Archipiélago de Juan Fernández National Park () is a national park located in the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contin ...

665 kilometres west of

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

's mainland port of

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

, in the

Juan Fernández Archipelago ''Juan'' is a given name, the Spanish and Manx versions of ''John''. It is very common in Spain and in other Spanish-speaking communities around the world and in the Philippines, and also (pronounced differently) in the Isle of Man. In Spanish, t ...

. The park covers 96 square kilometres and comprises the Santa Clara, Alejandro Selkirk and the most part of the

Robinson Crusoe Island Robinson Crusoe Island ( es, Isla Róbinson Crusoe, ), formerly known as Más a Tierra (), is the second largest of the Juan Fernández Islands, situated 670 km (362 nmi; 416 mi) west of San Antonio, Chile, in the South Pacific Oc ...

islands.

Climate

The islands have a subtropical, temperate

Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...

, but this varies depending on the island"Parque Nacional Archipiélago de Juan Fernández"
Comuna de Juan Fernández - 2014, Retrieved 14 December 2014. and is moderated by the influence of the cold Humboldt Current, which flows northward to the east of the islands, and the southeast trade winds. Temperatures range from to , with an annual mean of . Higher elevations are generally cooler, with occasional frosts on Robinson Crusoe. Average annual precipitation is , varying from to year to year. Much of the variability in rainfall depends on the

El Niño-Southern Oscillation EL, El or el may refer to: Religion * El (deity), a Semitic word for "God" People * EL (rapper) (born 1983), stage name of Elorm Adablah, a Ghanaian rapper and sound engineer * El DeBarge, music artist * El Franco Lee (1949–2016), American p ...

. There is generally a 4 - 5 month dry season during the warmer summer months. Rainfall is higher in the winter months, and varies with elevation and exposure; elevations above experience frequent rainfall, while the western, leeward sides of

Robinson Crusoe ''Robinson Crusoe'' () is a novel by Daniel Defoe, first published on 25 April 1719. The first edition credited the work's protagonist Robinson Crusoe as its author, leading many readers to believe he was a real person and the book a tra ...

and Santa Clara are quite dry.

Ecosystem of the park

The Juan Fernández islands are home to rare and

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

plants and animals, some of which are at risk of extinction (like the Juan Fernández Hummingbird). The islands are recognized as a distinct

ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) or ecozone (ecological zone) is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than a biogeographic realm. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of ...

, and the whole archipelago, including Robinson Crusoe, Alexander Selkirk and Santa Clara islands and all the islets in the area of the national park, were designated a

Biosphere Reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

in 1977. The volcanic origin and remote location of the islands isolate them from the flora and fauna species of continental South America. As a result, the island is home to relatively few plant and animal species. The closest relatives of the archipelago's plants and animals are found in the

temperate broadleaf and mixed forest Temperate broadleaf and mixed forest is a temperate climate terrestrial habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature, with broadleaf tree ecoregions, and with conifer and broadleaf tree mixed coniferous forest ecoregions. These ...

ecoregions of Southern Chile, including the

Valdivian temperate rain forests The Valdivian temperate forests (NT0404) is an ecoregion on the west coast of southern South America, in Chile and Argentina. It is part of the Neotropical realm. The forests are named after the city of Valdivia. The Valdivian temperate rainforest ...

Magellanic subpolar forests The Magellanic subpolar forests () are a terrestrial ecoregion of southernmost South America, covering parts of southern Chile and Argentina, and are part of the Neotropical realm. It is a temperate broadleaf and mixed forests ecoregion, and ...

, and

Desventuradas Islands The Desventuradas Islands ( es, Islas Desventuradas, , "Unfortunate Islands" or ''Islas de los Desventurados'', "Islands of the Unfortunate Ones") is a group of four small oceanic islands located off the coast of Chile, northwest of Santiago in ...

Flora

There are 209 native species of

vascular plant Vascular plants (), also called tracheophytes () or collectively Tracheophyta (), form a large group of land plants ( accepted known species) that have lignified tissues (the xylem) for conducting water and minerals throughout the plant. They ...

s in the park, approximately 150 of which are

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

s and 50 are ferns. There are 126 species (62 percent) that are endemic, with 12 endemic genera and one endemic

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Lactoridaceae ''Lactoris fernandeziana'' is a flowering shrub endemic (ecology), endemic to the cloud forest of Robinson Crusoe Island, ''Masatierra'' — Robinson Crusoe Island, of the Juan Fernández Islands archipelago of Chile. It is the only extant specie ...

. Many plants are characteristic of the

Antarctic flora Antarctic flora are a distinct community of vascular plants which evolved millions of years ago on the supercontinent of Gondwana. Presently, species of Antarctica flora reside on several now separated areas of the Southern Hemisphere, includin ...

, and are related to plants found in southern South America, New Zealand and Australia. Vegetation zones generally correspond to elevation, with grasslands and shrublands at lower elevations, tall and montane forests at middle elevations, and shrublands at the highest elevations. The two main islands have somewhat distinct plant communities. Cabra de Juan Fernandez 2

Alejandro Selkirk Island is mostly covered with grassland from 0 to , interspersed with wooded ravines ''(quebradas)'', home to dry forests of ''

Myrceugenia ''Myrceugenia'' is a genus of evergreen woody flowering trees and shrubs belonging to the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, first described as a genus in 1855.

'' and ''

Zanthoxylum fagara ''Zanthoxylum fagara'' or wild lime, is a species of flowering plant that—despite its name—is not part of the genus ''Citrus'' with real limes and other fruit, but is a close cousin in the larger citrus family, Rutaceae. It is native to sout ...

''. From to are lower montane forests, with upper montane forest from to . The treeline is at approximately , above which is alpine shrubland and grassland, dominated by temperate Magellanic vegetation such as ''

Acaena ''Acaena'' is a genus of about 60 species of mainly evergreen, creeping herbaceous perennial plants and subshrubs in the family Rosaceae, native mainly to the Southern Hemisphere, notably New Zealand, Australia and South America, but with a fe ...

Dicksonia ''Dicksonia'' is a genus of tree ferns in the order Cyatheales. It is regarded as related to ''Cyathea'', but is considered to retain more primitive traits, dating back at least to the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. The fossil record includes ...

, Drimys,

Empetrum ''Empetrum'' is a genus of three species of dwarf evergreen shrubs in the heath family Ericaceae. They are commonly known as crowberries and bear edible fruit. They are commonly found in the northern hemisphere, from temperate to subarctic clima ...

Gunnera ''Gunnera'' is the sole genus of herbaceous flowering plants in the family Gunneraceae, which contains 63 species. Some species in this genus, namely those in the subgenus ''Panke'', have extremely large leaves. Species in the genus are various ...

, Myrteola,

Pernettya ''Gaultheria'' is a genus of about 135 species of shrubs in the family Ericaceae. The name commemorates Jean François Gaultier of Quebec, an honour bestowed by the Scandinavian Pehr Kalm in 1748 and taken up by Carl Linnaeus in his '. These pl ...

'', and '' Ugni''. On Robinson Crusoe, grasslands predominate from 0 to ; introduced shrubs from to ; tall forests from to ; montane forests from to , with dense tree cover of '' Cuminia fernandezia,

Fagara ''Zanthoxylum'' is a genus of about 250 species of deciduous and evergreen trees, shrubs and climbers in the family Rutaceae that are native to warm temperate and subtropical areas worldwide. It is the type genus of the tribe Zanthoxyleae i ...

'', and '' Rhaphithamnus venustus'';

tree fern The tree ferns are arborescent (tree-like) ferns that grow with a trunk elevating the fronds above ground level, making them trees. Many extant tree ferns are members of the order Cyatheales, to which belong the families Cyatheaceae (scaly tree ...

forests from to , and brushwood forests above . Santa Clara is covered with grassland. One of the main predators of endemic vegetable species, and responsible for the great extensions of grassland, is the Juan Fernández Goat. These were originally domestic goats left behind by the first explorers which became feral, recovering some of the characteristics of wild goats (Capra aegagrus).

CONAF The National Forest Corporation or CONAF (Corporación Nacional Forestal) is a Chilean private, non-profit organization, through which the Chilean state contributes to the development and sustainable management of the country's forest resources. C ...

carries out ongoing work to control this and other invasive species, including mice, rats, true thrushes, sparrow and

feral cat A feral cat or a stray cat is an unowned domestic cat (''Felis catus'') that lives outdoors and avoids human contact: it does not allow itself to be handled or touched, and usually remains hidden from humans. Feral cats may breed over dozens ...

s. Three endemic species dominate the montane forests of the archipelago: '' Drimys confertifolia'' on both main islands; '' Myrceugenia fernandeziana'' on Robinson Crusoe; and '' M. schulzei'' on Alexander Selkirk. Endemic tree fern species of southern hemisphere genus ''

'' (''D. berteriana'' on Robinson Crusoe and ''D. externa'' on Alexander Selkirk) and the endemic genus ''

Thyrsopteris ''Thyrsopteris'' is a genus of tree fern. It contains a single living species, ''Thyrsopteris elegans'', endemic to the Juan Fernandez Archipelago off the coast of Chile. ''Thyrsopteris'' is the only genus in the family Thyrsopteridaceae in the ...

'' ''(T. elegans)'' are the predominant species in the tree-fern forests. An endemic species of sandalwood, '' Santalum fernandezianum'', was

overexploited Overexploitation, also called overharvesting, refers to harvesting a renewable resource to the point of diminishing returns. Continued overexploitation can lead to the destruction of the resource, as it will be unable to replenish. The term ap ...

for its fragrant wood, has not been seen since 1908, and is believed extinct. The Chonta palm (''Juania australis'') is endangered.

Fauna

The Juan Fernández Archipelago has a very limited fauna, with no native land mammals, reptiles, or

amphibia Amphibians are four-limbed and ectothermic vertebrates of the class Amphibia. All living amphibians belong to the group Lissamphibia. They inhabit a wide variety of habitats, with most species living within terrestrial, fossorial, arbor ...

ns. Seventeen land and sea-bird species breed on the islands. The island has three endemic bird species, and two endemic subspecies. Introduced fauna by humans include rats and

goat The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a domesticated species of goat-antelope typically kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the a ...

is home to an endemic and endangered hummingbird, the

Juan Fernández firecrown The Juan Fernández firecrown (''Sephanoides fernandensis'') is a Critically Endangered hummingbird in the "coquettes", tribe Lesbiini of subfamily Lesbiinae. It is endemic to Isla Róbinson Crusoe, one of the three-island Juan Fernández arch ...

(''Sephanoides fernandensis''). This large hummingbird, about long, is thought to number only about 500 individuals. The other endemic bird species are the Juan Fernández tit-tyrant ('' Anairetes fernandezianus'') of Robinson Crusoe Island, and the Masafuera rayadito (''Aphrastura masafuerae'') of Alejandro Selkirk Island. The islands support the entire known breeding populations of two petrel species
Stejneger's Petrel
''Pterodroma longirostris''
IUCN
status VU) and th
Juan Fernandez Petrel
''Pterodroma externa''
IUCN
status VU). In addition, the Juan Fernandez Islands may still support a third breeding petrel species
De Filippi's Petrel
''Pterodroma defilippiana''
IUCN
status VU), whose only other known breeding grounds are on the

. The

Magellanic penguin The Magellanic penguin (''Spheniscus magellanicus'') is a South American penguin, breeding in coastal Patagonia, including Argentina, Chile, and the Falkland Islands, with some migrating to Brazil and Uruguay, where they are occasionally seen a ...

breeds on Robinson Crusoe Island within the archipelago. The endemic Juan Fernandez spiny lobster (without claws) lives in the marine waters (''Jasus frontalis''). The

Juan Fernández fur seal The Juan Fernández fur seal (''Arctocephalus philippii'') is the second smallest of the fur seals, second only to the Galápagos fur seal. They are found only on the Pacific Coast of South America, more specifically on the Juan Fernández Island ...

(''Arctocephalus philippii'') also lives on the islands. This species was nearly exterminated in the sixteenth to nineteenth century, but it was rediscovered in 1965. A census in 1970 found about 750 fur seals living there. Today, the total population reaches the ten thousands. Only two were sighted on the

, located some to the north. The actual population of the Desventuradas may be higher, because the species tends to hide in sea caves. There seems to be a yearly population increase of 16–17 percent. Image:Arrecife Juan Fernandez.jpg , Juan Fernández Reef Image:CabraJuanFernandezMJD2.jpg , Juan Fernández Wild Goat Image:Sephanoides fernandensis.jpg , Juan Fernández Firecrown Image:Arctocephalus townsendi.jpg , Juan Fernández Fur Seal

How to get to the park

From the continent, as expected, the access is only by air or sea. By air: the local airlines LASSA and ATA fly weekly (2.5 hrs. from

Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, whos ...

). By sea: a Chilean Navy ship goes to the islands in December and February, and only occasionally the rest of the year. The journey takes one and a half days from

Valparaíso Valparaíso (; ) is a major city, seaport, naval base, and educational centre in the commune of Valparaíso, Chile. "Greater Valparaíso" is the second largest metropolitan area in the country. Valparaíso is located about northwest of Santiago ...

References

External links

Park Information in CONAF official site Juan Fernandez Biosphere Reserve
{{DEFAULTSORT:Archipielago de Juan Fernandez National Park Biosphere reserves of Chile Protected areas established in 1935 Protected areas of Valparaíso Region National parks of Chile 1935 in Chilean law