The Araucaria forests as alternatives to climate change

Abstract

This article examines the role of araucaria forests (Araucaria angustifolia and Araucaria araucana) in climate moderation, with an emphasis on efforts to reduce extreme temperatures and create cool microclimates, understanding them as alternatives for controlling climate change. The analyses also consider the historical participation of indigenous peoples in the construction and maintenance of these forest environments in the cold, highlands of Latin America. In addition to their ecological and climatic significance, araucaria forests are also notable for their nutritional value, through the production of pine nuts, which have historically formed the nutritional basis of several indigenous populations in the Americas. This work recognizes that scientific knowledge about araucaria forests and their climatic effects gains depth when articulated with indigenous knowledge accumulated over generations, contributing to more comprehensive approaches rooted in local reality. The text synthesizes archaeological, ecological, ethnological, indigenous, geological, and historical evidence that reveals the dynamics of araucaria forests in the face of current climate change, discussing the anthropic actions that affect them over time and reflecting on possible paths for the future.