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The Endemic Plants of Chile

Region: Antofagasta

Antofagasta Region is bordered by the Tarapacá Region to the north and the Atacama Region to the south. To the east, it borders Bolivia and Argentina. At 126,049 km² it is the second-largest region of Chile. The coastal hyper-arid belt runs from Arica (through Region Tarapacá) until the seaport of Antofagasta, however, south of here, about 50 km north of Taltal is Paposo which represents the richest development of the fog-zone vegetation in northern Chile. It is the predominance of this coastal fog oasis or Lomas vegetation, sometimes described as islands of vegetation surrounded by cool dry desert of the Atacama, which contribute towards the high numbers of endemics (423) for the region. As with other northern regions, the pre-altiplano shrub steppe and pre-altiplano shrubland support many endemic species. These fragile habitats, especially the Lomas formations, are highly susceptible to Climate Change!

Fog oasis at Paposo, the home to many endemic species including Eulychnia iquiquensis
Fog oasis at Paposo, the home to many endemic species including Eulychnia iquiquensis
Photo: © J.Hepp

Endemic Taxa in Antofagasta

Endemic taxa only occurring in Antofagasta