Línea de investigación
Ecosystem Ecology and Conservation Management
LINE DESCRIPTION
Through experimentation and field study, we want to understand how natural ecosystems contribute to wine production processes and to local communities, to value Chile’s unique and endemic biodiversity.
This line of research develops innovative solutions to manage natural capital. The strategies and practices aim to ensure decision makers improve the use and exploitation of the contributions made by nature, as a strategy to preserve natural resources and move towards sustainable evidence-based production.
VINES PLATFORM
This a pilot interactive platform, which provides data to the production industry using high-resolution images to analyse service maps at local and regional scale, identifying the impact different management practices have on the provision of ecosystem services on their land.
https://shiny.jncc.gov.uk/vines/
https://jncc.gov.uk/our-work/chile-viticulture-ecosystem-service-mapper/
Human Dimension of Biological Conservation
LINE DESCRIPTION
This line seeks to understand the factors that promote private conservation in the wine industry and the participation of companies in sustainability programmes. Therefore, we study the motivations and barriers that wine growers face to adopt biodiversity conservation practices on their lands, as well as the effectiveness of education strategies to promote conservation activities. These studies help to report collaborative and communication processes for innovation and problem solving in agro-ecosystems.
Biological Invasions– LIB
LINE DESCRIPTION
In this line, we have partnered with the Biological Invasion Laboratory (LIB) to improve knowledge in biological invasions and to reduce their impact on biodiversity and ecosystem services, as they are a major global threat.
The Biological Invasion Laboratory (LIB) is a joint initiative of the Faculty of Forestry Sciences, Universidad de Concepción and the Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity (IEB). A key objective is to create and develop exotic and invasive species databases in Chile, to help develop invasion risk analysis tools and protocols, to monitor and model biological invasions at multiple scales, from local to global, as well as to establish collaboration between academic, and public and private organisations to improve prevention and control of biological invasions.
Microbial Biology
LINE DESCRIPTION
Microorganisms such as fungi and bacteria affect vine health, their productivity and directly the characteristics of the wine. Its expression at different stages of the production cycle may cause significant effects that impact the quality and productivity of the wine industry.
At VCCB, our goal is to understand the ecology and behaviour of these microorganisms in the wine production cycle processes, projecting solutions, enhancing attributes and generating control strategies from the knowledge obtained. Therefore, we apply theoretical principles from different scientific areas and modern integrative tools that help to create knowledge and make evidence-based recommendations in a local or national context. As VCCB, we seek recognition and incorporation of native microbial diversity in the production cycle.
Landscape Biological Conservation
LINE DESCRIPTION
Through a multidisciplinary approach, we study the patterns and processes that determine a territory’s ability to reconcile conservation and human activities.
We use spatial and modelling tools to, for example, identify priority areas for conservation, assess the impact of public policies on the environment and quantify the underlying causes of landscape transformation.
In this respect, we are currently studying how consumption patterns, through complex production chains, promote biodiversity loss through habitat conversion.
We apply participatory research principles to create representative and applicable evidence in solution design.