Abstract

We performed a systematic review of the scientific literature on the coastal lomas, and discuss their origin, fog dependence, biodiversity patterns, and conservation. Coastal lomas are isolated vegetation oases, found from northern Peru (7 degrees S) to central Chile (30 degrees S), that depend entirely on marine fog, occurring in the Peruvian and Chilean Desert. To identify key topics in the scientific literature we fit structural topic models and identified shortfalls in knowledge using alluvial graphs. Our results show that there is no consensus on when coastal lomas originated. The spatial and temporal dynamics of the marine fog that maintains the vegetation are also not well understood. Yet, there is evidence that variation in the influx of marine fog is associated with the El Nin similar to o Southern Oscillation (ENSO), which increases moisture supply. While the taxonomic diversity of plants and fog variability have been extensively studied at local spatial scales, larger scale diversity patterns, as well as those of other facets of biodiversity, have yet to be assessed. Conservation of coastal lomas has been limited to estab-lishing conservation areas, but their efficacy has not been examined. Major research gaps in our current un-derstanding of coastal lomas include: macroecological patterns of assemblages, the relative importance of biotic and abiotic filters in shaping communities, and the impacts of climate change on coastal lomas and the ecosystem services that they provide. Research in these areas should be prioritized to improve conservation efforts that enhance ecosystem resilience of coastal lomas and our ability to forecast and monitor the impacts of climate change and desertification.