Introduction
Framework for ecosystem classification
Anthropogenic land use/cover units
Methods
Criteria used for the classification of ecosystems
Criteria | Description of criterion | Categories defining ecosystem types |
---|---|---|
A. Land cover type | This criterion distinguishes land units depending on the presence of vegetation cover, level of water saturation and human-dominance | A.1. Terrestrial systems with or without vegetation cover |
A.2. Freshwater bodies | ||
A.3. Anthropogenic systems | ||
B. Land use type | Defined by human land use as primary driver of energy and matter exchanges. Ecosystems are often managed, and hence they lack most of historical native plant cover | B.1. Ecosystems dominated by exotic plant cover |
B.2. Urban ecosystems | ||
B.3. Industrial and mining systems | ||
B.4. Agro-pastoral systems | ||
B.5. Commercial forestry plantations | ||
C. Water saturation of soil | This category comprises freshwater wetlands, classified by water saturation of soil | C.1. Telmatic ecosystem |
C.2. Aquatic ecosystem | ||
D. Vegetation cover (proportion of land surface) | Ecosystems with or without native plant cover. The 10% cover limit allows the distinction of ecosystems predominantly shaped by vegetation dynamics rather than physical factors | D.1. Vegetation cover > 10% |
D.2. Vegetation cover < 10% | ||
D.3. Land without vegetation cover | ||
E. Dominant life form | Ecosystems dominated by vegetation with contrasting growth habits or life forms. Dominance is referred to the control of energy and matter transfers | E.1. Herbaceous cover predominant |
E.2. Succulent-dominated | ||
E.3. Scrublands | ||
E.4. Tree-dominated (forest) | ||
F. Functional leaf traits | Ecosystems dominated by functional types defined by contrasting leaf traits, such as leaf size, leaf duration and leaf type. Leaf traits influence the circulation of nutrients within the ecosystems and reflect climate-vegetation relationships | F.1. Evergreen |
F.2. Deciduous | ||
F.3 Microphyllous | ||
F.4. Macrophyllous | ||
F.5. Broad leaved | ||
F.6. Conifer | ||
F.7. Drought-deciduous | ||
F.8. Winter-deciduous | ||
G. Climate modulators | Distinctions are based on how water and temperature influence ecosystem processes. Finer distinctions could be made here when necessary, depending on each country or region | G.1. Desert |
G.2. Mediterranean | ||
G.3. Warm-temperate | ||
G.4. Cold-temperate | ||
G 5. Sub-Antarctic | ||
H. Ecosystems in extreme environments | Ecosystems with less than 10% plant cover are separated depending on whether production is strongly nutrient-limited (e.g., P or N in young rock substrates), or limited by extreme temperatures (areas above treeline) or water deficit (deserts) | H.1. Nutrient-limited |
H.2. Water limited | ||
H.3. Temperature limited |
Application of the above criteria to Chilean ecosystems
Ecosystem | Criteria for defining ecosystem | Land cover | NSPA | NSPA+PPA | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
km2
| % | km2
| % | km2
|
%
| ||
High-Andean steppe | A1–D1–E1–G1 | 21,062 | 2.8 | 4165 | 19.8 | 4168 | 19.8 |
Central Chilean Andean steppe* | A1–D1–E1–G2 | 3986 | 0.5 | 357 | 8.9 | 381 | 9.5 |
Patagonian steppe* | A1–D1–E1–G3 | 19,921 | 2.6 | 958 | 4.8 | 1372 | 6.9 |
Ecosystems dominated by succulents* | A1–D1–E2 | 1810 | 0.2 | 70 | 3.9 | 70 | 3.9 |
Evergreen scrub with microphyllous leaves* | A1–D1–E3–F3 | 88,927 | 11.7 | 3246 | 3.7 | 5324 | 6.0 |
Evergreen scrub with macrophyllous leaves* | A1–D1–E3–F4 | 10,205 | 1.3 | 157 | 1.5 | 398 | 3.9 |
Drought-deciduous scrub* | A1–D1–E3–F7–G2 | 21,376 | 2.8 | 310 | 1.5 | 501 | 2.3 |
Broad-leaved sclerophyllous forest ecosystem* | A1–D1–E4–F5–G2 | 12,826 | 1.7 | 147 | 1.1 | 265 | 2.1 |
Broad-leaved warm-temperate forest ecosystem** | A1–D1–E4–F5–G3 | 23,601 | 3.1 | 2740 | 11.6 | 4059 | 17.2 |
Broad-leaved cold-temperate forest ecosystem | A1–D1–E4–F5–G4 | 39,343 | 5.2 | 14,837 | 37.7 | 17,010 | 43.2 |
Broad-leaved sub-Antarctic forest ecosystem | A1–D1–E4–F5–G5 | 24,749 | 3.3 | 8806 | 35.6 | 10,052 | 40.6 |
Conifer-dominated forest ecosystems | A1–D1–E4–F6 | 3424 | 0.4 | 1550 | 45.3 | 1732 | 50.6 |
Drought-deciduous desert woodland ecosystem | A1–D1–E4–F7–G1 | 1180 | 0.1 | 250 | 21.2 | 250 | 21.2 |
Winter-deciduous warm-temperate forest ecosystem* | A1–D1–E4–F8–G3 | 17,872 | 2.4 | 541 | 3.0 | 871 | 4.9 |
Winter-deciduous cold-temperate forest ecosystem** | A1–D1–E4–F8–G4 | 33,033 | 4.4 | 5521 | 16.7 | 7637 | 23.1 |
Salt flat ecosystem* | A1–D2–H1–H2–H3 | 8363 | 1.1 | 617 | 7.4 | 678 | 8.1 |
Sand dune ecosystems* | A1–D2–H1 | 1942 | 0.3 | 47 | 2.4 | 58 | 3.0 |
Ecosystems on lava flows, volcanic rocks and ash | A1–D3–H1 | 1475 | 0.2 | 521 | 35.3 | 530 | 35.9 |
Low-elevation desert ecosystem* | A1–D2–H2 | 12,733 | 1.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 503 | 4.0 |
Andean desert ecosystems above treeline* | A1–D2–H3 | 42,467 | 5.6 | 2720 | 6.4 | 3381 | 8.0 |
Absolute desert* | A1–D3–H2 | 139,555 | 18.5 | 2963 | 2.1 | 2972 | 2.1 |
Glaciers | A1–D3–H3 | 26,889 | 3.6 | 18,118 | 67.4 | 19,382 | 72.1 |
Telmatic ecosystems | A2–C1 | 45,162 | 5.9 | 29,117 | 64.5 | 29,517 | 65.4 |
Aquatic ecosystems | A2–C2 | 9043 | 1.2 | 2155 | 23.8 | 2262 | 25.0 |
Ecosystems dominated by invasive species*** | A3–B1 | 1052 | 0.1 | – | – | – | – |
Urban ecosystems*** | A3–B2 | 2036 | 0.3 | – | – | – | – |
Industrial-Mining complexes*** | A3–B3 | 163 | 0.02 | – | – | – | – |
Intensive-use agro-pastoral ecosystems*** | A3–B4 | 52,837 | 6.9 | – | – | – | – |
Conifer plantations*** | A3–B5–F1 | 21,401 | 2.8 | – | – | – | – |
Broad-leaved plantations*** | A3–B5–F2 | 4212 | 0.6 | – | – | – | – |