Original paper
Vegetation belts, cold and soil freezing in the Central Andes of Mendoza, Argentina
Roig, Fidel A.; Abraham, Elena M.; Méndez, Eduardo
Phytocoenologia Band 37 Heft 1 (2007), p. 99 - 113
published: Mar 19, 2007
DOI: 10.1127/0340-269X/2007/0037-0099
ArtNo. ESP024003771003, Price: 29.00 €
Abstract
In the high Central Andes of Mendoza (Argentina), between 32° and 33° S, the relationships between the mean temperatures for January and July, soil freezing and vegetation belts were studied. A regression analysis was carried out, based on temperature and altitude data for 20 localities (9 Andean and 11 pre-Andean localities). Parageocryogenic and geocryogenic zones were identified according to data on sporadic and seasonal soil freezing processes for different altitudes. These cryogenic zones were later related to the vegetation belts. In both the pre-Andean and Andean mountains, permafrost and Andean tundra are present from 3100-3300 m a.s.l. upwards.
Keywords
plants • altitude • temperature • cryogenics zones • permafrost • andean tundra