Tree Conservation Information Service
| Araucaria angustifolia
Araucariaceae paraná pine, pino Brasil. Distribution Argentina (Misiones), Brazil (Minas Gerais, Paraná, Rio de Janeiro?, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, São Paulo), Paraguay Habitat A species of tropical, seasonal, mixed moist forest, occurring between 600 - 2300m. It is a dominant component of large areas of Atlantic forest in humid areas, which experience a mild to hot summer without a dry season. In the northern parts of its range the species occurs over 800m. Further south the species can descend to lower altitudes (FAO, 1986). It grows best along the border between forest and grassland (Varty, 1996). Population Status and Trends Paraná pine is the most important timber species in Brazil. Although an abundant species, it has undergone continuous declines in the extent of its occurrence through logging and forest clearance. The original extent of Araucaria forest, estimated at 200,000km², is believed to have declined by more than 80% in the last century (Varty, 1996). An estimate of 30,000km² of Araucaria forest remained in 1991 according to Harcourt & Sayer (1996). In Rio Grande do Sul the forest area, over half of which was made up of Araucaria, has plummeted from 40% land cover to 3% today (Varty, 1996). Araucaria forest in São Paulo was exhausted between 1930 and 1940 and now covers 4.3% of its original area (FAO, 1986). A large number of fruit and seeds are also harvested for consumption in Brazil. The population in Paraguay is small, occurring in the department of Alto Paraná, and seeds are notably scarce (Ortega Torres et al, 1989). Small relict populations, covering less than 1000ha, in north-east Misiones in Argentina are all that remains of the forest that in 1960 covered 210,000ha (Chebez, 1994). Role of species in the Ecosystem The dominant species of a habitat type which also contains numerous rare and economically important plant species. Seeds are important during winter months for Amazona pretrei (red spectacled Amazon) and other bird species. Seeds are fed on and dispersed by a variety of birds and mammals (Varty, 1996). Threats Commercial overexploitation, grazing/damage by feral/exotic animals, local use, clear-felling/logging of the habitat (Varty, 1996). Utilisation The principal uses of the timber are in civil construction work, for framing lumber, interior trim, sash and door stock, furniture and veneer. In Brazil it is traded as plywood, pulp and paper. It is also used locally to make musical instruments, boxes and matches. The species is useful as a fuelwood (FAO, 1986). Seeds, used as a food source, and the resin from the bark are traded at a subnational level (Varty, 1996). The species is planted as an ornamental (Varty, 1996). Trade Araucaria production in all states increased from 1.5 million m³ to 3.3 million m³ between 1945 and 1950. Output continued at a level of 2.8 million m³ a year until 1966 and then it decreased to 1.8 million m³ in 1972 and continued to decrease to present levels (FAO, 1986). More recently, 35,000m³of Paraná pine was exported as sawnwood from Brazil in 1994 and 29,000³ in 1995 (ITTO, 1995, 1997). 40,194m³ is reported to have been exported from Porto de Paranguá and Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná, Brazil, at an average price of US$508/m³ (Varty & Guadagnin, 1996). There is no exploitation of natural stands in Paraguay because of the scarcity of the species and government legislation (Ortega Torres et al., 1989).
Source: FAO, 1996
Source: IBAMA, 1996 In addition, 3,400 tons per annum of fruit and seeds are collected in Brazil for human consumption (Varty, N. 1996). IUCN Conservation category VU A1cd+2cd according to Varty & Guadagnin (Varty, 1996), VU B1+2c according to SSC Conifer Specialist Group (Farjon et al., 1996). Conservation Measures The species is included on the official list compiled by IBAMA of threatened Brazilian plants. In Brazil licences to harvest paraná pine are obtained only with proof that logging will follow an agreed management plan, that the area to be logged is either a plantation or was previously under cultivation (Varty & Guadagnin, 1996). In Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, the state forest code has set the minimum cutting DBH at 40cm. (Varty & Guadagnin, 1996). The government in Paraguay has declared the species protected because of the scarcity of the seeds (Ortega Torres et al., 1989). Forest Management and Silviculture The Brazilian Institute for Forestry Development (IBDF) maintain a few natural and planted stands for seed production (FAO, 1986). The species is dioecious and slow-growing. Little is known about natural regeneration and the likely limitations resulting from seed consumption by natural predators, livestock and the humans. (Lamprecht, 1989). Seeds have a short period of viability (FAO, 1986). In plantations with nutrient-rich, well-drained soils there is an annual increment of up to 20m³ per ha. The rotation period for maximum yield in terms of volume is 35-40 years, but in terms of value is at least 90 years. A supply of timber is apparently available from plantations in the department of Itapúa, Paraguay (Ortega Torres et al., 1989). References Chebez, Juan Carlos. 1994. Los que se van. Buenos Aires, Argentina: Albatros. 604pp. Chudnoff, M. 1984. Tropical timbers of the world. Forest Products Laboratory Madison, Wisconsin: United States Department of Agriculture. 464pp. FAO Forestry Department. 1986. Databook on endangered tree and shrub species and their provenances. Rome: FAO. 524pp. FAO 1996. Proceedings of the FAO Working Group on forestry statistics. 20-24 November, 1995. FAO, Rome. 399pp. Farjon, A. et al. 1996. Discussions of the SSC Conifer Specialist Group involving the application of revised IUCN red list categories to conifer species. Harcourt, C.S. & J.A.Sayer. 1996. The conservation atlas of tropical forests: The Americas. New York Simon & Schuster Macmillan. IBAMA 1992. Lista oficial de espécies da flora Brasileira ameaçadas de extinçao. (unpublished). 4pp. IBAMA 1996. Fax to Nigel Varty concerning Brazilian export information for various timber species dated 11 July 1996. ITTO 1995. Elements for the annual review and assessment of the world tropical timber situation. Draft Document. ITTO, 1997. Annual review and assessment of the world tropical timber situation 1996. International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO). Lamprecht, H. 1989. Silviculture in the tropics: tropical forest ecosystems and their tree species; possibilities and methods for their long-term utilization. Dt. Ges. für Techn. Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH, Eschborn. Ntima, O.O. 1968. The Araucarias - fast growing timber trees of the tropics. Ortega Torres, E., L. Stutz de Ortega & R. Spichiger. 1989. Noventa especies forestales del Paraguay. Flora del Paraguay. Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques de la Ville de Genève & Missouri Botanical Garden. The Nature Conservancy. 1996. Natural Heritage Central Database. (Status and distribution data on Latin American plants, developed in collaboration with Latin American Conservation Data Centers and Missouri Botanical Garden.). Varty, Nigel. 1996. Data collection forms for Brazilian Atlantic forest species. Varty, N. & D.L. Guadagnin. 1996. Information sources on the biology, conservation and trade of species in Brazil. Unpublished document prepared for WCMC/SSC Conservation and Sustainable Management of Trees project. WCMC. 1996. Report of the Second Regional Workshop, held at CATIE, Turrialba, Costa Rica, 18-20 November 1996. Conservation and sustainable management of trees project. (unpublished). |
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