Sierras de Córdoba
Sierras de Córdoba | |
---|---|
Highest point | |
Elevation | 2,880 m (9,450 ft) |
Coordinates | 31°30′S 65°00′W / 31.500°S 65.000°W |
Dimensions | |
Length | 430 km (270 mi) |
Geography | |
Country | Argentina |
Provinces | Córdoba and San Luis |
The Sierras de Córdoba is a mountain range in central Argentina, located between the Pampas to the east and south and the Chaco to the north and east. Most of the range is located in Córdoba Province, except for the southwestern margin which is in San Luis Province.
The Sierras de Córdoba are part of the
Parts of the Sierras have long been used for extensive cattle grazing, which has transformed the mountains' ecology.[1] Other economic activities include tourism and winegrowing.
Geography
The Sierras de Cordoba extend about 430 km from south to north, from 29º S to 33º 30’ S. They consist of four sub-ranges, the Sierras del Norte, Sierras Chicas, Sierras Grandes, and Cumbres de Gaspar.
The northern part, known as the Sierras del Norte, is considerably lower and less rugged. The Sierras Chicas extend along the east, rising above the eastern plains and the city of Córdoba. The Sierras Grandes lie west of the Sierras Chicas, and include the highest peaks. The Cumbres de Gaspar lie west of the Sierras Chicas and north of the Sierras Grandes.[2] The Sierras de Comechingones are a southern extension of the Sierras Grandes. A dry plateau lies to the west, between the Sierras and the Andes.
There are numerous springs and streams along the range. Most drain into
The Tercero River originates on the eastern slope of the central Sierras, and drains eastwards through the Espinal to empty into the Paraná River.
Geology
The Sierras de Córdoba are much older than the Andes, having been formed in the
The Sierras de Córdoba where the effects of the ancient Pampean orogeny can be observed, owes it modern uplift and relief to the Andean orogeny in the Tertiary.[3]
Climate
At lower elevations, the Sierra de Córdoba has a warm temperate climate (
The cooler climate in the mountains has encouraged development of many summer
Flora and fauna
The Sierras de Córdoba lie between the Espinal ecoregion to the east and the Chaco ecoregion to the west. Rainfall is generally higher on the eastern slopes, and the western slopes are in the drier rain shadow of the mountains. The flora and fauna of the Sierras is related to that of the Chaco region, except for high elevations, where Andean species predominate.[2]
Lowland dry forest extends up to 750 meters elevation, with Espinal vegetation, including species of Prosopis and Acacia, on the eastern slopes, and lowland Chaco vegetation, including Aspidosperma quebracho-blanco, on the western slopes.[2]
Foothill dry forest, known as Chaco Serrano, extends from 500 to 1300 meters elevation. Lithraea molleoides and Zanthoxylum coco are the predominant trees on the eastern slopes, with Schinopsis haenkeana dominant on the dry western slopes. Romerillal shrubland is found between 1300 and 1700 meters elevation, characterized by the shrub Heterothalamus alienus. Grasslands of Festuca hieronymi and species of Stipa and Piptochaetium are found between 1500 and 1850 meters elevation.[2] Forests and woodlands of tabaquillo (Polylepis australis) are found in sheltered ravines and stream valleys and canyon bottoms with access to year-round moisture. Polylepis australis is typical of the eastern Andes, and the Sierras de Córdoba are the eastern and southern extent of its range. Other species of the Polylepis woodlands include the tree Maytenus boaria and the shrubs Escallonia cordobensis, Berberis hieronimii, Satureja spp., and the dwarf shrub Gaultheria poeppigii.[4]
High exposure causes the limits of tree growth to be much lower than in the Andes, generally about 2000 meters elevation.[1] High-elevation plant communities include grasslands dominated by Deyeuxia hieronymi, Poa stuckertii, Alchemilla pinnata, and Festuca circinata; shrublands dominated by Berberis hieronymi, and Polylepis australis woodlands in sheltered areas.[2] Many of the species in this alpine zone are very rare, and include species endemic to the Sierras.[1]
Herds of guanaco (Lama guanicoe) once ranged across the Sierras and the Chaco lowlands, but by the beginning of the 20th century they had been extirpated by hunters.[5]
More than 100 bird species are found in the mountains, but ranching and hunting have reduced most native mammal populations severely. Two species of birds are endemic to the mountains. The Córdoba cinclodes (Cinclodes comechingonus) breeds only in the mountains, where it inhabits forest patches of tabaquillo (Polylepis australis) close to water between 1,600 and 2,800 meters elevation. Olrog's cinclodes (Cinclodes olrogi) is found in areas of open grass-covered rock formations near streams and lakes between 1,500 and 2,400 meters elevation. Other native birds include the Andean condor (Vultur gryphus), Andean tinamou (Nothoprocta pentlandii), olive-crowned crescentchest (Melanopareia maximiliani), cliff flycatcher (Hirundinea ferruginea), Chaco sparrow (Rhynchospiza strigiceps), and black-and-rufous warbling finch (Poospiza nigrorufa).[1]
Overgrazing, over-hunting, human-caused fires, and firewood harvesting have altered the flora and fauna of the mountains, creating soil erosion in large areas and reducing the extent of forests and woodlands.[1][2]
It is believed that the vegetation of the Sierra de Córdoba has varied greatly over the
Protected areas
Other protected areas include La Calera Nature Reserve (113.77 km2) immediately west of Córdoba, and La Quebrada Nature Water Reserve (42 km2) northwest of Córdoba.[8]
People
Most of the population of the region lives in Córdoba city, which contains about half the provincial population — with most of the rest in the Pampas region well east of the range. The lack of arable land means that few people live in the mountains themselves, where the major industries are grazing and tourism.
Tourism
The Sierras de Córdoba is one of the most important holiday centers of Argentina. Three million tourists visit the Sierras annually. The most important tourist destinations are
amongst others.Wineries
Two areas were large producers of wine in the past: Colonia Caroya in the north, and Villa Dolores in the west. These areas traditionally focused on cheaper, sweet wines for domestic consumption. In recent years, sophisticated wine-making has begun taking place, both in these 'traditional' locations, as well as in exciting terroirs in the eastern side of the mountains, around
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e "Cordoba montane savanna". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
- ^ a b c d e f g Argañaraz, J.P., Gavier Pizarro, G., Zak, M. et al. Fire Regime, Climate, and Vegetation in the Sierras de Córdoba, Argentina. fire ecol 11, 55–73 (2015). https://doi.org/10.4996/fireecology.1101055
- ^ Rapela, C.W.; Pankhurst, R.J; Casquet, C.; Baldo, E.; Saavedra, J.; Galindo, C.; Fanning, C.M. (1998). "The Pampean Orogeny of the southern proto-Andes: Cambrian continental collision in the Sierras de Córdoba" (PDF). In Pankhurst, R.J; Rapela, C.W. (eds.). The Proto-Andean Margin of Gondwana. Vol. 142. Geological Society, London, Special Publications. pp. 181–217. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
- ^ Renison, Daniel, Isabell Hensen, Ricardo Suarez, Ana M. Cingolani (2006). "Cover and growth habit of Polylepis woodlands and shrublands in the mountains of central Argentina: human or environmental influence?" Journal of Biogeography Volume33, Issue5, May 2006. Pages 876-887 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2699.2006.01455.x
- ^ Costa, T., & Barri, F. (2018). Lama guanicoe remains from the Chaco ecoregion (Córdoba, Argentina): An osteological approach to the characterization of a relict wild population. PloS one, 13(4), e0194727. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0194727
- ^ UNEP-WCMC (2022). Protected Area Profile for Pampa de Achala from the World Database of Protected Areas. Accessed 5 April 2022. [1]
- ^ BirdLife International (2022) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Quebrada del Condorito National Park and Reserva Hidrica Provincial Pampa de Achala. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 5 April 2022.
- ^ UNEP-WCMC (2022). Protected Area Profile for Argentina from the World Database of Protected Areas. Accessed 5 April 2022. [2]
- Whitmeyer, Steven J. and Simpson, Carol; Regional deformation of the Sierra de San Luis, Argentina: Implications for the Paleozoic development of western Gondwana; Tectonics, Vol. 23, TC1005, , 2004.
External links
- Región Traslasierra
- "Cordoba montane savanna". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.