Montane rainforest 700 – 1,500 m
The montane forest covers the slopes between about 700 and 1,500 m, where clouds hit the mountains and rain is heaviest. It is the floor with the tallest and most diverse trees: a canopy of 20 to 30 m with emergents such as cedar, walnut and horco cebil, and plenty of moss, ferns and orchids on the branches. The lower part has more trees that drop their leaves in winter; higher up the 'myrtle forest' dominates, almost all evergreen, with laurels, horco molles and other myrtles.
20tree species 16native 4exotic 50%evergreen - The lower montane forest has more deciduous species because of the dry winter; in the myrtle forest (c. 1,000–1,500 m) almost all trees are evergreen.
- Glossy privet (Ligustrum lucidum), brought from China as an ornamental, already covers about 3% of the 20,000 ha of forest in the Sierra de San Javier and forms almost pure stands.
- Under privet the soil is drier in the dry season than under native forest, and its seedlings survive in shade far better than those of native trees.
To scaleTypical height of each tree
Each tree is drawn at its typical adult height. The dotted line reaches the maximum recorded height. The person is 1.70 m tall.
Colour by NativeInvasive exotic Tap a tree in the drawing or the table.
CompareEvery trait, side by side
Tap a heading to sort.
| Tree | Height (m) ↓ | Origin | Leaves | Growth | Moisture | Flowering |
|---|
| Andean cedarCedrela angustifolia | 25/35 | Native | Deciduous | Medium |
| Horco cebilParapiptadenia excelsa | 22/30 | Native | Deciduous | Medium |
| Tucumán laurelOcotea porphyria | 20/25 | Native | Evergreen | Slow |
| Argentine walnutJuglans australis | 20/25 | Native | Deciduous | Medium |
| Horco molle (willow-leaf myrtle)Blepharocalyx salicifolius | 18/30 | Native | Evergreen | Slow |
| Glossy privetLigustrum lucidum | 15/25 | Invasive exotic | Evergreen | Fast |
| GuabiyuMyrcianthes pungens | 12/20 | Native | Evergreen | Slow |
| Guili (false mato)Myrcianthes pseudomato | 12/18 | Native | Evergreen | Slow |
| JacarandaJacaranda mimosifolia | 12/20 | Native | Deciduous | Fast |
| Argentine hollyIlex argentina | 12/20 | Native | Evergreen | Slow |
| CamboatáCupania vernalis | 12/20 | Native | Evergreen | Medium |
| Tucumán cherryPrunus tucumanensis | 12/20 | Native | Evergreen | Medium |
| White mohoHeliocarpus popayanensis | 12/20 | Native | Deciduous | Fast |
| White mulberryMorus alba | 10/15 | Invasive exotic | Deciduous | Fast |
| Chal-chalAllophylus edulis | 8/15 | Native | Semi-deciduous | Medium |
| Serrate-leaf durantaDuranta serratifolia | 6/10 | Native | Evergreen | Medium |
| Bitter orangeCitrus × aurantium | 6/10 | Invasive exotic | Evergreen | Medium |
| Tabaquillo nightshadeSolanum riparium | 5/8 | Native | Semi-deciduous | Fast |
| ScratchbushUrera baccifera | 4/7 | Native | Semi-deciduous | Fast |
| Chinese privetLigustrum sinense | 4/7 | Invasive exotic | Semi-deciduous | Fast |
Interaction webWho each tree interacts with
Each line is a relationship: who pollinates it, who spreads its seeds, whom it feeds or shelters, what it competes with.
CompositionHow this forest is made up
Origin
164 Native 80%Invasive exotic 20% Leaves
1046 Evergreen 50%Semi-deciduous 20%Deciduous 30% Growth
587 Slow 25%Medium 40%Fast 35% Moisture
677 Low 30%Medium 35%High 35% Moisture is a qualitative estimate (crown, leaves and epiphyte load), not a measurement.
SourcesWikipedia: Ocotea porphyria (syn. Cinnamomum porphyrium) · El Hornero, aves de sotobosque (San Javier, 950 m) · Parque Sierra de San Javier (UNT) · GBIF · Arturi et al. 1998, Rev. Biol. Trop. · Carilla & Grau 2011, Bosque · El Hornero, aves de sotobosque (San Javier) · GBIF (Tucumán records; IUCN category) · Flora del Cono Sur (Darwinion) · Wikipedia: Juglans australis · GBIF (IUCN category) · Wikipedia: Cedrela angustifolia (syn. C. lilloi) · GBIF Tucumán records · Colombo Ríos et al., jardín botánico Univ. San Pablo-T · Aragón & Groom 2003, Rev. Biol. Trop. · Zamora Nasca et al. 2014, Bosque · IER-CONICET 'Siempreverde' (Grau) · Ayup et al. 2014, Acta Oecologica · IER-CONICET 'Siempreverde' · GBIF (San Javier–Raco specimen)