''Podocarpus parlatorei'' is a species of

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...

in the family

Podocarpaceae Podocarpaceae is a large family of mainly Southern Hemisphere conifers, known in English as podocarps, comprising about 156 species of evergreen trees and shrubs.James E. Eckenwalder. 2009. ''Conifers of the World''. Portland, Oregon: Timber P ...

and native to

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest ...

and

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

, where it grows on steep hillsides on the eastern flanks of the Andes. It has been harvested commercially in the past but is now protected under

CITES CITES (shorter name for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as the Washington Convention) is a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals from the threats of intern ...

. The

International Union for Conservation of Nature The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

has assessed its status as being "

near threatened A near-threatened species is a species which has been categorized as "Near Threatened" (NT) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as that may be vulnerable to endangerment in the near future, but it does not currently qualify fo ...

Description

''Podocarpus parlatorei'' is an evergreen shrub or tree that grows up to 15 (occasionally 30) meters high. The trunk is straight and cylindrical and branches often grow from close to the ground. The leaves are linear to falcate (sickle-shaped), straight, long, wide, with an acute pungent apex. The seeds are spherical, long.

Distribution and habitat

''Podocarpus parlatorei'' is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

to the eastern flanks of the Andes in northwestern Bolivia and Argentina. It occurs at elevations between and occupies a strip of countryside about long in a north/south direction and up to wide. The population is fragmented into a number of subpopulations by the lowland forests and dry river valleys that dissect the steep-sided foothills.

Ecology

In the south of its range, this species forms pure stands, but further north it tends to grow under a canopy formed by ''

Alnus acuminata ''Alnus acuminata'' is a species of deciduous tree in the Betulaceae family. It is found in montane forests from central Mexico to Argentina.Zuloaga, F. O., O. N. Morrone, M. J. Belgrano, C. Marticorena & E. Marchesi. (eds.) 2008. Catálogo de ...

'', ''

Cedrela angustifolia ''Cedrela angustifolia'' is a species of tree in the mahogany family, Meliaceae. Local common names include ''cedro de Tucumán'', ''cedro bayo'', ''cedro coya'', and ''cedro del cerro''. It is native to South America, where it occurs in Argentin ...

'', and '' Juglans australis''. The flowers are wind pollinated and the seed is dispersed by birds and mammals that eat the fleshy fruits. These include guans (''Penelope'' spp.),

band-tailed pigeon The band-tailed pigeon (''Patagioenas fasciata'') is a medium-sized bird of the Americas. Its closest relatives are the Chilean pigeon and the ring-tailed pigeon, which form a clade of ''Patagioenas'' with a terminal tail band and iridescent p ...

s (''Patagioenas fasciata''), and the hog-nosed skunk (''Conepatus chinga''). The gray grass mouse (''Abrothrix illuteus'') lives on steep hillsides amongst the ''Podocarpus parlatorei'' and ''Alnus acuminata'' trees.

Uses

The timber is lightweight, soft and easy to work. It has been used commercially for making

pencil A pencil () is a writing or drawing implement with a solid pigment core in a protective casing that reduces the risk of core breakage, and keeps it from marking the user's hand. Pencils create marks by physical abrasion, leaving a tra ...

s and for building construction, flooring,

furniture Furniture refers to movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating (e.g., stools, chairs, and sofas), eating ( tables), storing items, eating and/or working with an item, and sleeping (e.g., beds and hammocks) ...

making, veneers, posts and utensils. Its international commercial trade has now been banned by its listing in Appendix I of

because excessive logging was depleting populations, but it is still harvested for local use. It is also used in field boundaries and around houses as hedges.

Status

In the past, this tree was listed by the

as being "

data deficient A data deficient (DD) species is one which has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as offering insufficient information for a proper assessment of conservation status to be made. This does not necessaril ...

", however more recent research has enabled the IUCN to evaluate its status. The population is naturally fragmented because of geographical features and although in the past much logging has reduced populations, the remaining populations are more secure, being in remote areas or on steep hillsides where access is difficult. Though vulnerable to man-made disturbances such as logging and fires, it is a

pioneer species Pioneer species are hardy species that are the first to colonize barren environments or previously biodiverse steady-state ecosystems that have been disrupted, such as by wildfire. Pioneer flora Some lichens grow on rocks without soil, so ...

and able to regenerate in grassland or at forest fringes. For these reasons, the IUCN has assessed its population size as stable and its conservation status as

. As a cold-tolerant, subtropical

montane Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is a crucial ...

conifer with a fragmented population, this species might be expected to be affected by

global warming In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to ...

. However research suggests that it is able to shift its range to higher altitudes during warmer periods and will cope with

climate change In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to ...

as it has in the past during climatic fluctuations.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1056656 parlatorei Trees of Argentina Trees of Bolivia Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Plants described in 1866 Flora of the Southern Andean Yungas