Las Vertientes Private Nature Reserve (Spanish: ) is a private Chilean

nature 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 ...

located in the

Los Lagos Region Los Lagos Region ( es, Región de Los Lagos , ''Region of the Lakes'') is one of Chile's 16 regions, which are first order administrative divisions, and comprises four provinces: Chiloé, Llanquihue, Osorno and Palena. The region contains ...

, part of Chilean

Patagonia Patagonia () refers to a geographical region that encompasses the southern end of South America, governed by Argentina and Chile. The region comprises the southern section of the Andes Mountains with lakes, fjords, temperate rainforests, and gl ...

.World Database on Protected Areas
Created in 2009 as a nature reserve operated by the

Corporación Nacional Forestal 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 ...

, its purpose is to protect the plants and animals of the

Valdivian temperate rainforest 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 ...

. The reserve's work emphasizes

restoration Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to: * Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage ** Audio restoration ** Film restoration ** Image restoration ** Textile restoration * Restoration ecology ...

of the

temperate rainforest Temperate rainforests are coniferous or broadleaf forests that occur in the temperate zone and receive heavy rain. Temperate rain forests occur in oceanic moist regions around the world: the Pacific temperate rain forests of North American Paci ...

ecosystem An ecosystem (or ecological system) consists of all the organisms and the physical environment with which they interact. These biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. Energy enters the syste ...

over being a public amenity.Friends of the Gondwana Rainforest I Patagonia
. accessed 11.21.2011 It is the only private protected area in

Los Muermos Los Muermos is a city and commune in Llanquihue Province, Los Lagos Region in southern Chile. Demographics According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Los Muermos spans an area of and has 16,964 inhabitants (8,939 men and 8 ...

History

Las Vertientes Private Nature Reserve was formed a by renowned artist and architect with the help of his family, aiming to promote wildlife conservation and environmental education for the children of Northern Patagonia. The Las Vertientes Private Nature Reserve's nursery roots go back to 2008 when the owners began growing native plants in response to local environmental issues. Native ecosystems were being destroyed through forest clearance and development of subdivisions. The family saw the need to reverse these destructive trends and started propagating native species as a hobby.

Biota

;Fauna Some of the endangered

fauna Fauna is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is ''flora'', and for fungi, it is '' funga''. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively referred to as '' biota''. Zoo ...

that can be found in the Las Vertientes nature reserve include:

Monito del monte The monito del monte or colocolo opossum, ''Dromiciops gliroides'', also called ''chumaihuén'' in Mapudungun, is a diminutive marsupial native only to southwestern South America (Argentina and Chile). It is the only extant species in the ancient ...

(''Dromiciops gliroides''),

Southern pudú The southern pudu (''Pudu puda'', Mapudungun ''püdü'' or ''püdu'', es, pudú, ) is a species of South American deer native to the Andes of Chile and Argentina. It is found in high-altitude forests and is classified as Near Threatened in the I ...

, Puma (''Puma concolor''),

Kodkod The kodkod (''Leopardus guigna'') (), also called guiña, is the smallest felid species native to the Americas. It lives primarily in central and southern Chile, as well as marginally in adjoining areas of Argentina. Since 2002, it has been liste ...

(''Leopardus guigna''), and the

Magellanic Woodpecker The Magellanic woodpecker (''Campephilus magellanicus'') is a very large woodpecker found in southern Chile and southwestern Argentina; it is resident within its range. This species is the southernmost example of the genus '' Campephilus'', which ...

. ;Flora Some of the endangered

flora Flora is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous) native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms '' gut flora'' or '' skin flora''. E ...

that can be seen in the

valdivian temperate rainforest 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 ...

of the Las Vertientes nature reserve include:

Copihue ''Lapageria'' is a genus of flowering plants with only one known species, ''Lapageria rosea'', commonly known as Chilean bellflower or copihue (''copeewueh'', from Mapudungun ''kopiwe''). ''Lapageria rosea'' is the national flower of Chile. It ...

trees (''Lapageria rosea''), Murta shrub (''Ugni Molinae''), Olivillo trees (''Aextoxicon punctatum''), and the Alerce trees (''Fitzroya cupressoides'').

References

National reserves of Chile Protected areas of Los Lagos Region Ecology of Patagonia Valdivian temperate rainforest {{SouthAm-protected-area-stub