Patagonian Cypress

"Fitzroya cupressoides (the Patagonian cypress), is the only species belonging to its genus (Fitzroya) which means it is evolutionarily distinct from other species in its Family . . . The species is closely associated with the fire dependent forests of Chile and Argentina. The Patagonian cypress is often one of the first trees to colonise areas affected by volcanic activity which is why that, throughout its range Fitzroya cupressoides grows on poorly drained soils derived from volcanic ash . . . The Patagonian cypress is considered to be the largest tree species in South America, individuals have been reported to grow to 70 metres in height and up to 5 metres in trunk diameter. Because of its huge size, it has earned the nickname the ‘redwood of the south’. Similarly to it’s redwood cousins, it is also a very long lived, slow growing tree. In 1993, the oldest known Patagonian cypress found in Chile was estimated to be 3,622 years old . . . Fitzroya cupressoides wood, which is elastic and light, is thought to have been used for at least the last 13,000 years. However, it has only been in the last 300 years or so that this species has suffered from over-exploitation due to its highly prized wood. Other threats include human-induced fires and the conversion of forest to pasture land. During the many decades of uncontrolled forest harvest in Chile, no other conifer species has been logged so extensively as the Patagonian cypress and it is now considered Chile’s most threatened conifer. In 1973 this species was included under Appendix I of CITES affording it the highest degree of protection in international law and limiting trade. Three years later, in 1976 Chile declared the species as a National Monument. Despite national and international legal protection prohibiting the exploitation of live trees, logging has continued through the laundering of newly cut trees."