Abstract
Peatlands are present in humid areas of Patagonia, reaching a latitudinal distribution along 2,000 km, from the Chiloe Island to the Tierra del Fuego archipelago. Deglaciation and postglacial processes that occurred after the Last Glacial Maximum favoured the conditions for peatlands development. In addition, the strong negative west-east humidity gradient that the Andes mountain range induces is a substantial factor for peatland distribution, determining the location of the more extensive peatland complexes at the west of the Andes and in the Tierra del Fuego archipelago. However, peatlands are also present as small minerogenic units in the oriental Andean foothill and occasionally in the driest extra-Andean Patagonia.Climatic and latitudinal gradients, in addition to the local drainage conditions gave rise to the conformation of several peatland complex types and subtypes that show differences on their dominant flora and morphological patterns. Particular regional names as “tepual”, “pomponal”, “mallín”, “vega”, etc., are utilized by the local people to identify different peatlands types.
Main Patagonian peatland complexes,favoured by their isolated situation,remain in an almost pristine state, but peat mining is an increasing activity in both Argentina and Chile, affecting peatlands accessible by roads. Numerous minerogenic peatlands of the extra-Andean Patagonia present degradation signs produced by overgrazing and drainage to favouring cattle raising.
The Patagonian peatlands provide significant environmental functions. They constitute the main carbon sink and carbon storage in the extratropical Southern Hemisphere, so they contribute to climate change mitigation. In addition, they give support to the biodiversity, offer a tourist attraction as components of the landscape, contribute to the hydrological regulation and provide freshwater. The wise use of these wetlands is a challenge for the peatlands management in Patagonia.
References
Aravena JC, Luckman BH. Spatio-temporal rainfall patterns in southern South America. Int J Climatol. 2009;29(14):2106–20.
Arroyo MTK, Mihoc P, Pliscoff P, Arroyo M. The Magellanic moorland. In: Fraser LH, Keddy PA, editors. The World’s largest wetlands. New York: Cambridge University Press; 2005. p. 425–45.
Blanco DE, de la Balze VM. Los Turbales de la Patagonia: bases para su inventario y la conservación de su biodiversidad. Buenos Aires: Wetlands International; 2004.
Buono G, Oesterheld M, Nakamatsu V, Paruelo JM. Spatial and temporal variation of primary production of Patagonian wet meadows. J Arid Environ. 2010;74:1257–61.
Collantes MB, Anchorena J, Stoffella S, Escartín C, Rauber R. Wetlands of the Magellanic Steppe (Tierra del Fuego. Argentina). Folia Geobot. 2009;44:227–45.
Collantes MB, Escartín C, Braun K, Cingolani AM, Anchorena JA. Grazing and grazing exclusion along a resource gradient in magellanic meadows of Tierra del Fuego. Rangel Ecol Manag. 2013;66:688–99.
Domínguez E. Manual de buenas prácticas para el uso sostenido del musgo Sphagnum magellanicum en Magallanes, Chile. Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias. Centro Regional de Investigación Kampenaike. Punta Arenas. Boletín INIA; 2014. No 276. 113 p.
Heusser CJ. Three late quaternary pollen diagrams from Southern Patagonia and their paleocological implications. Paleogeogr Paleoclim Paleocol. 1995;118:1–24.
Holdgate MW. Vegetation and soils in the South Chilean Islands. J Ecol. 1961;49(3):559–80.
Iturraspe R, Urciuolo AB, Iturraspe RJ. Spatial analysis and description of eastern peatlands of Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. In: Heikkilä R, Lindholm T, editors. Mires from pole to pole, The Finnish Environment, vol. 38. 2012. p. 385–99.
Joosten HD, Clarke D. Wise use of mires and peatlands. Saarijärvi: IMCG-IPS; 2002. 304 p.
Kleinebecker T, Hölzer N, Vogel A. Gradients of continentality and moisture in South Patagonian peatland vegetation. Folia Geobot. 2007;42:363–82.
Malvarez AI, Kandus P, Carbajo A. Distribución regional de los turbales en Patagonia. In: Blanco DE, de la Balze VM, editors. Los turbales de la Patagonia. Bases para su inventario y la conservación de su biodiversidad. Buenos Aires: Wetlands International; 2004. p. 22–9.
Markgraf V, Huber UM. Late and postglacial vegetation and fire history in Southern Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego. Palaeogeogr Palaeoclim Palaeoecol. 2010;297:351–66.
Mazzoni E, Rabassa J. Types and internal hydro-geomorphologic variability of mallines (wet-meadows) of Patagonia: emphasis on volcanic plateaus. J South Am Earth Sci. 2013;46:170–82.
Moore DM. Southern oceanic wet-healthland (including Magellanic moorland). In: Spech RI, Goodhall DW, editors. Ecosystems of the World, vol. 9A. Amsterdam: Elsevier Science; 1979.
Pisano E. The magellanic tundra complex. In: Gore A, editor. Mires:swamp, Bog, Fen and Moor. B. Regional studies. Amsterdam: Elsevier; 1983. p. 295–329.
Richardson R. A registry of productive peat bogs in the lake region. Hemispherics Polar Stud J. 2011;2(4):249–66.
Roig FA. La Vegetación de la Patagonia. In: Correa MN, editor. Flora Patagónica, Colecc. Ci. INTA. 1988;8(1):48–166.
Ruiz y Doberty Ltda. Catastro y Caracterización de los Turbales de Magallanes. Sernageomin. BIP N°20196401-0, Chile. 2005. 123 p.
Veblen TT, Schlegel FM. Reseña ecológica de los bosques del sur de Chile. Bosque. 1982;4(2):73–115.
Villagran C. A model for the history of vegetation of the coastal range of central-southern Chile: Darwin’s glacial hypothesis. Rev Chil Hist Nat. 2001;74:793–803.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 Springer Science+Business Media B.V., part of Springer Nature
About this entry
Cite this entry
Iturraspe, R. (2018). Patagonian Peatlands (Argentina and Chile). In: Finlayson, C., Milton, G., Prentice, R., Davidson, N. (eds) The Wetland Book. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4001-3_230
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4001-3_230
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-007-4000-6
Online ISBN: 978-94-007-4001-3
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesReference Module Biomedical and Life Sciences