Possibly, you have ever heard the name of the pampa argentina And, in case you didn't know, the term "pampa" comes from the Quechua language and means plain or plain. The truth is that the Argentine Pampean region is known worldwide for presenting favorable edaphic and climatic characteristics for agriculture and livestock. Frequently, when this ecoregion is mentioned, it is done from a productive perspective, since it is economically very important for Argentina and, thanks to its lands, food is produced that is exported to other countries.
However, in this Green Ecologist article, we will go beyond the productive approach and teach you everything you need to know about the characteristics of the Pampean region, its flora and fauna, as well as which are the regions of the Pampean plain.
Characteristics of the Pampean region
We will start with a brief description of the Argentine pampa:
- In principle, the biome of the Pampas region It is classified as a wide, mainly flat prairie and, in fact, it is the most extensive prairie in Argentina since its extension includes the provinces of Córdoba, Santa Fe, Entre Ríos, La Pampa and Buenos Aires.
- Being a meadow, the relief of the Pampean region it is mostly flat and has slight undulations towards the east.
- Regarding the economic activity carried out in the Argentine pampas, agriculture and livestock They are the most important activities and even the main sources of income in the country. Therefore, you may wonder how is the soil in the pampa region, which constitutes the sustenance of such crucial activities. Being a large region, there are various types of soils, some with a higher content of organic matter, others with a considerable content of clay. However, most of them have a certain degree of degradation in common, a product of the aforementioned economic activities and, in view of this, it is necessary to highlight that there are practically no remnants of the Argentine pampas that have not been altered by anthropic activities.
- Regarding the climate of the pampa region, We can indicate that it is temperate and with well-marked seasons: cold winters with frosts and hot summers, in which most of the precipitations are manifested.
- Finally, as we mentioned at the beginning, the Pampas region has a wide area, so that it is divided into several regions or sub-regions that are different from each other. That is why to finish with this section, we will tell you how the Pampean region is divided.
Subregions of the Pampas Plain
- Wavy pampa: it is located in the north of the Pampean region, from the center to the east. It is one of the most urbanized and industrialized subregions.
- Inland pampa: it is distributed from the center to the west of the Pampean region. In the western limits of it, the climate becomes semi-arid, which hinders activities related to agriculture.
- Floodplain or depressed: it is found in the southeast on the province of Buenos Aires. It is characterized by being an extremely flat plain, limited by the extraordinary mountains of Tandilia and Ventania. Flooding in this subregion is frequent because there are no drainage slopes.
- Mesopotamian Pampas: it is located to the north and east of the Argentine pampas. This subregion stands out mainly for forestry activity.
- Southern Pampas: it develops towards the south west of the region. It is a subregion with great industrial and livestock activity.
Apart from learning all this about the Pampas region, we advise you to also take a look at this other article by Ecologista Verde on the 18 ecoregions of Argentina. Now that you have discovered the characteristics of the Argentine pampa, we will go on to comment on its flora and fauna, which are also part of the most important characteristics of this natural region.
Flora of the Pampas region
In the previous section we said that the Pampean region itself is an extensive meadow and, therefore, is composed of various plant communities dominated by species of grasslands. Some of the species of plants of the Pampean region more features are:
- Flechillares (Stipa spp., Paspalum spp., Piptochaetium spp. Y Aristida spp.).
- Red grass (Sorghastrum pellitum).
- Woody hay (Paspalum dilatatum).
- Tembladerilla (Briza subaristata).
- Poa (Poa spp.).
However, not the entire region is made up of grasslands. There are some shrubs such as, for example, species of the genus Baccharis spp. Y Margyricarpus spp. There are also tree species, where the ombú (Phytolacca dioecious), is a tree best known for its particularity of providing shade and for being part of many amazing legends.
Here below you can see the images of the flora of the Pampean region in the same order that the species appear on this list.
Fauna of the Pampas region
In the beginning, Pampean prairies they were the habitat of abundant species of mammals and birds. On the contrary, the exploitation of the Pampean ecosystems for the development of agriculture and livestock led to the fact that today there are few animals that live in the Argentine pampas wildly. The reality is that the Pampas biodiversity was strongly reduced and displaced by monoculture and livestock and, as a consequence, many species became extinct. Even so, here we will mention some of the native animal species of the Pampas region:
- Cougar (Puma concolor).
- Rhea (American rhea).
- Tufted partridge or crested martinette (Eudromia elegans).
- Pampas deer (Ozotoceros bezoarticus).
- Cuis (Microcavia australis).
- Hairy armadilloChaetophractus villosus).
Here below you can see the photos of the fauna of the Pampean region in the same order that the species appear in this list.
To learn more about the fauna of this country, we advise you to read these other posts about the 30 native animals of Argentina and 34 animals in danger of extinction in Argentina. In addition, to better know both the flora and fauna of this country, do not hesitate to enter this other article about the Flora and fauna of Argentina.
If you want to read more articles similar to Pampas region: characteristics, flora and fauna, we recommend that you enter our Ecosystems category.
