See

discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232324992

La Campana, a new national

park in central Chile
Article in Biological Conservation July 1975
Impact Factor: 3.76 DOI: 10.1016/0006-3207(75)90077-4

CITATIONS

READS

11

68

2 authors, including:
Philip W. Rundel
University of California, Los A
276 PUBLICATIONS 8,124
CITATIONS
SEE PROFILE

Available from: Philip W. Rundel

Retrieved on: 30 April 2016

LA CAMPANA,

A NEW NATIONAL
CHILE

PARK IN CENTRAL

PHILIP W. RUNDEL* & PABLO J. WEISSERt

Departamento de Biologia, Facultadde Ciencias,

Universidadde Chile, Casilla 653, Santiago, Chile

ABSTRACT
La Campana, a new Chilean national park, includes examples of all the major biotic
communities of central Chile: Nothofagus forest, hygrophilous forest, sclerophyll
forest, matorral, bamboo thicket, succulent scrub, high altitude communities, and
palm forest. Although the exact boundaries have yet to be determined, the park
includes approximately 15,000 ha, and lies less than 75 km from both Santiago and
Valparaiso." The unique natural features of the park are discussed and the current
movement to support its development are described.

INTRODUCTION
One of the most interesting ecological areas in central Chile lies in the Cordillera
de la Costa, less than 75 km from both Santiago and Valparaiso. Within a triangular
area roughly bounded by Campanita (1510 m), La Campana (1910 m), and
El Roble (2220 m) (Fig. 1), and the Palm Valley of Ocoa, a total area of nearly
15,000 ha, occurs a microcosm of almost all the significant ecological communities
of the Mediterranean zone of central Chile (Fig. 2). Although nearly one third of
the entire population of Chile lives within a 90 min drive of this area, it has remained
remarkably undisturbed. This article describes the unique natural features of this
area and the current movement to support one of Chile's newest national parks,
La Campana.
Charles Darwin visited La Campana in August 1835. In The Voyage of the
Beagle he described his experiences of climbing the peak:
* Present Address: Department of Population and Environmental Biology, University of
California,Irvine, California,USA.
t Present Address: Botanical Research Institute, Private Bag XI01, Pretoria, South Africa.

35
BioL Conserv. (8) (1975)-- Applied SciencePublishers Ltd, England, 1975
Printed in Great Britain

36

PHILIP W. RUNDEL, PABLO J. WEISSER

,4.

~.'/

510

//

.J.'~

~-ZZ.~

~-r~',

SANTIAGO!

u./~.

~x ~ - ~

L.~ / Q /
w

~',

. f..~ %

"-.-"--

"

"~{% ~

"

h' \ ~
' ~

"~"'--'"~'~

_.I"~.,

~
'

~/l~
/

2220"I

~ V

i=

"~

EL ROBLE

~'-7

I ~

~\ ' ~ 4
~

.--.,,~.-,J-J

GRANIZO/

""

~'~.

/;k\

'/ ~-~19t0

flA CAMPANA'I
'
/

~,~P_ H I I I:" /Q= /

.

OCOA

V A L ~ ~ - - .
,

X SAN PEDRO" /
: ~

/\

CAMPANITA

"~

~.'-"

"~k \ ~.~'kl
!

,j"

CAL~EU

. . . .

Fig. 1. Map of La Campana Park, showing the location and the main physiographic features,
for example the Campanita, La Campana and El Roble mountains and the Ocoa valley. The
limits are still provisional.

Fig. 2. The coastal mountain range formed by Carnpanita (left), La Campana (middle) and
E1 R.oble (right) in a view from the road between Penablanca and Limache, on the southwest edge
of the park. In the foreground are badly disturbed areas with isolated groups of sclcrophyll trees
and second growth savanna dominated by A c a c i a caven. The boundary of the La Campana
National Park passes at the foot of the mountains.

LA CAMPANANATIONAL PARK, CHILE

37

' . . . in the m o r n i n g we set out to ascend the C a m p a n a or Bell M o u n t a i n , which

is 6,400 feet high. The paths are very bad, but both the geology and scenery
a m p l y repaid the t r o u b l e . . .
W e spent the day on the summit, and I never enjoyed one more thoroughly.
Chile, b o u n d e d by the Andes and the Pacific, was seen as in a map. The pleasure

Fig. 3. A giant hummingbird (Patagona gigas gigas) on its nest. The two nestlings are still blind
and only a few days old. The nest is approximately 8 cm in diameter.

38

PHILIP W. RUNDEL, PABLO J. WEISSER

from the scenery, in itself beautiful, was heightened by many reflections which
arose from the mere view of the Campana range . . . . '
~oday, Andean condors (Vultur gryphos) still frequent the summits of La
Catnpana where Darwin stood, riding warm air currents across the central valley
from their nests in the Cordillera of the Andes. Pumas (Felis concolor L.) eliminated
from much of Chile by man, exist only a few km to the south. Patagona gigas gigas
(Vieillot) (Fig. 3), the world's largest hummingbird, nests in the area. Even more
striking than the animal life alone, however, is the diversity of biotic communities
contained within this small area. These include eight major community types,
eaoh of unusual interest: Nothofagus forest, hygrophilous forest, sclerophyll
forest, sclerophyll matorral, bamboo thicket, succulent scrub, high altitude
vegetation, and palm forest. These communities are described briefly in the text.
More details of these communities have been published (Reiche, 1970; Schmithiisen,
1954, 1956; Oberdorfer, 1960; Hermosilla, 1962; Schlegel, 1966). Vertebrates of
the La Campana are described in a variety of references: mammals (Shamberger,
in press); birds (Johnson, 1965-1967); reptiles (Donoso-Barros, 1966), and
amphibians (Cei, 1962).
The climate of central Chile is of the Mediterranean type and closely parallels
that of southern California, with a six-month offset. Summer conditions are warm
and dry. Mean temperatures for December-February are 18C, and a mean of
only 30 mm of precipitation falls from November to April. Winters are mild and
moist. The mean winter temperature (June-August) is l lC. A mean of about
85 ~o of the total seasonal precipitation falls from May to August. The mean annual
precipitation at Quillota near the national park is 424 mm (Cunill, 1970). Within
the park itself, climatic conditions become cooler and wetter with increasing
elevation. Snow falls most years on the summits of La Campana and Cerro
Roble. On the seaward slopes of the mountains, fogs are relatively frequent.

PLANT COMMUNITIES

Nothofagus forest
Perhaps the most unique biotic community of La Campana National Park is
the Nothofagus forest. The roble (Nothofagus obliqua var. macrocarpa*) is
characteristic of southern Chile, but probably extended widely into the central
part of the, country during the Pleistocene. Today, however, only a few relict
stands of this forest remain in central Chile. Those at high elevation on Campanita,
La Campana and El Roble represent the northern limit of distribution of the genus
in South America. These forests are best developed on mesic south- and southeastfacing slopes and occur in continuous or scattered stands on these three mountains,
* Taxonomy of plant species follows that of Muftoz (1966).

LA CAMPANA NATIONAL PARK, CHILE

Fig. 4.

W i n t e r view o f

Nothofagus obliqua v a r obliqua o n

39

El Roble. T h e s e trees are 7 0 - 8 0 c m in

d i a m e t e r a n d 15 m in height.

40

PHILIP W. RUNDEL, PABLO J. WEISSER

from nearly 850 m (along streams) to the top of El Roble at 2,220 m. At lower
elevation the Nothofagus forest is replaced by the hygrophilous forest along watercourses and by either matorral or bamboo thickets in less mesic situations.
Although these forests have been heavily utilised for timber and charcoal in
historical times, individuals of N. obliqua on El Roble may reach 70-80 cm dbh
and 15 m in height (Fig. 4). Near the top of El Roble, as soils become shallow and
rocky and environmental stresses of wind and cold increase, individuals take a
krummholz morphology with distinct wind trimming, although bushy growth
may sometimes result from resprouting after lumbering.
The dominance of the roble clearly marks the environment of this community.
Common woody associates of N. obliqua are Azara dentata (corcol6n), Aristotelia
chilensis (maqui), Lomatia obliqua (radal, northern distribution limit) and Ribes
punctatum (zarzaparrilla). The seasonal changes in this deciduous forest are
striking. Two interesting parasites of southern origin are present in the Nothofagus
forests of the La Campana area. Myzodendron linearifolium (injerto), a mistletoelike hemiparasite, was discovered on El Roble by Looser in 1927. Also abundant
is an edible fungus of the genus Cyttaria (dihuefies). This basidiomycete, related
to the puff balls, grows only on the branches of Nothofagus. Like the host trees
themselves, Cyttaria is a disjunct from southern Chile, occurring here at its northern
limit.

Hygrophilous forest
Nowhere in central Chile is the hygrophilous forest community better developed
than in the valleys of La Campana above Olmu6. The general aspect of this
community is that of closed woods of mixed broad-leaved evergreens, 12 to 15 m
in height, with individual trees up to 60 cm dbh. Dominance in this forest is shared
by a variety of woody species, notably Drimys winteri (canelo, holy tree of the
Araucanian Indians), Crinodendron patagua (patagua), Myrceugenia obtusa (?)
(array~in), Dasyphyllum excelsa (.9) (palo sato), Persea lingue (lingue) and the
climber Proustia pyrifolia (parriUa blanca). The lingue, an important timber tree
in the south of Chile, reaches its northern limit in this community. The species
composition of this community shows clear southern affinities (Oberdorfer, 1960).
The approximate southern limit of influence of the coastal fog zone, characterstic
of northern Chile, can be seen within the hygrophilous forest. The coastal
mountain range in this area acts as a climatic barrier, preventing further penetration of most of the coastal fogs. The effect of this fog zone on La Campana is the
production of a belt centred on approximately 400 m elevation, where conditions
of high air humidity provide ideal conditions for the growth of cryptogamic
epiphytes and even bromeliads. Tillandsia usneoides (barba de monte), the Spanish
moss of the southeastern United States, festoons trees in great abundance. Lichen
species are also unusually numerous both in species diversity and in biomass.

LA C A M P A N A NATIONAL PARK, CHILE

41

Sclerophyll forest
Sclerophyll forests dominate south-facing, low to moderate slopes, occupying
less humid habitats than the hygrophilous woods. With less water availability the
biomass is smaller and the canopy lower. If undisturbed, the ground vegetation is
sparse, possibly due to allelopathic action of the litter of some of the sclerophyU
species. Dominant species are Cryptocarya alba (peumo), Beilschmiedia miersii
(belloto), Peumus boldus (boldo) and Azara celastrina (lildn). Existing relicts of this
vegetation indicate that it once dominated broad areas along the lower slopes of
La Campana. Following disturbance a secondary vegetation appears, dominated
by Acacia caven (espino), Sophora tetraptera (mayu), Trevoa trinervis (tebo) and
Lobelia salicifolia (tupa).
Matorral
This xeric shrub community is remarkably similar to the chaparral of Southern
California. Like the chaparral, this community is dominated by low evergreen
shrubs, 1 to 2 m height, with small, simple, evergreen leaves (Mooney et al.,
1970). The total shrub cover within the matorra| component ranges from 50 to
100 %. Dominant species are Lithraea caustica (litre), Quillaja saponaria (quillay),
Kageneckia oblonga (hauyo, boUdn) Escallonia pulverulenta (corontillo), and
Maytenus boaria (maiten). With environmental degradation such species as
Satureja gilliesi (oreganillo), Lobelia salicifolia, Acacia caven, Coliguaya odorifera
(colliguay), Podanthus mitiqui (mitiqui), Trevoa trinervis and the poisonous
Cestrum parqui (palqui) become frequent associates.
A matorral community similar in .some aspects to those of La Campana has
been described in detail by Schlegel (1966). Descriptions of the dominant species
can be found in the Flora de Zapallar by Johow (1945). Although most matorral
communities in central Chile have been severely degraded by wood cutting, charcoal burning and overgrazing, some of the least disturbed stands of matorral
remain today near La Campana and El Roble.
Bamboo thicket
Chusquea cummingii (colihue), a bamboo of tropical origin, is abundant in the
La Campana region, covering extensive areas with nearly impenetrable thickets.
Thickets of Chusquea occur with nearly all other community types at La Campana,
an indication of the broad ecological amplitude of this species. The Chusquea
thickets represent an important management problem in this area because of the
great fire hazard.
Succulent scrub
Xeric north-facing slopes are characterised by open stands of succulents and
low Xerophytic, spiny shrubs. A similar kind of community can be found on steep

42

PHILIP W. RUNDEL, PABLO J. WEISSER

xeric slopes of any aspect. The species composition varies depending on the
altitude and slope. In lower regions Trichocereus chilensis (quisco), an arborescent
cactus reaching 2--4 m, is common. Its branches are protected by rows of sharp
spines, 5 to 8 (10) em long. Two large terrestrial bromeliads, Puya chilensis
(ehagual) and Puya berteroniana, are also important.
The prominence of terrestrial bromeliads in central Chile is interesting. In
addition to the two species described above, at least two other species of Puya are
endemic to the Mediterranean zone of Chile. One of these, P. violacea, is a restricted
endemic, with its centre of occurrence in the La Campana region. Although one
terrestrial bromeliad occurs in the Sonoran Desert in Mexico, no species have
evolved in the Mediterranean zone of California. This ecological niche there is
filled by species of Yucca, Nolina and Agave.

High altitude vegetation

Above 1600 m on the mountains of the Campana area, low alpine-like vegetation
forms distinct communities on rocky slopes adjacent to Nothofagus forests. These
communities are best developed on the summit of El Roble above 2000 m.
Dominant species in these communities may be tussock grasses (Stipa and Festuca
species) or low shrubs (Valenzuelia trinervis, Mulinum, Schinus montanus,
Chuquiraga oppositifolia, and Colliquaya intergerrima).

Palm forest
The Chilean palm, Jubaea chilensis, once covered extensive areas of the valleys
and foothills of the Cordillera de la Costa in central Chile. Darwin describes
counting several hundred thousand trees on a single estate. Today the Chilean
palm is restricted to a narrow belt along the coastal ranges of central Chile from
southern Coquimbo Province in the north to Maule Province in the south, a
latitudinal range of less than 400 km. It occurs at elevations from near sea level to
approximately 1600 m. Nowhere, however, does it reach the Andes. With the
exception of the Valley of Ocoa in the park (Fig. 1), the stands of Cocalfin (south
of Melipilla) and El Salto (near Vifia del Mar), no large palm stands remain today.
The presence of thousands of palms in the Valley of Ocoa, fringing the slopes of
the valley, is certainly one of the outstanding features of the Campana area.
The elimination of the vast majority of Chilean palms has resulted from the
harvesting of these trees for palm honey (Fig. 5), a sugary sap which they produce
in large quantities. Extensive felling of the palms occurred during the 17th and
18th centuries, when they supplied sugar for the entire country. The production
of palm honey was described by Darwin and the techniques have changed little up
until the present time. The palms are large, often more than a metre in diameter and
15 m in height. The fallen palm stems yield sap continuously over a 7-month
period for a total of up to 400 litres. This sap is watery in consistency and must be
concentrated to one eighth its original volume. The production of palm honey

Fig. 5. Centuries old palms were once felled to extract palm syrup. The palm sap flows slowly
from the upper part of the stem, where the leaves have been removed. The man must renew the
wound twice a day to keep the sap flowing.

.=

44

PHILIP W. RUNDEL, PABLO J. WEISSER

has continued until recently. Today palm-cutting has been outlawed with the
exception of an annual quota of 150 trees. It is intended to prohibit palm-cutting
completely.
The production of palm honey has been summarised in a 16 mm eolour film
Mittelchile: Gewinnung yon Palmenhonig im Ocoatat (Weisser & Aguilera, 1973),
available from Institut ffir den Wissenschaftlichen Film, Gfttingen, Germany.
Further data and bibliography on Jubaea chilensis have been provided by Schmithiisen (1956), Oberdorfer (1960), Koch (1961) and Rubinstein (1969).

MAN'S INFLUENCE ON LA CAMPANA AREA

Western man's influence on the La Campana area began during the 16th century
rule of Charles V, the last Holy Roman Emperor. Following the establishment of
Santiago (1541) and Valparaiso (1552), Jesuit influence in central Chile expanded,
and gold and copper mines were established in the region of La Campana. On
visiting the area in 1835, Darwin remarked that almost every part of the mountain
had been drilled in an attempt to find gold. During the 19th century renewed
mining pressure came from the discovery of copper deposits on La Campana.
Copper mines remain active today, and quartz, feldspar, pyrites, and molybdenum
are mined.
The most significant environmental influences of man on the La Campana
region have occurred over the past century as populations in the surrounding areas
have increased. Severe environmental problems have resulted from agricultural
activities, overgrazing, charcoal burning, wood cutting, and palm cutting. Goats,
cattle, and sheep are grazed in relatively large numbers throughout the region. In
dry years particularly, overgrazing is a serious problem, often associated with
extensive erosion. The lack of native tree species for fuel in the Andean cordillera
has encouraged extensive degradation of matorral areas by charcoal burners
throughout Chile's history. Although this practice has been outlawed in the
La Campana region, the illegal activities continue. Similarly, the relict Nothofagus
forests on La Campana and El Roble have been heavily lumbered in the past. A
secondary problem has also been bark-stripping of quillay (Quillaja saponaria) for
saponin, a steroid compound used to form emulsions in detergents (Neuenschwander, 1965). Reforestation projects with replanting of Quillaja have begun.

LA CAMPANA AS A NATIONAL PARK

Interest in protecting the ecological attributes of the La Campana area has been
widespread for more than thirty years, spurred particularly by the work of Mr A.
Garaventa and Mr G. Looser. The prime factor influencing the movement to form
La Campana National Park has been the outstanding natural features included

LA CAMPANA NATIONAL PARK, CHILE

45

within the area of La Campana, Cerro Roble, and the Valley of Ocoa as described
above. The historical interest of the area has also been long recognised. The
Sociedad Cientlfica de Valparaiso and the British Resident Colony placed a metal
plaque below the summit of La Campana in 1935 to honour Charles Darwin's
ascent of this peak on 17 August 1835. Equally as important as the ecological and
historical values, however, are the tremendous educational and recreational
values of a national park within 60 to 90 minutes of the population centres of
Santiago and Valparaiso.
Although Chile has an extensive system of national parks (see Hartwig &
Wiebecke, 1968; Elizalde MacClure, 1970; Corporaci6n National Forestal,
1972) almost all of these are in the far north or south, a long distance from the
large cities of central Chile. The closest park to the north is the Fray Jorge fog
forest in the coastal hills south of Coquimbo, over 350 km north of Valparaiso.
To the south, Nahuelbuta National Park (5,400 ha) protects a relict population of
Araucaria araucana, 550 km distant. Thus, with no other significant national park
within a reasonable distance from the most populated cities of Santiago and
Valparaiso, the recreational and educational value of the National Park La
Campana is obvious. The educational value is made particularly important with
the increasing awareness and emphasis placed on ecological values within the
Chilean educational system.
La Campana National Park was proclaimed by law in 1966, after more than
30 years of discussion. Its protection was urgent, because of progressive deterioration aggravated by the increasing population pressure of the surrounding towns.
The continued activities of copper mines and the installation of a transmission
station and an observatory on the top of El Roble have also added complex
problems to the area. The World Wildlife Fund has promoted the park by sponsoring the publication of two pamphlets, one on the park as a whole and the other
on the Ocoa Palm Valley (Weisser, 1972). Although serious problems still exist,
particularly in relation to the establishment of boundaries of the park, it is hoped
that the Chilean government and people will give La Campana National Park
the importance and financial support it deserves and requires. A realistic management plan effectively to restrict environmental degradation through charcoal
burning, overgrazing, and palm cutting is the first step to protecting the natural
features of this unique area. We urge that the Comite Nacional pro Defensa de la
Fauna y Flora, Casilla 3675, Santiago, Chile, continue to receive strong support
from all interested persons, in order to make a real contribution towards the
protection and management of this area.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This work was supported by the Ford Foundation's University of California-University of Chile Convenio Program and the Comisi6n National para la

46

PHILIP W. RUNDEL, PABLO J. WEISSER

Investigaci6n Cientifica f r o m the University o f Chile, Santiago, Chile.

REFERENCES
CEX,J. M. (1962), Batraeios de Chile. Santiago, Ediciones Universidad de Chile.
COm'ORACI6NNATIONALFOI~STAL(1972). Parques Nacionales de Chile. Santiago (Mimeographed).
CUNmL, P. (1970). Geografia de Chile. Santiago, Editorial Universidad de Chile.
DARWIN, C. R. (1962). The Voyage of the Beagle. Natural History Library Edition. New York,
Doubleday & Co., 524 p.
DONOSO-BAI~ROS,R. (1966). Reptiles de Chile. Santiago, Ediciones Universidad de Chile.
ELIZALDE MACCLURE, R. (1970). La sobrevivencia de Chile. 2nd Edn, Santiago, Ministerio de
Agricultura, Servicio Ganadero.
HAR~CCIG, F. & WmB~CKE, C. (1968). Landschaftsschutz und Naturparke in Chile. Forstarchiv,
39, 250-6.
HERMOSILLA,W. (1962). Observaciones ecologica-cuantitativas sobre la fauna eddfica del Cerro El
Roble. Thesis, Escuela de Veterinaria, Universidad de Chile, Santiago,
JOHNSON, A. W. (1965-1967). The birds of Chile. 2 vols. Buenos Aires, Platt Establicimientos
Graficos.
Jo~Iow, F. (1945). Flora de Zapallar. Revta chil. Hist. nat., 49, 1-566.
KocH, H. (1961). Unsere chilenische Palme. Wissenwerte Einzelheiten. Andina, 1961, 33-7.
Ltx~mt, G. (1927). Nothofagus, Cyttariay Myzodendron en el Cerro del Roble (Prov. de Santiago).
Revta chil. Hist. nat., 31, 288-90.
MooNev, H. A., DUNN, E. L., SHROPSmRE,F. & SONG,L. (1970). Vegetation comparisons between
the Mediterranean climatic areas of California and Chile. Flora, Jena, 159, 480-96.
Mu~oz, C. (1966). Sinopsis de la Flora Chilena. Santiago, Editorial Universidad de Chile.
NEUENSCHWANDER, A. (1965). Contribuci6n al estudio anatomico de la corteza de quillay y
recomendaciones sobre su explotaci6n. Thesis, Escuela de Agronomia, Universidad de Chile,
Santiago.
OBEROORFER, E. (1960). Pflanzensoziologische Studien in Chile. Ein Vergleich mit Europa.
Flora et Vegetatio Mundi, 2, Verlag J. Cramer.
R~ICH~, K. (1907). Grundzuge der Pflanzenverbreitung in Chile. In Die Vegetation der Erde, 8,
Ed. by W. Engelmann, Leipzig.
RUmNSTEIN, A. (1969). Inventario y estudio de producci6n de un rodal de palma chilena Jubaea
chilensis (Mol.) Baillon. Hacienda Ocoa, Prov. de Valparaiso. Thesis, Facultad Agronomia,
Universidad de Chile, Santiago.
SCHLEGEL,F. (1966). Pflanzensoziologische und floristische Untersuchungen ~ber Hartlaubgeh61ze
im La Plata-Tal bei Santiago de Chile. Ber. oberhess. Ges. Nat.-u. Heilk., New Series, 34,
163-204.
SCHMrrHOSEN, J. (1954). Waldgesellschaften des nordlichen Mittelchile. Vegetatio, 5-6, 479-86.
SCHMITnOSEN,J. (1956). Die r~iumliche Ordnung der chileniscben Vegetation. Bonn. Geogr. Abh.,
17, 1-86.
SHAMBERGER, M. (in press). Los mamlferos del Parque Nacional La Carapana. Santiago, Corporacion Nacional Forestal.
WEISSER,P. (1972). Warum National park La Campana? Andina, 1972, 44-9.
WEhSSER, P. & AGtrILERA, I. (1973). Mittelchile: Gewinnung von Palmenhonig im OeoataL
Documentary film, 16 ram, published by Encyclopaedia Cinematographica, No. E 1812/1973,
Inst. f. d. Wiss. Film, G6ttingen, 14 p.