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MEDECOS is an international conference organized by ISOMED, the International Society of Mediterranean Ecology, which aims to meet the scientific community interested in Mediterranean-type ecosystems. The origins of MEDECOS date back to March 1971, when an international group of scientists convened in Valdivia, Chile, to discuss their work on Mediterranean-climate ecosystems. MEDECOS has been hosted every 3-4 years in different locations of the five Mediterranean areas of the world (Mediterranean Basin, SW Australia, California, Central Chile and the Cape Region in South Africa). In 2014, MEDECOS returns to Chile to celebrate four decades of advances in research concerning to MTEs.

Themes

Ocean-Land Interfaces
Fog influence on vegetation and ecosystem processes
Marine conservation in MTEs

Changing land uses in MTEs
Exploring sustainable practices in production systems (wineries, forestry, agriculture) in MTEs

Shifting ecotones
MTE boundaries with semi-arid and temperate ecosystems

Paleo-biogeography of MTEs

Global climatic anomalies across MTEs

Characteristic and distinctive taxa among MTEs
Quercus/Nothofagus
Proteaceae
Gymnosperms

Socio-ecological studies in MTEs
Urban ecosystems
Restoration ecology
Watershed management

Plenary Speakers

Harold Mooney
distinguished professor, Stanford University

Philip Rundel
distinguished professor, University of California, Los Angeles

Katherine Suding
professor, University of California, Berkeley
professor, University of Colorado, Boulder

David Richardson
distinguished professor, Stellenbosch University

Fernando Valladares
senior scientist, Spanish Research Council (CSIC)
associate professor, Rey Juan Carlos University of Madrid

Field Trip

A highlight of the conference will be an all-day trip to La Campana National Park, declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1985. La Campana is home to the southernmost palm in the world: Jubaea chilensis, the Chilean wine palm. Like many other plants in the park, J. chilensis is considered relict taxa. The park is named for Cerro La Campana, a mountain  climbed by Charles Darwin during the second voyage of the HMS Beagle. From the summit, Darwin enjoyed a panoramic view of the coast and the Andes Mountains.