Biocultural homogenization of mindsets and urban landscapes at the southern end of the Americas

Background/Question/Methods

The sub-Antarctic region at the southern end of the Americas is one of the most pristine ecoregions remaining in the world. However, an increasingly intensive collision between local and global biocultural realities is taking place within ecological and social settings of this region. To examine this local-global biocultural colliding process we focused on changes in education, languages and biological species used by society today. Specifically we evaluated: 1) the biogeographic origin of the flora in the plazas of the capital cities of the Magellanic sub-Antarctic rainforest region, and ) the preferences and knowledge about native versus cosmopolitan flora held by members of different socio-cultural groups. First, we counted and identified the trees planted in the central plazas of the capital cities of four austral provinces: Puerto Natales, Punta Arenas, Porvenir (Tierra del Fuego), and Puerto Williams (Chilean Antarctic Province). Second, we conducted structured interviews to members of six socio-cultural groups: indigenous Yahgan community, old residents, teachers, students, authorities, Navy personnel. QUestionnaieres included three simple questions: 1) Name the first five plant species that come to your mind; 2) Which are the three plant species that you prefer; 3) Name fifteen plant species that you know grow in the Magellanic sub-Antarctic rainforest region.
Results/Conclusions We found that 99.1% of the trees planted in the central plazas of the Magellan Region’s provincial capitals are exotic. Most trees were European (63%) or North American (35%) in origin. Regarding the floristic mindsets of the interviewed people, 75% of the plant species that came to their minds first were exotic species; apple trees and roses were the most frequently named plants. However, a significant variation was found among socio-cultural groups:  indigenous people and old residents named mostly native species, while members of other socio-cultural groups named almost exclusively exotic species.  Notably, authorities, teachers, and Navy officers knew very little about sub-Antarctic flora, indigenous language and ecological knowledge. However, these groups are responsible for most decision making and developmental planning. This finding can explain the growing biological and cultural homogenization that is taking place at the southern end of the Americas. To investigate and reverse this process, in 1999 we initiated a long-term, trans-disciplinary, sub-Antarctic Biocultural Research, Education and Conservation Program, which today is coordinated by the University of North Texas in the US, and the University of Magallanes and the Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity in Chile, involving a nascent Chilean Long-Term-Socio-Ecological-Research network.