Plantilla:Segment 2 Bosque Llancahue

Types of wood we find in Llancahue correspond mainly to Valdivian Forest,a real water saturated jungle during winter and slightly humid during summer months,forming an intricate vegetal world where big trees are next to countless species of bushes, climbing plants, epiphyte, herbs, moss, lichen, mushrooms and rich fauna comprised by vertebrate and invertebrate animals, and microorganisms. As a consequence of the different intensity with which the human being and action of nature have intervene their surface on time,they can domain new shoots or secondary forests mostly comprised by Coihues of the same age (coetaneous),mainly originated byfires and large sliding of earth,and adult forest with different alteration level, showing diverse structures based on fairly excessive interventions, caused by human beings for the obtention of timber- yielding goods. Nevertheless, in Llancahue there are also some sectors subsisting with practically unaltered forests which show us the beauty and magnificence of woods from ancient times.

The vegetation we can observein this guidepost is the typical Valdivian Forest, comprised by rich vegetable communities distributed in different layers or strata under the tree-tops of older trees. Throughout the grove dominant species (trees of higher height and magnitude) are varying from one situation to another where big evergreen trees prevail with wide leafs, such as the Ulmo (Eucriphya cordifolia), Olivillo (Aextoxicon punctatum), Tepa and Laurel (Laureliopsis philippiana and Laurelia sempervirens).These can be differentiated for the hairy appearance of the Ulmo in new branches and leafs,for the shiny green leaf with the back full of small brown dots giving the Olivillo a rough texture and for the pleasant fragrance expelled by leafs with serrated edge of Laurel and Tepa trees.

Ferns,moss and lichens are also very important components of the wood, growing on the soil, over trunks of old trees and trees fallen. It is interesting to note the presence of moss Dendroligotrichum dendroides with the appearance of miniature tree, which is the biggest moss of South America reaching up to 40 centimeters of height.In more humid habitats,abundant epiphytes grow on tree trunks and branches, being the most common the Chupalla and ferns “Película [film]” of Hymenophyllum gender.

From this point, walking about 20 meters you will find a branching where you should take the road to the left, which climbs through the slope,but do not worry,because after moving forward 150 meters you will be contemplating a resting place, reason why we could spend some time to relax and observe the forest in all its dimensions.

If we focus our look downwards and paying attention to ferns,we can see Ampe or Palmilla (Lophosoria quadripinnata),the biggest fern you can watch in this route.It is easy to recognize it on site due to its large frond 4 times pinnate,light green of the front face and blueish white on the back. Its large branch is very typical,easy to observe in the wood with fronds that could reach 5 meters long. The Ampe is a fern with medicinal properties.Its rhizomes are used in infusions to cure wounds. Hairs covering young branches are used to stop hemorrhages.

The fern Costilla de Vaca [cow’s rib] or Quilquil,another outstanding fern in this route,looks like a small shrub. Leafs of ferns are called fronds and are comprised byarachis that would be the stem, to which thorns join, which are like little leafs.It must be noticed that in popular medicine the fern Costilla de Vaca is used to cure sight diseases.

From resting location walk always taking the path at the right side and run 250 meters until arriving to a large tree at the right side of the road, it is the Tineo (Weinmannia trichosperma), an endemic tree of Temperate Forests of South America. Its trunk is straight and cylindrical of light gray bark, reaching height of more than 30 meters and with trunks of more than 1 meter diameter, characterized bythe peculiar leafs of rhomboidal aspect.Timber of Tineo is hard and has a beautiful dark vein, very resistant to humidity for which it is used for construction of crossbars, fences, cart wheels and sleepers.

Move forward 190 meters always taking the road to the left,crossing a beautiful wood of Olivillo,Ulmo and myrtaceous next to huge canelos offering their huge branches for bird shelter and purple fruits as food. Continue for another 160 meters until arriving to a new branching, where you should take the road of the right to arrive to Guidepost Nº 15 after walking 50 meters. Between guideposts 14 and 15 we will walk just between the limit of two micro basins that discharge their small water courses in Llancahue stream. For this reason it is possible to hear the noise of water flowing at both sides of the path.

Woody formation observed in this guidepost corresponds to a new shoot of Canelo, which can be recognized for its shiny green leafs on its front side and grayish white on the back. It is a tree of straight and cylindrical trunk that could reach up to 30 meters high and 1 meters of diameter.It has a thick,smooth and soft bark, of gray color being an endemic variety of Sub Antarctic Woods of Chile and Argentina.

This tree is sacred for the Mapuche people for its magic and curative properties. It was used to treat tumors, swellings and eruptions on skin, to lower a fever, stimulant, diuretic, antiscorbutic, etc. Infusion of leafs was used as intoxicant narcotic to alleviate delivery pains, teeth and stomach aches. Sailors from the XVI century used bark of this plant for treating scurby.

In this beautiful new shoot we can observe huge trees of Ulmo, Olivillo and Tepa which tree-tops exceed those of canelos, giving protection and shelter from strong winds in winter.

Continuing the tour from Guidepost Nº15,always through the forest with underwood of quilas,move forward 50 meters to arrive to Guidepost Nº16, located next to two large Tineos.

It is a location representing the diversity of Valdivian Forest species. At the right of the road you can see two adult trees of Tineo and at the left large canelos.In addition,you can notice smaller trees such as the Arrayán and Chaumán, the fern Pallante (Hymenophyllum caudiculatum) and Poe. Likewise, you should note the existence of the medicinal climbing plant Quilmay and Medallita in this site.

Tepa and some myrtaceous form a second stratum or soil in the wood, making evident the path of time and interaction between all components of the ecosystem, where Tineo and Canelo,probably the first species that arrived by winds or birds carrying their seeds, prepare the soil, offer shadow and protection so that new species populate the forest.

From this guidepost move forward always preferring the track at the left. By moving forward 300 meters you will find a road going downwards through the slope, you should not take it.Follow straight for about 30 meters where you will find Guidepost Nº 17.

The type of vegetation we observein this guidepost is very peculiar as it is dominated by Oak (Nothofagus obliqua) a big tree of caduceous leafs, namely, they loose from branches during fall and winter and appear again in spring season.These oaks probably correspond to one of the last existing thickets in Llancahue,as timber of great value and excellent quality, long-lasting and unputrescible, was commonly used in construction during the last century, mainly to fabricate posts, railway sleeperies,beams and pillars of housing and also furniture,doors and windows.

The great diversity observed again must be noticed, as Oak is next to Ulmos and myrtaceous.Underwood with Hazel Tree, Fuinque and the beautiful Tupa shrub which leafs are ashy green for being densely covered with hair and contain bitter and poisonous latex.Its big purplish red flowers appear at the end of spring and summer decorating the floor of the wood.

Continue through the road for about 30 meters and turn to the right.Move forward about 40 meters until you reach the public road to Lomas del Sol.

When you leave for a moment the diverse woods of Llancahue,exiting to the public road to Lomas del Sol,we can see how landscape varies as a consequence of radical interventions of the human being on native forests.Take the public road to the right (going downwards bythe road).

If we do a little effort and try to imagine this same landscape 100 years ago, we could observe this or more beautiful woods as those we have just visited,where today there are only large extensions with Pine or Eucalyptus plantations.Where in the past pumas,foxes,pudús [Chilean mountain goat], many species of birds and other smaller organisms inhabited this place, today you can only observe an unpaved road with exotic vegetation on the edges (Ulex, Brambleberry,Broom),which is very aggressive and flood any place with no vegetation,replacing little bylittle native vegetation that fights for its space.We can observe some native species such as Maqui (Aristotelia chilensis),Radal (Lomatia hirsuta), Tupa and some Coihues which in friendly attitude extend their branches to the red road to shelter us from sunlight.

Move forward 260 meters by the public road until arriving to an adult plantation of pines at your left.From here, walk about 170 meters and enter again to the wood through an access at the right of the road.

When entering again from the public road to the new shoot you can immediately feel humidity and freshness at the interior.In these new shoots, we will find two meadowlands indicating that antropic pressure does not end in sectors of better access and shorter distance to some road as we will observebovine cattle tracks,they use these meadowlands in the middle of the forest to shelter from the cold and rainy winter in the south of Chile.This situation is a great trouble for the settle of new native plants (natural regeneration of the wood),because animals trample over and trim twigs (eat) small plants trying to settle in lands cleared by man.

From Guidepost Nº 19, take the main road to the left and move forward 270 meters to arrive to a small meadowland in the middle of the forest.From there,take the road to the right and move forward 180 meters until you reach the second meadowland surrounded by an evergreen new shoot comprised by Tepa, Hazel Tree, Olivillo and some species of the myrtaceous family.

Moving forward to the road of the right (interior of the wood),50 meters from the meadowland, you should take the road of the left and walk 100 meters until you find the edge again between the public road and Llancahue, which will indicate that you arrived to the last guidepost of this route,the Nº 20.

From this guidepost move forward 50 meters in direction to the wood and walk 400 meters moving inland through the road that has various tracks; prefer always the one of the left. Probably, you will find familiar the kind of wood that surrounds you, and it is because it is the one we observed at the beginning of the route.This gives us the possibility to meditate a little about we have seen and how in few years we can destroy it if we do not appreciate it.

We must always remember that we, human beings,as well as plants and birds,are part of this ecosystem and need it to live.The wood is generator of important functions,such as water production, which in the case of Llancahue supplies the whole city of Valdivia,oxygen liberation of plants, vital to all living creatures,which also absorb gases that affect us negatively and,certainly,a source of recreation and contemplation allowing us to learn and understand a little the nature of which we are part.

On the other hand, we also obtain goods from forests,such as timber to manufacture our furniture and homes, firewood for cooking and heating, food, such as fruits and mushrooms, among many others. Conservation of forests is possible if we make a reasonable use of them and, for doing it, we need to know where it originates,how it behaves, who live therein and treat them with respect and love.