Fitzroya

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Fitzroya
Fitzroya cupressoides.JPG
CITES Appendix I (CITES) [2]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Gymnospermae
Division: Pinophyta
Class: Pinopsida
Order: Cupressales
Family: Cupressaceae
Subfamily: Callitroideae
Genus: Fitzroya
Hook. f. ex Lindl.
Species:
F. cupressoides
Binomial name
Fitzroya cupressoides
Fitzroya cupressoides distribution map.jpg
Distribution of F. cupressoides in South-Central Chile (red)

Fitzroya is a monotypic genus in the cypress family. The single living species, Fitzroya cupressoides, is a tall, long-lived conifer native to the Andes mountains and coastal regions of southern Chile, and only to the Argentine Andes, where it is an important member of the Valdivian temperate forests. Common names include alerce ("larch" in Spanish), lahuén (Spanish, from the Mapuche name lahuén), and Patagonian cypress. The genus was named in honour of Robert FitzRoy.

Contents

Description

Fitzroya cupressoides is the largest tree species in South America, normally growing to 40–60 m, but occasionally more than 70 m, and up to 5 m in trunk diameter. Its rough pyramidal canopy provides cover for the southern beech, laurel and myrtle. The largest known living specimen is Alerce Milenario in Alerce Costero National Park, Chile. It is more than 60 m tall, with a trunk diameter of 4.26 m. Much larger specimens existed before the species was heavily logged in the 19th and 20th centuries; Charles Darwin reported finding a specimen of 12.6m circumference (some 4.01m in diameter).[ citation needed ]

The leaves are in decussate whorls of three, 3–6 mm long (to 8 mm long on seedlings) and 2 mm broad, marked with two white stomatal lines. This is a dioecious species, with male and female cones on separate trees. [3] The cones are globose, 6–8 mm in diameter, opening flat to 12 mm across, with nine scales in three whorls of three. Only the central whorl of scales is fertile, bearing 2–3 seeds on each scale; the lower and upper whorls are small and sterile. The seeds are 2–3 mm long and flat, with a wing along each side. The seeds mature 6–8 months after pollination.

The thick bark of F. cupressoides may be an adaptation to wildfire. [4]

In 1993 a specimen from Chile, "Gran Abuelo" or "Alerce Milenario", was found to be 3622 years old, making it the second oldest fully verified (by counting growth rings) age for any living tree species, after the bristlecone pine. [5] More recent research proposed that this individual corresponds to the oldest tree in the world. [6]

A team of researchers from the University of Tasmania found fossilized foliage of a Fitzroya species on the Lea River of northwest Tasmania. [7] The 35-million-year-old (Oligocene) fossil was named F. tasmanensis . The finding demonstrates the ancient floristic affinities between Australasia and southern South America, which botanists identify as the Antarctic flora.

About 40 to 50 thousand years ago, during the interstadials of the Llanquihue glaciation, Fitzroya and other conifers had a much larger and continuous geographical extent than at present including the eastern lowlands of Chiloé Island and the area west of Llanquihue Lake. At present Fitzroya grow mainly at some altitude above sea level. Fitzroya stands near sea level are most likely relicts. [8]

History

Fitzroya cupressoides wood has been found in the site of Monte Verde, implying that it has been used since at least 13,000 years before present. The Huilliche people are known to have used the wood for making tools and weapons. [9]

By the time of the Spanish conquest of Chiloé Archipelago in 1567 most of the islands were covered by dense forest where F. cupressoides grew. [10] The wood was economically important in colonial Chiloé and Valdivia, which exported planks to Peru. [11] A single tree could yield 600 planks with a width of at least 0.5 m and a length of 5 m. [10] The wood was highly valued in Chile and Peru for its elasticity and lightness. [9] With the destruction of Valdivia in 1599 Chiloé gained increased importance as the only locale that could supply the Viceroyalty of Peru with F. cupressoides wood, the first large shipment of which left Chiloé in 1641. [10]

Fitzroya cupressoides wood was the principal means of exchange in the trade with Peru, and even came to be used as a local currency, the real de alerce, in Chiloé Archipelago. [9] It has been argued that the Spanish exclave of Chiloé prevailed over other Spanish settlements in Southern Chile due to the importance of alerce trade. [9] [12]

Fitzroya forest at Alerce Costero National Park, Chile. Alercecosterovista.JPG
Fitzroya forest at Alerce Costero National Park, Chile.

From about 1750 to 1943, when the land between Maullín River and Valdivia was colonized by Spain and then Chile, numerous fires of Fitzroya woods occurred in Cordillera Pelada. These fires were initiated by Spaniards, Chileans and Europeans. Earlier, from 1397 to 1750 the Fitzroya woods of Cordillera Pelada also suffered from fires that originated from lightning strikes and indigenous inhabitants. [13]

In the 1850s and 1860s Vicente Pérez Rosales burned down huge tracts of forested lands to provide cleared lands for German settlers in Southern Chile. [14] The area affected by the fires of Pérez Rosales spanned a strip in the Andean foothills from Bueno River to Reloncaví Sound. [14] One of the most famous intentional fires was the one of the Fitzroya forests between Puerto Varas and Puerto Montt in 1863. [15] This burning was done taking advantage of a drought in 1863. [15] Burnings of forest were in many cases necessary for the survival of the settlers who had no means of subsistence other than agriculture. [15]

Logging of Fitzroya continued until 1976 [16] when it became forbidden by law, (with the exception of already dead trees and with the authorization of CONAF, a National Corporation) although illegal logging still occasionally occurs.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Huilliche people</span> Ethnic group native to south-central Chile

The Huilliche, Huiliche or Huilliche-Mapuche are the southern partiality of the Mapuche macroethnic group in Chile and Argentina. Located in the Zona Sur, they inhabit both Futahuillimapu and, as the Cunco or Veliche subgroup, the northern half of Chiloé Island. The Huilliche are the principal indigenous people of those regions. According to Ricardo E. Latcham the term Huilliche started to be used in Spanish after the second founding of Valdivia in 1645, adopting the usage of the Mapuches of Araucanía for the southern Mapuche tribes. Huilliche means 'southerners' A genetic study showed significant affinities between Huilliches and indigenous peoples east of the Andes, which suggests but does not prove a partial origin in present-day Argentina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Valdivian temperate forests</span> Temperate forest ecoregion in Chile and Argentina

The Valdivian temperate forests (NT0404) is an ecoregion on the west coast of southern South America, in Chile and Argentina. It is part of the Neotropical realm. The forests are named after the city of Valdivia. The Valdivian temperate rainforests are characterized by their dense understories of bamboos, ferns, and for being mostly dominated by evergreen angiosperm trees with some deciduous specimens, though conifer trees are also common.

<i>Pilgerodendron</i> Species of plant

Pilgerodendron is a genus of conifer belonging to the cypress family Cupressaceae. It has only one species, Pilgerodendron uviferum, which is endemic to the Valdivian temperate rain forests and Magellanic subpolar forests of southern Chile and southwestern Argentina. It grows from 40 to 54°20' S in Tierra del Fuego, where it is the southernmost conifer in the world. It is a member of subfamily Callitroideae, a group of distinct Southern Hemisphere genera associated with the Antarctic flora.

<i>Nothofagus dombeyi</i> Species of plant

Nothofagus dombeyi, Dombey's beech, coigue, coihue or coigüe is a tree species native to southern Chile and the Andean parts of Argentine Patagonia. It is a fast-growing species that can live in a wide range of climatic conditions, and forms dense forests. It is cultivated for its timber, and as an ornamental subject.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alerce Andino National Park</span> National park in Chile

Alerce Andino National Park is located in the Andes, in Los Lagos Region of Chile. This national park covers about 393 km2. It is bounded by the Reloncaví Estuary on its east and south sides, and by the Reloncaví Sound to the west. To its north lies Chapo Lake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chiloé National Park</span> National park in Chiloé Island, Los Lagos Region, Chile

Chiloé National Park is a national park of Chile, located in the western coast of Chiloé Island, in Los Lagos Region. It encompasses an area of 430.57 km2 (166 sq mi) divided into two main sectors: the smallest, called Chepu, is in the commune of Ancud, whereas the rest, called Anay, is in the communes of Dalcahue, Castro and Chonchi. The greater portion of the Park is in the foothills of Chilean Coastal Range, known as the Cordillera del Piuchén. It includes zones of dunes, Valdivian temperate rain forests, swamps, and peat bogs. A small portion, Metalqui, is an islet with an area of 0.5 km2 (0.19 sq mi). It is located between 42° 07' and 42° 13' south latitude and between 73° 55' and 74° 09' west longitude.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zona Sur</span> Natural region of continental Chile

Zona Sur is one of the five natural regions on which CORFO divided continental Chile in 1950. Its northern border is formed by the Bío-Bío River, which separates it from the Central Chile Zone. The Southern Zone borders the Pacific Ocean to the west, and to the east lies the Andean mountains and Argentina. Its southern border is the Chacao Channel, which forms the boundary with the Austral Zone. While the Chiloé Archipelago belongs geographically to the Austral Zone in terms of culture and history, it lies closer to the Southern Zone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alerce Costero National Park</span>

Alerce Costero National Park is a protected wild area in the Cordillera Pelada about 137 km from Valdivia and 49 km from La Unión. Fitzroya trees grow inside the protected area and give the area its name, with Alerce Costero translating as Coastal Fitzroya. The Natural Monument has a total area of 137 hectares.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chiloé Archipelago</span> Group of islands in Chile

The Chiloé Archipelago is a group of islands lying off the coast of Chile, in the Los Lagos Region. It is separated from mainland Chile by the Chacao Channel in the north, the Sea of Chiloé in the east and the Gulf of Corcovado in the southeast. All islands except the Desertores Islands form Chiloé Province. The main island is Chiloé Island. Of roughly rectangular shape, the southwestern half of this island is a wilderness of contiguous forests, wetlands and, in some places, mountains. The landscape of the northeastern sectors of Chiloé Island and the islands to the east is dominated by rolling hills, with a mosaic of pastures, forests and cultivated fields.

<i>Alsodes valdiviensis</i> Species of amphibian

Alsodes valdiviensis is a species of frogs in the family Alsodidae. It is endemic to Chile and only known from its type locality, Cerro Mirador in the Cordillera Pelada, Valdivia Province. The specific name refers to this province.

Batrachyla fitzroya is a species of frog in the family Batrachylidae. It is endemic to Argentina and only known from its type locality, Isla Grande in Lake Menéndez, in the Los Alerces National Park, Chubut Province. The specific name fitzroya refers to Fitzroya cupressoides, a prominent tree at the type locality.

<i>Nothofagus nitida</i> Species of tree

Nothofagus nitida is an evergreen tree, native to southern Chile and Argentina. It is found from latitude 40° S to Última Esperanza.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern pudu</span> Species of small South American deer

The southern pudu is a species of South American deer native to the Valdivian temperate forests of south-central Chile and adjacent Argentina. It is classified as Near Threatened in the IUCN Red List.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cordillera Pelada</span> Mountain range in Chile

Cordillera Pelada is a mountain range in southern Los Ríos Region, southern Chile. It is located along the Pacific coast and forms part of the larger Chilean Coast Range. It got its name pelada from the Spanish word for bare or bald in reference to large fires that once burned the forests on the cordillera.

Alerce is the Spanish word for two unrelated trees Larix (larch) and Fitzroya, albeit the name was first applied to the larch.

Bosques Templados LLuviosos de los Andes Australes is a Biosphere Reserve in southern Chile. It was declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 2007. The reserve protects a large portion of the Valdivian temperate rain forest ecoregion. At least three tree species found in the reserve are listed by CITES as threatened, namely Fitzroya cupressoides, Araucaria araucana and Pilgerodendron uviferum.

From 1850 to 1875, some 30,000 German immigrants settled in the region around Valdivia, Osorno and Llanquihue in Southern Chile as part of a state-led colonization scheme. Some of these immigrants had left Europe in the aftermath of the German revolutions of 1848–49. They brought skills and assets as artisans, farmers and merchants to Chile, contributing to the nascent country's economic and industrial development.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bosque Andino Patagónico</span> Forest in Chile and Argentina

Bosque Andino Patagónico, also known as Patagonian Andean forest, is a type of temperate to cold forest located in western Patagonia in Argentina and also in southern Chile, at the southern end of South America. The climate here is influenced by humid air masses moving in from the Pacific Ocean which lose most of their moisture as they rise over the Andes. The flora is dominated by trees, usually of the genus Nothofagus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Llanquihue glaciation</span> Last glacial period in southern Chile

The last glacial period and its associated glaciation is known in southern Chile as the Llanquihue glaciation. Its type area lies west of Llanquihue Lake where various drifts or end moraine systems belonging to the last glacial period have been identified. The glaciation is the last episode of existence of the Patagonian Ice Sheet. Around Nahuel Huapi Lake the equivalent glaciation is known as the Nahuel Huapi Drift.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of agriculture in Chile</span>

Agriculture in Chile has a long history dating back to the Pre-Hispanic period. Indigenous peoples practised varying types of agriculture, from the oases of the Atacama Desert to as far south as the Guaitecas Archipelago. Potato was the staple food in the populous Mapuche lands. Llama and chilihueque herding was practised by various indigenous groups.

[Chile] is rich in pastures and cultivated fields, in which all kind of animals and plants can be breed or grown, there is plenty of very beautiful wood for making houses, and plenty of firewood, and rich gold mines, and all land is full of them...

References

  1. ↑ Premoli, A.; Quiroga, P.; Souto, C.; Gardner, M. (2013). "Fitzroya cupressoides". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2013: e.T30926A2798574. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T30926A2798574.en . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. ↑ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  3. ↑ Gymnosperm Database – Fitzroya cupressoides
  4. ↑ Veblen, Thomas T.; Kitzberger, Thomas; Burns, Bruce R.; Rebertus, Alan J. (1995). "Perturbaciones y dinámica de regeneración en bosques andinos del sur de Chile y Argentina" [Natural disturbance and regeneration dynamics in Andean forests of southern Chile and Argentina]. In Armesto, Juan J.; Villagrán, Carolina; Arroyo, Mary Kalin (eds.). Ecología de los bosques nativos de Chile (in Spanish). Santiago de Chile: Editorial Universitaria. pp. 169–198. ISBN   9561112841.
  5. ↑ Lara, A; Villalba, R (1993). "A 3620-Year Temperature Record from Fitzroya cupressoides Tree Rings in Southern South America". Science. 260 (5111): 1104–6. Bibcode:1993Sci...260.1104L. doi:10.1126/science.260.5111.1104. PMID   17806339. S2CID   46397540.
  6. ↑ Is the world's oldest tree growing in a ravine in Chile? (Report). 2022-05-20. doi:10.1126/science.add1051.
  7. ↑ Hill, R. S.; Whang, S. S. (1996). "A new species of Fitzroya (Cupressaceae) from Oligocene sediments in north-western Tasmania". Australian Systematic Botany. 9 (6): 867. doi:10.1071/SB9960867.
  8. ↑ Villagrán, Carolina; Leon, Ana; Roig, Fidel A. (2004). "Paleodistribution of the alerce and cypres of the Guaitecas during the interstadial stages of the Llanquihue Glaciation: Llanquihue and Chiloé provinces, Los Lagos Region, Chile". Revista Geológica de Chile . 31 (1): 133–151. doi: 10.4067/S0716-02082004000100008 . Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Urbina, Ximena (2011). "Análisis Histórico-Cultural del alerce en la Patagonia Septentrional Occidental, Chiloé, siglos XVI al XIX" (PDF). Magallania . 39 (2): 57–73. doi: 10.4067/S0718-22442011000200005 .
  10. 1 2 3 Torrejón g, F.; Cisternas v, M.; Alvial c, I.; Torres r, L. (2011). "Consecuencias de la tala maderera colonial en los bosques de alerce de Chiloé, sur de Chile (Siglos XVI-XIX)". Magallania (Punta Arenas). 39 (2): 75. doi: 10.4067/S0718-22442011000200006 .
  11. ↑ Villalobos et al. 1974, p. 225.
  12. ↑ Otero 2006, p. 73.
  13. ↑ Lara, A.; Fraver, S.; Aravena, J.C.; Wolodarsky-Franke, F. (1999), "Fire and the dynamics of Fitzroya cupressoides (alerce) forests of Chile's Cordillera Pelada", Écoscience , 6 (1): 100–109, doi:10.1080/11956860.1999.11952199, archived from the original on 2014-08-27
  14. 1 2 Villalobos et al. 1974, p. 457.
  15. 1 2 3 Otero 2006, p. 86.
  16. ↑ Devall, M. S.; Parresol, B. R.; Armesto, J. J. (1998). "Dendroecological analysis of a Fitzroya cupressoides and a Nothofagus nitida stand in the Cordillera Pelada, Chile". Forest Ecology and Management. 108 (1–2): 135–145. doi:10.1016/S0378-1127(98)00221-7.

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