Tree-ring studies in the southern part of South America are developing rapidly. However, the large areas involved and the small number of scientists working in the region mean that there are still many gaps in the coverage of chronologies. This is unfortunate, as many species show considerable potential for dendroecological studies, and some of the longest chronologies in the World have been developed in the region. Ten new chronologies are presented, developed for Austrocedrus chilensis, Pilgerodendron uviferum, Fitzroya cupressoides and Podocarpus nubigena. Five of the chronologies are from the relatively inaccessible Taitao Peninsula of southern Chile.
Six of the ten chronologies show evidence of recent increases in growth, consistent with patterns reported from the northern hemisphere. The period 1950-1990 is the only period when such a consistent trend was present in so many of the chronologies. Two chronologies also show major growth releases which date to the early part of the 20^th century. The southernmost chronology, obtained at 53°S, provides no indication of a major disruption of growth patterns that might be attributable to increasing UV-8 radiation. However, more chronologies would be needed before any statement could be made about such effects.