A Refuge for Collaborative Science: FMA Strengthens Research Network at First Scientific Meeting in Bosque Pehuén
In July, our foundation held the First Scientific Meeting at the Bosque Pehuén reserve, a natural laboratory of 870 hectares situated in the Palguín Alto mountain range in the Andean La Araucanía. More than a dozen researchers from disciplines including biology, ecology, forestry sciences, sociology, geography, acoustic engineering, and ornithology shared findings on climate, fauna, community-based fire management, and soundscapes—in a space designed to foster scientific exchange and transdisciplinary collaboration.
The gathering took place in the depths of winter, an experience that marked all participants. “Being in the mountain, in this refuge so cared for, so welcoming, was a privilege […] being protected, drinking coffee, mate, and tea, conversing and laughing, is a very nourishing blend and particularly fruitful for reflection and intellectual work,” said Manuel Tironi, academic at the Catholic University (UC), who presented his research on the socioecology of wild boar (Sus scrofa), an invasive exotic species in Chile.
Before the first round of presentations, participants walked through part of the reserve, which allowed them to reflect on site about long-term research and the principal threats facing the forest (fires, human intrusion, domestic livestock, and climate change). They also learned about the ecological characteristics that make Bosque Pehuén a strategic space for research: a protected area that enables long-term investigations, its location at the headwaters of the Palguín River, and its conservation values including araucaria, Darwin’s frog, monito del monte, hydrological networks, and Nothofagus forests.
The meeting unfolded in an atmosphere of camaraderie widely highlighted by participants. “There was good spirits and interest in sharing and discussing each person’s research […] the diversity of disciplines helped greatly in generating new perspectives […] we all worked together to prepare meals and naturally divided up the maintenance tasks,” recounted Felipe Guarda, sociologist and head of assessment and studies at FMA, who emphasized the relevance and necessity of creating encounter spaces distinct from more classical formats such as congresses.
Sebastián Carrasco, biologist and coordinator of conservation projects at FMA, agreed: “The atmosphere was one of great collaboration, listening, teamwork, and also constructive feedback on the different research projects”.
The first day began with a presentation from FMA’s conservation team on the principal research lines at the reserve: climate, dendrochronology of araucarias, mammal monitoring, mountain biodiversity, and forest dynamics. Next, Marcelo Jara, a doctoral candidate at UC, addressed community-based fire management; César Cuevas from UC Temuco shared his research on amphibians; and Carla Marchant, from the Natural Laboratory Andes of the South (LNAS), presented this network’s collaborations in northern La Araucanía and Chiloé. “Listening to our colleagues allowed us to find several research topics and other lines that are somewhat underrepresented in our own work,” Marchant noted. She also highlighted the value of Bosque Pehuén as a scientific platform: “The infrastructure that Mar Adentro has […] is what ANID identifies as enabling infrastructure for scientific development”.
Closing the first round, Felipe Otondo from the Austral University of Chile (UACH) presented the Soundlapse project, a methodology that records changes in the forest’s soundscape over time. Manuel Tironi particularly praised this presentation: “I loved the opportunity to see Felipe Otondo’s work and how it inspired me to think about how I could integrate sound methodologies into my own research […] I also found the research being conducted by the CIMA laboratory (1) led by Tomás Altamirano—FMA’s director of conservation—on high mountain ecologies and conservation particularly interesting”.
The second day was dedicated to birds and mountain soundscapes. Gabriel Morales, a doctoral candidate and bioacoustics researcher at UACH, presented his work on forest acoustic communities; followed by work from the CIMA laboratory and our foundation. Magdalena Cordero spoke on bird diversity in volcanoes; Juan Joannon shared his work and master’s thesis from UACH on the acoustic niche of mountain birds; and Gabriela Biscarra presented her findings on reproduction of high-Andean birds, as part of her doctoral thesis work. The meeting concluded with Ricardo Moreno from UACH presenting on forest dynamics based on a decade of monitoring through permanent plots in the Bosque Pehuén Natural Reserve.
For Felipe Ortega, ranger and administrator of Villarrica National Park, the research on soundscape opened new collaborative opportunities: “It opens a possibility for us to know another dimension of nature. Additionally, in our case, we have a development line involving the inclusion of people with disabilities, and several ideas illuminated for me regarding how to include sound within the inclusive activities we carry out […] and also how to translate this information for environmental education”.
Several participants stressed the value of building bridges between disciplines beyond the scientific. Felipe Ortega shared this idea: “I think it would be very good for scientists to see how this knowledge is reflected in art and education […] how these investigations have been able to translate not just on paper, but also in dance, painting, music”.
The final morning included a brainstorming session dedicated to imagining joint research initiatives, followed by a closing session where the group established agreements for sustaining collaborative work. Through the generation and dissemination of research, the strengthening of alliances, and the co-design of scientific and conservation initiatives, our foundation seeks to contribute to the protection of Bosque Pehuén’s ecosystems and other socio-ecosystems throughout the country, strengthening the role of private conservation in knowledge generation and the development of environmental public policies.
Footnotes
(1) The CIMA Laboratory (Conservation and Research of the Southern Mountain) is a research group dedicated to the care and socioecological study of mountain ecosystems. It is composed of researchers from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (Villarrica Campus), the Austral University of Chile, and Fundación Mar Adentro.
