Blooming Atacama Desert
The blooming Atacama Desert ( Spanish desierto florido ; also floral desert ) is a climatic phenomenon that occurs in the Atacama Desert , mainly in the Región de Atacama in Chile .
It consists in the appearance of a variety of flowers between September and November in years with - for one of the driest deserts in the world - exceptional rainfall.
Climatically, the event is related to the global climatic phenomenon El Niño , which causes the ocean currents near the shore to overheat. The coastal mists ( camanchacas ), which otherwise evaporate quickly, contain sufficient moisture to rain down over the desert.
The rains cause large amounts of dormant seeds and tubers to germinate or sprout in early spring in the southern hemisphere, accompanied by an increase in insects, birds and small lizard species. Countless yellow, blue and violet-colored flowers and herbs bloom within a short time and transform the desert into a sea of blossoms. The event spreads in its greatest splendor in the months of September to November from the north of the city of Vallenar to north of the city of Copiapó , both near the coast and in the mountainous interior.
The plants make up more than 200 species, most of them endemic ; they only exist in this region. Depending on whether it is a coastal or inland zone, other species predominate and bloom independently of one another within the specified time. The following species predominate:
- Lion Paw (Spanish garra de león , scientifically Bomarea ovallei )
- Guanaco paw (Spanish pata de guanaco , scientifically Calandrinia longiscapa )
- añañuca amarilla (scientifically Rhodophiala bagnoldii )
However, due to various circumstances such as the presence of large numbers of tourists, the illegal sale of this species and the organization of car races in the desert, in recent years some environmental organizations have denounced the progressive destruction of this heritage because these activities limit the regenerative potential of the existing species. In order to limit the damage, the Chilean government has introduced a series of bans and charges and has also launched information campaigns for the population and especially for tourists.
Web links
- Desierto florido - Photo album on flora and fauna of the desierto florido (Spanish)
- Virtual museum of the Universidad de Atacama - with geographical data and the climate history of the region
- Portal against ecological destruction in the desierto florido (Spanish)
Coordinates: 27 ° 57 ′ S , 70 ° 33 ′ W