
The Sierras de Córdoba is a
mountain range
A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have aris ...
in central
Argentina
Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
, located between the
Pampas
The Pampas (; from Quechua 'plain'), also known as the Pampas Plain, are fertile South American low grasslands that cover more than and include the Argentine provinces of Buenos Aires, La Pampa, Santa Fe, Entre Ríos, and Córdoba; all o ...
to the east and south and the
Chaco to the north and east. Most of the range is located in
Córdoba Province, except for the southwestern margin which is in
San Luis Province
San Luis () is a Provinces of Argentina, province of Argentina located near the geographical center of the country (on the 32° South parallel). Neighboring provinces are, from the north clockwise, La Rioja Province (Argentina), La Rioja, Córdo ...
.
The Sierras de Córdoba are part of the
Sierras Pampeanas, a group of mountain ranges which extend north and south on the eastern side of the Andes. The Sierras de Córdoba are covered in dry forests, grasslands, woodlands, and shrublands, and are home to rare and
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...
species of plants and animals.
Parts of the Sierras have long been used for extensive cattle grazing, which has transformed the mountains' ecology.
[ Other economic activities include tourism and winegrowing.
]
Geography
The Sierras de Cordoba extend about 430 km from south to north, from 29º S to 33º 30’ S. They consist of four sub-ranges, the Sierras del Norte, Sierras Chicas, Sierras Grandes, and Cumbres de Gaspar.[Argañaraz, J.P., Gavier Pizarro, G., Zak, M. et al. Fire Regime, Climate, and Vegetation in the Sierras de Córdoba, Argentina. fire ecol 11, 55–73 (2015). https://doi.org/10.4996/fireecology.1101055] The range has a largely rounded contour. The highest peak in the Sierras de Córdoba is Mount Champaquí (2880 m) in the Sierras Grandes.
The northern part, known as the Sierras del Norte, is considerably lower and less rugged. The Sierras Chicas extend along the east, rising above the eastern plains and the city of Córdoba. The Sierras Grandes lie west of the Sierras Chicas, and include the highest peaks. The Cumbres de Gaspar lie west of the Sierras Chicas and north of the Sierras Grandes.[ The Sierras de Comechingones are a southern extension of the Sierras Grandes. A dry plateau lies to the west, between the Sierras and the Andes.
There are numerous springs and streams along the range. Most drain into ]salt lakes
A salt lake or saline lake is a landlocked body of water that has a concentration of salts (typically sodium chloride) and other dissolved minerals significantly higher than most lakes (often defined as at least three grams of salt per liter). I ...
, including Mar Chiquita to the northeast and Salinas Grandes and Salinas de Ambargasta on the plateau to the west. The Quinto River drains the southern portion of the Sierras.
The Tercero River originates on the eastern slope of the central Sierras, and drains eastwards through the Espinal to empty into the Paraná River
The Paraná River ( ; ; ) is a river in south-central South America, running through Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina for some ."Parana River". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online.
Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2012. Web. ...
.
Geology
The Sierras de Córdoba are much older than the Andes, having been formed in the Paleozoic
The Paleozoic ( , , ; or Palaeozoic) Era is the first of three Era (geology), geological eras of the Phanerozoic Eon. Beginning 538.8 million years ago (Ma), it succeeds the Neoproterozoic (the last era of the Proterozoic Eon) and ends 251.9 Ma a ...
and extensively eroded. The mountains, when first built, formed the boundary between Gondwana
Gondwana ( ; ) was a large landmass, sometimes referred to as a supercontinent. The remnants of Gondwana make up around two-thirds of today's continental area, including South America, Africa, Antarctica, Australia (continent), Australia, Zea ...
and the then-expanding Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...
. They consist chiefly of metamorphic rocks
Metamorphic rocks arise from the transformation of existing rock to new types of rock in a process called metamorphism. The original rock ( protolith) is subjected to temperatures greater than and, often, elevated pressure of or more, caus ...
such as quartzite
Quartzite is a hard, non- foliated metamorphic rock that was originally pure quartz sandstone.Essentials of Geology, 3rd Edition, Stephen Marshak, p 182 Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tecton ...
, which were formed when large quantities of marine sediment
Sediment is a solid material that is transported to a new location where it is deposited. It occurs naturally and, through the processes of weathering and erosion, is broken down and subsequently sediment transport, transported by the action of ...
were subject to enormous heat and pressure. In the Ordovician
The Ordovician ( ) is a geologic period and System (geology), system, the second of six periods of the Paleozoic Era (geology), Era, and the second of twelve periods of the Phanerozoic Eon (geology), Eon. The Ordovician spans 41.6 million years f ...
, there was extremely intense volcanism
Volcanism, vulcanism, volcanicity, or volcanic activity is the phenomenon where solids, liquids, gases, and their mixtures erupt to the surface of a solid-surface astronomical body such as a planet or a moon. It is caused by the presence of a he ...
over the region, almost all of which is now completely eroded.
The Sierras de Córdoba where the effects of the ancient Pampean orogeny can be observed, owes it modern uplift and relief to the Andean orogeny
The Andean orogeny () is an ongoing process of orogeny that began in the Early Jurassic and is responsible for the rise of the Andes mountains. The orogeny is driven by a reactivation of a long-lived subduction system along the western margin o ...
in the Tertiary
Tertiary (from Latin, meaning 'third' or 'of the third degree/order..') may refer to:
* Tertiary period, an obsolete geologic period spanning from 66 to 2.6 million years ago
* Tertiary (chemistry), a term describing bonding patterns in organic ch ...
.
Climate
At lower elevations, the Sierra de Córdoba has a warm temperate to subtropical climate (Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
''Cwa''), with hot, wet summers with frequent thunderstorms and mild, dry winters. Average annual rainfall at Córdoba is about but is highly variable. On the eastern side of the Sierra, rainfall can be as high as per year, but it quickly drops off on the western side to less than . Maximum temperatures at low elevations are high, ranging from in summer to in winter, but at elevations above 2000 meters, it has an monsoon-influenced continental climate (Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
''Dwb''), average temperatures are about cooler and exposure is very high. However, because the winters are so dry, very little snow
Snow consists of individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes.
It consists of frozen crystalline water througho ...
falls even at the highest elevations and there is no evidence of glacial
A glacier (; or ) is a persistent body of dense ice, a form of rock, that is constantly moving downhill under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires ...
or periglacial features from the Pleistocene
The Pleistocene ( ; referred to colloquially as the ''ice age, Ice Age'') is the geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was fin ...
.
The cooler climate in the mountains has encouraged development of many summer resorts
A resort (North American English) is a self-contained commercial establishment that aims to provide most of a vacationer's needs. This includes food, drink, swimming, accommodation, sports, entertainment and shopping, on the premises. A hotel ...
for the wealthy of Córdoba, notably Alta Gracia and Jesús María.
Flora and fauna
The Sierras de Córdoba lie between the Espinal ecoregion
An ecoregion (ecological region) is an ecological and geographic area that exists on multiple different levels, defined by type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and c ...
to the east and the Chaco ecoregion to the west. Rainfall is generally higher on the eastern slopes, and the western slopes are in the drier rain shadow
A rain shadow is an area of significantly reduced rainfall behind a mountainous region, on the side facing away from prevailing winds, known as its leeward side.
Evaporated moisture from body of water, bodies of water (such as oceans and larg ...
of the mountains. The flora and fauna of the Sierras is related to that of the Chaco region, except for high elevations, where Andean
The Andes ( ), Andes Mountains or Andean Mountain Range (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long and wide (widest between 18°S ...
species predominate.[
Lowland dry forest extends up to 750 meters elevation, with Espinal vegetation, including species of '' Prosopis'' and '']Acacia
''Acacia'', commonly known as wattles or acacias, is a genus of about of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa, South America, and Austral ...
'', on the eastern slopes, and lowland Chaco vegetation, including '' Aspidosperma quebracho-blanco'', on the western slopes.[
Foothill dry forest, known as Chaco Serrano, extends from 500 to 1300 meters elevation. '' Lithraea molleoides'' and '' Zanthoxylum coco'' are the predominant trees on the eastern slopes, with '' Schinopsis haenkeana'' dominant on the dry western slopes. ''Romerillal'' shrubland is found between 1300 and 1700 meters elevation, characterized by the shrub '' Heterothalamus alienus''. Grasslands of '' Festuca hieronymi'' and species of '']Stipa
''Stipa'' is a genus of 141 species of large Perennial plant, perennial hermaphrodite, hermaphroditic grasses collectively known as feather grass, needle grass, and spear grass. They are placed in the subfamily Pooideae and the tribe Stipeae, w ...
'' and '' Piptochaetium'' are found between 1500 and 1850 meters elevation.[ Forests and woodlands of tabaquillo ('' Polylepis australis'') are found in sheltered ravines and stream valleys and canyon bottoms with access to year-round moisture. ''Polylepis australis'' is typical of the eastern Andes, and the Sierras de Córdoba are the eastern and southern extent of its range. Other species of the ''Polylepis'' woodlands include the tree '' Maytenus boaria'' and the shrubs ''Escallonia cordobensis'', ''Berberis hieronimii'', '']Satureja
''Satureja'' is a genus of aromatic plants of the family (biology), family Lamiaceae, related to rosemary and thyme. It is native to Southern Europe, southern and southeastern Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia. Historically, ...
'' spp., and the dwarf shrub ''Gaultheria poeppigii''.[Renison, Daniel, Isabell Hensen, Ricardo Suarez, Ana M. Cingolani (2006). "Cover and growth habit of Polylepis woodlands and shrublands in the mountains of central Argentina: human or environmental influence?" ''Journal of Biogeography'' Volume33, Issue5, May 2006. Pages 876-887 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2699.2006.01455.x]
High exposure causes the limits of tree growth to be much lower than in the Andes, generally about 2000 meters elevation. High-elevation plant communities include grasslands dominated by ''Deyeuxia hieronymi, Poa stuckertii, Alchemilla pinnata'', and ''Festuca circinata''; shrublands dominated by '' Berberis hieronymi'', and ''Polylepis australis'' woodlands in sheltered areas.[ Many of the species in this alpine zone are very rare, and include species endemic to the Sierras.][
Herds of ]guanaco
The guanaco ( ; ''Lama guanicoe'') is a camelid native to South America, closely related to the llama. Guanacos are one of two wild South American camelids; the other species is the vicuña, which lives at higher elevations.
Etymology
The gua ...
(''Lama guanicoe'') once ranged across the Sierras and the Chaco lowlands, but by the beginning of the 20th century they had been extirpated by hunters.
More than 100 bird
Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a fou ...
species are found in the mountains, but ranching and hunting have reduced most native mammal populations severely. Two species of birds are endemic to the mountains. The Córdoba cinclodes (''Cinclodes comechingonus'') breeds only in the mountains, where it inhabits forest patches of tabaquillo ('' Polylepis australis'') close to water between 1,600 and 2,800 meters elevation. Olrog's cinclodes (''Cinclodes olrogi'') is found in areas of open grass-covered rock formations near streams and lakes between 1,500 and 2,400 meters elevation. Other native birds include the Andean condor (''Vultur gryphus''), Andean tinamou (''Nothoprocta pentlandii''), olive-crowned crescentchest (''Melanopareia maximiliani''), cliff flycatcher (''Hirundinea ferruginea''), Chaco sparrow (''Rhynchospiza strigiceps''), and black-and-rufous warbling finch (''Poospiza nigrorufa'').[
Overgrazing, over-hunting, human-caused fires, and firewood harvesting have altered the flora and fauna of the mountains, creating soil erosion in large areas and reducing the extent of forests and woodlands.][
It is believed that the vegetation of the Sierra de Córdoba has varied greatly over the ]Quaternary
The Quaternary ( ) is the current and most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS), as well as the current and most recent of the twelve periods of the ...
, with some periods in the Holocene
The Holocene () is the current geologic time scale, geological epoch, beginning approximately 11,700 years ago. It follows the Last Glacial Period, which concluded with the Holocene glacial retreat. The Holocene and the preceding Pleistocene to ...
between 8000 and 500 years before today when forests
A forest is an ecosystem characterized by a dense community of trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological functio ...
extended to the now-dry western side of the mountain range and the adjacent Sierra de San Luis. At other times, such as glacial periods and the earliest part of the Holocene, the whole mountain range was completely treeless due to extremely low rainfall. This may explain why few endemics are found outside the zone above the timberline — where species that have inhabited the area for thousands of years take a kind of refuge from a warmer, wetter climate.
Protected areas
Quebrada del Condorito National Park covers an area of 245.89 km2. It lies within the Pampa de Achala Provincial Water Reserve (245.89 km2), which covers a plateau in the central Sierra above 1500 meters elevation.[BirdLife International (2022) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Quebrada del Condorito National Park and Reserva Hidrica Provincial Pampa de Achala. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 5 April 2022.] The water reserve includes the peaks Champaquí (2,790 m) in the south and Los Gigantes (2,374 m) in the north.
Other protected areas include La Calera Nature Reserve (113.77 km2) immediately west of Córdoba, and La Quebrada Nature Water Reserve (42 km2) northwest of Córdoba.[UNEP-WCMC (2022). Protected Area Profile for Argentina from the World Database of Protected Areas. Accessed 5 April 2022]
/ref>
People
Most of the population of the region lives in Córdoba, Argentina, Córdoba city, which contains about half the provincial population — with most of the rest in the Pampas region well east of the range. The lack of arable land means that few people live in the mountains themselves, where the major industries are grazing
In agriculture, grazing is a method of animal husbandry whereby domestic livestock are allowed outdoors to free range (roam around) and consume wild vegetations in order to feed conversion ratio, convert the otherwise indigestible (by human diges ...
and tourism
Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...
.
Tourism
The Sierras de Córdoba is one of the most important holiday centers of Argentina. Three million tourists visit the Sierras annually. The most important tourist destinations are Villa Carlos Paz
Villa Carlos Paz () is a city in the center-north of the provinces of Argentina, province of Córdoba Province (Argentina), Córdoba, Argentina, in the south of the Punilla Valley, lying on the western slope of the Sierras Chicas. It has a populati ...
, Cosquín, La Falda, Alta Gracia, and Villa General Belgrano amongst others.
Wineries
Two areas were large producers of wine in the past: Colonia Caroya in the north, and Villa Dolores in the west. These areas traditionally focused on cheaper, sweet wines for domestic consumption.
In recent years, sophisticated wine-making has begun taking place, both in these 'traditional' locations, as well as in exciting terroirs in the eastern side of the mountains, around Villa General Belgrano and La Cumbrecita. The area has a cooler climate, with some (light) snowfall in the winter, and a number of boutique wineries have experimented with different grape types and techniques, sometimes with exceptional results (Familia Navarro Torre recently was awarded a gold medal in the Vinandino competition with a Cabernet-Malbec from 2009). The region is otherwise known for its craft beers because of the large German Argentine community established there.
See also
* Geological history of the Precordillera terrane
References
* Whitmeyer, Steven J. and Simpson, Carol; ''Regional deformation of the Sierra de San Luis, Argentina: Implications for the Paleozoic development of western Gondwana''; Tectonics, Vol. 23, TC1005, , 2004.
External links
Región Traslasierra
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sierras de Cordoba
Landforms of Córdoba Province, Argentina
Landforms of San Luis Province
Cordoba
Gran Chaco
Sierras Pampeanas