The Argentine Monte (NT0802), or Low Monte, is an ecoregion of dry thorn scrub and grasslands in Argentina. It is one of the driest regions in the country. Human settlements are mainly near water supplies such as rivers or oases. Deforestation and over-grazing around these settlements have caused desertification.
The Argentine Monte is in north-central Argentina, and has an area of 354,192 square kilometres (136,800sqmi).[1] It is to the east of the Andes and extends from Salta Province in the north to Chubut Province in the south.[2] It extends from the eastern foothills of the Andes to the Atlantic Ocean. The ecoregion merges into the Patagonian steppe in the south and southwest. The Dry Chaco lies to the northeast, and the Espinal is to the east.[1]
In the northwest it borders the High Monte. Some consider the High Monte a separate ecoregion,[1] while others consider it a part of the Argentine Monte.[3]
The ecoregion is by far the driest part of Argentina.[4] The Köppen climate classification is "BSk": arid, steppe, cold arid.[6] Annual precipitation is 80 to 250 millimetres (3.1 to 9.8in).[2] In the north and central regions there is more rain in summer. In the colder south the monthly rainfall is more evenly distributed.[2] At a sample location at coordinates 38°15′S67°15′W / 38.25°S 67.25°W / -38.25; -67.25 the mean temperature ranges from 6.3°C (43.3°F) in July to 23.1°C (73.6°F) in January. The yearly average mean temperature is 15°C (59°F). Annual precipitation is about 175 millimetres (6.9in). Monthly precipitation ranges from 5.4 millimetres (0.21in) in July to 25.7 millimetres (1.01in) in October.[6]
Flora are typically thorn scrub and dry grassland, with relatively low plant diversity. There are thin gallery forests along the rivers.[4] There are areas of cactus scrub, xerophilous open woodland, and vegetation adapted to rocky, sandy and salty conditions.[2] In some areas the scrub is very open. The steppe contains resinous evergreen bushes, mainly from the family Zygophyllaceae and the genera Larrea, Bulnesia and Plectocarpa. Other species are Monttea aphylla, Bougainvillea spinosa and Prosopis species.[2]
The World Wildlife Fund gives the ecoregion the status of "Vulnerable".[3] The region has mostly been settled by people only in oases or areas near rivers where irrigation-based agriculture is possible. This process began in the late 19th century and continues today. The habitat in the settled areas has been greatly changed, with trees cleared for use as fuel and lumber and to make way for agriculture and mineral exploitation. 580,000 square kilometres (220,000sqmi) of the ecoregion has been affected by erosion caused by deforestation and excessive grazing by sheep, goats and cattle. There is marked increase in desert areas, affecting the habitats of many native species. Many species are affected by fragmentation of their habitats.[2]
The Guanacache, Desaguadero y Bebedero system has been affected by various natural and man-made changes that have caused the area of lagoons and marshes to shrink significantly. Some efforts are being made to rehabilitate them.[5]
"Low Monte", Global Species, Myers Enterprise II, retrieved 2017-04-12
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