coigue

Coigue (Nothofagus dombeyi) is a large, evergreen or semi-deciduous tree in the southern beech family Nothofagaceae, one of the most ecologically dominant tree species of the Valdivian temperate rainforest of Chile and Argentina. Trees can exceed 40 metres in height with massive trunks and broad, rounded crowns clothed in small, dark green, toothed leaves. Unlike many southern beeches, N. dombeyi retains much of its foliage through winter, making it an important year-round canopy component in the cool, wet forests of the Chilean lake district and Andean foothill zones, from approximately 35°S to 47°S latitude. The species commonly grows in association with other Nothofagus species, Laurelia, Podocarpus, bamboo (Chusquea), and various tree ferns in the highly diverse Valdivian floristic province. Coigue timber is used for construction, furniture, and fuel in Chilean forestry, and the species is planted in reforestation programmes. Ecologically, it is a keystone canopy component supporting a rich diversity of epiphytes, birds, and invertebrates. Nothofagus dombeyi is assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN given its abundance across large areas of native Chilean and Argentine forests, though these forests face ongoing threats from agricultural expansion, logging, and invasive alien species.