• Energy Research

Background The main goal of this contribution was to define the ecological niche of the guanaco (Lama guanicoe), to describe potential distributional changes, and to assess the relative importance of niche conservatism and divergence processes between the two lineages described for the species (L.g. cacsilensis and L.g. guanicoe). Methods We used maximum entropy to model lineage’s climate niche from 3,321 locations throughout continental Chile, and developed future niche models under climate change for two extreme greenhouse gas emission scenarios (RCP2.6 and RCP8.5). We evaluated changes of the environmental niche and future distribution of the largest mammal in the Southern Cone of South America. Evaluation of niche conservatism and divergence were based on identity and background similarity tests. Results We show that: (a) the current geographic distribution of lineages is associated with different climatic requirements that are related to the geographic areas where these lineages are located; (b) future distribution models predict a decrease in the distribution surface under both scenarios; (c) a 3% decrease of areal protection is expected if the current distribution of protected areas is maintained, and this is expected to occur at the expense of a large reduction of high quality habitats under the best scenario; (d) current and future distribution ranges of guanaco mostly adhere to phylogenetic niche divergence hypotheses between lineages. Discussion Associating environmental variables with species ecological niche seems to be an important aspect of unveiling the particularities of, both evolutionary patterns and ecological features that species face in a changing environment. We report specific descriptions of how these patterns may play out under the most extreme climate change predictions and provide a grim outlook of the future potential distribution of guanaco in Chile. From an ecological perspective, while a slightly smaller distribution area is expected, this may come with an important reduction of available quality habitats. From the evolutionary perspective, we describe the limitations of this taxon as it experiences forces imposed by climate change dynamics.

Coastal habitats in Chile are hypothesized to support a number of diadromous fish species. The objective of this study was to document migratory life histories of native galaxiids and introduced salmonids from a wide latitudinal range in Chilean Patagonia (39–48°S). Otolith microchemistry data were analysed using a recursive partitioning approach to test for diadromy. Based on annular analysis of Sr:Ca ratios, a diadromous life history was suggested for populations of native Aplochiton taeniatus, A. marinus, and Galaxias maculatus. Lifetime residency in freshwater was suggested for populations of A. zebra and G. platei. Among introduced salmonids, populations of Oncorhynchus tshawytscha and O. kisutch exhibited patterns consistent with anadromy, whereas the screened population of O. mykiss appeared restricted to freshwater. Salmo trutta exhibited variable patterns suggesting freshwater residency and possibly anadromy in one case. The capacity and geographic scope of hydropower development is increasing and may disrupt migratory routes of diadromous fishes. Identification of diadromous species is a critical first step for preventing their loss due to hydropower development.

By definition, a smart city must improve its readiness for extreme events in order to confront the growing unpredictability of natural disasters. Doing this implies planning for resilience. That is, to enhance our capacity to cope, mitigate, adapt, and rebuild human settlements after a catastrophic event. Although scholars have argued that biodiversity can enhance resilience, there is a dearth of empirical research that specifically addresses this crucial issue. This research analyzes Nature’s Contributions to People related to tsunami resilience. Then, the relationship between biodiversity and community resilience indexes is examined for 50 coastal Chilean cities that are prone to tsunamis, using biodiversity data from an open access database. The resilience index “population living in the first kilometer from the shoreline” was found to be correlated with species richness (p = 0.48) and the evenness biodiversity index, Pielou (p = −0.47). These results suggest that biodiversity data availability is crucial for understanding nature’s contribution to human settlement resilience. Although this study was hindered by limited data availability, the potential use in other contexts remains valuable for the development of smart cities. The study highlights the need for increased biodiversity data collection on a national scale and emphasizes the use of ecoinformatics to create smart cities that can effectively respond to climate uncertainty in coastal urban areas.

Se modeló la distribución del zorro de Darwin (L. fulvipes) entre las regiones del Bío-Bío y Aysén bajo dos escenarios de clima futuro (RCP2.6 y RCP8.5). El modelo más optimista (RCP2.6) predice un incremento en el rango de distribución, contrario al modelo RCP8.5, que muestra extinciones locales, pero ganancias de hábitat en áreas donde no se ha registrado esta especie. Los resultados son evaluados respecto al sistema de áreas de protección existentes para esta especie endémica y amenazada del cono sur de Sudamérica.

Dentro de las múltiples decisiones que tienen que ver con el desarrollo de barrios de vivienda social en Chile, la localización de los conjuntos toma especial relevancia debido al potencial de facilitar, o no, la movilidad social, el acceso a mejores oportunidades, y la integración urbana (Sabatini y Brain, 2008). En este sentido la política de vivienda ha sido insuficiente, incluso incorporando incentivos específicos a mejorar la localización, aplica parámetros centralistas que no aportan a mejorar significativamente la condición de nuevos barrios en ciudades de menor tamaño, haciendo urgente la incorporación de un enfoque local.El Subsidio Diferenciado a la Localización (SDL) es parte de la política habitacional que trata de subsanar las falencias en materia habitacional y urbana que se han perpetuado por más de 30 años en Chile. Sin embargo, esta política no ha cumplido todos sus objetivos, ya que sus parámetros de localización permiten la ubicación de viviendas sociales en sectores con acceso deficiente a redes de equipamientos. Si bien se solicita informar la distancia de desplazamiento para aspectos como transporte, salud, educación en las fórmulas para obtener este incentivo, no incorporan, entre otros, medidas para desplazamientos a lugares de empleo (Brain y col., 2010).Es así, como se vuelve valioso el indagar en variables poco exploradas en esta toma de decisiones, como son las bases de datos masivas relacionadas a los datos geo-referenciados. Estas son una poderosa fuente de información para dar nuevas respuestas y aproximaciones a materias urbanas (Pentland, 2009).Considerando que hoy existen numerosas fuentes de datos para la mayoría de las ciudades, realidades como la de desplazamientos, flujos, usos de suelo, entre otros pueden comenzar a modelarse con una precisión elevada, en tiempo cuasi real, con menores costos y con alta confiabilidad. El volumen de información que proporcionan las antenas de telefonía móvil las hace capaces de describir trazas en distintos espacios temporales (día, semana, mes) y para distintos grupos, exponiendo cuánto, cómo y hacia dónde se mueven las personas en una ciudad (Hoteit y col., 2014).El presente estudio propone indicadores de sostenibilidad para zonas de residencia y destinos (Integración, Conectividad y Diversidad) y propuestas de criterios de proximidad y morfológicos para localizar nuevos barrios o mejorar los existentes desde acciones de regeneración urbana.En contraste con los criterios actuales de localización y medios de caracterización urbana, este trabajo representa una aproximación novedosa y válida para conocer la realidad urbana de forma contextualizada y complementaria a los instrumentos actuales, pero con potencial de reemplazarlos. Dins de les múltiples decisions que tenen a veure amb el desenvolupament de barris d'habitatge social a Xile, la localització dels conjunts pren especial rellevància a causa deL potencial de facilitar, o no, la mobilitat social, l'accés a millors oportunitats, i la integració urbana (Sabatini i Brain, 2008). En aquest sentit la política d'habitatge ha estat insuficient, fins i tot incorporant incentius específics a millorar la localització, aplica paràmetres centralistes que no aporten a millorar significativament la condició de nous barris en ciutats més petites, fent urgent la incorporació d'un enfocament local.El Subsidi Diferenciat a la Localització (SDL) és part de la política d’habitatge que tracta d'esmenar les mancances en matèria residencial i urbana que s'han perpetuat per més de 30 anys a Xile. No obstant això, aquesta política no ha complert tots els seus objectius, ja que els seus paràmetres de localització permeten la ubicació d'habitatges socials en sectors amb accés deficient a xarxes d'equipaments. Si bé es demana informar la distància de desplaçament per a aspectes com transport, salut, educació en les fórmules per obtenir aquest incentiu, no incorporen, entre d'altres, mesures per a desplaçaments a llocs d'ocupació (Brain i col., 2010).És així, com es torna valuós el indagar en variables poc explorades en aquesta presa de decisions, com són les bases de dades massives relacionades a les dades geo-referenciats. Aquestes són una poderosa font d'informació per donar noves respostes i aproximacions a matèries urbanes (Pentland, 2009).Considerant que avui hi ha nombroses fonts de dades per a la majoria de les ciutats, realitats com la de desplaçaments, fluxos, usos de sòl, entre d'altres poden començar a modelar amb una precisió elevada, en temps quasi real, amb menors costos i amb alta fiabilitat . El volum d'informació que proporcionen les antenes de telefonia mòbil les fa capaços de descriure traces en diferents espais temporals (dia, setmana, mes) i per a diferents grups, exposant quant, com i cap a on es mouen les persones en una ciutat (Hoteit i col., 2014).El present estudi proposa indicadors de sostenibilitat per a zones de residència i destinacions (Integració, Connectivitat i Diversitat) i propostes de criteris de proximitat i morfològics per localitzar nous barris o millorar els existents des accions de regeneració urbana.En contrast amb els criteris actuals de localització i mitjans de caracterització urbana, aquest treball representa una aproximació nova i vàlida per conèixer la realitat urbana de forma contextualitzada i complementària als instruments actuals, però amb potencial de reemplaçar-los. Within the multiple decisions related to the development of social housing neighborhoods in Chile, the location of the complexes is especially relevant because of their potential to facilitate, or not, social mobility, access to better opportunities, and urban integration (Sabatini and Brain, 2008). In this sense, the housing policy has been insufficient, although it has incorporated specific incentives to improve the location, they are centralist application parameters that do not contribute to improving the condition of new neighborhoods in smaller cities, making the generation of incentives with a local approach.The Differential Location Grant (SDL) is part of the housing policy that seeks to address the deficiencies in housing and urban matters that have been perpetuated for more than 30 years in Chile. However, this policy has not fulfilled all its objectives, since its location parameters allow the location of social housing in sectors with poor access to equipment networks. Although it is requested to report the distance of travel for aspects such as transportation, health, and education in the formulas to obtain this incentive, they do not include, among others, measures for travel to places of employment (Brain et al., 2010).This is how it becomes valuable to investigate less explored variables in this decision-making, such as massive databases related to geo-referenced data. These are a powerful source of information to gather new responses and approaches to urban issues (Pentland, 2009).Taking into account that today there are numerous data sources for most of all cities, realities such as displacements, flows, land uses, among others, can begin to be modeled with high accuracy, in near-real time, with lower costs and Highest reliability. The volume of information provided by mobile phone antennas makes them capable of describing traces in different time-spaces (day, week, month) and for different groups, exposing how much, how and where people move in a city (Hoteit and col., 2014).Using the urban ICT capabilities, sustainability indicators have been described for areas of residence and destinations (Integration, Connectivity, and Diversity) and proposals for proximity and morphological criteria to locate new neighborhoods or improve existing ones from urban regeneration actions.In contrast to the current criteria of location and forms of urban characterization, this work represents a novel and valid approach to know the urban reality in a contextualized manner and complementary to the current instruments, but with the potential to replace them.

AbstractAimWe still lack a consensus on the main variables driving changes in migratory strategies. Different hypotheses have been proposed: productivity, energy, environmental heterogeneity, and genetic predisposition. This work takes an integrative view and analyses migrations from a macroecological perspective estimating the extent to which different environmental variables and historic factors influence migratory life histories.LocationGlobal.Time periodCurrent.Major taxa studiedActinopterygian fishes.MethodsUsing public domain museum records, global repositories, and global measures of temperature, productivity, precipitation and heterogeneity, we spatially analysed the distribution of anadromous, catadromous, amphidromous, potamodromous and oceanodromous migratory fish using 1,676 species and compared it to 1,616 non‐migratory fishes. After analysing the individual roles of productivity and temperature in shaping biodiversity, we conducted path analyses including several environmental variables and principal coordinates of phylogenetic structure (PCPS).ResultsThe different migratory strategies are not evenly distributed around the globe and phylogeny is a relevant variable in shaping current patterns. Productivity is positively related to species richness, except for anadromy and potamodromy, for which we observed a unimodal curve. Temperature significantly drives migratory species richness (except for anadromy). The role of environmental heterogeneity, measured as temperature seasonality and annual range, is strongest for anadromous species, which helps explain their skewed distribution towards higher latitudes and why the kinetic energy hypothesis fails in explaining their richness patterns.Main conclusionsOverall, migratory fish richness can be explained by the interaction of multiple variables, such as productivity, temperature, environmental heterogeneity, and the role of phylogeny, but these variables interact differentially in each strategy, diverging most for the anomalous anadromous fishes. Integrating these results into a global framework to better understand the evolutionary and ecological dynamics of migration will help with predicting responses to anthropogenic climate change.