El clima del sur de la Patagonia y sus aspectos ecológicos. Un siglo de mediciones climatológicas en Punta Arenas
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1988
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La importancia del clima en todo el ámbito del sur de la Patagonia es muy evidente y así lo entendieron los religiosos salesianos al iniciar las mediciones climatológicas regulares a fines del siglo pasado. Sin embargo, en el Hemisferio Sur son escasas las series de datos suficientemente extensas y continuas, por lo cual, el completar un siglo de registros representa una ocasión propicia para presentar estas series climáticas del sur de la Patagonia. Del análisis de la dinámica de la circulación atmosférica del oeste en el Hemisferio Sur y de cómo se ve afectada ésta por la morfología regional, se definen tipos de tiempo que caracterizan a la Patagonia. Con los antecedentes climáticos registrados en Punta Arenas durante 1983, se muestran los efectos concretos que estos tipos de tiempo ejercen en la región. Durante los últimos cien años, cuando los elementos climáticos alcanzaron valores extremos, éstos afectaron a los diversos ecosistemas regionales. El estudio del comportamiento detallado de la precipitación, temperatura y viento, bajo el aspecto ecológico, entrega importantes conclusiones sobre los efectos que estos parámetros han ocasionado a estos ecosistemas. Se destacan entre otros, el deterioro del potencial pastoril causado por los períodos de sequía asociados a fuertes vientos, las mayores mortandades de ganado ocasionadas por inviernos con abundante nieve y la limitación de los cultivos debido al comportamiento de la temperatura y el viento. Finalmente, y desde el punto de vista climaecológico, se concluye que el viento es uno de los principales responsables de la degradación del paisaje y la erosión del suelo. Este meteoro, que actúa en forma más severa durante el principal período de desarrollo de la vegetación y en especial en el oriente de la Patagonia, no permite la completa recuperación de las praderas degradadas, las que a su vez, deben soportar una carga animal ya bastante superior a su potencial pastoril.
The importance of climate all over Southern Patagonia is very evident, and so it was understood by Salesianeian priests when they begun regular climatological measurements at the end of last century. However, sufficiently extensive and continuous series of data are scarse in the Southern Hemisphere, thus the completition of a century of registrations becomes a proper occasion to present these climatic series of Southern Patagonia. Types of weather characterizing Patagonia are defined from the analysis of thewestern atmospheric circulation in the Soluthern Hemisphere and by how it is affected by regional morphology. With the climatic information registred at Punta Arenas during 1983, the concret effeets of these types of wea ther on the region are presented. Along the last hundred years when climatic elements reached extreme values, the various regional ecosystems were affected. The study, under ecological point of view, of the detailed behaviuor of precipitation, temperature and wind, furnishes important conclusions on the effeets caused by these parameters to such ecosystems. Damages to the grazing potential caused by drough periods associated to strong winds; the larger livestock mortalities caused by winters with abundant snowfall and the limitations of crops due to the effects of temperature and wind are pointed out, among others. Finally, it is concluded, from a climatic-ecological point of view, that wind is one of the main responsible factors on the degradation of the landscape and the soil erosion. This meteor, acting more severely during the main period of vegetation development, and especially in eastern Patagonia, does not permit a complete recuperation of degraded prairies which support a livestock load quitesuperior to their potential carrying capacity.
The importance of climate all over Southern Patagonia is very evident, and so it was understood by Salesianeian priests when they begun regular climatological measurements at the end of last century. However, sufficiently extensive and continuous series of data are scarse in the Southern Hemisphere, thus the completition of a century of registrations becomes a proper occasion to present these climatic series of Southern Patagonia. Types of weather characterizing Patagonia are defined from the analysis of thewestern atmospheric circulation in the Soluthern Hemisphere and by how it is affected by regional morphology. With the climatic information registred at Punta Arenas during 1983, the concret effeets of these types of wea ther on the region are presented. Along the last hundred years when climatic elements reached extreme values, the various regional ecosystems were affected. The study, under ecological point of view, of the detailed behaviuor of precipitation, temperature and wind, furnishes important conclusions on the effeets caused by these parameters to such ecosystems. Damages to the grazing potential caused by drough periods associated to strong winds; the larger livestock mortalities caused by winters with abundant snowfall and the limitations of crops due to the effects of temperature and wind are pointed out, among others. Finally, it is concluded, from a climatic-ecological point of view, that wind is one of the main responsible factors on the degradation of the landscape and the soil erosion. This meteor, acting more severely during the main period of vegetation development, and especially in eastern Patagonia, does not permit a complete recuperation of degraded prairies which support a livestock load quitesuperior to their potential carrying capacity.
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Climatología, Clima y ecología
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Anales del Instituto de la Patagonia, Vol. 18, pp. 57-86, 1988.