RAKIDUAM - Knowledge

Climate change and the conservation of biodiversity are two of the greatest challenges faced by mankind and are the central theme of the cutting-edge research being done at the Institute of Ecolo- gy and Biodiversity (IEB), where models are used to determine the effect of large-scale climate change, and also experiments that determine the real effects of temperature increase on the biota and ecosystems with much greater precision. A fundamental aspect being researched is the time needed by the evolutionary lineages to adapt to climate change in the past. Basic and advanced information is collected at the IEB on the distribution and composition of biodi- versity throughout Chile, in order to maximize its protection and find ways to incorporate it into local economies, especially in geopolitically relevant remote areas, and where conventional agriculture and forestry are not feasible due to climatic reasons. It must be noted that Chile has two biodiversity hotspots, with very high levels of endemism. Principal Institution: Universidad de Chile. Associated Institutions: Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Universidad de La Serena, Universidad de Concepción, Universidad Austral, Universidad de Magallanes. 57 Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity (IEB) Lines of Research Paleoecology and paleoclimatology. Biogeography. Macroecology. Ecosystems dynamics. Forest ecology and evolutionary ecology. Molecular phylogenetics. Plant reproductive biology and behavioral biology. Microevolution. Ecological modeling. Conservation biology. Environmental ethics and biocultural conservation.