Monkey Puzzle Tree (Araucaria araucana) in Southern Chile: Effects of Timber and Seed Harvest, Volcanic Activity, and Fire

Abstract

Abstract Commonly known as the monkey puzzle tree or pehuén, Araucaria araucana (Molina) K. Koch (Araucariaceae) is an impressively large and long-lived conifer, reaching 50 m in height, 2.5 m in girth, and ages of at least 1,300 years (Montaldo 1974). Its current distribution spans only three degrees of latitude and is divided between a main area that straddles both sides of the Andean divide (in Chile and Argentina) and two disjunct populations on the Coastal Range, Chile (Figure 5.1). Its former distribution has been severely diminished by logging, human-set fires, and land clearance since European settlement (Veblen 1982). Monkey puzzle produces high-quality timber and provides a unique resource for tourism and recreation. The tree figures importantly in the religion of the native Pehuenche people and is valued for its large, edible seeds that are extensively collected for local consumption and distribution to markets across Chile and Argentina (Aagesen 1998a, Tacón 1999).