Magellanic moorland


The Magellanic moorland or Magellanic tundra is an ecoregion on the Patagonian archipelagos south of latitude 48° S. It is characterized by high rainfall with a vegetation of scrubs, bogs and patches of forest in more protected areas. Cushion plants, grass-like plants and bryophytes are common.
At present there are outliers of Magellanic moorland as far north as in the highlands of Cordillera del Piuchén in Chiloé Island. During the Llanquihue glaciation Magellanic moorland extended to the non-glaciated lowlands of Chiloé Island and further north to the lowlands of Chilean lake district.
The classification of Magellanic moorland has proven problematic as substrate, low temperatures and exposure to the ocean influences the development of the Magallanic moorland. It thus may qualify either as polar tundra or heathland.

Flora and plant communities

identifies the following plant communities for the Magellanic moorland:
  1. Bogs
  2. #Sphagnum bogs
  3. ##Magellanic sphagnum tundra
  4. ##Juncus bogs
  5. #Non-sphagniferous bryophytic tundra
  6. ##Non-sphagnum moss bog
  7. ##Hepatica bogs
  8. Pluvinar mires
  9. #Hygrophytic mire tundra
  10. #Montane pulvinar tundra
  11. #Bryophyte and dwarf shrub tundra
  12. Gramineous mires
  13. #Tufty sedge tundra
  14. #Subantarctic gramineous mire
  15. Woody synusia tundras
  16. #Tundras with Pilgerodendron uvifera
  17. ##Association Pilgerodendretum uviferae
  18. ###Sub-association Pilgerodendro-Nothofagetum betuloidis
  19. ###Sub-association Nano-Pilgerodendretum uviferae
  20. #Interior nanophanerophytic tundras
  21. ##Interior heath of low to medium elevation
  22. ##Montane nanophaneritic tundra
Where forests occur they are made up of the following trees Nothofagus betuloides, Drimys winteri, Pseudopanax laetevirens, Embothrium coccineum, Maytenus magellanica, Pilgerodendron uviferum and Tepualia stipularis.

Soils and climate

s are usually rich in turf and organic matter and poor in bases. Often they are also water-saturated. Granitoids, schists and ancient volcanic rocks make up the basement on which soils develop. Any previously existing regolith has been eroded by the Quaternary glaciations. It is not rare for bare rock surfaces to be exposed in the interior of islands.
The climate where Magellanic moorland grows can be defined as oceanic, snowy and isothermal with cool and windy summers. In the Köppen climate classification it has a tundra climate ET.