Flora of Patagonia
 In
order to describe the Patagonia flora it is necessary to distinguish the different
regions within it.
The part of the northern littoral containing the coast region in Rio
Negro and Chubut is a transition zone between the Chaco forest and Patagonia
steppe. Believe it or not, the forest vegetation in our country goes from Chaco
in the north to the northern area of Patagonia. Here pasture, bushes and stunted
trees are a common thing.
Getting into the central Patagonia typical tableland, vegetation changes
and starts getting the steppe features. Pasture becomes poor and there are forests
of jarilla. But the most characteristic thing of this region is the growing
desert created by the man: it is the consequence of the excessive pasturing
of goats and sheep and the cutting down of bushes for log.
This is one of the most serious problems the region has to face in this moment
since recovering the soil from the increasing desert takes a long time and modifies
the production activities of the inhabitants.
The volcanic ashes have also contributed to the problem, having covered the
area a few years ago and still having effects on it.
The river shores have a different appearance, similar to that of an oasis
in the middle of the desert. There, besides Red or Creole Willow, which is abundant,
there are many trees of different imported species.
Western and pre Andean area
(Zone of the High Valley of Río Negro and lands of Neuquén)
The vegetal tapestry is the bush steppe with abundance of jarilla, neneo and
coironales, related to the rains, which are of between 200 and 400 millimeters
a year.
In the mountain range the vegetation goes from the steppe to the Andean Patagonian
or sub Antarctic Forest. In the north part, between parallels 37 and 49, there
are araucarias and pehuenes, which can become 40 meters tall, with trunks of
a meter in diameter and rough cortex. There also are lengas, cohiues, ñires
and oaks and calafate, chaura and berries bushes or forests. On the river shores
the Creole or Red willow, once abundant, has been displaced by other imported
species.
Zone of the north Patagonian lakes
 In
the national Parks some areas are kept virgin, and the traveler can enjoy the
miracle of preserved flora and fauna. In Lanin National Park, araucaria, called
pehuen by araucarians, primitive conifer found only in the cordillera area between
the Copahue Volcano and the Lacar Lake.
The Nahuel Huapi National Park, the Austral Forest or Andean Patagonian, is
known because of its trees such as coihue, of great size (between Puerto Blest
and Laguna Frias there is one called The Grandfather which is more than 500
years old, 40 meters tall and 2 meters of diameter), canelo, sacred trees for
the araucarians, arrayan which gives its color to the forest in Peninsula de
Quetrihue.
Other conifers such as cypress and larch also have an environment restricted
to the Andean fringe up to the 1000 meters. This kind of forest becomes thicker
in Los Alerces National Park, where there are some of them, which are 3000
years old. Out of the protection areas these trees are almost extinguished
because of the quality of their wood, which does not rot and can be separated
into little tiles for roof and walls.
Bushes, small bush and minor plants, as well as flowers and fruits such as
a mushroom called Llao Llao that grows in the coihues and other trees, are noticeable
because of their abundance.
Austral Patagonia
In many areas vegetation is reduced to almost nothing: a thin layer of dried
herbs, water lacking and no animals can be seen around.
The harm produced by the excessive pasturing of animals is hard to reverse.
The volcanic ashes also create a noxious effect on the land and soil.
Tierra del Fuego
To the north, steppe views: pasture. To the south, mountain views: lenga, ñires,
coihues and canelos forest, a small forest of bushes such as michay and famous
calafate, herbs and fern. In areas with a poor draining there is moss everywhere.
Marita Alasio
Traducido por Gustavo de Servicio de Traducciones traducciones@comnet.com.ar
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