Last Glacial Period. It is located in the Southern Andes, which is among the world’s glacierized re...

Beyond Demographics: Incorporating Relational Values and Disvalues into Socio-Environmental Profiles of Landowners Adjacent to Cerro Castillo National Park, Chilean Patagonia

Land-use change is the primary direct driver of terrestrial biodiversity loss. Around Cerro Castillo National Park (PNCC) in Chilean Patagonia, rural land subdivision increased by 400% between 2011 and 2023, generating ecological, economic, and social pressures on the park and su...

Viridicatin from the Antarctic Fungus Penicillium sp. Protects Human Microglia and Patient-Derived Peripheral Immune Cells Against Oxidative Stress

Neurodegenerative diseases remain a major therapeutic challenge, with oxidative stress playing a central role in central and peripheral immune system dysfunction that leads to neuronal loss. Natural products from extreme environments represent an underexplored source of neuroprot...

Modeling the Distribution of Mountain Permafrost in Chile

Abstract. Mountain permafrost affects slope stability and hydrological processes, yet its distribution remains poorly understood in many parts of the world, including Chile. This study develops the first empirically calibrated national-scale high-resolution (30 m × 30 m) model of...

Misunderstanding and Overprotection: The Impact of Research Ethics Committees on Social Disability Studies in Chile

This study explores the experiences of researchers in Chile when submitting disability-related projects to Research Ethics Committees. Through a qualitative approach involving 18 semi-structured interviews with researchers, the study identifies the barriers that arise from applyi...

Functional partitioning among core and peripheral bacteria shapes the giant kelp holobiont

The giant kelp Macrocystis pyrifera hosts diverse microbial communities integral to its ecological function, yet the distribution of microbial functions across different holobionts remains poorly resolved. Here, we used genome-resolved metagenomics to examine how microbial occupa...

Structure and Spatio-Temporal Dynamics of Marine Communities Associated with the Kelp Forests at Cape Froward, Strait of Magellan

Giant kelp forests, Macrocystis pyrifera, dominate the coasts of southern Patagonia and are particularly abundant in the coastal ecosystems of Cape Froward, where they play a key role in biodiversity conservation and the provision of multiple ecosystem services, establishing them...