Forests
Native forests are all natural forest ecosystems in different stages of development that have a tree cover of native species.
Our country has 53,654,545 hectares of native forest distributed across 23 provinces, representing 19.2% of the country's continental surface.
Native forests ensure the functions of water regulation, biodiversity conservation, soil preservation and water quality. They also play a fundamental role in the global carbon cycle and in mitigating climate change, since they act as natural carbon sinks. These ecosystem services have the characteristic of being community-based.
Argentina is in a forest emergency
In 2014, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warned that 4.3% of global deforestation occurs in our country.
7.6 million hectares of native forests disappeared between 1990 and 2015.
And during 2020, more than 1,100,000 hectares were razed by fires.
That is why, at ReforestArg, we carry out ecological restoration actions in native forests degraded by natural or human causes, where their recovery would naturally be impossible.
Download the "Information kit on native forests in Argentina" to learn more about our forests.
Reasons to plant trees
Find yours.
Find yours.
Planting a tree as a revolutionary act
In a world accustomed to the immediate, planting a tree is an act of revolution.
Planting a tree in the middle of a burned forest brings no apparent short-term benefit. It is a pure act of service.
And when you give, that's when you learn the most.
That is why we give; to revolutionize the subconscious and so that seeking the supreme good everywhere becomes the new way of inhabiting the earth.
Protect the Earth
Forests protect the soil from heavy rains, preventing water erosion. When there is no cover to intercept raindrops, they violently impact the soil, causing the disaggregation of particles that are then transported to lower areas or bodies of water.
This is how soil is lost and the risk of forests becoming deserts is run. Every day that passes, tons of soil are removed from their original location. Without soil, the forest's capacity for regeneration is significantly reduced.
Protecting water
Trees replenish the water vapor concentration in the atmosphere. They extract water through their roots and release it through their leaves via transpiration.
Furthermore, rain can fall only when water in the atmosphere condenses into droplets. Trees emit tiny particles that facilitate this process by providing surfaces for water to condense on.
Trees also cool the Earth's surface by providing shade and transpiring water.
Stopping exotic species
Exotic species are those introduced outside their original distribution area.
They have no evolutionary relationships with the species they encounter in their new territory and can cause serious problems by transmitting unknown diseases, competing with or preying on native species.
With your help, we will plant native plants to stop the spread of exotic species.
Offsetting the carbon footprint
Most of our activities release carbon or other gases into the atmosphere, which accelerate global warming. Trees can capture these gases and store them in their leaves, trunks and roots.
By planting trees, we can offset our carbon footprint and combat climate change.
Conserving biodiversity
Forests are home to millions of species: huemules, pudús, giant woodpeckers, fungi, bacteria and plants that coexist in a delicate balance. Forest fragmentation is leaving thousands of species without habitat.
What is habitat fragmentation?
Animals need to move around in nature. They have places to feed, to reproduce and to hibernate. To get from one place to another they need a connection. If they can't go and reproduce, they don't do it. And a species that doesn't reproduce, becomes extinct. If you are locked in the bathroom of your house, and the food is in the kitchen, how do you feed yourself? That is what happens to animals when we eliminate part of their habitat.
Where do we plant?
We plant in forests degraded by natural or human causes.
PATAGONIAN ANDEAN FOREST
The Andean Patagonian Forest is one of the main forest ecosystems in Argentina and one of the southernmost forests on the planet. It provides many ecosystem services such as regulation of the hydrological cycle, conservation of biodiversity, preservation of soil and landscape, and capture of atmospheric carbon dioxide, one of the gases that cause the greenhouse effect.
It is home to endemic species of high conservation value for both ecological and cultural reasons.
The existence of these forests and the species they contain is being threatened by many factors, with human activity being the main cause. Currently, the greatest impact on these forests is a consequence of global climate change.
ATLANTIC FOREST
The Atlantic Forest is a biome found in Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina and is categorized as one of the most threatened ecosystems on planet Earth. It is also one of the sites with the greatest biodiversity in the world.
Since the early 1900s, deforestation has been taking away much of the ecological and cultural diversity of these sites.
Between 2015 and 2016, 40,000 hectares of forest were destroyed by fire.
What species do we plant?
We plant native species, according to the ecosystem to be restored.
What are native species?
Native species are those that are found within their natural or historical range due to their potential for dispersal. They are species that have undergone thousands of years of adaptation to local conditions and are accustomed to the climate, soil type and disturbances of their region.
In the Patagonian Andean Forest we planted:
Scientific name:
AUSTROCEDRUS CHILENSIS
The mountain cypress is a native conifer that grows in shallow soils and on steep slopes such as rocky peaks, performing important functions such as soil protection, regulation of the hydrological cycle and the landscape setting of mountain towns.
According to the IUCN , the mountain cypress is near threatened, although its population is growing.
Scientific name:
NOTHOFAGUS DOMBEYI
The coihue is a pioneer forest species that colonizes around non-vegetated water courses, fulfilling a major successional role in the region.
According to the IUCN , the coihue is listed as a species of least concern.