Monte (landscape)
In Argentina, Monte is a dry, steppe-like bushland that covers large parts of the country. The Monte extends from the southern edge of the Puna (in the province of Catamarca ) over the provinces of La Rioja , San Juan , Mendoza , San Luis and La Pampa to Patagonia , where it occupies the coastal region of the provinces of Rio Negro and Chubut and then into a grass steppe transforms.
The climate of the Monte is different depending on the geographical latitude, but in general one can say that the Monte has a continental-temperate steppe climate with 150-300 mm of precipitation per year.
The vegetation is limited to loosely standing shrubs , between which there are mainly cacti and dry grasses. Several species of the genus Larrea from the family of the zygophyllaceae are regularly dominant among the shrubs . Trees can only be found in oases and river valleys, which is mainly due to the constant wind.
In the fauna, mammals often include the guanaco ( Lama guanicoe ), but also the puma and various types of armadillos and hares .