This field trip aims to present to the scientific community the long-term ecosystem monitoring program developed by the Patagonia Ecosystems Research Center (CIEP) in mountain headwater catchments, representative of a forest–steppe transition ecosystem in Chilean Patagonia.

Participants will visit monitoring sites where integrated methodologies are applied to assess hydrological, biogeochemical, and ecological processes.

The field activities include streamflow quantification, water quality assessment, decomposition of coarse woody debris and leaf litter, aquatic macroinvertebrates, microorganisms, and watershed-scale inventories and environmental measurements.

The visit provides an opportunity to discuss interdisciplinary monitoring approaches and their relevance for understanding and managing mountain ecosystems under ongoing environmental change.

Location: Punta del Monte Ranch, Coyhaique Alto (approximately 45 km southeast of Coyhaique)

Organizing institution: Centro de Investigación en Ecosistemas de la Patagonia (CIEP)