EPOW - Ecology Picture of the Week

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Land of the Three Towers

Credit & Copyright:  Dr. Bruce G. Marcot
  

Explanation:  Behold the astounding landscape of Torres del Paine National Park in southern Chile.   The capstone (pun intended) of the park are these gargantuan granite towers capped by shale.  But the park harbors far more than sheer rock walls. Within the park is a variety of ecosystems ranging from exposed rock, to icefields and snowfields, to Patagonian grasslands, intercepted by riverine, riparian, lake, shrubland, and southern beech forest systems.  The park is home to iconic wildlife including Andean condors, Patagonian gray fox, guanacos, and many other species.  Here, pumas (mountain lions) prey on guanacos, and old-growth southern beech forests persist in the harsh climate.  The park hosts up to 17 species of breeding raptors, the highest raptor richness in all of Chile.      The astounding landscapes of Torres del Paine, here showing grazing Patagonian grasslands that give way to snow- and ice-capped peaks.    The park was founded in 1959, and is now a World Biosphere Reserve.   The Paine Massif towers reach some 2.5 km (8200 ft) in elevation.      Hanging icefields and snowfields pour over the sheer cliffs. The Massif was formed 12 million years ago with major uplifts and subsequent erosion by glacial action, removing the sedimentary (shale) layers and exposing bare granite faces. Several glaciers remain in the park. And the Southern Patagonian Ice Field is the second largest ice field in the world, covering some 17,545 acres (7,100 hectares).       Information:      Armesto, J.J., I. Casassa, and O. Dollenz.  1992.  Age structure and dynamics of Patagonian beech forests in Torres del Paine National Park, Chile.  Vegetatio 98(1):13-22.      Bank, M.S., R.J. Sarno, N.K. Campbell, and W.L. Franklin.  2002.  Predation of guanacos (Lama guanicoe) by southernmost mountain lions (Puma concolor) during a historically severe winter in Torres del Paine National Park, Chile.  Journal of Zoology 258(2):215-222.      Jaksic, F.M., J.A. Iriarte, and J.E. Jimenez.  2002.  The raptors of Torres del Paine National Park, Chile: biodiversity and conservation.  Revista Chilena de Historia Natural 75:449-461.      Wilson, P.  1984.  Puma predation on guanacos in Torres del Paine National Park, Chile.  Mammalia 48(4):515-522.