Soils from the Patagonian Region

Abstract

The Argentine Patagonia occupies the southernmost end of South America, and it is characterized by a strong environmental variation in the west?east direction. Two main sectors can be distinguished: the Andes Patagonian Cordillera (North, South Patagonian Cordillera and Fuegian and the Extra-Andean Patagonia, which extends eastward from the former. Landscape in western area is dominated by glaciar process (moraines and glaciofluvial plains) and also by volcanic action, with woodlands and udic?xeric regime. In the east, landscape is made largely by tablelands (fluvial, structural, lavic, glaciofluvial, etc.), shrub lands and aridic regime. Thefirst sector is mainly dominated by Andisols (Udands and Xerands), and Mollisols (Udolls, Criolls and Xerolls) and the second by Aridisols (Calcids and Argids) and Entisols (Ortents).This chapter describes the main characteristics of both sectors including geological, structural, climatic and edaphic aspect.