South America savannah vegetation and fauna. Animals of South America

South America is a continent located in the Western Hemisphere of our Planet. It is crossed by the Equator line and divides this continent into two parts. One part (the largest) belongs to the Southern Hemisphere, and the second (the smallest) belongs to the Northern Hemisphere.

The mainland ranks 4th among the continents in terms of its area - 17,840,000 km². On its territory, including adjacent islands, there are 15 states, three of which are dependent. By following the link you can see detailed list countries South America in a table with capitals and characteristics. The population is approximately 400 million people.

In the west, the continent is washed by the Pacific Ocean, in the east by the Atlantic Ocean, and in the north by the Caribbean Sea, which is the border between North America and South America.

Extreme points of the continent of South America

Northern point - Cape Gallinas is located in Colombia on the Caribbean Sea.

Southern (mainland) point - Cape Froward is located in Chile on the Brunswick Peninsula on the shores of the Strait of Magellan.

Southern (island) point – Diego Ramirez – is the southernmost point of America and Chile, which consists of a group of islands occupying an area of just over one square kilometer.

The western point, Cape Parinhas, is located in Peru.

The eastern point is Cape Cabo Branco, located in Brazil.

Relief of South America

The continent of South America is divided by relief into the Mountain West and the Plain East.

The Atacama Desert is located in Chile and is the driest place on our Earth. There are places in the desert where rain falls once in several decades. The air humidity is the lowest here. The only vegetation found is cacti and acacias.

The western part of the continent consists of the Andes mountain system, stretching across seven countries of South America, and the eastern part of the plains. In the North there is the Guiana Plateau with a length of 1930 km and an altitude of 300–1000 m.

In the east of the mainland is the Brazilian Highlands, whose area is about 4 million km2. 95% of Brazil's population lives here. The highest point of this highland is Mount Bandeira. Its height is 2897 meters. Due to the enormous natural diversity, the Brazilian Highlands are divided into three parts: the Atlantic, Central and Southern Plateaus.

To the south of the Brazilian Highlands is the Laplata Lowland, on the territory of which states such as Paraguay and Uruguay, the northern part of Argentina, the southern part of Brazil and the southeast of Bolivia are located. The area of the lowland is more than 3 million km2.

The Amazonian lowland is a lowland covering an area of over 5 million km2. It is the largest lowland on our Planet.

South American climate

In South America 6 climatic zones: North and South subequatorial belt, Equatorial, Tropical, Subtropical and Temperate zones.

The climate of South America in most of its parts is subequatorial and tropical, in which dry and wet seasons. Equatorial humid climate characteristic only of the Amazonian lowland. In the south of the continent, a subtropical and temperate climate prevails. Temperatures in the northern plains all year round 20-28 degrees. In the Andes, temperatures decrease with altitude. Even frosts are possible. On the Brazilian plateau, temperatures in winter can drop to 10 degrees, and on the Patagonian plateau to zero degrees.

River systems of South America.

The following river systems are located on the mainland: Parana, Orinoco, Amazon, Paraguay, Uruguay.

The Amazon is the world's largest river in terms of basin area (7,180 thousand km²), formed by the confluence of the Ucayali and Marañon rivers. Considered one of the seven natural wonders of the world. Brazil owns most of the basin. It flows mainly through the Amazonian lowland and flows into the Atlantic Ocean.

The Paraná is the second longest river on this continent, flowing in the southern part of the continent. It flows through the territory of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. Just like the Amazon flows into the Atlantic Ocean.

Paraguay is a river that is a right tributary of the Paraná. It divides the Republic of Paraguay into Northern and Southern Paraguay, and in its southern part it is the state border between Paraguay and Argentina.

Uruguay is a river originating in Brazil and formed by the confluence of the Canoas and Pelotas rivers. Is the border between Brazil and Uruguay. Its river system is the main source of the country's water supply. The country's largest hydroelectric power station is also located here.

The Orinoco is a river that flows through Venezuela and flows into the Atlantic Ocean. Its peculiarity is the bifurcation of the river. The Casiquiare River separates from it, which flows into the Rio Negro River. This river is home to the white river dolphin or Amazonian and one of the largest - the Orinoco crocodile.

Lakes of South America

Maracaibo (translated as “Land of Mary”) - large lake with brackish water, located in Venezuela. The depth of this lake differs significantly in its southern and northern parts. The northern one is shallow, and the southern one reaches (by different sources) from 50 - 250 meters. This lake is also one of the oldest lakes.

Titicaca (titi - puma, kaka - rock) - the most big lake by reserves fresh water and the second largest city after Maracaibo. More than three hundred rivers flow into this lake. It is navigable. Archaeological research shows that the city of Wanaku is located at the bottom of the lake.

Patos is a lake located on the coast of Brazil. Its length is 280 km and its width is 70 km. It is separated from the ocean by a sand spit 8 km wide. There are large hydroelectric power stations located on it. Salt, fish and oil are mined here.

Flora of South America

Thanks to warm climate and a huge amount of rainfall - the plant world in South America is very diverse. Each climate zone has its own flora. Large area occupy the jungle, which is located in the tropical zone. Here grow: chocolate and melon trees - papaya, rubber trees, various palm trees, orchids.

To the south of the jungle, deciduous and evergreen plants grow in equatorial forests. Here grows a tree called quebracho, which has a very durable wood. IN subtropical zone You can find vines and cacti. Further, moving south, there is a steppe zone where feather grass and various grasses grow. Beyond this zone, deserts and semi-deserts begin, where dry shrubs grow.

Fauna of South America

The fauna of the mainland is as diverse as the flora. The tropics are home to monkeys, sloths, jaguars, anteaters, parrots, hummingbirds, toucans and many other animals. The Amazon jungle is home to crocodiles, anacondas, piranhas, the rodent copybara, and river dolphins. Only here you can meet wild cat- an ocelot, similar to a leopard. The savanna is inhabited by armadillos, peccary pigs, spectacled bears, ostriches, pumas, foxes and maned wolves. The plains area is home to: deer, llamas, and pampas cats. Only in South America can you find deer - pudú, only 30-40 cm high. Huge tortoises live on the Galapagos Islands, which belong to South America.

Latin America is the very place on Earth where natural resources have remained virtually untouched since the Mesozoic era.

The favorable climate and development features of the continent are the reason why today the nature of the countries Latin America attracts more and more tourists. They are eager to see many strange plants that are not found anywhere else. The flora of South America is rightfully considered the main wealth of the continent. Such well-known plants as tomatoes, potatoes, corn, chocolate trees, and rubber trees were discovered here.

Rainforest Plants

Wet tropical forests The northern part of the continent still amazes with its richness of species, and today scientists continue to discover new plant species here. In these forests there are different types palm, melon tree. There are 750 species of trees and 1,500 species of flowers per 10 square kilometers of this forest.

The forest is so dense that it is extremely difficult to move through it; vines also make movement difficult. A characteristic plant for the tropical forest is the ceiba. The forest in this part of the mainland can reach a height of more than 100 meters and is distributed into 12 levels!

The tropical moist (equatorial) forests of South America on ferrallitic soils, called hylea by A. Humboldt, and called selva in Brazil, occupy a significant part of the Amazonian lowland, adjacent areas of the Orinoco lowland and the slopes of the Brazilian and Guiana highlands. They are also typical for coastal strip Pacific Ocean within Colombia and Ecuador. Thus, tropical rainforests cover areas with an equatorial climate, but, in addition, they grow on the slopes of the Brazilian and Guiana highlands, facing towards Atlantic Ocean, in higher latitudes, where there is heavy trade wind rain during most of the year, and during the short dry period the lack of rain is compensated by high air humidity.

The Gilei of South America is the richest species composition and by the density of vegetation cover, the type of vegetation on Earth. They are characterized by great height and complexity of the forest canopy. In areas not flooded by rivers, there are up to five tiers in the forest various plants, of which at least three tiers consist of trees. The height of the highest of them reaches 60-80 m.

The tropical rainforests of South America are especially rich in vines and epiphytes, often blooming brightly and beautifully. Among them are representatives of the aroyniaceae, bromeliads, ferns and orchid flowers, which are unique in their beauty and brightness. Tropical rainforests rise along the mountain slopes to approximately 1000-1500 m, without undergoing significant changes.

Under the influence economic activity human vegetation has undergone significant changes. In just 15 years, from 1980 to 1995, the forest area in South America decreased by 124 million hectares. In Bolivia, Venezuela, Paraguay and Ecuador, rates of deforestation during this period exceeded 1% per year. For example, in 1945, in the eastern regions of Paraguay, forests occupied 8.8 million hectares (or 55% of the total area), and in 1991 their area was only 2.9 million hectares (18%). In Brazil, about 15 million hectares of forests were destroyed between 1988 and 1997. It should be noted that after 1995

There has been a marked decline in deforestation rates. The main cause of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon remains the expansion of agricultural land, mainly permanent grassland. Destruction of forests leads to the destruction of the upper soil horizon, the development of accelerated erosion and other processes of soil degradation. Due to deforestation and overloading of pastures, soil degradation processes have affected almost 250 million hectares of land.

Plants of tropical savannas

To the south of the jungle are variable-humid forests and savannas, where the quebracho tree grows, which is famous for its very hard and very heavy wood, valuable and expensive raw materials. In savannas, small forests give way to thickets of cereals, shrubs and tough grasses.

Cerrado

The Cerrado region in east-central and southern Brazil is the largest savanna biome in South America. The Cerrado contains more than ten thousand plant species, 44% of which are endemic. About 75% of the territory has been lost since 1965, and the rest has been fragmented.

Pantanal

Two other savanna regions further south are the Pantanal and the Pampas. Although the Pantanal is a savanna, during the rainy season it becomes a wetland and provides habitat for aquatic plants. When the Pantanal dries out, savannas appear instead of water. This unique area is under threat from a variety of human activities, including shipping, artificial drainage, mining, agriculture and municipal waste.

Pampas

Even further south are the pampas - the South American steppes. Here you can find many types of grasses, common to Eurasia: feather grass, bearded grass, fescue. The soil here is quite fertile, since there is less rainfall and it is not washed away. Shrubs and small trees grow among the grasses.

Flora of the Mediterranean climate and temperate forests

This climate is characterized by warm, dry summers and cool, wet winters. The vegetation consists mainly of leathery-leaved evergreen shrubs that are well adapted to the long summer drought. The Chilean Matorral is the only Mediterranean region that has bromeliads. In lower areas, many shrubs are arid deciduous species, meaning they shed their leaves in the summer.

Because South America extends far to the south, it has a small region with temperate forests, called Valdivian forests. They range from moderate rainfall to drier temperate forests, and in all cases, as a rule, Nothophagus predominates. Small evergreen trees and shrubs dominate here. Fuchsias, which are prized all over the world for their beautiful flowers,

grow in the undergrowth. Although not rich in species, the temperate rainforests of the southern part of the continent can be quite dense.

Desert Plants

The south of the mainland is desert, the climate there is more severe, and therefore the vegetation is much poorer. Shrubs, some types of grasses and cereals grow on the rocky soil of the Patagonian desert. All plants are resistant to drought and constant weathering of the soil, among them are resinous chañar, chukuraga, and Patagonian fabiana.

Atacama Desert

The Atacama Desert, one of the driest in the world, has some moisture, but it is limited to certain areas. Coastal areas below 1000 meters receive regular fog (called camanchacas).

Rainfall in the Atacama Desert is so low that even cacti (which usually store moisture) can hardly get enough water from a single rainstorm, so many plants, including species of the Bromeliad family, take some of the moisture they need from mists. At the sites medium height no regular fog; thus there is almost no vegetation cover. In higher areas, the rising air cools enough to produce moderate amounts of precipitation, although the vegetation remains barren. Shrubs tend to grow near stream beds where their roots can reach a permanent source of water. The Atacama Desert often appears barren, but when there is enough moisture, the ephemerals change their appearance.

Patagonian desert

Conditions in the Patagonian Desert are less harsh. Vegetation ranges from tussock grasslands near the Andes to mostly shrub-steppe flora further east.

In the shrub steppes of Patagonia, cushion plants and kulembai shrubs are found. Where the soil is salty, quinoa and other salt-tolerant shrubs grow.

4 unusual plants of South America

Jacaranda

You can meet it in Brazil, Argentina and the West Indies.

Jacaranda is so beautiful during the flowering period that streets, parks and squares are decorated with it. This tree is especially loved in Buenos Aires. It blooms almost always.

So, at the end of spring and at the beginning of winter, jacaranda blooms most abundantly, and in summer and autumn it is a little more modest. However, the spectacle is incredible in any case. Bright purple delicate flowers cover the crown so thickly that it is almost impossible to see green leaves behind them, very similar to mimosa leaves.

Although jacaranda is not so rare in South America, it is unlikely that anywhere else you will be able to walk through a thick carpet of fallen purple petals and enjoy the violet aroma emanating from these beautiful trees.

Psychotria

No less interesting is psychotria - a small tree whose flowers resemble juicy scarlet lips, as if folded into a kiss. There are about a hundred species of this plant in total, and it can be found in Panama, Ecuador, Colombia and Costa Rica. With their seductive appearance, the flowers of this plant attract the main pollinators - butterflies and hummingbirds.

Psychotria is under threat of complete extinction due to uncontrolled deforestation. But you can still catch the “hot sponges” by finding them in Latin American forests.

Balsa

If you decide to travel to Ecuador, you may be lucky enough to see the balsa tree, or the so-called hare tree. This is a very tall tree from the baobab family.

It almost disappeared from the face of the Earth because of its valuable wood: very light, soft and friable, after drying it becomes harder than oak. Balsa was once used to make boats, rafts and canoes, but today its wood is used only for surfboards and fishing lures. This tree is called a hare tree because of its fruits - pods with seeds, which, after opening, look like fluffy hare feet.

There are no more balsa forests left, but small groups of these trees can still be found in the rain and humid forests of Ecuador.

Cashew tree Pirangi

One more thing unique tree grows in Brazil, near the city of Natal.

This is the Piranji cashew tree, which is already 177 years old and has “grabbed” almost two hectares of land. Pirangi is a mutant tree. An ordinary cashew grows like a tree, but not Piranji, since its branches, as soon as they touch the ground, take root, as a result of which the tree continues to grow. Thus, a single tree replaced an entire forest. By the way, it still bears fruit – about 80 thousand fruits a year. This is the most big tree cashew tree in the world, as it is 80 times the size of a regular cashew tree.

Conclusions

The plants of South America are also quite diverse. Tropical rain forests The Amazons occupy vast areas, including, in addition to the northern part of Brazil, French Guiana, Suriname, Guyana, the southern part of Venezuela, the west and south of Colombia, Ecuador and the east of Peru. In addition, this type of forest is found in Brazil in a narrow strip along Atlantic coast, as well as on the Pacific coast from the border of Panama to Guayaquil in Ecuador. The trees in these forests reach 80 m (ceiba), melon tree, cocoa, and rubber-bearing hevea grow. The plants are entwined with vines, there are many orchids. However, scientists fear that these “lungs of the planet” will end of XXI centuries may disappear from the surface of the Earth (this sad forecast was expressed by climatologists taking part in the climate change conference, which was held in Copenhagen from March 6 to 18, 2009).

Savannas occupy the Orinoco Lowland and most of the Guiana and Brazilian highlands. In the northern hemisphere, among the tall grasses (llanos) there are tree-like spurges, cacti, mimosas, bottle trees. The southern one (campos) is much drier and has more cacti. The South American steppes (pampa) have fertile reddish-black soils, dominated by cereals. Deserts and semi-deserts are located in temperate zone in Patagonia. Soils are brown and grey-brown, dry cereals, cushion-shaped shrubs.

Video

Sources

http://latintour.ru/sa/sa-info/rasteniya.html

South America is the most diverse continent in the world in terms of flora, primarily due to its geographical location.

Diversity flora South America is increasing thanks to high mountains, especially the Andes, which stretch from north to south along the western part of the mainland.

South America includes diverse forests such as tropical rainforests, tropical rainforests, extreme dry forests, temperate forests, and alpine forests.

The largest biomes are deserts, savannas and tropical forests. Due to the rapid rate of deforestation in places like , some plants may disappear before they are recorded, let alone studied.

The desert biome is the driest biome in South America and is generally limited to the western coast of the continent.

Dry conditions prevail from the coast to relatively high Andes. The Atacama Desert in northern Chile and the Patagonian Desert in central Chile are the most famous deserts in South America. Smaller desert areas also occur in the rain shadow regions of the Andes.

Next on the wetness scale is the savanna biome, which occurs in two completely different areas of the mainland. The largest savannas are concentrated in regions such as: Cerrado; Pantanal; and further south, in southern Brazil, Uruguay and northern Argentina, there are steppe savannas called the Pampas.

Although some of South America's forests are dry, most of them receive 2000-3000 mm of rainfall annually. The Amazon rain forest is the world's largest tropical forest, accounting for more than 3/4 of the continent's forest area. This is one of the richest areas of vegetation on the planet, but it is rapidly being destroyed due to agricultural and other human activities. Young rain forests grow along the southeastern coast of Brazil and northern Venezuela.

A much smaller area is occupied by a small Mediterranean region in central Chile, characterized by cool, wet winters and warm, dry summers.

In the far south of Chile and Argentina there is a small area that becomes alpine tundra in the very south. Temperatures are relatively cool and mild all year round, except in the extreme south where winter can be very cold.

Plants of the Atacama and Patagonia deserts

Atacama Desert

The Atacama Desert, one of the driest in the world, has some moisture, but it is limited to certain areas. Coastal areas below 1000 meters receive regular fog (called camanchacas).

In higher areas, the rising air cools enough to produce moderate amounts of precipitation, although the vegetation remains barren. Shrubs tend to grow near stream beds where their roots can reach a permanent source of water.

The Atacama Desert often appears barren, but when there is enough moisture, the ephemerals change their appearance.

Ephemera

Ephemera are usually annual plants whose seeds are kept in dry soil. When humidity increases, they quickly germinate, grow, flower and set seed before drought sets in.

Flowering plants

Bright flowers in the Atacama Desert

In the first days and weeks after good rain many grasses appear, providing a backdrop for an endless variety of colorful flowers, many of which are endemic to the Atacama Desert (found only in this region).

Nolana volcanica from the genus Nolan

Flowering plants include species from the family Alstroemeria (commonly called irises, although they are actually Liliaceae) and the genus Nolan (native to Chile and Peru).

Patagonian Desert

Conditions in the Patagonian Desert are less harsh. Vegetation ranges from tussock grasslands near the Andes to mostly shrub-steppe flora further east.

Feather grass

Feather grass is especially common throughout Patagonia, and cacti are also common.

cushion plants

In the shrub steppes of Patagonia, cushion plants and kulembai shrubs are found.

Quinoa

Where the soil is salty, quinoa and other salt-tolerant shrubs grow.

Plants of tropical savannas

Cerrado

The Cerrado region in east-central and southern Brazil is the largest savanna biome in South America.

The Cerrado contains more than ten thousand plant species, 44% of which are endemic. About 75% of the territory has been lost since 1965, and the rest has been fragmented.

Pantanal

Two other savanna regions further south are the Pantanal and the Pampas. Although the Pantanal is a savanna, during the rainy season it becomes a wetland and provides habitat for aquatic plants.

When the Pantanal dries out, savannas appear instead of water. This unique area is under threat from a variety of human activities, including shipping, artificial drainage, mining, agriculture and urban waste.

Pampas

The Pampas, like the great prairies that once covered central North America, are composed almost exclusively of grasses. Trees and shrubs grow near ponds, but herbaceous vegetation dominates.

Cattle rearing, wheat and corn cultivation are the main human activities in the area and thus pose a major threat to the natural flora. Since the region is located south of the Pantanal, it has a more temperate climate.

Rainforest Plants

Amazon rainforests

The Amazon rain forest is the largest tropical forest in the world. It is so large and has sufficiently dense vegetation that evaporation of moisture partially influences the humidity of the climate in the region.

The diversity of vegetation here is so great that comprehensive information on all species does not currently exist in many parts of the Amazon rainforest. From tens of thousands of plant species large number never described.

This one-of-a-kind botanical treasure is declining at an alarming rate of 13,000 to 26,000 km² per year. The causes of such destruction are primarily the cutting and burning of trees, agriculture, and livestock breeding.

The Amazon rain forest is an extremely complex biome. The main plant biomass consists of trees, which form a closed canopy that prevents large amounts of sunlight on the forest floor.

Epiphytes

The forest floor has small quantity herbaceous plants, and most small species growing as epiphytes on tree branches and trunks. Epiphytes in the Amazon rainforest include species from the Orchid family, Bromeliads, and even some cacti.

There is a wide variety of bromeliads, ranging from small, inconspicuous species to larger species that can collect significant amounts of moisture in their central whorl of leaves. The water in these plants can form miniature, consisting of mosquito larvae, aquatic insects and frogs.

Ferns

Ferns are considered another significant member of the epiphyte community. Some larger species of ferns, often called tree ferns, grow in the understory.

Lianas

Thus, typical vegetation of the Amazon rainforest includes various types creeper

The trees that form the canopy are divided into three fairly discrete levels. The two lowest levels are crowded, and the top level consists of tall trees standing out randomly above the continuous lower layers.

There are a few smaller palms, shrubs and ferns under the canopy, but they are only densely packed where there is a break in the canopy that allows sunlight to enter.

Some types of rain forests are well known, primarily because of their economic value. The most popular wood for making furniture is red mahogany. Because its wood is highly prized, many types of mahogany are rare or have become extinct.

South American rainforests are also a rich source of rubber. Brazil had a monopoly on rubber until the seeds were smuggled out and planted in Malaysia and synthetic rubber replaced natural rubber in several countries.

Brazilian walnut tree

Another popular tree is the Brazil walnut tree. Its fruits are rich in proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

cocoa tree

The fruits of the cocoa tree are widely used in cooking as the main ingredient in chocolate, as well as in medicine.

Every year during the rainy season, the lowest areas of the Amazon rainforest are filled with water (up to 1 m), which recedes after a few months. Trees grow well during this flood cycle.

Some trees have unique fruits that fish eat and thus spread their seeds. Flooding can be so extensive in some areas that water reaches the lower parts of the canopy.

Coastal tropical rainforests are also found in northwestern and southeastern parts of South America. Each of these forests contains a large number of endemic species. Some tree species are so rare that they can be found in an area of several square kilometers and nowhere else.

mangroves

Where the rainforest meets the ocean, they have adapted to a tidal environment.

Mangrove trees have a tangle of roots that often extend above the water, creating a "walking tree" appearance. Special root structures that rise above the water level during high tides allow the roots to breathe. Mangroves are also extremely salt tolerant.

Flora of the Mediterranean climate and temperate forests

Plants of the Mediterranean climate and temperate forests

This climate is characterized by warm, dry summers and cool, wet winters. The vegetation consists mainly of leathery-leaved evergreen shrubs that are well adapted to the long summer drought.

Chilean matorral

The Chilean Matorral is the only Mediterranean area that contains bromeliads. In lower areas, many shrubs are arid deciduous species, meaning they shed their leaves in the summer.

temperate forests

Since South America extends far to the south, it has a small region called the Valdivian Forests. They range from rain-temperate to drier temperate forests, and in all cases Nothophagus tends to predominate.

Small evergreen trees and shrubs dominate here. Fuchsias, prized throughout the world for their beautiful flowers, grow in the undergrowth. Although not rich in species, the temperate rainforests of the southern part of the continent can be quite dense.

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South America... Plants and animals of this region have attracted special attention from time immemorial. It is here that a huge number of unique animals live, and the flora is represented by truly unusual plants. Hardly in modern world You can meet a person who would not agree to visit this continent at least once in his life.

General geographical description

In fact, the continent called South America is huge. Plants and animals here are also diverse, but all of them, according to experts, are largely determined by the geographical location and peculiarities of the formation of the earth's surface.

The continent is washed on both sides by the waters of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The main part of its territory is located in Southern Hemisphere planets. Connecting the mainland with North America occurred during the Pliocene era during the formation of the Isthmus of Panama.

The Andes are seismically active mountain system, stretching along the western border of the continent. To the east of the ridge flows the largest and covers almost the entire area of South America.

Among other continents, this one ranks 4th in area and 5th in population. There are two versions of the appearance of people in this territory. Perhaps settlement occurred through the Bering Isthmus, or the first people came from the South Pacific Ocean.

Unusual features of the local climate

South America is the wettest continent on the planet with six climatic zones. In the north there is a subequatorial climate zone, and in the south there are zones of subequatorial, tropical, subtropical and temperate climates. The northwest coast and lowlands of the Amazon have high humidity and an equatorial climate.

Jaguarundi

This small feline predator resembles a weasel or a cat. Jaguarundi has long body(about 60 cm) with short legs, a small round head with triangular ears. The height at the withers reaches 30 cm, weight - up to 9 kg.

Wool of a uniform color of gray, red or reddish-brown, not of commercial value. Found in forests, savannas or wetlands.

It feeds on insects, small animals and fruits. The jaguarundi lives and hunts alone, meeting with other individuals only to reproduce.

This is how it is, unusual, stunning, alluring and bewitching South America, whose plants and animals are especially popular not only among scientists who connect their lives with the study of the continent, but also among curious tourists seeking to discover something new.

Deserts in South America occupy small areas and are located in the coastal strip of Chile and Peru, as well as along the southeastern coast of the Patagonian Plateau in Argentina. The Peruvian-Chilean deserts (Atacama, Sechura), located approximately between 4 and 29 south latitudes, stretch for more than 3 thousand km and occupy 1.3 of the Pacific coast. The formation of the Peruvian-Chilean deserts is due to the following factories. The South Pacific High causes a constant current of wind towards the coast. In the eastern part of this anticyclone the winds blow very great strength, which causes a noticeable temperature inversion at altitudes from 300 to 1500 m above sea level. The air over this inversion zone is dry, and as a result of this dryness and territorial inversion, the amount of precipitation is very small. Cold Peruvian Current of the Pacific Ocean. This current explains the temperature inversion in the atmosphere. Air in contact with water cools faster than at high altitudes. An anomaly is created: a thick layer of cold air is located below the warm layers. At an altitude of 3000 to 9000 m, a thick layer of clouds, up to 400 m thick, is formed, preventing the warming of the surface layers of the atmosphere. Moisture in the air condenses over northern Chile and over the central 500 km long Peruvian coastline, where thick fogs form. Fogs, in turn, reduce solar radiation and water evaporation decreases, especially in winter months. The Andes are a powerful barrier to movement air masses, forms over the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

The narrow coastal deserts of Peru and Chile form an elongated corridor stretching from north to south, sandwiched between the coasts of the Pacific Ocean and the giant wall of the majestic Andean ranges. The relief of the coastal strip and the western slope of the Andes is extremely complex. In the Peruvian-Chilean deserts, wind activity has become widespread. Aeolian landforms are represented mainly by single dunes (dunes) and their chains. The soil cover of the Peruvian coastal deserts consists of alluvial soils (5%), lithogenic soils (65%), rocky soils (25%), red desert soils and black clayey soils (5%). All these soils are usually thin and low in humus. In the deserts of Chile, there are mainly 3 types of soils: skeletal soils of mountains and plains, modern alluvial soils of temporary stream beds and other nitrogen soils.

Atacama Desert- the largest of the deserts located in the zone of the closest deserts of the South American continent [Fig. 15.] It is a vast highland, gradually rising from 300 m on the Pacific coast to 9500 m at the foot of the Andes.

Fig. 15.

On the coast average temperature January up to 20, July - up to 15, in Atacama, respectively, slightly higher - plus 22 and lower - plus 11. Precipitation does not fall annually, and its total quantity ranges from 10 to 50 mm per year. A narrow strip of coastal desert receives some moisture from thick fog. There are areas in the desert where precipitation has never been recorded. On the slopes of the coastal ridges, people collect water from the fog. The soils are poorly developed (salt crusts, etc.). The distribution of plant associations by height and distance from the coast is determined by humidity conditions, which depend not on precipitation in the form of rain, but on the intensity and frequency of fogs. From the coast to heights of 200 m above sea level, fog forms only at night and early in the morning, and in this coastal zone conditions for plant growth are particularly extreme in terms of moisture deficiency. As you ascend into the mountains, the frequency and intensity of fogs gradually increases, and at altitudes of 100 m or more, first blue and blue-green algae appear, and then bushy shrubs, and crustose lichens on the rocks. The belt of ephemerals and ephemeroids begins at an altitude of 200 m. Finally, at altitudes of 500-700 m, fogs reach their maximum: in winter, a damp blanket of fog lies on the slope almost around the clock. Representatives of the nightshade, clove, iris, and mallow families grow here. The tree-shrub layer is very sparse (acacia, whitish carica). Babaev A.G.

Patagonian desert. The vast and bleak desert extends along the Atlantic Ocean to 1600 km, from 39 to 53 northern latitudes, occupied by the Patagonian Plateau at an altitude of 600-800 m over an area of 400,000 square meters. km. [Fig. 16.] This is the only coastal desert in high latitudes.

Fig. 16.

Average monthly temperature warm month Patagonian desert - January - about 20 with an absolute maximum of up to 40. Winters in general, despite the mildness and positive temperatures, are very harsh. In severe frosts, the temperature can drop to -21. Water resources limited, stocks groundwater significant.

The soil cover is represented mainly by poorly developed desert rocky soils. Saline soils, even salt marshes, occupy drainage depressions. The Patagonian deserts lie in the temperate zone, and in the relatively more humid areas a sparse grass cover is formed, with the dominance of feather grass, fescue, bluegrass, and bromegrass. However, in most places the cover is very sparse, with bare gravelly soil lying between individual specimens. Azorella, mulinum, etc. are found here. Animals found here are: long-haired armadillo, mara, (pig family) or Patagonian hare, rodents, wild llama (the only ungulate of Patagonia), Patagonian fox, birds (nandus ostriches), lizards (mostly iguanas) and others. Zaletaev V.S.