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Southern Chile
A land of ancient forests and abundant oceans
Monkey puzzle tree (Araucaria) with snowcapped
volcano in background, Chile.
© WWF-Canon/Edward PARKER
Flanked by snowcapped volcanoes and Andean mountain peaks, the Valdivian temperate forests contain some of the world’s largest and oldest trees, and the Gulf of Corcovado is the fertile feeding and nursing grounds for blue whales— the world’s largest mammal.
Accelerated rates of economic development in Chile threaten the Valdivian temperate forests’ environments and human quality of life—unsustainable logging, forest conversion, aquaculture, infrastructure projects, and weak regulatory and government enforcement capacity endanger the future of the region.
WWF's vision: Protect the unique habitat and species while creating opportunities for economic growth, and improving livelihoods for local and indigenous communities.
The place. The region's temperate forests cover nearly 85 million acres in Chile. As South America’s only temperate rain forest—second in size only to the forests of the Pacific Northwest—the region contains some of the world’s largest and oldest trees. Of the estimated 35 million acres of original forest, only 40 percent remains intact.
The species. The forests of Southern Chile are home to many animals and plant life endemic to the region, including the endangered pudú, the world’s smallest deer, the magellanic woodpecker, and the opossum-like mountain monkey, considered to be a “living fossil.” The alerce tree found here can live for more than 3,000 years, making it the second-longest living organism on Earth. The Gulf of Corcovado features a dazzling abundance of sea birds and other marine life.
The people. Southern Chile is home to a population of more than five million people, including indigenous groups such as the Pehuenche and Huilliche, who have lived here for thousands of years. Today, the lifestyles and local economies of many communities in the region rely heavily on the area’s native forests and marine life.
