Abstract

One main aim of biogeography is to determine if species are randomly distributed or if there exist groups of species with common distributional patterns known as chorotypes. In this study, we determined through quantitative techniques if there exists such chorotypes for trees and shrubs in the transitional Mediterranean-temperate climatic zone of Chile, Eigth Administrative Region of Chile. Additionally, we evaluated the relationship between climate and distribution of the different chorotypes. The analyses allowed defining 24 significant chorotypes, 18 of which were significantly associated with some used environmental variable. Mean annual temperature, mean summer temperature and mean winter temperature were the variables that explained the distribution of most of the chorotypes. The geographic tendencies of chorotypes and their relationship with environmental variables were evaluated with canonical correspondence analysis. The results indicated that chorotypes distributed in the Andes Range were correlated with the mean winter temperature, whereas chorotypes with coastal distribution were correlated with mediterreanity. We discusses the use of new approaches for phytogeographic analysis and its utility in the study of the relationship between vegetation and environmental factors that determine its distribution.