Three levels of integrating ecology with the conservation of South American temperate forests: the initiative of the Institute of Ecological ResearchChiloe, Chile

The diversity of native species assemblages and that of indigenous cultures that once characterized the temperate forests of southern Chile have exper ienced a process of homogenization ever since the Spanish conquest. Today t his process continues to erode both biotic and cultural diversity. With the goal of linking ecological research with actions to conserve the biologica l and cultural richness of this region, we established the Institute of Eco logical Research Chiloe. The Institute's philosophy and activities involve three approaches: (1) participation of professional ecologists in environme ntal education and decision making, through collaboration with the communit y at local, regional, and global scales. (2) programs of ecological educati on, which include planting indigenous trees in urban areas and creating a l ocal botanical garden with representative Chilean forest species. (3) criti cal analyses of the narrow economic and utilitarian environmental ethics th at currently prevail in Chile, and often in other Latin American nations, a nd examination of traditional or novel alternative ethics and perspectives that address multiple interrelations between biological and cultural dimens ions.