Lullaillaco National Park: Nature
Natural Heritage
Flora
Several studies have determined that in this park there are 93 different species, distributed in 29 families and 58 genuses. According to the classification proposed by Gajardo (1994), Lullaillaco National Park presents the ecologic regions of the Desert and the High Andean Steppe.
The Desert region belongs to the Andean Desert sub-region, which in turn includes the mountain desert of Domeyko Range.
The High Andean Steppe corresponds to the Altiplano and La Puna, which include the Salty Andes Desert Steppe.
In the desert region you will find the traditional desert flora, with bushes and sub-bushes. There are also some flowers, like cachiyuyo (Atriplex atacamensis), oreganillo (Acantholippia trifida), trun (Acaena canescens), salpiglossis (Salpiglossis parvulus), calpiche (Lycium minutiflorum), allaval (Adesmia atacamensis), cauchal (Coldenia atacamensis), cachiyuyo (Atriplex microphylla), malvilla (Cristaria andicola) and pata de pizaca (Fabiana bryoides).
In the desert steppe, vegetation is very sparse, with species like bitter coirón (Stipa chrysophylla), coirón (Stipa atacamensis), tola vaca (Parastrephia lepidophylla), oreganillo (Acantholippia trifida), malvilla (Cristaria andicola), cachiyuyo (Atriplex microphylla), and pata de pizaca (Fabiana bryoides).
Fauna
Mammals
Puma and andean fox.
Vulnerable: vicuna, guanaco,
Endangered: Andean chinchilla, vizcacha
Birds
Vulnerable: punta timanou, andean goose, peregrine falcon
Endangered: Darwin's rhea
Hydrography
There are three hydrographic basins in the area: the salt flats of Punta Negra, Pajonales, and Aguas Calientes IV
Punta Negra Salt Flat Basin: it is an endorheic basin with a surface of 4.265 km2, going from Domeyko Mountain Range to the border with Argentina. It is fed by various streams, like the following basins: Las Zorras, Las Zorritas, del Salto, Cachiyuyo, Lullaillaco, de la Barda, Tocomar, and Barrancas Blancas. These waters do not reach Salar de Punta Negra in its surface; they go underground.
On the south side, the basin of RÃo FrÃo is the main tributary of this salt flat.
Pajonales Salt Flat Basin: this endorheic basin is immediately adjacent to Punta Negra salt flat. Its surface covers 1.976 km2, and it is located at an altitude of 3.536 mts. It contains several bodies of water, but all of them run below the surface.
The main tributaries of this salt flat are San Eulogio Basin and others coming from San Eulogio pampa and La Pena Hill
Aguas Calientes IV Salt Flat: it is a typical endorheic, intermontane basin, belonging to Argentina and Chile, with a surface of 731 km2.
Its tributaries are La Pena basin, and others coming from the Aguas Calientes range.
Geomorphology
There are seven geologic units in the park:
Sea sedimentary rocks of Devonian age, which can be found on the northeast of Tocomar hill.
Intrusive, granite rocks, belonging to the middle Paleozoic. They appear between Las Zorras gully and Tocomar hill.Â
Intrusive, plutonic rocks of Paleozoic age, appearing on the hills located in the basin of FrÃo river.
Volcanic rocks associated to the Upper Paleozoic and Lower Mesozoic, which appear in Gólgota range.
Sedimentary rocks of Jurassic age, appearing in the west of Varas range.
Sedimentary rocks belonging to the Miocene, at the foot of the Andes, from Los Domos on the North and FrÃo river in the south.
Cenozoic volcanic rocks, that are present everywhere in the Andes.
Alluvial deposits from the Quaternary, which mainly correspond to gravel, sand, clay, and slime. They go from FrÃo river to Punta Negra salt flat.
From a geomorphologic point of view, there are three large morphostructural units: The Andes, The Intermontane basin, and Precordillera Domeyko.
In the Andes, the mountains' altitude range from 5.000 to 6.000, average. Some important peaks are Inca hill, Lullaillaco volcano, and the hills of Tocomar, Bayo, Silla, Dos Naciones, del León, Aguas Calientes, and de la Pena.
The Intermontane Basin corresponds to Punta Negra salt flat. In its lowest side, it has an extensive saline deposit (40 km. from north to south and 10km. from east to west).
Precordillera Domeyko ahs a continuous relief, except for Portezuelo de la Sal, which average is 3.500 mts above sea level.
The soils in the park are Entisols and Aridisols, which are poor, salty soils, with no relief or organic matter.
Flora
Several studies have determined that in this park there are 93 different species, distributed in 29 families and 58 genuses. According to the classification proposed by Gajardo (1994), Lullaillaco National Park presents the ecologic regions of the Desert and the High Andean Steppe.
The Desert region belongs to the Andean Desert sub-region, which in turn includes the mountain desert of Domeyko Range.
The High Andean Steppe corresponds to the Altiplano and La Puna, which include the Salty Andes Desert Steppe.
In the desert region you will find the traditional desert flora, with bushes and sub-bushes. There are also some flowers, like cachiyuyo (Atriplex atacamensis), oreganillo (Acantholippia trifida), trun (Acaena canescens), salpiglossis (Salpiglossis parvulus), calpiche (Lycium minutiflorum), allaval (Adesmia atacamensis), cauchal (Coldenia atacamensis), cachiyuyo (Atriplex microphylla), malvilla (Cristaria andicola) and pata de pizaca (Fabiana bryoides).
In the desert steppe, vegetation is very sparse, with species like bitter coirón (Stipa chrysophylla), coirón (Stipa atacamensis), tola vaca (Parastrephia lepidophylla), oreganillo (Acantholippia trifida), malvilla (Cristaria andicola), cachiyuyo (Atriplex microphylla), and pata de pizaca (Fabiana bryoides).
Fauna
Mammals
Puma and andean fox.
Vulnerable: vicuna, guanaco,
Endangered: Andean chinchilla, vizcacha
Birds
Vulnerable: punta timanou, andean goose, peregrine falcon
Endangered: Darwin's rhea
Hydrography
There are three hydrographic basins in the area: the salt flats of Punta Negra, Pajonales, and Aguas Calientes IV
Punta Negra Salt Flat Basin: it is an endorheic basin with a surface of 4.265 km2, going from Domeyko Mountain Range to the border with Argentina. It is fed by various streams, like the following basins: Las Zorras, Las Zorritas, del Salto, Cachiyuyo, Lullaillaco, de la Barda, Tocomar, and Barrancas Blancas. These waters do not reach Salar de Punta Negra in its surface; they go underground.
On the south side, the basin of RÃo FrÃo is the main tributary of this salt flat.
Pajonales Salt Flat Basin: this endorheic basin is immediately adjacent to Punta Negra salt flat. Its surface covers 1.976 km2, and it is located at an altitude of 3.536 mts. It contains several bodies of water, but all of them run below the surface.
The main tributaries of this salt flat are San Eulogio Basin and others coming from San Eulogio pampa and La Pena Hill
Aguas Calientes IV Salt Flat: it is a typical endorheic, intermontane basin, belonging to Argentina and Chile, with a surface of 731 km2.
Its tributaries are La Pena basin, and others coming from the Aguas Calientes range.
Geomorphology
There are seven geologic units in the park:
Sea sedimentary rocks of Devonian age, which can be found on the northeast of Tocomar hill.
Intrusive, granite rocks, belonging to the middle Paleozoic. They appear between Las Zorras gully and Tocomar hill.Â
Intrusive, plutonic rocks of Paleozoic age, appearing on the hills located in the basin of FrÃo river.
Volcanic rocks associated to the Upper Paleozoic and Lower Mesozoic, which appear in Gólgota range.
Sedimentary rocks of Jurassic age, appearing in the west of Varas range.
Sedimentary rocks belonging to the Miocene, at the foot of the Andes, from Los Domos on the North and FrÃo river in the south.
Cenozoic volcanic rocks, that are present everywhere in the Andes.
Alluvial deposits from the Quaternary, which mainly correspond to gravel, sand, clay, and slime. They go from FrÃo river to Punta Negra salt flat.
From a geomorphologic point of view, there are three large morphostructural units: The Andes, The Intermontane basin, and Precordillera Domeyko.
In the Andes, the mountains' altitude range from 5.000 to 6.000, average. Some important peaks are Inca hill, Lullaillaco volcano, and the hills of Tocomar, Bayo, Silla, Dos Naciones, del León, Aguas Calientes, and de la Pena.
The Intermontane Basin corresponds to Punta Negra salt flat. In its lowest side, it has an extensive saline deposit (40 km. from north to south and 10km. from east to west).
Precordillera Domeyko ahs a continuous relief, except for Portezuelo de la Sal, which average is 3.500 mts above sea level.
The soils in the park are Entisols and Aridisols, which are poor, salty soils, with no relief or organic matter.
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