Polylepis australis is native to the
Sierras Pampeanas, a series of north–south-running ranges on the eastern side of the
Andes in north-central Argentina, in the provinces of
Catamarca,
Córdoba,
Jujuy,
Salta, and
Tucumán. It occurs from 1200 to 2900 meters elevation, most commonly in high-elevation forests and woodlands. The southernmost stands of
Polylepis australis are located in the high
Córdoba Mountains of central Argentina (1,200–2,884 m above sea level). The first results of additional studies carried out in collaboration with Isabell Hensen (
University of Halle, Germany) indicate that a clear
negative correlation exists between the viability of seeds of
Polylepis australis and the degree of human influence on the woodland stands. Seeds of
Polylepis australis exhibited a great variation in terms of mass and percent seed germination among individual trees and among geographical regions. ==Gallery==