10. Terrestrial Vertebrate Diversity in New World Temperate Rainforests
223
It is perhaps fortunate that many terrestrial vertebrates discussed here
have relatively broad geographic ranges within the southern temperate
rainforest region, a characteristic that applies to many of Chile's vertebrates generally (Cody et aI., 1977). Nevertheless, a large number of
herptiles and mammals typical of southern temperate rainforests are in
the "Red List of Chilean Terrestrial Vertebrates" (Glade, 1988) under
"Endangered," "Vulnerable," "Rare," or " Insufficiently known" categories. Given the already depauperate nature of southern temperate
vertebrate faunas, it may be expected that continuing extirpation of
forests and increasing isolation of remaining stands will ultimately have
irreversible effects on local and regional diversity. The apparent depauperization of small-mammal assemblages in north Patagonian forests in
continental Chile Chico as well as in remnant forest islands in the central
depression suggests that such effects have probably already occurred.
Acknowledgments. I thank Eduardo Fuentes and Rick Lawford for the
invitation to participate in the AMIGO meetings held in Victoria, British
Columbia, Canada, September 21-26, 1992. Thanks are also extended to
the following people for assistance and the sharing of information used in
the preparation of this paper: Joseph Cook, P. Stephen Corn, Ramon
Formas, Douglas A. Kelt, David R. Martinez, Hymen Marx, Roberto
Munia, Juan Carlos Ortiz, Donald W. Thomas, and Stephen D. West.
Support for various aspects of fieldwork conducted in southern Chile
during 1980-1987 came from U.S. National Science Foundation Grants
INT-8018631 and INT-8302724, an American Republics award from the
Fulbright Foundation, a fellowship from the Organization of American
States, and the Graduate School, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb,
Illinois.
References
Aubry, K.B ., and Hall, P.A. 1991. Terrestrial amphibian communities in the
southern Washington Cascade Range . In L.F . Ruggiero, K.B. Aubry, A.B.
Carey, and M.H . Huff (eds.), Wildlife and Vegetation of Unmanaged DouglasFir Forests (pp. 327-338). Portland, OR: V.S .D .A., Forest Service, Pacific
Northwest Research Station, General Technical Report PNW-GTR-285.
Aubry , K.B., Crites, M.J., and West, S.D . 1991. Regional patterns of small
mammal abundance and community composition in Oregon and Washington.
In L.F . Ruggiero, K.B. Aubry, A.B . Carey, and M.H . Huff (eds.), Wildlife
and Vegetation of Unmanaged Douglas-Fir Forests (pp. 285-294). Portland,
OR : V.S .D.A., Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, General
Technical Report PNW-GTR-285.
Banfield, A:W.F. 1974. The Mammals of Canada. Toronto : National Museum of
Natural Sciences, National Museums of Canada , University of Toronto Press.
Brown, E.R. (ed.) 1985. Management of Wildlife and Fish Habitats in Forests of
Western Oregon and Washington. Parts 1 and 2. Portland , OR : V .S.D .A.,
Forest Service, PacificNorthwest Region, General Technical Report R6-F&WL
192.
223
It is perhaps fortunate that many terrestrial vertebrates discussed here
have relatively broad geographic ranges within the southern temperate
rainforest region, a characteristic that applies to many of Chile's vertebrates generally (Cody et aI., 1977). Nevertheless, a large number of
herptiles and mammals typical of southern temperate rainforests are in
the "Red List of Chilean Terrestrial Vertebrates" (Glade, 1988) under
"Endangered," "Vulnerable," "Rare," or " Insufficiently known" categories. Given the already depauperate nature of southern temperate
vertebrate faunas, it may be expected that continuing extirpation of
forests and increasing isolation of remaining stands will ultimately have
irreversible effects on local and regional diversity. The apparent depauperization of small-mammal assemblages in north Patagonian forests in
continental Chile Chico as well as in remnant forest islands in the central
depression suggests that such effects have probably already occurred.
Acknowledgments. I thank Eduardo Fuentes and Rick Lawford for the
invitation to participate in the AMIGO meetings held in Victoria, British
Columbia, Canada, September 21-26, 1992. Thanks are also extended to
the following people for assistance and the sharing of information used in
the preparation of this paper: Joseph Cook, P. Stephen Corn, Ramon
Formas, Douglas A. Kelt, David R. Martinez, Hymen Marx, Roberto
Munia, Juan Carlos Ortiz, Donald W. Thomas, and Stephen D. West.
Support for various aspects of fieldwork conducted in southern Chile
during 1980-1987 came from U.S. National Science Foundation Grants
INT-8018631 and INT-8302724, an American Republics award from the
Fulbright Foundation, a fellowship from the Organization of American
States, and the Graduate School, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb,
Illinois.
References
Aubry, K.B ., and Hall, P.A. 1991. Terrestrial amphibian communities in the
southern Washington Cascade Range . In L.F . Ruggiero, K.B. Aubry, A.B.
Carey, and M.H . Huff (eds.), Wildlife and Vegetation of Unmanaged DouglasFir Forests (pp. 327-338). Portland, OR: V.S .D .A., Forest Service, Pacific
Northwest Research Station, General Technical Report PNW-GTR-285.
Aubry , K.B., Crites, M.J., and West, S.D . 1991. Regional patterns of small
mammal abundance and community composition in Oregon and Washington.
In L.F . Ruggiero, K.B. Aubry, A.B . Carey, and M.H . Huff (eds.), Wildlife
and Vegetation of Unmanaged Douglas-Fir Forests (pp. 285-294). Portland,
OR : V.S .D.A., Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, General
Technical Report PNW-GTR-285.
Banfield, A:W.F. 1974. The Mammals of Canada. Toronto : National Museum of
Natural Sciences, National Museums of Canada , University of Toronto Press.
Brown, E.R. (ed.) 1985. Management of Wildlife and Fish Habitats in Forests of
Western Oregon and Washington. Parts 1 and 2. Portland , OR : V .S.D .A.,
Forest Service, PacificNorthwest Region, General Technical Report R6-F&WL
192.