Belgian Researchers Visit Pirinel Park and Highlight the Potential of Chilean Forests for Advancing Scientific Knowledge

Which forest species will be able to adapt to a warming climate? Which ecosystem services are most vulnerable to global change? And how can we conserve the ecosystems that host large biodiversity? These are among the questions driving the work of researchers from Ghent University in Belgium, who recently visited Pirinel Park in Chile’s Los Ríos Region to explore one of South America´s temperate rainforests and identify opportunities for scientific collaboration.

The delegation is part of a team of researchers investigating how climate change is reshaping forest ecosystems across different regions of the world. Their studies take place in countries such as Belgium, Ecuador, Panama and French Guiana, where they use a combination of long-term field experiments, environmental monitoring systems, satellite data and 3D modeling to understand how forests respond to environmental change and the implications for human well-being.

“We study temperate forests in Europe and often generalize those findings to temperate regions across the rest of the world. However, Chile’s temperate rainforests may differ significantly in their composition, structure and functioning, which raises a number of very interesting scientific questions,” said Hans Verbeeck, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Bioscience Engineering and co-head of the Q-ForestLab at Ghent University, Belgium.

During their visit, the delegation learned about the scientific work being carried out at Pirinel Park, a conservation initiative led by Fundación Luksic in Chile’s Los Ríos Region. Spanning more than 12,000 hectares, the park includes areas dedicated exclusively to scientific research as well as spaces open to the public. Visitors can access more than 10 kilometers of trails, including an accessible boardwalk extending over 500 meters and four scenic viewpoints. Located in one of the country’s most biodiverse regions, the park is home to a rich variety of native plant and animal species.

“The goal of Parque Pirinel is to dedicate this area to conservation and scientific research, protecting not only its biodiversity but also fostering knowledge generation and research to contribute to a more sustainable Chile,” said Macarena Cea, CEO of Fundación Luksic.

Since its inception, the Foundation has partnered with Chilean and international universities to carry out research in the park. More than 50 academics have helped lay the groundwork for studying species such as the southern pudu, Darwin’s frog, the güiña (kodkod), the puma, the area’s native forests, and its water resources. The park is also equipped with camera traps and climate sensors installed across different locations and elevations to monitor, better understand, and protect this unique ecosystem.

“Parque Pirinel is a unique ecosystem from our perspective, as it combines traits of temperate forests with elements more commonly found in tropical forests, including epiphytes—such as mosses—and lianas. This makes it an especially valuable site for scientific research and conservation,” Verbeeck noted.

The researchers noted that Chile provides opportunities to study the impacts of climate change on biodiversity. “Beyond its extensive natural areas, which face relatively low levels of human pressure compared to many other countries, Chile’s remarkable latitudinal range allows us to examine how species respond to different climates and how they may move as temperatures continue to increase,” they said.

The visit also included meetings with researchers from universities and research institutions in the Los Ríos Region, providing an opportunity to exchange knowledge and experiences. The researchers will evaluate new opportunities for scientific collaboration that could generate evidence to support and guide conservation strategies.