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Knowledge on mesoclimatic zonation and microclimatic variations within mountain forest ecosystems is crucial for understanding regional species turnover and effects of climate change on these systems. The temperate mountain forests in the Andean region of South America are among the largest and contiguous natural deciduous forest areas in the world. Due to their pronounced disturbance regime and different successional stages, a climatic zonation combined with the characterisation of its microclimatic variation is important to identify thresholds of species occurrences.We used micro-loggers to measure air temperature and relative humidity for one year at 40 measurement locations along longitudinal and elevation gradients in mountain forests in Northern Patagonia, Argentina. Our results unveil mesoclimatic patterns within these forests characterised by variations in temperature and vapour pressure deficit along the elevational gradient in general, but also at different times of the year. For example, Austrocedrus chilensis and Nothofagus dombeyi forests differed mainly by temperature and its diurnal range in the warmest months of the year. Also, differences between forest stands and gaps were more pronounced in the warmest months of the year and at lower elevations, with up to 2.5 K higher temperatures in the second half of the day in gaps. We found clear indications that shrubland of Nothofagus antarctica representing a successional stage after disturbances alters the mesoclimatic pattern, favouring forest fire ignition. Such mesoclimatic variations have a major influence on tree species turnover and ecological processes within these forest ecosystems.The findings contribute to our understanding of the complex interplay between topography, climate, and vegetation in shaping the spatial patterns of species occurrences.

Seed dispersal and seedling establishment are essential for plant recolonization after disturbances, especially for plants that rely exclusively on sexual reproduction such as post-fire colonizer trees. Fire refugia may play a key role not only allowing trees to survive fire, but also functioning as seed sources after it. The estimation of seed dispersal and seedling establishment are essential for assessing plant recolonization ability, understanding landscape dynamics and determining which areas may not be able to recover due to lack of seed arrival. Here we study the post-fire recolonization ability of Austrocedrus chilensis (Cordilleran Cypress) from fire refugia in burned areas of northwest Patagonia, Argentina. We mapped all female trees, saplings and seedlings within and around fire refugia, recorded the reproductive capacity of female trees and characterized the microsite conditions for establishment. We used an inverse modelling approach and Approximate Bayesian Computation to estimate the seed dispersal kernel and the probability of seedling establishment. We found that the average dispersal distance of an A. chilensis seed was 88.52 m. The dispersal kernel was fat-tailed, meaning that A. chilensis has the capacity of producing accelerating expansions. Large woody debris, litter, and the protection of shrubs were the most important factors associated with the presence of recruits. We highlight the importance of fire refugia as seed sources for the recolonization of burned areas and thus the relevance of protecting these places to allow the persistence of fire-sensitive species.

Orsillus depressus , a circum-mediterranean species of seed bug that lives on several genera and species of Cupressaceae is considered a pest of these trees, has recently been recorded for the first time in America, in Argentina. As the western records of O. depressus are close to endemic Cupressaceae forests from the Andean Region, our attention is drawn to the possible risk of colonization and establishment of O. depressus on these forests, where three endemic monotipic genera are found: Austrocedrus chilensis , Fitzroya cupressoides and Pilgerodendron uviferum . Maxent Models for present and future scenarios, and Minimum Volume Ellipsoids were used, and natural pathways were explored. Orsillus depressus has shown a high adaptive capacity to environments with different climates, and considering the models predictions, there are large suitable areas for its establishment in southern Argentina and Chile. Also, the climatic space O. depressus occupies is small and in part new, and an expansion should be expected. Moreover, multiple natural pathways were recognized that would allow its ingression in areas highly suitable with endemic Cupressaceae forests.

Questions: Is mal del ciprés, the widespread decline and death of Austrocedrus chilensis trees, caused by a single pathogen or multiple factors? Using a novel dendrochronological approach, we disentangled the influences of climatic variation on the radial growth decline and death of A. chilensis trees in declining forests. We distinguish possible causes of reduced radial growth and mortality from autogenic processes driven by stand development. We present a conceptual model of forest decline including multiple factors that predispose, incite and contributed to decreased radial growth and death of A. chilensis. Location: A. chilensis forests on mesic sites in northern Patagonia, Argentina. Methods: We used dendrochronology to determine the years of (1) onset of radial growth decline of 301 living and dead trees stratified by canopy position at decline onset, and (2) mortality of 339 trees stratified by radial growth patterns and canopy position at death. Events were years with low or high numbers of trees initiating decline or dying. We tested the hypothesis that onset of decline and mortality were concurrent with drought for individual trees, using contingency tables, and for events, using superposed epoch analysis. Results: Climatic variability acts as an environmental stress inciting and contributing to stand-level forest decline. The onset of radial growth decline and mortality of individual trees were significantly associated with summer moisture deficits. High-magnitude onset-of-decline and mortality events were concurrent with adverse climatic conditions. Conclusions: Climatic variation and drought incite and contribute to tree-and stand-level decline and mortality in A. chilensis forests. Deciphering the effects of stand development is critical as autogenic processes independently drive tree mortality and mediate the effects of climatic variability on A. chilensis forest decline. Based on our results, we present a conceptual model within the framework of a forest decline process, and conclude A. chilensis mortality is a forest decline process driven by complex interactions between allogenic abiotic and biotic factors and autogenic stand development processes. Site conditions, genetic variation and sex of trees are predisposing factors that likely interact with the pathogen Phytophthora.

Key messageThe association between growth and climate in the forests ofAustrocedrus chilensisplaced at the forest-steppe ecotone was found to be age dependent, with ring widths from the oldest trees providing a better expression of climate variability.Over the course of their lives, trees may undergo changes in sensitivity to climate during their ontogenetic development, i.e., from seedling to maturity. Identifying these age-dependent responses is relevant to minimize under or over estimations of the climatic signal in dendroclimatic reconstructions. It also provides important clues in predicting the reactions of different age-class trees to ongoing climate changes. In this context, the main goal of this study was to determine the sensitivity of radial growth of Austrocedrus chilensis (Ciprés de la Cordillera) to climate variability as a function of tree age. Wood cores from 90 trees growing in the forest-steppe ecotone of northwestern Patagonia in Argentina, were sampled. By analyzing their growth rings, trees were classified in two age classes: young (< 93 years) and mature (≥ 93 years). Pearson’s and moving correlations revealed that spring-early-summer total precipitation positively correlated with growth regardless of age, particularly during the previous growing season. Mean temperature and standardized precipitation-evapotranspiration index (SPEI-1 month), however, showed a stronger association with the growth of mature trees than with young trees, especially in relation to the previous growing season. The moving correlation analysis showed, moreover, that the associations between climatic variables and radial growth of A. chilensis varied between age classes during the last century. The obtained results could help to improve our understanding of the ecology of A. chilensis and provide a better interpretation of how Patagonian forests could be influenced by climate change processes.

Proper management of woody ecosystems is fundamental for human livelihoods and biodiversity conservation. Strip cutting or selective harvesting are proposed as sustainable alternatives to clear-cut logging. However, their impacts are not fully understood, especially when we consider the harvesting intensity levels and the invasibility of an ecosystem by nonnative tree species. In this study we analyzed the impacts of different harvesting intensity levels on the establishment after 2 years of nonnative and native tree species. We conducted this study in a mixed forest dominated by Nothofagus antarctica, where we applied four strip harvesting levels: 0% (control), 30%, 50% and 70% percentage of vegetation removal in eight plots (1417.5 m2 each plot) Inside those plots, we had a total of 24 subplots (3 sites × 8 plots) were we sowed seeds of a total of six tree species, that can form dominant stands in the studied region. Three species were nonnative invasives in the region (Pinus ponderosa, Pinus contorta and Pseudotsuga mensiezii), and the other three were native species (Austrocedrus chilensis, Nothofagus obliqua and Araucaria araucana). We found that in the high harvesting intensity treatments, the establishment after 2 years of all nonnative trees and only one native species (A. araucana) was increased in spite of the ecological and structural differences (i.e., productivity levels) between sites. Invasion by nonnative tree species can have important negative economic and ecological consequences on the logged ecosystems, so their removal may be required to keep them away from colonizing and dominating the logged areas, especially at high harvesting intensities.

In Andean Patagonia, Argentina, severe wildfires produce high mortality in Austrocedrus chilensis forests. Owing to its high timber quality, A. chilensis trees are generally salvage logged right after wildfires. Post-logged areas result in open, denuded stands with low herbaceous or shrub cover, which precludes natural A. chilensis regeneration. In severely burned A. chilensis stands, we determined how different site conditions (salvage logging, SL, and without logging, WL), and the combination of different methods of control of above- and belowground competition and micro-environmental factors (incident radiation, soil temperature and soil moisture) affected survival, growth and hydric status of planted A seedlings. Two growing seasons after plantation, seedling survival was lower than 10% at SL sites, whereas it was near 90% at WL sites. Four seasons after establishment, and regardless of competition treatments, no seedlings survived at SL sites, whereas over 75% survived at WL sites. Radiation attenuation by canopy of WL sites benefitted A. chilensis seedling survival, and no additional control of early successional herbaceous species should be necessary to attain high seedling survival 4 years after restoration. Selective logging, by leaving ~50% of burned snags, and active restoration practices, may help reconcile economic needs of society and ecological requirements of A. chilensis for recovering former structure and functions.

Austrocedrus chilensis and Nothofagus dombeyi are endemic species of the Andean-Patagonian forests of Argentina. Both species grow in either pure or mixed stands. In the last decades, several A. chilensis stands have been degraded by different disturbances that have compromised their natural regeneration. Plantation of seedlings of both species may be an alternative to help restore ecological, scenic and productive characteristics of these stands. In this study, we determined, in degraded A. chilensis stands grown in a xeric (≈ 690 mm.yr−1) and a mesic (≈ 984 mm.yr−1) site without canopy cover, the effects of tree shelters, the presence/absence of neighboring herbaceous vegetation, and the interaction between these factors on the performance (i.e. survival and growth) of planted N. dombeyi and A. chilensis seedlings, during four growing seasons. Results showed that tree shelters improved survival of N. dombeyi in the mesic site, and improved survival of both species in the xeric site. The removal of neighboring herbaceous vegetation improved the survival and diameter growth of both species at the xeric site, and improved the diameter growth of both species at the mesic site. By applying these planting technologies, both species could be successfully used for restoring highly degraded A. chilensis stands at mesic sites, while it is more advisable to use A. chilensis at xeric sites under open sky conditions.

Ecological interactions, such as facilitation among plant species, has been identified as key for restoration actions. The stress-gradient hypothesis predicts that facilitation increases under harsh environments, but disturbance type and nurse shrub characteristics may modify this prediction. We aim at assessing the effect of two interacting factors (herbivory pressure and light availability) and palatability of the nurse shrub on the importance of nurse effect for active restoration of mixed evergreen forests of northern Patagonia (Argentina) for silvopastoral use. We planted Austrocedrus chilensis seedlings under two silvopastoral use intensities (higher and lower according to livestock seasonal movements) and under three micro-site treatments (palatable shrub, non-palatable shrub, inter-canopy), and evaluated survival and growth during three consecutive years. Under higher use intensity (increasing stress of light availability as desiccation risk and herbivory) we found contrasting effects of the nurse effect on seedling survival and growth, but the palatability of nurse shrub had no effect. Under higher use intensity, seedling survival was lower, while growth was higher. Higher values of seedling survival were found under low use intensity inter-canopy micro-site. Under high use, the presence of a nurse shrub is important for summer seedling survival, indicating its role in avoiding desiccation. The same occurred for winter seedling survival, where a nurse shrub may decrease mainly trampling risk. We highlight the importance of considering the interaction between disturbance factors for the net outcome of the nurse effect in active restoration actions, as it may allow for diverse actions to restoration.

In view of global climate change, it is important to understand the responses of tree species to climate changes in the past. Combinations of phylogeographic analysis of genetic evidence, coupled with species distribution models (SDMs), are improving our understanding on this subject. We combined SDMs and microsatellite data from populations of the entire range of Austrocedrus chilensis, a dominant mesotherm (cold-sensitive) conifer of dryland forests of the southern Andes, to test the hypothesis of long-distance postglacial migration from northern and warmer refugia at the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). The SDM indicated suitable conditions for Austrocedrus in northern Chile (western) at the LGM and largely unsuitable conditions in Argentina (eastern). Population genetic diversity and effective population sizes within populations decreased southward along the Andes, consistent with the hypothesis of long-distance dispersal from a northern refugium. Results support the hypothesis of one (or a few) warmer (low latitude) refugia in Chile for Austrocedrus. On balance, the evidence suggests that in contrast to cold-tolerant tree taxa with the capacity to fast-track postglacial warming thanks to local refugia, cold-sensitive species might have undergone long-distance range expansion, lagging behind progressive climate change throughout the Holocene.