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59-668: The park protects the body of Todos los Santos Lake and a large part of its catchment. The outlet of the lake at the Petrohué locality gives rise to the Petrohué River . A short distance downstream, still within the limits of the Park, the Petrohué river flows through the Petrohue Waterfalls . The park also contains the eastern slope of Volcan Osorno , the southern slope of the Puntiagudo and

118-492: A 6-km-wide caldera now mostly buried. The Puntiagudo is a stratovolcano with a sharp peak whose summit is at 2,493 m (8,179 ft). From the Puntiagudo to the northeast for 18 km (11 mi) extends a fissure that has given birth to 40-odd basaltic scoria cones. The Cayutue La Vigueria volcanic field consists of some 20 maars and cinder cones, of which Volcan Cayutue is the principal. The activity of Volcan Cayutue filled

177-399: A brown color. Pangue is among the first plants to colonize land freed by landslide. In this forest ecosystem, a number of plant species rely on birds, notably hummingbirds, for pollination. The flowers of these species are generally bright red and yellow and have no perfume. The flowers awaiting the visit of birds tend to be tubular and hanging. A number of exotic plants have become feral in

236-470: A climate summary for the 10th Region . Average annual precipitation in the Petrohué area (lat 41°08'S), at an elevation of 700 m (2,297 ft), is around 4,000 mm (157 in). Precipitation on the Lake surface is around 3,000 to 4,000 mm (118 to 157 in) while on the western slope of the mountains it may reach 5,000 mm (197 in) per year. The predominant air flow is from west to east and

295-561: A legacy of the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana , a landmass formerly composed of South America, Africa, India, Antarctica and Australia. The high degree of endemic species and monospecific genera is thought to be linked to the geographic isolation came into being as result of the uplift of the Andes . There are a few " boreal " components in the Valdivian temperate rain forest which arrived by long-distance transport. Yet another component are

354-538: A number of stratovolcanoes have emerged. The Tronador and related structures are the result of volcanic activity dating back to the early Pleistocene. At the western entrance to the Park, the symmetrical cone of the Osorno volcano forms a towering landmark over the Todos los Santos and Llanquihue lakes. The peak of the Osorno is at 2,652 m (8,701 ft). The Osorno built up on top of an older stratovolcano, La Picada, which has

413-456: A stocky, short wild cat, is actually a member of the family of the leopards, a tiny ocelot. Of the group of the Canidae , the dogs, the Park is inhabited by chilla, Pseudalopex griseus , an animal that looks like a small fox but is not actually a fox. Introduced European red deer, Cervus elaphus , is having negative impact on natural renewal of the forest. Also damaging to the ecosystem balance

472-464: A variety of broadleaf evergreen trees, including Laureliopsis philippiana , Aextoxicon punctatum , Eucryphia cordifolia , Caldcluvia paniculata , and Weinmannia trichosperma , with an understory of Myrceugenia planipes , the arrayán ( Luma apiculata ) and other plants. Old-growth Valdivian evergreen forest (siempreverde) tend to form stratified canopy made up of two or three layers. Patagonian Andean forests . The third forest type

531-428: Is a bamboo that grows in humid areas below 500 m, where Chusquea culeou becomes more dominant above. Chusquea quila can form pure stands called quilantales . Very few plants can grow under this species. Other notable species are the nalca or Chilean rhubarb ( Gunnera tinctoria ) and the ferns Lophosoria quadripinnata and Parablechnum cordatum . Chile's national flower, the copihue ( Lapageria rosea )

590-619: Is a lake located in the Los Lagos Region of southern Chile , 96 km northeast of the regional capital Puerto Montt and 76 km east of Puerto Varas , within the boundaries of the Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park . It has a surface area of 178.5 km² and a maximum depth of 337 m. The Lake's National Park status has ensured protection to its environment. The catchment is largely covered with old-growth Valdivian temperate rain forests . The present form of

649-445: Is a pioneer species that grows in disturbed areas of the Valdivian rain forest. The maximum plant species richness is found at latitudes 40 to 43° S. There are four main types of forest ecosystems in the Valdivian ecoregion. Deciduous forests . At the northern end of the ecoregion are deciduous forests, dominated by deciduous species of southern beech , including rauli ( Nothofagus alpina ) and roble ( N. obliqua ). This

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708-504: Is a low diversity of mammals in Chilean temperate forests. The slender-billed parakeet ( Enicognathus leptorhynchus ) is endemic. Near-endemic and limited-range birds include the Chilean pigeon ( Patagioenas araucana ), Black-throated huet-huet ( Pteroptochos tarnii ), Chucao tapaculo ( Scelorchilus rubecula ), and Ochre-flanked tapaculo ( Eugralla paradoxa ). Hummingbirds are common in

767-617: Is a segment of a trail over the Andes known to have been used for centuries. In the late 19th century, a regular freight and tourist service between Puerto Montt was established, together with hotels and lodges. There are modern good quality hotels at the lake access points Petrohue and Peulla. Lodges catering for the needs of fisherpersons exist at the lake in Cayutue and close to Petrohue waterfalls and river. In Petrohue, private enterprise offers motor boats for rent. Todos los Santos Lake Lake Todos los Santos (Spanish for "All Saints Lake")

826-579: Is a transitional zone to the Mediterranean-climate region to the north. It grows from 35 to 36º S latitude along Chilean Coast Range , where it is known as Maulino forest . Nothofagus glauca and N. Alessandrii are predominant trees in Maulino forest. Deciduous Nothofagus forests also grow along the Andes of central Chile as far north as 33º S latitude, from approximately 1,200 meters elevation up to

885-460: Is at about 2,400 m in the northern part of the ecoregion (35° S), and descends to 1,000 m in the south of the Valdivian region. The Valdivian temperate rain forests are temperate broadleaf and mixed forests . The Valdivian and Magellanic temperate rainforests are the only temperate rain forests in South America and one of a small number of temperate rain forests in the world. Together they are

944-512: Is common and easily visible in the Park. The native fish fauna in Todos los Santos lake has been upset with the introduction of several species of trout and salmon. Sports fishing of these introduced species is a major activity in the Park. Among arthropods, the large antlered scarabeid beetle Chiasognathus granti , and the shiny coloured cerambicid beetle Cheloderus childreni have to be mentioned. Management of this and other national parks in Chile

1003-541: Is common; this species is also known as Winter's bark. At altitudes above 900 meters, coihue is replaced by deciduous leaf Nothofagus species. Trees and bushes of the Myrtaceae , the family of myrtus, are with nine species the most diversified taxon in the Park. They are generally associated with the presence of plenty water. Easily visible on beaches because of its bright orange bark is Temu, arrayan, Luma apiculata , Chilean myrtle. Luma colorada, reloncavi, Amomyrtus luma

1062-705: Is entrusted to Corporacion Nacional Forestal, CONAF. CONAF has outposts in Ensenada, Petrohue and Peulla and control posts at the Petrohue waterfalls and at various access points to the Osorno volcano. A camping place administered by CONAF exists in Petrohue. CONAF has habilitated a number of hiking trails, of which the more significant ones are: Sendero Paso Desolacion on the eastern slope of the Osorno, with 12 km length and reaching up to 1 100 meters altitude, and Sendero Laguna Margarita in Peulla, 8 km long. Lake Todos los Santos

1121-468: Is part of the Neotropical realm . The forests are named after the city of Valdivia . The Valdivian temperate rainforests are characterized by their dense understories of bamboos , ferns , and for being mostly dominated by evergreen angiosperm trees with some deciduous specimens, though conifer trees are also common. Temperate rain forests comprise a relatively narrow Chilean coastal strip, between

1180-620: Is submerged and continues as the Gulf of Corcovado . Much of the ecoregion was once covered by the Patagonian Ice Sheet and other glaciers during the peak of the last ice age , with ice descending from the Andes mountains; numerous bodies of water within the Chilean Lake District (in the central part of the ecoregion) are the remnants of ancient glacial valleys. The southern part of the region features many glacier-carved fjords . To

1239-474: Is the Patagonian Andean forests , which are distributed at higher elevations along the Andes mountain front, and are dominated by evergreen conifers , including pehuén ( Araucaria araucana ) and alerce ( Fitzroya cupressoides ). The alerce looks like a giant sequoia , and is a rival in longevity to the bristlecone pine , some with growth rings recording 3,625 years of local weather cycles. Closer to

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1298-576: Is the introduced wild boar , Sus scrofa . Three native species of carnivores of the Mustelidae group inhabit the Park. One is Molina's hog-nosed skunk , Conepatus chinga ; the second is lesser grison , Galictis cuja ; the third is southern river otter , Lontra provocax , an endangered species. An introduced mustelid: American mink , Mustela vison , has wrought havoc in the Parks ecosystems. The impact of mink has been devastating for bird species nesting on

1357-621: Is well known in Chile because of its dense, heavy wood that was used to manufacture police truncheons. The lineage of the Proteaceae , with relatives in Australia and New Zealand, has several representatives in the Park. Notro, fosforillo, Embothrium coccineum , Chilean firebush, has plentiful red tubular flowers and is frequent almost everywhere at the fringe of the forest. Avellano, gevuin, Gevuina avellana , Chilean hazel, carries edible nuts called avellanas. This tree does not shed its nuts until

1416-590: The Pacific Ocean to the west and the southern Andes Mountains to the east, from roughly 37° to 48° south latitude. North of 42°, the Chilean Coast Range stretches on, with just the north–south running Chilean Central Valley between it and the Andes. South of 42°, the coast range continues as a chain of offshore islands (including Chiloé Island and the Chonos Archipelago ), while the "Central Valley"

1475-820: The Pacific Plate ), the coast-hugging temperate rainforests of the Pacific Northwest (from Northern California to Southern Alaska , roughly 40°-60° north latitude) exist in similar settings, with the Rocky Mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. East of the Rocky Mountains, the North American prairie grassland stretches from south-central Canada to Texas , not unlike the Argentine grasslands to

1534-613: The long-clawed mole mouse , Geoxus valdivianus . The park is home to two species of marsupial mammals. Monito del monte , Dromiciops gliroides , has a semi-arboreal habit. It has been discussed why this South American marsupial appears to more closely related to the marsupials of Australasia than to those of the Americas. The other marsupial in the Park is the long-nosed shrew opossum , Ryncholestes raphanurus , first described for science in 1923. Around 80 species of birds, among full-time residents, seasonal migrants and visitors, are seen in

1593-531: The refugia of the Valdivian temperate rain forest between latitudes 41 and 37° S were; the coastal region, the lower slopes of the Chilean Coast Range and the westernmost Chilean Central Valley all of which remained free of disturbance by the glacial, glacifluvial and periglacial disturbance through the glaciation. Some of the threatened mammals of the Valdivian forests include the monito del monte (Dromiciops gliroides) , an arboreal marsupial ,

1652-593: The southern pudú (Pudu puda) the world's smallest deer , and the kodkod (Leopardus guigna) , South America's smallest cat . Since the beginning of the 20th century, there have also been nonnative wild boars living in the Valdivian forests. The Chilean climbing mouse ( Irenomys tarsalis ) and Chilean shrew opossum ( Rhyncholestes raphanurus ) are endemic to the ecoregion. Most mammal genera in Valdivian forests are also found in semi-arid parts of Patagonia . Relative to similar forest in North America there

1711-455: The tree line at 2,400 meters elevation. A krummholz of Nothofagus antarctica and N. pumilio grows near the tree line. The southern limit of these forests is 38º S latitude. Tall coniferous pehuén monkey-puzzle trees ( Araucaria araucana ) grow at the southern edge of the deciduous forests, from the coast at Nahuelbuta National Park to the Andes. Valdivian laurel-leaved forests . Valdivian laurel-leaved forests , characterized by

1770-456: The windward slope of the Chilean Coast Range and the Andes , creating orographic rainfall . Average annual precipitation varies from 1,000 mm at the northern edge of the ecoregion to more than 6,000 mm per year in the south. The northern portion of the ecoregion has a Submediterranean climate , with rainfall concentrated in the winter months. This seasonality decreases towards the south. Average annual temperatures are fairly uniform within

1829-481: The 19th century labelled it Lake Esmeralda ("Emerald Lake"), due to the green color of its water. However, later practice reverted to the name given by Jesuit missionaries, Todos los Santos Lake. A regular road and boat transport service provides tourist transport between Puerto Montt or Puerto Varas in Chile and San Carlos de Bariloche on Nahuel Huapi Lake in Argentina . There are two main lake ports: Petrohué at

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1888-631: The Cayutue depression and separated the Todos los santos lake from the Ralun estuary. Lava flows from these volcanoes is basaltic and andesitic. Their activity is generally explosive and lava flows are highly viscous. A summary of scientific information on the volcanoes of the Park (Osorno, Puntiagudo-Cordón Cenizos and La Viguería) is available from the Global Volcanism Program of the Smithsonian Institution. A second major factor that shaped

1947-489: The Park. Among the full-time residents are the Rhinocriptidae , of which the easiest to hear, and sometimes to see, is chucao tapaculo , Scelorchilus rubecula . Another rhinocryptid bird: black-throated huet-huet , Pteroptochos tarnii , is a speciality for birders in this park. Torrent duck , Merganetta armata , is sometimes seen at Petrohue waterfalls. One species of hummingbirds, the firecrown Sephanoides sephaniodes ,

2006-488: The Park. The most visible impact is given by retamo, Spanish Broom Spartium junceum , syn. Genista juncea , also known as Weaver's Broom, a perennial, leguminous shrub native to the Mediterranean region, toxic to animals. It thrives on the sand fields around the Osorno, along the road from Ensenada to Petrohue and in Petrohue. Retamo is very pretty when in flower but it does not belong. About 30 species of mammals live in

2065-411: The Park. These species are shy and difficult to observe. This Park and the geographically contiguous Puyehue, Nahuel Huapi and Lanin parks provide habitat to the puma , Puma concolor . The local sub-species is relatively small, usually not more than 30 or 40 kg, and preys on pudu Pudu puda , a tiny deer of solitary and reclusive forest habitat. Huiña, kodkod, Leopardus guigna , often mistaken for

2124-422: The Petrohue waterfalls, one sees the river flow over such a constraining andesite lava flow. The steep left bank of the river is granodiorite. These volcanoes expel large quantities of loose cinder that in depositing give the rounded conic shape. These cinders are easily washed away by rain and surface water flow, so that the Puntiagudo, an elder brother of the Osorno, is denuded to the hard core of lava frozen inside

2183-411: The Valdivian forests because of the presence of plants like the maqui ( Aristotelia chilensis ) and the copihue . The Valdivian forests include stands of huge trees, especially Nothofagus and Fitzroya , which can live to a great age. These magnificent rainforests are endangered by extensive logging and their replacement by fast-growing pines and eucalyptus , which are more sought-after by

2242-450: The area was still a glacial basin with rivers flowing through it. The lake itself did not form until lava flows from the Osorno and Calbuco volcanoes formed a dam across the lower part of the valley, trapping the water from the rivers and gradually forming the lake. This lake has been known by multiple indigenous names in the past: Purailla, Pichilauquen, and Quechocavi. German colonists in

2301-407: The area, especially at coastal locations where annual temperature differences between localities never exceed 7 °C. The northward-flowing oceanic Humboldt Current creates humid and foggy conditions near the coast. In the summer the temperature can climb to 16.5 °C (62 °F), while during winter the temperature can drop below 7 °C (45 °F). Winter temperatures are lower at higher elevations. The tree line

2360-559: The east of the Andes. Similar to the Atacama region of Chile, the Baja California and Sonoran deserts in the US/Mexican states of California and Baja California act as climatic borders for the northwest’s rainforests. Since the forest is located at around 40 degrees south, it is strongly influenced by the westerlies . The water vapour held by the westerlies condenses as they encounter

2419-408: The equator, incidents of endemism becoming more frequent as one moves equatorward. Lowland soils near the coast contain more available nutrients than more inland soils. The flora of the forests has inherited and developed its characteristics due to a variety of causes. Its Neotropical affinities reflect its current geographic connection to the remaining South America. Its "Gondwanan" species are

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2478-400: The flow of the glacier. Volcanoes were active during the retreating phase of the ice age. Some geologists postulate that Lake Todos los Santos and Llanquihue were just one lake in which the Osorno volcano built up until the two water bodies were separated. From then on, lake Todos los Santos had its surface level lifted as successive lava flows from the Osorno blocked the outlet of the lake. At

2537-430: The following year, so on its branches co-exist yellow-white aromatic flowers, unripe red nuts and ripe black nuts. Among herbaceous vegetation, the giant pangue, nalca, Chilean rhubarb Gunnera tinctoria is ubiquitous. It grows up to 2 meters tall and has very large leaves. The stem is edible and the indigenous name "nalca" actually applies to this part of the plant. The root was used in the past for dyeing wool; it yields

2596-475: The ground and on floating reeds. A diversity of animals of the rodent group live in the park. The larger ones are coipo, coypu , Myocastor coypus , a webbed-feet animal that inhabits reedy lake and river banks; and Wolffsohn's viscacha , Lagidium wolffsohni , of the family Chinchillidae , whose preferred habitat is above the timber line. Among the smaller rodents, scientists have shown particular interest for Chilean climbing mouse , Irenomys tarsalis , and for

2655-470: The lake is the result of glacial and volcanic processes. The main tributary of the lake is the Río Peulla/Río Negro, next to the Peulla locality. Its outflow at the Petrohué locality gives rise to the Petrohué River , with an average outflow of 270 m³ per second. Even though the lake has a regulating effect, it is subject to water level variations that may exceed 3 m and reflect in the discharge at

2714-515: The landscape was the action of glaciers during the ice age. Huge glaciers descended from the Tronador and found the way through the Todos los Santos valley far into the Central Valley of Chile. The glaciers removed practically all sediments that had deposited earlier. At exposed capes, visitors can observe the scratches left by stones carried by the glacier on the denuded surface of the granite opposing

2773-507: The mass of air, when lifted over the mountains, releases precipitation. Eastern slopes tend to receive less rainfall. The most rainy months are June, July and August, while the least rain is recorded in January, February and March. Average annual temperature at the inhabited levels, 3,000 to 4,000 mm (118 to 157 in) altitude, is around 11 to 12 °C (52 to 54 °F). Above 1,000 m (3,281 ft) altitude, snow persists for most of

2832-402: The most common and visible tree is coihue , Nothofagus dombeyi , in changing association with other species that include muermo, also known as ulmo, Eucryphia cordifolia and tineo, teñiu, Weinmannia trichosperma . At relatively warm locations, that is, close to the lake, there are thickets of tique, Aextoxicon punctatum . In particularly humid locations, canelo, fuñe, Drimys winteri

2891-598: The north, the Valdivian forests give way to the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub of the Chilean Matorral ecoregion. A few coastal enclaves of Valdivian forest grow in north-central Chile (such as Bosque de Fray Jorge National Park ) as remains of the last glacial maximum . To the south lies the Magellanic subpolar forests ecoregion. The temperate Valdivian, matorral, and Magellanic ecoregions are isolated from

2950-540: The outflow. At a short distance from the Petrohué locality, the river flows through the Petrohué Waterfalls . The lake may appear green, blue or silver depending on the cloud cover and weather on a given day. The majority of the greenish tint comes from glacial meltwater containing mineral debris. As recently as 20,000 years ago, the basin of Todos los Santos Lake was filled by a large glacier that did not withdraw until approximately 10,000 years ago. At that point,

3009-628: The pulp and paper industry. The native trees that are cleared to make way for these monocultures are often exported as woodchips to Japan. A start at conservation was made in November 2003 when a consortium of conservation groups, both local and international, bought at auction of a bankrupt logging firm 147,500 acres (600 km ) of biologically rich rainforest in the Valdivian Coastal Range. Gianni Lopez, Executive Director of CONAMA , Chile's national environmental agency remarked, "Ten years ago

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3068-509: The second largest in the world, after the Pacific temperate rain forests of North America (which stretches from Alaska to northern California). The Valdivian forests are a refuge for the Antarctic flora , and share many plant families with the temperate rainforests of New Zealand , Tasmania , and Australia . Fully half the species of woody plants are endemic to this ecoregion. Chusquea quila

3127-537: The species from nearby South American ecosystems that adapted to the temperate rainforest. During the Llanquihue glaciation much of the area west of Llanquihue Lake remained ice-free during the Last Glacial Maximum and had sparsely distributed vegetation dominated by Nothofagus species. Valdivian temperate rain forest proper was reduced to scattered remnants in to the west of the Andes. More specifically

3186-515: The subtropical/tropical forests that dominate northern South America by such landscapes as the Atacama desert (north of the matorral), the Andes Mountains, and the dry, rain-shadow Patagonian steppe east of the Andes. As a result, the temperate forest regions have evolved in relative isolation, with a high degree of endemic species. Due to a similar location geographically and geologically (along

3245-636: The treeline, the conifers give way to Andean scrublands of deciduous Nothofagus antarctica . Northern Patagonian forests . The fourth and last type is the Northern Patagonian forests, which dominate the southern half of the ecoregion, with evergreen species such as the broadleaf Nothofagus dombeyi , Nothofagus betuloides and Drimys winteri and the coniferous podocarps , including Podocarpus nubigenus . Distribution of plants follow Rapoport's rule with plant species distribution increasing at higher latitudes and decreasing at those closer to

3304-600: The volcanic chimney. In a recent geological if not historical event, rocks of volcanic origin raised the Ensenada depression between the Osorno and the Calbuco volcanoes, thus forcing the Llanquihue lake to open a new outlet to the sea on its western shore. The vegetation of the Park corresponds to the Valdivian temperate rain forests in its mountain variant. The composition of the forest changes with altitude and substratum. Generally

3363-567: The western end, and the village of Peulla at the eastern end; there is no road connecting these ports. The lake is surrounded by steep mountains leaving only minor plains. The mountains include Osorno volcano in the west, the Puntiagudo to the north, and the Tronador to the east. 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

3422-483: The western slopes of the Tronador , with a maximum altitude of 3,491 m (11,453 ft). These mountains with year round snow give a strong imprint to the landscape. A summary of geographical and limnological data for lake Todos los Santos is found in the database of the International Lake Environment Committee. Dirección Meteorológica de Chile (Chilean Meteorological Service) published

3481-413: The year. During the warm summer months, average daily maximum temperature may be around 25 °C (77 °F). Vegetation growth extends over approximately 6 months of the year. The geological substratum of the Park area is generally Granodiorite , an igneous rock. Except for recent sediments and volcanic cinders, no old sedimentary rocks appears anywhere in the Park. Through the igneous rock substratum,

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