José Ignacio Márquez-Corro

José Ignacio Márquez-Corro

Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Chile

From Coquimbo to Los Lagos

Fieldwork associated with the 'IAPT Research Grant 2022' (PI: José Ignacio Márquez-Corro) and the 'Exploring plant evolutionary radiations. A comparative approach using the Gondwanan Disjunction America-New Zealand in Carex (DANZ)' project (PI: Pedro Jiménez-Mejías and Santiago Martín-Bravo)

This trip aimed to teach local students cytological techniques and to collect Cyperaceae species with a special focus on Carex for genomic, morphological and chromosome characterization studies.

Day 1 (January 1st 2023): Departure from London.

Day 2 (January 2nd 2023): Arrival to Concepción, accommodation and planning with Paulo Muñoz.

Day 3 (January 3rd 2023): Collecting Carex sect. Uncinia in Cerro Caracol near the Universidad de Concepción. Preparation of roots for chromosome number counting, leaves for genome size estimation and drying of the specimens.

Day 4 (January 4th 2023): Incorporating field notes into the database and preparing the lab for the analysis. I had the chance to meet Glenda Fuentes Arce and Patricio López Sepúlveda, from the team of botanists at the university.

Day 5 (January 5th 2023): Root fixation. Purchase of materials for fieldwork. Meeting with Carlos Baeza, the karyological expert at UdeC.

Day 6 (January 6th 2023): Chromosome counting went wrong! Luckily, we have seeds from most of the species :) Finishing the preparation of the material for fieldwork.

Day 7 (January 7th 2023): Sorting out some minor logistic issues, and preparing everything to transport on Monday evening.

Day 8 (January 8th 2023): A bit of rest plus packing personal luggage.

Day 9 (January 9th 2023): Departure from Concepción to Santiago overnight.

Day 10 (January 10th 2023): Regroup with part of the team: Pedro and Santi arrived in Santiago. Travel to Coquimbo.

Day 11 (January 11th 2023): More purchase of materials and some collecting in Humedal ‘El Culebrón’.

Day 12 (January 12th 2023): An earthquake woke us up during the night! In the morning we went to Parque Nacional Fray Jorge, where we collected Carex quinquin, C. setifolia and other sedges in the company of the park guide Juan Monardez Robles. We also visited the Universidad de La Serena herbarium (ULS), where we met Prof. Gina Arancio.

Day 13 (January 13th 2023): We went up the mountains to Mina El Indio, where we found Carex vallis-pulchrae and C. gayana among other Andean species in the bofedal. Since we quickly gained altitude we were able to feel the puna (altitude sickness).

Day 14 (January 14th 2023): We headed to Tulahuen. We couldn’t find any interesting species, but were able to gather some materials from La Herradura recycling station in Coquimbo.

Day 15 (January 15th 2023): We searched for Carex catamarcensis, unsuccessfully, around Torca river, close to Tulahuen. We drove to the next area, the Andes close to Santiago.

Day 16 (January 16th 2023): We went up to nearby areas around Tres Puntos peak, in Farellones. We found seven Carex (!), two Phylloscirpus and one Eleocharis. Quite fructiferous :) I was able to finally see C. macloviana on the field, after working with that plant during my MSc.

Day 17 (January 17th 2023): We visited CONC herbarium in Concepción, completing the team, as María and Pablo joined us there. We checked all the Carex specimens, finding new vouchers for species like C. catamarcensis.

Day 18 (January 18th 2023): We went really early to walk up Las Termas de Chillán. The climbing was terrible, but we managed to do it after some slips. Vertigo made us shake with fear due to the heights at some points, but the views of Antuco volcano and Sierra Velluda on the horizon were worth it. We collected some specimens before setting up the tents. We also had to take a bath in the thermal waters to collect some ferns.

Day 19 (January 19th 2023): The night was cold, but we were happier as we went down the mountain. We got to the cars tired and covered in dust, but with some interesting collections. We traveled to Antuco, stopping on the way to do some more collecting.

Day 20 (January 20th 2023): We searched for Carex poeppigii unsuccessfully. We still found some novelties for Biobio region. We went up to an area close to Antuco volcano.

Day 21 (January 21st 2023): The team was split into two. Pedro, Pablo and I went to Pino Hachado and found Carex boelckeiana close to the border with Argentina.

Day 22 (January 22nd 2023): Pedro, Pablo and I went to Lonquimay and Malalcahuello to collect Carex macrotrichoides and C. wheeleri.

Day 23 (January 23rd 2023): Pedro, María and I went searching for Carex lamprocarpa but couldn’t find it anywhere around Alerce Costero National Park. I saw C. multifaria for the first time! It was exciting to see such a plant on the field. The horseflies on the other hand… On top of that, we had to press in the car on a boat!

Day 24 (January 24th 2023): Pedro, María and I went shopping in Valdivia, as we needed to get more food and supplies. The other part of the team went searching for Carex lamprocarpa again. Our team then went to visit Diego Penneckamp and his amazing private living collection. The other team, however, got stuck on the field due to a river that was too wide and deep to cross.

Day 25 (January 25th 2023): Paulo, Pablo and Santi were able to leave the Alerce Costero alive! They had to sleep in the car and go all the back during the morning. Pedro, María and I went through Diego’s herbarium and prepared material to keep pressing our vouchers. The other team arrived for lunchtime, and we went out collecting and revisiting Diego’s garden afterward.

Day 26 (January 26th 2023): Pedro, María and I did fieldwork in Puyehue National Park area.

Day 27 (January 27th 2023): We went to Puerto Montt and collected around Lenca mountains. We found one of the Restionaceae species that inhabit South America, and then we had to continue with the pressing

Day 28 (January 28th 2023): Santi, María and I went to the Sargazo sector in Alerce Andino National Park. We couldn’t find anything remarkable there.

Day 29 (January 29th 2023): We traveled to Chiloé island and hired a boat to visit one of the Islotes de Puñihuil Natural Monument islands in search of Carex trifida. We weren’t lucky, but we managed to see some Maguellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) really close. Nevertheless, we found C. hookeri not so far from that location.

Day 30 (January 30th 2023): We collected in a peatland around the Pudidí river and the eolic farm entrance. Pedro, María and I also went south to the coast, around Chonchi, but couldn’t find any C. trifida there either.

Day 31 (January 31st 2023): We left Chiloé back to the mainland and rested for the evening in San Pablo village.

Day 32 (February 1st 2023): We went to Alerce Costero National Park (Cordillera Pelada) and collected in a peatland. We also collected Carex dolichophylla. What a remarkable plant! We finally arrived to Concepción.

Day 33 (February 2nd 2023): We worked at the university, preparing the specimens, silica, soils, etc. In the afternoon, we visited a queule (Gomortega keule) population with Dr. Diego Alarcón. We had a farewell dinner, as the rest of the team was leaving the following day.

Day 34 (February 3rd 2023): I had my farewell with the rest of the UPOS team in the morning. Paulo and I continued working at the university, preparing the following days and updating the data of the specimens collected.

Day 35 (February 4th 2023): Paulo and I went to collect Carex bonariensis in Hualpén.

Day 36 (February 5th 2023): Paulo and I collected some other interesting lineages of plants in the surroundings of the university. We also went through some herbarium specimens.

Day 37 (February 6th 2023): Departure from Concepción. I had a farewell lunch with Paulo and took the plane to Santiago. There, I came across the UPOS team at the airport.

Day 38 (February 7th 2023): Arrival in London.