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Existing studies on central Chilean inland waters only mention records of decapods, but there are no ecological studies about decapods and other crustacean groups. The aim of the present study was a first characterization of inland water crustaceans in Claro River, a Mediterranean-climate river from Chile. The results of redundance analysis (RDA) revealed that the crab Aegla affinis inhabits waters of high pH and low temperature values, whereas amphipods of the genus Hyalella inhabit habitats with high pH, high temperatures, and low values of dissolved oxygen. Finally, ostracods (family Cyprididae), isopods (Heterias sp.) and the southern river crayfish (Samastacus spinifrons) inhabit water systems with moderate values of pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, and conductivity. This paper represents the first ecological report for crustaceans of central Chilean inland waters, and the results appear to be similar to comparable descriptions for northern Patagonian rivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peru and Chile have experienced an economic boom in recent decades that has transformed the urban form of their respective capital cities of Lima and Santiago. According to United Nations data, Lima and Santiago numbered just over one million inhabitants each in 1950. From 1950 to 2010 Lima's population grew 740 percent and Santiago 351 percent, to 8.95 million inhabitants in Lima and 5.96 million in Santiago, part of a corresponding migration from rural to urban areas throughout Latin America. In this period, the urban form of each city was modified to accommodate growth. Urban development has been typified by densification of the core, agricultural land conversion, and a rise in informal settlements (barriadas or pueblos jóvenes in Lima and callampas in Santiago). In both Lima and Santiago, fragmented, polycentric growth has had transformative effects. The paper compares social, economic, and urban form indicators of urban sub- units in each city to understand the spatial and social connotations of growth and centrality in two South American cities. Given the largely unimpeded growth and resultant urban form, is decentralization a means for increasing access to amenities and citizen participation or is the lack of regional planning detrimental to vulnerable populations? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The south of Patagonia is characterized by its semi-arid weather and numerous small, temporary and permanent shallow ponds. The aquatic crustaceans of these water bodies are characterized by their endemism and species richness. The present study was done in the surroundings of Punta Arenas (53°S, Chile), and included six shallow ponds. Samples for conductivity, total dissolved solids, chlorophyll, and crustacean zooplankton as well as littoral species of crustacea were collected. Our study revealed that Branchinecta gaini Daday, 1910 occurred at low conductivity (0.55 mS/cm), and low total dissolved solids (0.28 g/l) and chlorophyll (2.70 μg/l) concentrations, such compared to sites without fairy shrimp populations, that had significantly high conductivity (3.58 mS/cm), and high total dissolved solids (1.80 mg/l) and chlorophyll (12.80 μg/l) concentrations. The results partially agree with the first descriptions of Patagonian water bodies that indicated the presence of fairy shrimps in low conductivity waters. The observations of the presence of B. gaini and other associated microcrustaceans are similar to descriptions of unpolluted water bodies in Antarctica, and those results would support the observations of the present paper. Other reports on fairy shrimp habitats mentioned a wide range of both salinity and trophic status. Other ecological and biogeographical topics on fairy shrimps are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There may exist among the university students a true motivation toward science and technology, as these symbolize progress. On the contrary, their attachment to religious values does not discourage their motivation for science and technology. Their critical appreciation of the role of science and technology is related mostly to the ethical and ecological judgments and not to traditional values. The globalization process increasingly shapes this worldview of students. The main approach of this paper comes from a constructivist perspective of science and technology. The empirical data are based on a recent national survey conducted among a sample of students drawn from 25 main Chilean universities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The calanoid copepod, Boeckella poopoensis Marsh, 1906 inhabits shallow saline ponds located in the Andes mountains in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru, as well as in the plains of southern Argentina. The species is halophilic and can tolerate salinity levels of 1 to 90 ppt. This paper describes the relative abundance of the species in shallow mountain ponds in northern Chile from 23° to 27° S. A direct correlation was observed between salinity and the relative abundance of B. poopoensis (r2 = 0.4139), and between 45 and 90 ppt S the species was found to be dominant in zooplankton assemblages. Crustacean species richness at the sites studied showed a significant, inverse trend with salinity (r2 = 0.7329), and this trend became even stronger (r2 = 0.7681) when data previously published for the Bolivian Andean plateau were included. Ecological and biogeographical issues related with these results are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]