Atacama Desert
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South American Gray Fox (Lycalopex Griseus)
The South American Grey Fox is a species of canid inhabiting most of Southern South America. While it looks like a fox, the creature is actually more closely related to a wolf. It weighs about 10 pounds and is around 2 feet long. Its coat is brindled gray. The canid is mostly nocturnal, preferring to hunt at night. In the region of the Atacama desert, it prefers to stay in the less arid regions and preys on small mammals and lizards. It is adapted to the desert featuring a slower metabolism due to its small size. In addition, the coat matches its surroundings well providing camouflage, and has impressive night vision which helps it move at night. The fox is limited in dispersion by the mountains surrounding its habitat, as well as it being less suited to the warmer temperatures to the north (Global Invasive Species Database).
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Chilean Flamingo (Phoenicopterus chilensis)
The Chilean Flamingo is a species of flamingo inhabiting much of the southern region of South America. It is a large pink bird with a curved black beak and long legs. Most of the lakes of the Atacama are excessively salty due to the abundance of salt rich minerals of the region. The Chilean Flamingo has adapted well to the salt lakes. They have developed a structure in their beak similar to a comb, which allows them to filter their food and feed of the salt lake shrimp which are abundant. In addition they build nests out of the salty mud of the region to keep pests away from their young. But their range is limited by the availability of these salt lakes, which are not as abundant to the north of their habitat. (ebird.org)
Andes Mountains
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Quinine Tree (Cinchona pubescens)
The Quinine Tree as it is commonly known is found throughout the Andes Mountains of South America. The tree grows around 4-10 meters tall on average and has thick foliage, flowering in the spring. The tree is commonly found at altitudes ranging from 800-2800 meters. The tree is very resilient and does well in both low and intense light environments. It is also able to tolerate a wide range of temperatures and a variety of precipitation regimes. In addition, it reproduces quickly and is able to spread its seeds some distance through the wind. Because of this, there really arent many limiting factors to distribution other than the extreme cold and extreme heat, which limit it to South America. This is why it is considered an invasive species in many tropical regions such as Hawaii. (CABI)
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Andean Condor (
Vultur gryphus)
The Andean Condor is the largest bird in the world, weighing up to 30 pounds. It resides in both the high altitudes of the Andes Mountains and the Chilean Coast. Because of the bird's heavy weight, it prefers higher altitudes which feature heavy winds and updrafts, which allow the condor to stay in the air without tiring. The condor has developed strong wings which when extended can remain in that position with little effort. In addition, it has one of the strongest smells of any animal, allowing it to sense food from long distances. The Andean Condor feeds mostly off of carrion. It is limited in dispersion both by its long reproductive period and the range of the Andes, requiring high altitudes to fly effectively. (National Geographic)
Patagonia
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Magellanic Penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus)
The Magellanic Penguin is an aquatic bird exclusive to Patagonia, the southern tip of South America. They have adapted to the cold of the region, with a layer of fat and extra thick, water repellant down surrounding them. In addition, they are able to use their wings as fins and propel themselves through the water. This allows them to travers large distances and to catch fish. Temperature is the leading limiting factor to dispersal, as the Magellanic Penguin is not suited to high temperatures, and prefers the cold climate of Patagonia (ebird.org).
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Guanaco (Lama guanicoe)
Guanaco are a species of llama native to South America. They are adapted to the cold high elevations of the region. They typically graze on grass in herds with a high female to male ratio. Their long legs allow them to traverse the rocky landscape of the southern tip of South America. In addition, they grow a thick fleece on their body to protect from the low temperatures and high wind chill. Because of the adaptation to colder regions, the guanaco is not suited to the higher temperatures of the tropical regions of South America, and prefers to remain in the mountains (Encyclopedia Britannica).
Disturbance Regimes
Atacama Desert
Although the lack of rainfall in certain areas of the Atacama Desert makes life sparse, other areas of the region are populated by a variety of different plants and flowers such as wild thyme. And when these areas experience severe drought, fires are a common occurrence. Fires are usually low intensity and isolated due to the widespread lack of significant fuel sources, but they are a natural part of the ecosystem. Fires clear out the existing plant life and make room for new populations of flowers, often bringing back diversity to an area overtaken by a few types of plants. Fires can also be a good thing for the South American Gray Fox, as it drives out many of the rodents living among the brush, making them easier to catch. Flamingoes are largely unaffected due to their exclusive diet of shrimp and plankton as well as living near water. (Armesto)
The Andes Mountains
The Andes largely lack any major disturbances, which allows for the plant life of the area to maintain thick foliage and spread almost exclusively based on competition.
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