Pampean-grassland heterogeneity on the intersection of science, art, and culture.

PERELMAN,SUSANA; OMACINI, MARINA; TOGNETTI, PEDRO M.; BATISTA,WILLIAM B.

Flora Mediterranea

Fondazione Internazionale pro Herbario Mediterraneo

Año: 2018 vol. 28 p. 313 - 329

1120-4052

Since prehistoric times, temperate grasslands have provided favorable habitat for human subsistence. Ease of exploitation, however, has caused that temperate grasslands are among themost destroyed terrestrial ecosystems. The region known as the Pampas or Rio de la PlataGrasslands, extending over some 750,000 sq. km in central eastern Argentina, Uruguay andsouthern Brazil, comprises the largest temperate grassland area in the southern hemisphere. Flattopography, humid temperate climate, grassy natural vegetation, and absence of large nativeherbivores have conditioned multiple aspects of human life in the region, like patterns of population settlement, techniques for acquisition and transportation of goods, aesthetic preferences,and social structure. In this article, we present some writers inspired by the Pampas, we brieflysummarize the main results of scientific research on the drivers of vegetation physiognomy andheterogeneity in the Pampas, based on the invaluable floristic database compiled by ProfessorRolando J. C. León, and we sketch one of Professor León´s scientific-historic tours to thePampas. Finally, we call attention to currently threats to the persistence of Pampean Grassland