With an attractive design, graphics and varied photographs, the text seeks to make information about this unique species in this part of the world accessible.
At the Extension Center of the University of La Serena, the official presentation of the book ''Natural History of the Tricahue Parrot in Northern Chile'' was held, edited by researchers Dr. Renzo Vargas (ULS-CEAZA-IEB) and Dr. Francisco Squeo (ULS-CEAZA). The book was commissioned by the mining company Barrick Pascua-Lama as a result of an environmental commitment and the need to carry out responsible work with the environment.
The volume, the product of four years of research, aims in a simple and visual way to promote the ecological importance of the Tricahue parrot as a species and the role it plays in its ecological system. ''We are beginning to understand the ecological importance of the Tricahue parrot as a species and the role it plays in its ecological system. This bird consumes seeds from bushes and trees in its environment and also disperses them to different places. For example, it is possible to find seeds of forage plants, on which they feed, near breeding sites or parrots, even though these bushes are generally far from them. What the parrot is doing is moving, dispersing and favoring the genetic flow of the vegetation on which it feeds,'' explained Dr. Vargas.
The specialist added that this animal also participates in regulating the abundance of plants because it consumes the seeds. ''There are other sites in the South of Chile where it has also been seen that the parrot is capable of consuming the nectar of chagual flowers. Therefore, it could be a pollinator of these species,' he said.
In the context of the book's presentation, the territorial manager of Fundación Senderos de Chile, Manuel Rojas, expressed that ''the approach they gave to the book makes it very enjoyable and directed towards citizen science, towards people. It is an easy book to digest, to read and allows you to clearly evaluate what is being explained.''
Rojas added that "the book provides new and interesting information regarding its coverage, current condition and future, it is a publication that manages to reconcile all views regarding this bird."
Subsequently, in a detailed presentation, Dr. Renzo Vargas, researcher at the University of La Serena, referred to the main aspects addressed in the text, highlighting the need to know and preserve the species and educate both the communities close to its nesting areas, like the rest of the population regarding their habits and living conditions.
From what is known about genetic and evolutionary evolution, the Tricahue parrot has lived in this part of the world for at least thirty thousand years. In captivity, it is capable of living around twenty years and a little less in the wild. An interesting aspect is that it is also distributed in Argentina and Uruguay. Throughout its entire distribution area between these two countries and Chile, there are four subspecies, which on the other side of the mountain range are known as burrowing parrots.
''A study carried out by an Argentine biologist discovered that the most ancient populations of the species are found in Chile. In fact, the subspecies found in this country is endemic, that is, it is only in this country. And those found in Argentina and Uruguay have derived from this endemic subspecies. Therefore, the time it has been present here is very long and the value of the Chilean subspecies is very high for the entire species in general,'' the scientist highlighted.
Threats
Dr. Vargas explained that the Tricahue parrot is exposed to various threats, mainly generated by human (anthropogenic) influence. The main ones would be degradation of their habitat, due to productive development that would deteriorate the various environments in which parrots develop different phases of their life.
''The construction of roads in some places has affected reproductive parrots, leaving them useless and inaccessible. The development of mining projects can also affect in the same sense. The production of charcoal has an impact on the presence of the plant species that serve as food for the parrot. Large-scale agricultural exploitation also involves the removal of a large number of plants that are normally their food and water that is vital for the Tricahues. On the other hand, hunting, which until some time ago was thought to be no longer a threat, we discovered that it still is and that through this method they are sold at exorbitant prices,'' he stated.
The future, preserving the species
As a product of this project, the program for the conservation of the Tricahue parrot has been created, led by these same specialists at the University of La Serena, who develop activities in the field of research, education and conservation management.
''The region is not characterized by having protected areas for the conservation of biodiversity but they do have large productive areas. That is why we need, on the one hand, to create protected areas for the key sites of the species and, on the other hand, also achieve their conservation in productive environments, such that the development and conservation of biodiversity in general and of the Tricahues in particular, it is possible,'' Vargas emphasized.
The specialist emphasized that it is necessary to transmit this information that has been generated to the largest possible audience, especially to new generations, children and young people, as well as decision makers. ''People's participation in education and conservation programs is very important. There are people who live near parrots who have great appreciation for them, as Doña Petronilla Vallejo and Don Orlando Marambio relate in the book. On the other hand, inter-institutional cooperation is essential. Working with other organizations such as CONAF, SAG, the ULS, and private companies such as Barrick, is the key and shows the way forward. "We are all collaborating to be able to promote the conservation of the species," he said.
In this regard, Rodolfo Westhoff, Environmental Manager at Barrick Pascua-Lama, indicated that the concern for carrying out the first ecological study on this species in Chile was due to ''the need to carry out responsible work with the environment and with the communities. surrounding the company.
Westhoff added that ''this book is part of an environmental commitment that Pascua-Lama signed, due to the construction of a high voltage line. There we committed to monitoring and studying the population of Tricahue Parrots in the Quebrada Los Choros. The study contemplates important areas, such as population density, body characteristics, evolution and phylogeography, evolution and desertification, and distribution in Chile, among others, adding to this several initiatives for the conservation of the species, such as signage, leaflets and dissemination to the community. and to the workers. "This book will allow us to leave a concrete legacy of knowledge to future generations about a species that is in danger of extinction and that to this day coexists with the communities."
For his part, Dr. Francisco Squeo, an academic at the ULS, indicated that ''we develop basic research of interest to both communities and the private sector, this research is in the context of several science studies financed by the sector. private, in this case by the mining company Barrick that has collaborated, as is the global trend, in support of the research. We also have access to financing sources for the different competitive funds and we continue working with species such as guanacos and llaretas or on the Andean plains, among others. Doing high-level research at the University of La Serena also allows you to pursue undergraduate teaching. In many cases, teachers who do research use examples of their work in their classes and thus students face problems of global importance with a very important local meaning.
The meeting was attended by authorities led by the Rector of the University of La Serena, Dr. Nibaldo Avilés, representatives of Barrick Pascua-Lama, researchers, academics, students and special guests, who recognized the importance of this initiative and the need to generate a culture of protection, essential for the care and preservation of the different species that inhabit this area of the country.
The purpose of the trip was to learn about and delve into infrastructure, equipment, instrumentation and perspectives for improving designs related to the study of galaxies in the Southern Hemisphere, to obtain a better understanding of the numerous sub-systems that will be replicated and adapted to the APOGEE-S project, to be installed on the du Pont telescope, located at the Las Campanas Observatory (LCO), Coquimbo Region, Chile. This initiative will be replicated in the Department of Mechanical Engineering through the creation of an Astro-Engineering Laboratory, to support the construction of instrumentation for astronomical research and training of astronomers in the use of interchangeable optical fiber cartridges for the APOGEE2 spectrograph , to be used in the project.