ARGENTINE AND PARAGUAY FOREST CONDITIONS 



By W. R. Barbour 



general information 



In this brief resume of forest conditions as I found them on my 

 recent trip to South America, I group together Argentine and Para- 

 guay, as they are geographically and topographically continuous. 

 Uruguay could also be included, but as it is nearly all open plains, what 

 I shall say of the open country of central Argentine applies with equal 

 force to Uruguay. 



I think the region under discussion should be divided into the fol- 

 lowing forest regions : subarctic, alpine, ])rairie, subtropical, and the 

 Chaco. Of all except the latter I can only speak by hearsay, except 

 that I saw a good deal of the prairie region. 



The subarctic region lies down in southern Patagonia, in the terri- 

 tories of Chubut, Santa Cruz, and Tierra del Fuega, regions with a 

 very short growing season, heavy rainfall, and very sparsely settled 

 except along the coast. There are said to be heavy forests of beech, 

 comprising a number of species of Nothofagus. They are only used 

 on a small scale for firewood and charcoal, though I understand one 

 small wood alcohol plant exists. 



The alpine region is confined to a narrow strip along the Andes, 

 at a high elevation. Most of this aljiine belt is on the west or damp 

 side of the Andes, in Chili. The timber on the Argentine side is con- 

 fined to south exposures and to narrow alpine valleys. Mixed with 

 the Gymnosperms (Libocedrus chilensis, called cordillera cypress, and 

 the following species all called cordillera pine, Auracaria imbricata, 

 and Podocarpus andina, chilena, nubigena, and Parlatorei) are several 

 species of Nothofagus. They are chiefly found in Chubut and Nequen, 

 the mountain slopes further north being desert, practically rainless. 

 I hear that these ali)ine forests are very extensive, but at present inac- 

 cessible. They should be of importance for paper pulp sori)e day. 



All of central Argentine, and Uruguay, are open prairies. These 

 arc the regions most populated and with I)cst transportation facilities. 

 About the only indigenous tree, except small willows along the stream 

 courses, is the "ombu, " Phytolacca dioica. which is famed in gaucho 



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