Conguillio NP: Nature

Natural Heritage

Geomorphology
The park is located in the Andes and it has two main peaks: Llaima Volcano (3,125 meters - 10,250 ft. above sea level). Through the centuries, its two craters have hugely influenced the park's morphology with more than 70 historical eruptions. It is one of the most active volcanoes in South America and its two latest eruptions augmented its height in 70 meters. The second peak, the inactive volcano of Sierra Nevada (2.554 mts), has also contributed to originate lakes, lagoons, rivers, slag heaps and influenced the native flora and fauna. Other important peaks are Lorca and Sierra Santa Ester hills.

With a more recent origin (100-600 years) the bodies of water existing in the area were also created due to volcanic activity, when lave blockage impeded the free flow of the rivers, forming the current lake system. Some of the water sources are Lake Conguillío (780 ha) and the lagoons Captrén (5 ha, Verde (140) ha, and Arcoiris (0,5), all of which are part of the hydrographic basins of rivers Biobío and Imperial.

In general, rivers have exorheic systems. The most important streams are Captrén, Colorado, Blanco, Punta Negra, Lonquimay, El Manzano, Imperial, Allipén, Truful-Truful, El Tiuque, El Empedrado y Agua Enterrada.


Flora
According to Gajardo (1996), Conguillío National Park comprises two regions: Andean-Patagonian Forests in the subregion of Araucanía Mountain range; and region of Deciduous Forests, in the Deciduous Andean region. The former has High-Andean deciduous species, while the latter has mixed deciduous of the Andes.

Even though these forests have the most impressive trees, there are some other very interesting species in the park. Coihues, oaks and evergreen beeches are found all over the park; some others, such as lengas, ñirres, hazel trees, maytens, cordilleran cypress and lleuques, are located in the Conguillio and Truful – Truful area.


Araucaria

Undoubtedly, the araucaria is the most important species in the park. There are areas, not easily accessible, where pure araucaria forests are almost 1,200 years old. This species is considered mature at 200 years old, and develops its characteristic ‘umbrella’ shape around the 500 years. After the larch tree, the araucaria is the second longest living tree in Chile.

The pine nut, its seed, is the base food or form of nourishment of the Pehuenche people (pehuen = araucaria or its seed, and che = people), who used to live only in areas where there were pehuén or araucaria trees.

Endangered Flora Species
Araucaria (Araucaria araucana)
Cordilleran Cypress (Austrocedrus chilensis)
Lleuque (Prumnopitys andina)


Fauna
In a park where the araucaria tree reigns, there lives a wide variety of animals as well. Among the predatory mammals, the pumas and foxes (chilla and culpeo), are the biggest; then we find the quique (a kind of weasel) and the güiña (type of wild cat). Among the birds, there is a wide variety of ducks, condors, "traros", eagles, and ringdoves.