Welcome to Mires of Chile: a space with resources on Education, Conservation and Renaturation. Here you will find materials to understand, teach about and protect these important ecosystems of Chile and the southern hemisphere, in order to counteract the climate change.
Periodically we will post and comment articles, methodologies and materials about the genesis, ecology, biodiversity and ecosystem functions of these environments and other wonderfull wetlands from the south of the world. We will also post some notes about our activities on the investigation and the dissemination of information about mires and wetlands.
Introduction to the hydrogeomorphic mire types
The concept hydrogeomorphic mire type means the discrimination of mires according to stereotypes that resume their hydrological and geomorphic characteristics. These typifications were widely developed by the German scientists Succow und Jeschke (1986) and later by Succow und Joosten (2001). They defined eight “Hydrogenetic Mire Types”, distinguishing between “Horizontal mires” (horizontale Moore) forming in flat morphologies, and “Inclined mires” (geneigte Moore) forming on sloped morphologies. Horizontal types are water rise mires (Versumpfungsmoore) mostly influenced by groundwater; terrestrialization mires (Verlandungsmoore) originating from old lakes; kettle hole mires (Kesselmoore) located in depressions and fed by superficial runoffs accumulating on their borders; and flood mires (Überflutungsmoore), developed along water flows and fed by them during inundation periods. The inclined types are sloping mires (Hangmoore), fed by runoffs in sloping areas; percolation mires (Durchströmungsmoore), formed due to strong and continuous runoff and groundwater income in sloping areas; spring mires (Quellmoore), formed in inclined areas and fed by spring waters; and raised mires or bogs (Hoch- or Regenmoore), fed mostly by precipitation in a rate that exceeds the existing water losses.
The eight hydrogenetic mire types (modified from Meier-Uhlherr et al., 2011). Blue arrows indicate the origin of water fluxes into the mire, while the dotted lines show the mire water level.
In the Chilean Patagonia, five hydrogeomorphic mire types can be typically recognized: raised bogs, sloping bogs, flow-through bogs, terrestrialization bogs and terrestrialization fens. Raised bogs are formed on flat relief and fed almost solely by rain water. Sloping bogs are formed on slopes, fed mainly by rain water, but also by percolation and lateral inflows. Flow-through bogs are also formed on slopes, presenting a central channel and additionally being irrigated by rain water and lateral runoffs. Terrestrialization bogs are formed from old relict glacial lakes in mountainous areas and are fed by both rain water and surface runoffs. Terrestrialization fens are formed from remnant lakes in landscape depressions and fed mostly by surface runoffs, percolation and groundwater. Specific descriptions for hydrogeomorphic mire types found in the Chilean Patagonia are shown in the links under this section.
Meier-Uhlherr, R.; Schulz, C.; Luthardt, V. (2011): Steckbriefe Moorsubstrate. HNE-Hochschule für nachhaltige Entwicklung Eberswalde (FH). Berlin, 154 pp.
Succow, M. und Jeschke, L. (Ed.) (1986): Moore in der Landschaft. Entstehung, Haushalt, Lebewelt, Verbreitung, Nutzung und Erhaltung der Moore. 1. Aufl., 1.-20. Tausend. Leipzig [u.a.]: Urania-Verlag, 268 pp.
Succow, M. und Joosten, H. (Ed.) (2001): Landschaftsökologische Moorkunde. 2nd ed. Stuttgart: Schweizerbart, 622 pp.
Conservation and restoration
In the menus associated to this page you will find soon some materials to support your projects on mire and wetland conservation and restoration.
We are Carolina and Marvin, professionals who are specialised in conservation and restoration of peatlands and wetlands in Chile and the southern hemisphere. Our work-expertise includes investigations projects on different continents and in different ecosystem, about sustainable use and conservation of these environments. Another branch is environmental education for schools, communities and institutions about a wise use of mires and wetlands. In Chile we intend to spread knowledge about the functions of mires and wetlands through workshops on environmental education and investigation on mires.
News
In the links associated to this page you’ll find news about activities on protection of mires and wetlands in Chile and the southern hemisphere
The Chilean Peatland Protection Law (official text), also known as “Ley Pompon”, was enacted on 26 March 2024 and published on 10 April 2024. The content can be summarised as follows: Peat extraction prohibited, Sphagnum harvesting permitted. The law is of great importance for the approximately 3.2 million hectares of Chilean peatlands, most of which …
On January 11, the chamber of deputies in Chile approved a bill for the “Environmental Protection Law of Peatlands”, prohibiting in the current version the exploitation and interventions of these ecosystems. In doing so, Chile made a big step towards the mitigation of climate change and water conservation, at a moment where the country is …
As group of more than 50 scientists from at least eight countries, we published this open letter addressed to the representatives of the Chilean Parliament, demanding them to approve the “Law for the protection of peatlands”. This bill is to be voted soon in the chamber of deputies. In the middle of a state of …
