The Pampas
The Pampas are an open landscape located between the Atlantic mountains and the Andes in Argentine, Uruguay and southern Brazil. In Brazil, the Pampas are known as campos or fields; the word Pampa is derived from the native word for plain.
The vegetation of the Pampas consists almost exclusively of grasses and herbs although trees and bushes can be found near streams and rivers. The flora and fauna of the Pampas are adapted to living in a windy grassland. Fires play an important role in this ecosystem. Herbs and grasses are able to regenerate from the roots. The only tree in this area, the Ombú (Phytolacca dioica) is well adapted to fires and has a massive, fire-resistant trunk that contains water storage tissue.
The climate of the Pampas is subtropical, with a warm or hot summer and a cool or mild winter. Rain falls throughout the year but slightly more during the summer.
The Pampas under threat
Because of the fertile soils and the temperate climate, the pampas have had a long agricultural history. At nowadays, most Pampas have been converted into agricultural lands. This includes crop land but the most important land use is cattle ranging. The Pampas are home to the gauchos (Latin-American cowboys) and the Pampas of Brazil, Argentine and Uruguay produce excellent meat in sufficient qualities for export. As a result of this, few remains of the ancient “ocean of grass“.See also
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