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Los Glaciares National Park
Flora |
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 Approximately,
260,000 ha are covered with ice, and therefore
with no vegetation, and about 95,000 ha
of lakes. The woods cover about 79.000 ha,
and the predominant species are lenga and
guindo. The flora of Los Glaciares National
Park belongs to the Magellan District, the
most southern one. |
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Ñire
and Lenga wood. |
Among the bushes, the more representative are
the notro, of beautiful red flowers, the calafate,
of yellow flowers and purple fruit, and the sauco
del diablo in the humid areas. |
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| Steppe |
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| The steppe presents
a high adaptation to very dry conditions and the defense
against cold and wind. The "gramineas" grow in low and
compact tufts, with folded leaves, rigid and covered
with thick cutine which diminishes evaporation. There
are often seen round bushes, like neneo o also
half moon shaped bushes. |
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 Up |
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| Woods |
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In
between the upper Andean vegetation and the
lakes the most important species are Nothofagus.
The woods upper boundary lies between 1,000
to 1,100 Mts.
There are three Nothofagus species in the park:
- Lenga
(Nothofagus pumilio)
- Ñire
(Nothofagus antárctica)
- Coihue
o guindo (Nothofagus betuloides)
Of
these, the lenga is the most widely
distributed and occupies the biggest proportion
of the woods. They're found usually covered
with Usnea, called "old mans´ beard", because
of it's shape of long ribbons hanging from
the trees.
The mountains around Lago Argentino are covered
with dense and continuous woods..1
To the west, as in Mayo and Spegazzini , can
be found the Magellan hygrofile woods. In
this sections, from the lakes level up to
500 mts. over sea level the woods are dominated
by the guindo (Nothofagus Betuloides),
which under favorable conditions can reach
20/30 Mts. high and one meter diameter. By
the guindo is often seen the canelo,
between 8 to 12 Mts. high, and the sauco.
Under the trees, there are many bushes species.
The herbal stratum is open and offers
Uncinia brevicaulis, Valeriana lapathyfolia,
Viola maculata among others.
There is only one species of creeper which
grows by the streams or by the trunks:
Luzuriaga marginata. Philesia magellanica,
a climbing plant of colorful red flowers,
has a very restricted distribution.
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| Highlands Semidesert |
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Starts
over 1000 - 1100 mts high, up to 1500-1600 mts ( inferior
boundary to the permanent snow).2
This kind of vegetation presents very short coverage
and mostly grass cushions, frequently of Azorella and
Bolax Species. In humid areas the vegetation is dense,
there can be found species as Azorella lycopodioides,
Epilobium australe, Epilobium nivale, Alopecurus antarcticus;
and also Empetrum rubrum y Marsippospermun cf reichei.
In some places, immediately over the lenga level, there
is a bush area dominated by Empetrum rubrum and Pernettya
sp.
As a difference with north Patagonia Andean vegetation,
many Mulinum species are not here, and there are a lot
of sub Antarctic species. |
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Source:
Los Glaciares National Park
References: 1. Perez Moreau (1960 y 1962) , Hauman (1920), Pisano Valdes y Dimitri (1973); 2. Perez Moreau (1960) |
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