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The word "mount" is used very commonly in our language to refer to the majority of prominences or elevations of a certain terrain. According to the RAE, it is a synonym for mountain, but it is usually used to refer to lower elevations. However, today we are going to focus on the mountain as a biome, that is to say, a set of ecosystems that share characteristics of climatology, flora and fauna.
If you want to learn more about this biome, keep reading us in this Green Ecologist article in which we talk about what is a mountain, its characteristics, animals and plants and of the terrestrial monte ecoregion in Argentina.
What is a mountain and its characteristics
When talking about mount as biome, generally refers to undeveloped and uncultivated land covered with vegetation. One can normally distinguish between them the differentiation of high mountain and low mountain, depending on its vegetation. However, there is only one ecoregion in the world that is classified as mount: the terrestrial mount ecoregion.
The call monte terrestrial ecoregion it is located in the mountains and plains of central and northwestern Argentina. It is characterized by being an arid area, with very little rainfall and temperatures between temperate and warm. Its northern and central regions receive some rains in summer, while the southern area is colder and receives its rains distributed more evenly throughout the year. Its soils are of different types, ranging from sandy, deep and drained, which can be found in its valley areas, with other more clayey and with a higher pH and degree of salinity. In its landscape, plateaus, terraces and plateaus alternate with plains and low mountains, giving rise to a landscape of great relief. Its main rivers are the Chubut, the Negro, the Colorado and the Desaguadero.
If you are interested in learning more about this and other terrestrial regions of our planet, we advise you to read this other post about the Types of terrestrial biomes.
Wild animals - argentine ecoregion
This ecoregion has great biological diversity. These are some of the most representative forest animals:
Argentine Puma
The Puma concolor it can reach up to more than 2 meters if the tail is included, and weigh up to more than 100 kg, being the male more robust than the female. It is a large, slender cat with short, soft fur, of a single color that ranges from reddish to grayish. The young show a mottling during their first months of life, but it is not long before they lose it. The largest are found in Patagonia, and stands out for being a solitary feline, which also does not roar.
Grey Fox
Of all the Argentine fox species, the Pseudalopex griseus It is the smallest size, with a length of up to 85 cm, tail included. It lives in areas where low vegetation is dense enough to hide it, although it hides underground during the day. He is light in complexion and has an opportunistic diet.
Guanaco
The Lama guanicoe It is a wild camelid from which the domestic llama and alpaca come. It is reddish brown in color, and its adaptability allows it to be distributed over a wide habitat, although in Peru, Paraguay and Bolivia it is in a state of serious threat.
Argentine land turtle
The species Chelonoidis chilensis, declared in danger of extinction, can reach up to 32 cm long in the case of females. It is a common pet in many Argentine homes, but since there is a tendency to have only one of them, among many more factors that affect its wild state, its subsistence is in danger. In this other article we show you more endangered turtles.
To get to know more animals from the mountains of this Argentine ecoregion, we recommend this other article about 34 animals in danger of extinction in Argentina.
Plants of the mount - argentine ecoregion
The dominant vegetation of the Argentine mount they are mainly bushes, which tend to grow isolated although sometimes they give rise to dense formations. Among them we can find the maitén, the Creole willow or the carob:
Maiten
This tree (Maytenus boaria) can be found at the foot of the Andes mountain range in Argentina. It is a perennial species that reaches heights of up to 20 meters and has a straight trunk and thin branches.
Creole willow
The Salix humboldtiana It is another tree that reaches 12 meters in height. Its trunk is dark gray in color, with very marked cracks, and its branches form very wide crowns.
Carob tree
The Prosopis alba, or white carob, reaches up to 12 meters in height, although it is usually found at much lower heights. It gives rise to wide canopies, which provide great shade. Its fruits are consumed by a large number of animals, which quench their thirst with them.
If you want to read more articles similar to What is a mount, we recommend that you enter our Ecosystems category.
