- General evidence
- Relief and soil of the Patagonian Desert
- Climatic conditions of the Patagonian Desert
- The natural world of Patagonia
- Video
According to the plot of the famous work by Jules Verne and the Soviet film of the same name "Children of Captain Grant", the main characters crossed Patagonia, located in South America, however, making their way through dense jungle. Fortunately, they did not have to see what the Patagonian Desert, located in the same region, is, as it would be much more difficult to survive in it.
General evidence
First, this area has several names, including the Patagonia Desert and Patagonia Steppe. Together with the Monte Desert, located to the north, they form a single region characterized by a similar composition of soils, the unity of flora and fauna.
If we recall again the film, where the main actions took place on the 37th parallel, then the Patagonia desert is located 2 ° to the south, so the heroes did not have to get to know it. Geographically - its length is from 39 ° to 53 ° (naturally, south latitude).
The famous Patagonian plateau is located on its territory, the height of which ranges from 600 to 800 meters above sea level. The total area is 400 thousand square kilometers. This area has one feature - the Patagonian Desert goes directly to the ocean.
Relief and soil of the Patagonian Desert
Geographic maps of the area indicate the presence of peculiar forms of relief, the so-called mesas. One can try to imagine huge stepped plateaus with steep slopes, and deep dissected canyons in between. On the one hand, the plateaus are bounded by the Andes, on the other hand, by the Atlantic Ocean, and both neighbors have a significant impact on the climatic and weather conditions of the desert.
Only a few of the canyons of the Patagonian Desert have permanent streams, most remain dry throughout the year. The most significant role is played by the Rio Colorado canyon, the constant availability of water allows local residents to engage in agriculture, however, only in certain places.
In the composition of the soils of the desert, the presence of various types can be noted: stony, sandy, gravelly, brown, gray soils. Local bogs have neutral or acidic soils, in the area of cereal steppes - chestnut or alluvial.
Climatic conditions of the Patagonian Desert
Despite the features of the relief and the presence of a plateau, the climate in these territories still corresponds to the classic desert. Annual precipitation (on average) does not exceed 200 mm, the second important feature of this desert is very low temperatures.
Frosts can be observed in any season, in winter it often snows, and the temperature drops below 0 ° С (the absolute minimum was –24.5 ° С). Dry winds blowing from the west add complexity, and constantly. The Falklands (cold) current off the coast of the Atlantic Ocean also adds its portion of factors that worsen the climatic conditions of this desert.
The natural world of Patagonia
Surprisingly, in the Patagonian Desert, despite the difficult climatic conditions, many representatives of flora and fauna manage to live and feel quite comfortable.
In areas with relative humidity, a cover of gramineous plants is most often seen, the most common are:
- feather grass, a representative of dry-loving grasses that do not impose special requirements on the soil;
- oatmeal called hare oats;
- bluegrass, which plays an important role in deserts and steppes in the formation of phytocenosis.
Other representatives of the flora kingdom include exotic azorella and moulinum. The first plant belongs to grasses or semi-shrubs, forms hard cushions, consisting of round, hard leaves. The mass of such a pillow can reach 150 kilograms, and the width can be up to 1 meter. Mulinum is a shrub up to 25 cm high, adoring highlands and a dry climate.
The fauna of the Patagonia Desert is considered more diverse; lizards, birds, mammals are found here. The appearance of certain species, such as a llama, is more or less known, described in the literature, and is present in a photo or video. Others, even on the Internet, are extremely rare.
The wild llama is the only member of the ungulate family that can survive in the Patagonian desert. It is much easier to do this for gray foxes, rodents, cougars, Patagonian weasels. Of the representatives of the animal world, the long-haired armadillo has the most exotic appearance.
There are also representatives of the avifauna kingdom in the Patagonia desert, the rhea and rabbit owl are most often found. The rhea is popularly considered a relative of the ostrich, although experts still doubt this issue. The rabbit owl belongs to the owl family, the name seems to indicate that the bird is able to catch mammals. In fact, the owl collects the excrement of mammals, brings it to its own nest in order to lure insects. After all, it is insects that are the main diet of these owl relatives.
