Trees and shrubs of the Polylepis genis endemic to the high-andean region are known for their twisting branches and thin, red, paper-like bark giving the trees the nickname “paper tree” (Catchpole). These species are uniquely adapted to grow at high altitude up to 5,000 meters above sea level, making them the highest-altitude trees in the world (Acción Andina). They are also the slowest growing tree in the world, with some species taking more than 100 years to grow half an inch in diameter (Polylepis australis – Fairy-tale Forests). As a result of historical logging, climate change, and other human driven activities, only 10% of the original Polylepis forest cover remains, making it one of the most endangered forested ecosystems in the world (Fastré et al. 2020, at 96). 

In addition to capturing atmospheric carbon, Polylepis forests provide vital ecological functions by absorbing and retaining nutrients and large amounts of water (Barri et. al).  During dry seasons, water is gradually released ensuring its availability to surrounding communities and wildlife (Acción Andina). The Polylepis trees’ ability to store water also prevents erosion and landslides, and promotes the growth of Sphagnum moss, which transforms degraded soils, streams, and wetlands (Id.).

Polylepis forests are considered biodiversity islands among páramo grasslands that provide food, shelter, nesting substrate, and other resources to many endemic animal species (Bastidas-León, Espinel-Ortiz, and RomolerouxTo). Dramatic population reductions have been observed in many of these species primarily due to habitat loss and fragmentation. Examples of these species include the Andean Condor [vulnerable, with approximately 6,700 mature individuals left], Cochabamba Mountain-finch [near threatened, with approximately 270-2,700 mature individuals left], Royal Cinclodes [critically endangered, with approximately 50-249 mature individuals left], Black-breasted Puffleg [endangered, with approximately 100-150 mature individuals left], Red-tailed Comet [least concern], Ash breasted Tit-Tyrant [endangered, with approximately 150-700 mature individuals left], Marbled four-eyed frog [vulnerable], Andean Mountain Cat [endangered, with approximately 1,378 mature individuals left], Spectacled Bear [vulnerable, with approximately 2,500-10,000 mature individuals left], Screaming Hairy Armadillo [least concern], and Vicuña [least concern, with approximately 350,000 mature individuals] utilize the Polylepis and the surrounding ecosystem to survive (Wildlife). 

Advocacy efforts to preserve and protect Polylepis forests have emerged and increased throughout the Andes given their dire status and ever-compounding threats. For example, an annual Polylepis tree-planting festival in Peru, Queuña Raymi (the “Festival of the Queuña Tree”), began in 2014 when organizers planted 58,000 trees in a single day to welcome the delegates to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Lima, Peru (Queuña Raymi – Tree Planting in Peru). The event has become an annual tradition for local residents to take part in the organized tree-planting in the Lares watershed and the Sacred Valley in the Peruvian Andes (Id.). 

Increased awareness and new traditions such as these provide hope for future generations.   However, policies that support these efforts by broadly protecting sensitive ecosystems in the high-Andes from corporate interests and extractivism must be prioritized at all levels of government to ensure their success. 

Citations

1. Acción Andina, Global Forest Generation, https://www.globalforestgeneration.org/Accion-Andina#approach.

2. Andean Condor, Vultur gryphus, The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020, https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22697641/181325230.

3. Andean Mountain Cat, Leopardus jacobita, The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016, https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/15452/50657407.

4. Ash breasted Tit-Tyrant, Anairetes alpinus, The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016, https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22699383/93729059.

5. Basetdas-León, E.W., and Romoleroux, K.S. Population genetic analysis of two Polylepis microphylla (Wedd.) Bitter (Rosaceae) forests in Ecuador (2021).

6. Barri, F. R., Toledo, M., Herzog, P., Bells, L.M., and Renison, D. Avifaunal responses after two decades of Polylepis forest restoration in central Argentina (2021).

7. Black-breasted Puffleg, Eriocnemis nigrivestis, The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020, https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22687909/173319425.

8. Catchpole, These Fairytale Trees Only Grow at Incredible Altitudes, Atlas Obscura (Oct. 15, 2015), https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/these-fairytale-trees-only-grow-at-incredible-altitudes.

9. Cochabamba Mountain-finch, Poospiza garleppi, The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021, https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22723269/190729662.

10. Espinoza et al., Taxonomic Revaluation of the Polylepis pauta and P. sericea (Rosaceae) from Ecuador, 454 Phytotaxa (2020), https://www.biotaxa.org/Phytotaxa/article/view/phytotaxa.454.2.3.

11. Fastré et al., Bird Species Richness in High-Andean Forest Fragments: Habitat Quality and Topography Matter, 150 Belgian Journal of Zoology 95 (2020), available at https://www.belgianjournalofzoology.eu/BJZ/article/download/76/106.

12. Kretchmer, These Andrean Communities are Helping Restore the World’s Highest Forests, World Economic Forum (July 27, 2020), https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/07/reforesting-andes-polylepis-indigenous-people/#:~:text=1%20Native%20Polylepis%20forests%20are%20being%20restored%20by,aim%20to%20plant%2010%20million%20trees%20by%202024.

13. Marbled four-eyed frog, Pleurodema marmoratum, The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019, https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/57289/114559758.

14. Polylepis australis – Fairy-tale Forests, Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, https://www.pdza.org/when-plants-are-endangered/.

15. Queuña Raymi – Tree Planting in Peru, Journeys International, https://www.journeysinternational.com/why-journeys/philanthropy-giving-back/earth-preservation-fund/queuna-raymi-tree-planting-in-peru/.

16. Red-tailed Comet, Sappho sparganurus, The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016, https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22687977/93177874.

17. Royal Cinclodes, Cinclodes aricomae, The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018, https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22724402/128905948.

18. Screaming Hairy Armadillo, Chaetophractus vellerosus, The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017, https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/89604632/119877197.

19. Spectacled Bear, Tremarctos ornatus, The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017, https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22066/123792952.

20. Vicuña, Vicugna vicugna, The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021, https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22956/145360542.

21. Wildlife, Global Forest Generation, https://www.globalforestgeneration.org/wildlife.