Argentina's Diverse Ecosystems: A Regional Overview

1. High Andes

Characterized by hills and slopes above the Puna plains. The weather is cold and snowy, with 100-200mm of annual rainfall. Soils show some development. Low, sparse grassy or woody vegetation predominates, including creeping and cushion species.

2. Puna

Plateaus and slopes between 3,000m (San Juan) and 4,500m (Salta, Jujuy). Cold, dry climate with high temperature fluctuations. Rainfall ranges from 400mm in the north to 100-200mm in the south. Variably textured soils with little development. Shrubland vegetation with scattered shrubs, grasses, and meadows.

3. Mountain Ranges and Pockets

Arid region with diverse geology and geomorphology. Occupies slopes, intermontane valleys, and slightly sloped plains forming closed or semi-closed basins. Dry subtropical climate with 80-200mm of rainfall. Temporary watercourses and numerous endorheic basins. Mostly sandy, low-organic, saline soils. High shrub steppe vegetation, with some open areas on well-drained soils and slopes.

4. Yungas Forest

Sub-Andean mountain landscape with altitudes between 400m and 3,000m. Hot and humid to subhumid climate, with 900-1,300mm of summer rainfall. Varied vegetation floors: piedmont forest, montane forest, and pastures. Fauna shares endangered species with the Chaco plains.

5. Dry Chaco

Flat landscape with a gentle eastward slope. Warm subtropical climate with the continent's highest maximum temperatures. Summer rainfall between 500-700mm. Five districts based on geomorphology and climate: river spills, semi-arid, arid, sub-humid, and Serrano Chaco. Xerophytic forests, savannas, and grasslands.

6. Humid Chaco

Gently sloping region with depressed environments. Warm subtropical climate with 750-1,300mm of summer rainfall. Mosaic landscape of forested uplands along rivers and watersheds, alternating with grasslands and savannas. Ibera Depression features a succession of wetlands separated by sandy strands. High diversity of marsh and aquatic species.

7. Selva Paranaense

Landscape dominated by basaltic plateaus up to 700m. Hot, humid climate with 1,600-2,000mm of annual rainfall. Forest vegetation with 4-5 layers, boasting the country's highest biodiversity (3,000 vascular plants and 550 bird species).

8. Esteros del Ibera

Large depression formed by the Paraná River's old bed, fed by rainfall (1,200mm annually) and tributaries. Extensive floating vegetation hinders natural drainage. Numerous gaps and sandy hills.

9. Campos and Malezales

Low-hill grasslands, often forming savannas at the edges of the highlands. Well-drained soils (campos) or hydromorphic soils (malezales). Abundant rainfall (1,500mm annually).

10. Paraná Delta Islands

Floodplains of the middle and lower Paraná and Paraguay rivers, including the Paraná Delta. Landscape of low islands and floodplains. Forest, shrub, grassland, and aquatic communities.

11. Espinal

Flat and gently undulating landscape with variable soils and climate (hot and humid in the north, warm and dry in the west and south). Three sub-regions: ñandubay, carob, and broth. Xerophytic forests, savannas, and grasslands.

12. Pampa

Flat landscape originating from the sedimentary fill of the rift valley extending to the Chaco. Temperate humid to sub-humid climate with 600-1,100mm of annual rainfall. Primarily temperate grasslands, now mostly converted to agro-ecosystems.

13. Plains and Plateaus Mount

Argentina's most arid region. Vast landscape of plains and plateaus. Temperate-arid climate with 100-200mm of annual rainfall and marked temperature variations. Sparse vegetation, with cacti and mesquite disappearing southward. Fauna similar to the steppe.

14. Patagonian Steppe

Landscape of mesas and canyons between the Atlantic and the mountains. Very low rainfall (150-250mm annually), cool temperatures, and poorly structured, erodible soils. Scrub vegetation with cushion shrubs and coirones bushes, more developed in protected canyons.

15. Patagonian Forests

Warm to cold and wet climate with winter snow and rain. Frequent frosts and strong winds. Rugged, steep terrain with glacial valleys. Semi-deciduous forests, richer in species to the north. Up to 4,000mm of annual rainfall in some areas. Highest elevations in Neuquén (3,700m), decreasing southward. Nothofagus (lenga, coihue, ñire, evergreen beech, oak, and cherry pellín) and conifers (larch and cypress) predominate.