| Monte Desert | |
|---|---|
 Landforms created byerosion in the Monte Desert atIschigualasto, Argentina. | |
 Ecoregion territory (in purple) | |
| Geography | |
| Country | Argentina |
TheMonte Desert is aSouth Americandesert, lying entirely withinArgentina and covering approximately the submontane areas ofCatamarca,La Rioja,San Juan,San Luis andMendoza Provinces, plus the western half ofLa Pampa Province and the extreme north ofRío Negro Province andChubut Province. The desert lies southeast of theAtacama Desert inChile andPeru, north of the largerPatagonian Desert, east of theAndes and west of theSierra de Córdoba.[1]
The delineations between the Monte Desert, the Atacama Desert, and the Patagonian Desert are not exact and the desert seems to be more-or-less continuous with the other two nearby deserts. The geography of the land is very similar to that of the interior Patagonian Desert, with volcanic sediments,piedmont plains, large mountain blocks and many usually dry salt lakes. The major river is theRío Colorado and its tributary theRío Desaguadero, which meet in the south of the region and provide its principal source of irrigation water for wine crops.
Due to the region lying on the eastern, orleeward, side of the Andes and west of the Sierra de Córdoba, it experiences very little rain. Theserain shadow effects are the primary reason for the aridity of the region and the formation of the Monte and other nearby deserts. However, unlike the other two deserts, the Monte Desert does not experience an intense effect from the cold water currents off the South American coast. This allows the Monte Desert to support a wider variety of life than the other two more extreme deserts.[2]
The flora of the region is much more diverse than the nearby Patagonian Desert (which contains mainly shrubs and grasses) and the Atacama Desert (which is pretty much devoid of life). Shrubs and grasses are not only common, but tallcacti even appear in the more hospitable areas of the desert.
The fauna of the area is also very similar to that of the Patagonian Desert, only in greater diversity and number due to the Monte's more hospitable conditions. Small mammals like mice abound and larger animals like theguanaco andburrowing owl can be found as well.
TheWorld Wildlife Fund has named one of their 'ecoregions' after this desert:NT0802.[3]
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