The vegetation of the saladillo area (province of Santa Fe) at the south of the Chaco Region, Argentina.

HILGERT, NORMA INÉS; F PENSIERO, J; MARINO, G.; LEWIS, J.P.; D'ANGELO, C

INTERCIENCIA

INTERCIENCIA

Lugar: Caracas; Año: 2003 vol. 28 p. 512 - 520

0378-1844

The area of the Saladillos lies at the eastern part of the of Santa Fe province center, comprising the western halves of the Garay and San Javier departments and small parts of other administrative units. At its western limits are the Toba and Saladillo Amargo rivers, while at the eastern limit the Paraná River valley is located. The region consists of plains with a considerable but gentle slope from NW to SE, and without any important orographic or topographic accidents. Most of it is on what the Paraná River bed was, which was modified by an upward movement of the bedrock during the Quaternary. Several rivers that flow from N to S to the Paraná River drain the area; the main ones are the Saladillo Amargo and the Saladillo Dulce, whose names mean “Bitter Brackish” and “Sweet Brackish”, as an allusion to their water taste and composition. The area can be divided into two main physiographic sectors, the old Paraná River terrace and the coastal levee. The area is covered by woodlands, savannas, tall grasslands and some prairies and hydrophilous meadows. In this paper the vegetation of the Saladillo Rivers area is analyzed, using numerical methods. Plant communities are determined and described. We conclude that the region is an impoverished Chaco, lying also in the far south, is less tropical and winter is colder. Also, it appears to have a strong influence of the Paraná River, so the vegetation has strong affinities with the Paranense phytogeographical province.