Situación Actual y Bases Para Una Estrategia De Manejo Conservacionista En Las Sierras Del Aconquija, Noroeste de Argentina
Autores: Alfredo Grau, Hector Ricardo Grau y Alejandro Diego Brown

The Aconquija is a geographically isolated mountain range extending approximately 220km northsouth, parallel to the Andes at 26°-28°S, reaching 5500m from 500m on its eastern piedmont. Monsoon-type climate with torrential summer rainfall characterizes the area, which plays a strategic role on the water supply and flooding hazards affecting ca. 2 million people inhabiting the nearby lowlands. The area has a remarkable environmental heterogeneity, including subtropical cloud forests, deciduous forests, cloud grasslands, high Andean vegetation and archeological sites, which result in a very high conservation value. Eight protected areas cover approximately 70.000 ha. We propose a conservation oriented zoning. Conservation priority is given to: (1) High Andean lakes and bogs, high altitude steppes, cloud grasslands and well preserved subtropical forest patches; (2) Biological corridors connecting existent reserves.