Restoring tabaquillo forests in Córdoba, Argentina

Institutional Presentation

Acción Ambiental is a civil society organization with a 7-year track record dedicated to biodiversity conservation, ecological restoration, environmental education, and the development of innovative solutions for sustainable natural resource management. Throughout our history, the organization has driven projects in degraded ecosystem restoration, native afforestation, circular economy, environmental monitoring, and community engagement, collaborating closely with local governments, academic institutions, corporations, and fellow civil society organizations.

• Our Mission: To promote ecosystem conservation and restoration through innovation, civic participation, and the development of tools that generate measurable, long-term sustainable environmental impacts.
• Our Purpose: To contribute to the recovery of essential ecosystem services for communities, strengthening climate resilience and biodiversity conservation.

Problem Statement

The Tabaquillo (Polylepis australis) forests represent one of the most valuable yet threatened ecosystems in the Sierras de Córdoba. These high-altitude forest formations play a strategic role in hydrological regulation, soil conservation, and biodiversity protection. Due to their capacity to intercept moisture, promote water infiltration, and protect headwaters, these forests act as vital nature-based infrastructure for the region's water security.

Over the last few decades, recurrent wildfires, environmental degradation, and anthropogenic pressures have led to severe reduction of these habitats. Given the biological characteristics of the species and the extreme conditions of high-altitude ecosystems, natural regeneration is slow and insufficient to reverse current degradation trends.

Experience and Track Record

Acción Ambiental has conducted ecological restoration actions since its inception, pioneering reforestation campaigns, native species propagation, environmental education, and post-planting monitoring. Our 7 years of accumulated experience have allowed us to refine propagation, planting, and monitoring methodologies specifically adapted to harsh mountain conditions.

One of our primary milestones is achieving a 90% survival rate for the tabaquillo trees planted and monitored by the organization. These results validate the efficacy of our implemented protocols for site selection, seedling production, planting techniques, and long-term follow-up.

Innovation and Traceability (The Technological Edge)

A defining and distinctive component of this project is the integration of technology to guarantee the traceability and monitoring of our restoration efforts. Acción Ambiental has developed GETAU, a proprietary environmental management and traceability platform that allows us to register, georeference, and monitor every single planted tree.

Through this tool, we generate precise data on the location, survival, growth, and conservation status of the trees. This strengthens transparency, accountability, and evidence-based decision-making. This approach transforms traditional restoration into a measurable, verifiable process aligned with international environmental monitoring standards.

Growth Opportunity and Scalability

To significantly scale our restoration efforts, Acción Ambiental is currently developing a specialized native species nursery designed to reach a production capacity of up to 20,000 trees per year.

This infrastructure will increase the availability of tabaquillo saplings for high-altitude restoration projects, strengthen the genetic diversity of the produced material, and overcome the supply bottlenecks that currently limit the scale of interventions.

The combination of our own infrastructure, consolidated technical expertise, high survival rates, and advanced traceability tools positions our organization optimally to expand ecological restoration in one of Argentina's highest-priority regions for biodiversity and water resources.

Expected Impact and Target Outcomes

Our objective is to expand the production and restoration capacity of tabaquillo forests, directly contributing to the recovery of strategic ecosystems for water regulation and climate change adaptation.

Key Deliverables and Expected Results:

• Scale Production: Increase annual native species production to reach 20,000 saplings.
• Ecosystem Restoration: Restore degraded high-altitude forest areas.
• Water Security: Protect strategic headwaters and watersheds.
• Biodiversity Conservation: Safeguard the unique biodiversity associated with Polylepis forests.
• Community Empowerment: Strengthen local community engagement in active restoration.
• Data Generation: Produce georeferenced environmental data for rigorous impact evaluation.
• Model Consolidation: Establish a replicable, evidence-based, and tech-driven model for ecological restoration.

Conclusion: Restoring Our Future Together

Tabaquillo forests are far more than just trees. They are foundational ecosystems critical for biodiversity conservation, water source protection, and the climate resilience of the Sierras de Córdoba.

Their recovery represents a tangible opportunity to restore essential ecosystem services and build a sustainable future for upcoming generations. However, the magnitude of this challenge requires collective action from organizations, communities, institutions, and strategic allies.

At Acción Ambiental, we believe that every tree planted is an investment in water, biodiversity, and human well-being. Backed by 7 years of experience, proven results, and growing capacity for production and monitoring, we are ready to scale our impact.

We invite international partners to join this collective effort to recover the tabaquillo forests and protect one of Argentina's most valuable ecosystems. Restoring nature is, ultimately, restoring opportunities for present and future generations.