In the area of Puerto Montt prevail beautiful forests of the valdivian type. In this section you can find a description of this ecosystem copied from Flora Silvestre de Chile - zona araucana, fourth edition (1997), published by the editorial Fundación Claudio Gay:
Chile's lushest ecosystem is the valdivian forest, rich in biodiversity, very dense and with its' different strata well developed. The western winds from the cost deliver abundant rainfalls which, together with the moderated costal climat, allows the trees to grow very high (50 to 60 meters of height). The trees are evergreen and mostly form pure groups or areas of just one species. The principal species are the following: roble, coigüe, lenga olivillo manío, laurel and tineo.
The medium stratum is composed by secondary specimen of trees and bushes which include notro, chin-chin, quila, chilca and otros. The lower stratum is composed by abundant farns, mosses and herbal plants. The most frequent farn species are: Lophosoria quadripinnata, Blechmum chilense e Hymenophyllum spp.; and the typical herbal plants of open sites Loasa acanthifolia, Phytolacca bogotensis, Viola capillaris, Oxalis valdiviensis, etc.), parasites and bromeliaceas underline the lush look of the forest. Where the forest has been removed for extensive cattle farming you can find many native and exotic herbal plants.
