Dendroecology applied to silvicultural management in the Southern Patagonian forests: A case of study from an experimental forest in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina

Abstract

The study of forest dynamics over large temporal and spatial scales haswidely benefited from dendrochronological techniques. Patagonia is home to several long-lived tree species (Austrocedrus chilensis, Araucaria araucana, Fitzroyacupressoides, Nothofagus dombeyi and N. pumilio) with well-defined tree rings suitable for reconstructing tree establishment, mortality, spatio-temporal growth patterns and disturbance regimes with annual resolution. The first dendrochronologicalstudies in the region date back to the 1950s and had a strong emphasis on hydroclimatology. It was not until the last few decades that studies using dendroecologicaltechniques began to emerge. In this chapter, we review the experience gained by thetree-ring lab at IANIGLA (CONICET, Mendoza, Argentina) and colleagues fromother institutions over the past 30 years applying dendroecological techniques.