The last giant Araucaria trees in southern Brazil

Marcelo Callegari Scipioni,Solon Jonas Longhi,Paulo Renato Schneider,Mário Dobner Jr,Alexander Christian Vibrans

doi:10.1590/1678-992x-2017-0264

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Araucaria angustifolia (Bertol.) Kuntze is a native tree species of major importance in southern Brazil. It is a regional symbol due to its iconic shape and stature in the landscape; its wood was once economically important and its seeds are an important source of food for the fauna and are presently used in regional cuisine. Despite its importance and apparent abundance, the species is facing extinction mainly as a result of unregulated exploitation and deforestation. This study catalogued the remaining individuals in order to add to the body of knowledge available on A. angustifolia, a species that has become rare across its historic range. The circumference at breast height (1.30 m), the total height, and the tree volume were measured (3,529 araucarias). We catalogued trees with a large diameter measuring them in loco over three years involving a journey of more than 6,800 km. The volumes of these old trees are very large, ranging from 38.2 m3 to 106.6 m3. The largest A. angustifolia individual is located in the state of Santa Catarina and measures 3.25 m in diameter. The giant araucarias with > 2.00 m in diameter are rare and only 13 individuals could be found in southern Brazil; a priority action at the governmental level is to recognize and preserve these monumental trees and together with a need for a public policy of drawing up specific inventories of large trees.

Highlights

Giant trees are the largest and oldest (500 - 8000 years) living organisms on the earth’s surface
This study catalogued the remaining individuals in order to add to the body of knowledge available on A. angustifolia, a species that has become rare across its historic range
The giant araucarias with > 2.00 m in diameter are rare and only 13 individuals could be found in southern Brazil; a priority action at the governmental level is to recognize and preserve these monumental trees and together with a need for a public policy of drawing up specific inventories of large trees

Summary

Introduction

Giant trees are the largest and oldest (500 - 8000 years) living organisms on the earth’s surface. The presence of giant trees enhances terrestrial ecosystems as the large canopies increase biodiversity and biomass parameters (Franklin et al, 2002; Lindenmayer et al, 2012; Sillett, 1999; Sillett et al, 2015; Sillett and Van Pelt, 2000; Van Pelt, 2001). These trees are uniquely important as an in situ genetic resource (Stefenon et al, 2009) and as a source of habitats for fauna and flora (Lindenmayer and Laurance, 2016). The species is critically endangered (Thomas, 2013) and little is known about the existence and condition of giant trees (Mattos, 2011)

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