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The Pampas of South
America are a grassland
biome. They
are flat, fertile plains that covers an area of 300,000 sq.
miles or 777,000 square kilometers, from the Atlantic Ocean
to the Andes Mountains. It is found primarily in Argentina
and extends into Uruguay. The word Pampas comes from the
Guarani Indian word for level plain. The Argentinean Pampas
are the home of the 'Gaucho', the original South American
cowboy. The pampas is located just below Buenos Aires,
between 34° and 30° south latitude, and 57°
and 63° west latitude. The average
temperature in the Pampas is 18° C. The pampas has a
'high sun' or dry season in the summer, which in the
Southern Hemisphere is in December. The wind blows most of
the time. The climate in the pampas is humid and warm.
There are many kinds
of animal and plant life in the Pampas. Native plants and
animals on the Pampas have made adaptations to living in a
windy grassland. Many animals browse on grass or burrow in
the ground. There is even an owl that builds its nest in
underground burrows. A few of the plants in the pampas
include cattails, water lillies, reeds. These plants usually
prefer wetlands but they have adapted to the dryer Pampas
grasslands. There are not very many trees because fires
frequently occur in the pampas. The fires do not kill the
grasses, which regenerate from their root crowns, but
destroy the trees, which have shallow root systems. The
exception is the Ombu
which has made adaptations to protect itself from fires.
Some animals include
seed eating birds such as the Double Collard Seedeater, the
great Pampas Finch, the grassland Yellow Finch, and the Long
Tailed Reed Finch. It is also home to the Greater
Rhea, a
relative of the African Ostrich and the Australian Emu. In
addition to birds, several interesting mammals can be found
in the pampas. The Geoffroy's
Cat, for
example, with its gray coat and black stripped legs, is
almost invisible in the mesquite and bunchgrass. The Maned
Wolf has very long legs so it can see over the tall grasses.
Also, one can find a llama-like Guanaco that lingers among
the ponds. It is important to know that at least fifteen
mammal species, twenty bird species, and fifteen plant
species are at serious risk of extinction in the
Pampas. The humid Pampas
ecosystem is one of the richest grazing areas in the world.
Because of its temperate climate and rich, deep soil, most
of the Pampas has been cultivated and turned into croplands.
Unfortunately, domestic livestock and farming have severely
affected the pampas. Fertilizers and overgrazing are a
serious threat to the pampas. There are only a very few
pristine remnants of the legendary "ocean of grass" that was
the Pampas. It is considered to be one of the most
endangered habitats on earth. by Claire L.
2002
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