Abstract

Through a literature review, we determined the current state of knowledge on urban ecology in the larges cities of southern Chile: Temuco, Valdivia, Osorno, Puerto Montt and Punta Arenas. This review revealed the scarcity of studies on urban ecology where urbanization is increasing considerably, unkowning the impacts that this phenomenon may have on their ecosystems. Puerto Montt is the city with greater increase in urban population and simultaneously, the city with the lowest number and diversity of studies. The main impacts generated by the process of urbanization on the landscape are watershed pollution, air pollution, loss of native biodiversity and increasing exotic species. Suggestions are given to increase and conserve local biodiversity in the urban landscapes of southern Chile, as well as the lines of research needed to be done.