Nothofagus alessandrii

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Nothofagus alessandrii
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fagales
Family: Nothofagaceae
Genus: Nothofagus
Subgenus:
Nothofagus subg. Fuscospora
Species:
N. alessandrii
Binomial name
Nothofagus alessandrii
Espinosa (1926)[2]
Synonyms[2]

Fuscospora alessandrii (Espinosa) Heenan & Smissen (2013)

Nothofagus alessandrii, the ruil, is a species of

habitat loss. The species is protected within Los Ruiles National Reserve
.

Description

This is a deciduous tree with a straight, gray trunk that can measure up to 30 metres tall. Its leaves are ovate, ovate-cordate or lanceolate in shape, with conspicuous primary veins and serrated edges. The greenish flowers are unisexual and inconspicuous.

Range and habitat

The ruil grows between 37º 05' and 37º 50' south latitude, in the

Chilean matorral of Central Chile and the mild temperate and humid Valdivian temperate forests of southern Chile.[4] Present-day ruil forests grow in an area that is climatically homogeneous.[5]

The ruil tend to form pure stands.[5] The species grow often in the same places where hualo (Nothofagus glauca) can be found.[5]

Ecology

In its natural habitat N. alessandrii forms a symbiotic relationship with the

ectomycorrhizal fungus Cenococcum geophilum, which helps the trees survive drought stress.[6]

Conservation

The current populations are considered remnants of what was once a larger and more continuous range.[3] According to a 1988 study, the species is scattered in about 185 land-holdings, each of which have one or two hectares. These enclaves are surrounded by commercial plantations of Pinus radiata (an introduced species), and agricultural croplands and livestock for survival, hindering the expansion of its habitat.

The pine plantations are susceptible to wildfires, which can be worsened by the effects of climate change. Wildfire is considered the current greatest threat to the species. The 2017 Chile wildfires decreased the species' area of occupancy by 45%, and devastated the population at Piedra del Montaña.[3]

Los Ruiles National Reserve, which consists of two separate areas totaling 45 ha, was created to protect one of the species' largest remaining forest habitats.[4]

Hybrids

  • Ruil hybridises with the red beech tree (Nothofagus fusca) from New Zealand to form the hybrid species Nothofagus × eugenananus.[7]

Sources

References

  1. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T32033A177350927.en
    . Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b Nothofagus alessandrii Espinosa. Plants of the World Online. Accessed 19 April 2023.
  3. ^
    ISBN 978-1-905164-70-7
    .
  4. ^
    doi:10.11646/bde.27.1.8
    .
  5. ^
    doi:10.4067/s0717-92002023000200437
    .
  6. ISBN 978-956-410-577-2
  7. doi:10.11646/phytotaxa.146.1.1
    . Retrieved 31 May 2015.


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