Situación foresto-Industrial de Argentina al 2005 (Ejemplo de una cadena forestal)

Abstract

Argentina occupies an area of 270 million hectares. Native forests account for 33.2 million hectares, and 1.2 million hectares are forest plantations. Its territory expands from the Tropic of Capricorn in the Northern part of the country to the Southern lands crossed by the Polar Artic Circle. A great variety of forest formations and plantations cover this extensive territory. Important climatic variations – from sub-tropical to artic temperate – contribute strongly to the rich diversity in forest cover types. The main characteristics of the Argentinean natural forests are presented for seven regions: Selva Missionera, Selva Tucumano Boliviana, Chaco, El Espinal, the mountainous region, the subantartic temperate forests, and the gallery forests. Forest plantations are described for the seven main concentrations: Mesopotamia, Delta, Pampeana, Central, NOA, Patagonia and irrigated zones. Special attention is given to the Mesopotamic forests – Misiones, Corrientes and Entre-Rios – which constitutes with 70% of all Argentinean planted forests. Plantations are formed mainly by Pine, Eucalyptus and Salicacea trees. Their distribution, species and growth is discussed along with other less intensively but valuable planted trees. Due to the reduction on native forests – originally covering approximately 60 to 100 million hectares – induced mainly by the expansion of cattle and agriculture activities, and in some regions like the Chaco by unjustifiable clear cuts, the importance of planted forest outputs have supplanted native forest outputs. The increasing importance of the planted forests can be easily detected. The forest industry is also presented by type, raw material, and consumption from each forest cover type. Details about each forest product and location of the main industry plants (pulp, saw timbers, veneer, fiber wood etc.) are also summarized. A list of contacts with the forest associations and industry representatives is also presented. Market prices for products along the two main forest production chains – pine and eucalyptus – are given as time series.