Hydrologic scenarios applied to the ecological management of the Puelo river basin, Argentina.

SCARPATI, O, A. CAPRIOLO AND M. J. FIORITI

Brisbane, Australia

Congreso; “Regional responses to global change”; 2006

International Geographical Union

The Puelo and Manso rivers basins are situated in the limits of Neuquén and Chubut provinces, Argentina, (41° 07´ - 42º 24 SL and 71º 12´ - 71º 13´ WL). These systems have a lot of water bodies until it arrives to the Pacific Ocean. These rivers occupy an area of 6,041.55km2. The vegetation answers to the topographic and climatic heterogeneity and so it presents Notofagus forests and steppe, close to Puelo Lake it can be found the Valdivian forest, typical of Chilean Patagonia and it is the only argentine place where it can be seen. The climate is cold temperate and humid. The mean annual temperature is 12.2°C, the temperature of the warmest month, January, is 17.4°c and for the coldest one, July, 3.8°C. The precipitation belongs to mediterranean distribution, near to the frontier with Chile it reaches 2,500 – 3,000 mm while at the east it is only of 500mm. The Puelo Lake National Park of 240 km 2 is located close to the lake of the same name and it has an important tourist value. The population had grown up during the last years because there are beautiful landscapes, good possibilities of agriculture and economic perspectives. For this, there is an extensive development in floodplains. During the last years, this region has experienced extreme hydrological events: floods and droughts which caused danger and losses to the inhabitants and natural resources. The floods are analysed and so the consequence danger to floodplains. Furthermore, the occurrence of fires, mainly in summer, caused by soil water deficit and human activity are influencing negatively. A regeneration programme of degradated forests using native species is realizing in the Puelo Lake National Park The climate change is verified in the area, mainly for an increase of January temperatures and the correspondents to July are lower. Hence, the vegetation belts can experience a displacement to higher sites.