The World's Highest Forest

By Jessica Purcell, Alan Brelsford, Michael Kessler

A better understanding of the properties of Andean queñua woodlands has major implications for their conservation

Environment Nature Conservation

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September-October 2004

Volume 92, Number 5
Page 454

DOI: 10.1511/2004.49.454

In and out of mists and clouds of the high Andes of Bolivia appears an unexpected sight: patches of otherworldly trees and bushes surviving the harsh climate 4,000 meters above sea level. Called queñua by Andean natives, these members of the genus Polylepis are the highest growing trees in the world, and their distinctive appearance highlights the many adaptations necessary to survive at considerable altitude in the cordilleras of South America.

Michael Kessler

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