biology

Nothofagus obliqua

Nothofagus obliqua is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Nothofagus obliqua rather than just read about it. In short: Nothofagus obliqua, commonly known as Patagonian oak, roble, pellín, roble pellín, and hualle in its early state of growth or roble beech, is a deciduous tree from Chile and Argentina. It grows from 33 to 43° south latitude.

Key takeaways

Nothofagus obliqua belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Nothofagus obliqua to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Nothofagus obliqua from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Nothofagus obliqua, commonly known as Patagonian oak, roble, pellín, roble pellín, and hualle in its early state of growth or roble beech, is a deciduous tree from Chile and Argentina. It grows from 33 to 43° south latitude. The northern extent of this tree's range in Chile is considered to be the Vizcachas Mountains and La Campana National Park. N. obliqua was proposed to be renamed Lophozonia obliqua in 2013.

Description

Nothofagus obliqua reaches a height of 50 meters (175 ft) and 2 m (6.5 ft) diameter. The trunk has greyish-brown to dark brown bark and is often forked. The leaves are alternate and somewhat curled between the veins and the serrated margin. The trees bear separate male and female flowers, both of which are small, surrounded by green bracts, and rather inconspicuous. In Chile, young specimens (which have soft, yellowish wood) are known as roble hualle, while old trees, which have developed the reddish heartwood characteristic of mature specimens are known as roble pellín. The tree has a good shape and its timber is valued for its durability, being used for furniture-making and in construction.

Cultivation and uses The tree was introduced to the British Isles in 1849. Material with provenance from different places in its natural environment was tested in cultivation in Scotland. Trees cultivated from material collected from Ñuble, which is the provenance closest to the Equator, were the most damaged by frosts. Unfortunately seeds of that provenance were supplied to many commercial growers in the 1970s in the United Kingdom. Seeds sourced from Neuquen in Argentina proved the hardiest. A selection from Malleco, Chile, which is the provenance of the first trees planted in the British Isles also gave good hardiness results. It has also been planted on the North Pacific Coast of the United States. Experimental plantations established in Wales suffered severe damage during the 1981–1982 cold wave that swept through Britain.

Subspecies There are two recognised subspecies of N. obliqua. These are:

Nothofagus obliqua subsp. andina (F.M.Vazquez & R.A.Rodr.) Nothofagus obliqua subsp. valdiviana (Phil.) Heenan & Smissen. Nothofagus macrocarpa was once also considered a subspecies, as Fagus obliqua var. macrocarpa.

Hybrids Nothofagus obliqua hybridises with Nothofagus alpina to form the hybrid species Nothofagus × dodecaphleps., and with Nothofagus glauca to create the interspecific hybrid Nothofagus × leoni.

References

External links Data related to Nothofagus obliqua at Wikispecies Media related to Nothofagus obliqua at Wikimedia Commons "Nothofagus obliqua". Chilebosque. Retrieved 2009-06-27. "Nothofagus obliqua, Description and images". Chileflora. Retrieved 2009-06-27.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Nothofagus obliqua

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Nothofagus obliqua claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Nothofagus obliqua before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Nothofagus obliqua ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Nothofagus obliqua

In research: Nothofagus obliqua appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Nothofagus obliqua in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Nothofagus obliqua is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Flora of South Argentina, Flora of central Chile, Flora of southern Chile, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Nothofagus obliqua outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Nothofagus obliqua in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Nothofagus obliqua means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Nothofagus obliqua out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Nothofagus obliqua in simple terms?

Why does Nothofagus obliqua matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Nothofagus obliqua?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Nothofagus obliqua.