Nothofagus obliqua

Nothofagus obliqua
Name	Nothofagus obliqua
Regnum	Plantae
Divisio	Tracheophyta
Classis	Magnoliopsida
Ordo	Fagales
Familia	Nothofagaceae
Genus	Nothofagus
Species	N. obliqua

Nothofagus obliqua is a deciduous temperate tree native to southern South America, valued for timber, ecology, and landscape uses. It occurs in montane and lowland forests and has been studied by botanists, foresters, and conservationists across Chile, Argentina, and introduced ranges. Historical collectors, botanical gardens, and forestry institutions have documented its morphology, growth, and uses.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

Nothofagus obliqua was described within classical botanical works and later treated in regional floras by taxonomists associated with institutions such as the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the Missouri Botanical Garden, and the Berlin-Dahlem Herbarium. Nomenclatural treatment appears in monographs and checklists produced by the International Plant Names Index and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, and it has been referenced in publications from the Linnean Society, the Royal Society, and the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Synonymy and classification debates have involved researchers affiliated with universities like the University of Copenhagen, the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, and the University of Buenos Aires, alongside herbarium collections at the New York Botanical Garden and the Natural History Museum, London. Phylogenetic analyses incorporating data from the Smithsonian Institution, the Australian National Herbarium, and institutions in New Zealand and Japan have contributed to understanding of its placement within Nothofagaceae.

Description

Nothofagus obliqua is a medium to large tree characterized in floras and field guides from institutions such as the Royal Horticultural Society, the Arboretum Kalmthout, and the Arnold Arboretum. Descriptions in catalogues of the Botanical Garden of Geneva and conservatories of the Jardin des Plantes follow earlier treatments by explorers associated with voyages like those of Captain Cook and subsequent naturalists employed by the British Museum (Natural History). Morphological accounts in publications by the Australian Botanical Liaison Officers and the Instituto Darwinion detail leaf shape, venation, reproductive structures, and bark characteristics, with measurements noted in manuals used at the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of São Paulo. Illustrations appear in atlases and compendia produced by the Royal Society of Tasmania, the New Zealand Plant Conservation Network, and the Chilean National Forestry Service.

Distribution and Habitat

The native range of Nothofagus obliqua is documented in regional checklists maintained by CONAF, the Argentine National Parks Administration, and UNESCO biosphere reserve inventories. Occurrences are recorded across Patagonia and temperate Andes sites catalogued by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports, the Food and Agriculture Organization forest assessments, and databases curated by the European Forest Institute. Field surveys by the World Wide Fund for Nature, the Wildlife Conservation Society, and Chilean universities map stands from coastal valleys to montane zones, with elevation data used by researchers at the University of British Columbia, the University of Melbourne, and the University of Tokyo to model climatic envelopes and potential range shifts.

Ecology and Associations

Ecological studies published by the Ecological Society of America, the British Ecological Society, and journals affiliated with the American Society of Plant Biologists describe Nothofagus obliqua interactions with fungi, invertebrates, and vertebrates documented by organizations like the IUCN, BirdLife International, and the Zoological Society of London. Mycorrhizal associations are investigated in collaborations involving the Max Planck Society, CSIRO, and the Helmholtz Centre, while canopy and understory dynamics have been analyzed in projects funded by the European Union Horizon programmes and national science foundations such as the National Science Foundation and CONICET. Associations with plant genera recorded in herbarium exchanges involve researchers from Kyoto University, Stanford University, and the National Autonomous University of Mexico.

Uses and Economic Importance

Nothofagus obliqua is commercially important for timber and wood products, with utilization documented by the Food and Agriculture Organization, national forestry corporations, and companies referenced in trade reports by the World Bank and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Silvicultural trials reported by the Forestry Commission, the Chilean Agricultural and Livestock Service, and academic departments at the University of Freiburg and the University of Helsinki have evaluated growth, yield, and plantation performance. Horticultural and landscaping uses appear in catalogues from the Royal Horticultural Society, municipal planting guides from Santiago and Buenos Aires, and arboretum accession lists at Kew and the University of California Botanical Garden. Value chains involving sawmills and exporters are discussed in analyses by trade bodies such as the International Tropical Timber Organization and national chambers of commerce.

Conservation and Threats

Conservation status assessments referencing the IUCN Red List, national red lists maintained by the Argentine Ministry of Environment, and Chilean biodiversity strategies identify threats from land-use change, logging, and invasive species noted by conservation NGOs including Conservation International and The Nature Conservancy. Climate change impacts have been modeled by research groups at PIK, CSIRO, and the Potsdam Institute using scenarios developed for the IPCC, while restoration projects by local NGOs, biosphere reserve managers, and community forestry initiatives receive technical support from agencies like FAO and GIZ. Ex situ conservation efforts occur in botanical gardens such as Kew, the Jardin Botanique de Montréal, and the Chilean National Museum of Natural History.

Category:Nothofagaceae