JLE

Science et changements planétaires / Sécheresse

MENU

La diagonale aride argentine : une réalité écologique oscillante Volume 6, issue 1, Mars 1995

Author
CONICET/CRICYT Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de Zonas Aridas CC 507 5500 Mendoza, Argentine
  • Page(s) : 35-44
  • Published in: 1995

The Argentine arid diagonal is part of the areic diagonal of South America, covering almost one third of the entire country. It is considered to be the outcome of the degraded and impoverished humid climates of NE and SW Argentina, themselves under the influence of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans respectively. Hence, the arid diagonal is analysed together with the transitional semi-arid zone between it and the humid zone. During the decade 1971-1980, rainfall increased under the influence of the Atlantic Ocean. As a consequence, the arid diagonal shrunk and agriculture - mainly dry-farming - was able to spread, but only at the cost of major deforestation.