Aconquija National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Aconquija), formerly known as Campo de los Alisos National Park, is a protected area under the government's care in Tucumán Province, Argentina. It was established on August 9, 1995, and contains a sample of the Southern Andean Yungas montane forest biodiversity that is well preserved.
Geography
The park is located in the Chicligasta Department on the eastern side of the Aconquija Mountains, also known as Nevados del Aconquija. It covers an area of 499.94 square kilometers, or 193.03 square miles. The Aconquija Mountains are the southern part of the Calchaquí Valleys. The western part of these valleys rises from the Gran Chaco plain into the Andes. The park helps protect the sources of the Jaya and las Pavas rivers.
Flora and fauna
Flora and fauna change a lot with elevation. The Southern Andean Yungas montane forests are found between 1500 and 2000 meters. Andean alder (Alnus acuminata subsp. acuminata) is the main tree in these forests, growing in large areas with few other plants. The Central Andean puna montane grasslands are found at higher elevations, and snow-covered mountain areas reach up to 5,000 meters (16,000 feet).
The park is home to many animals, including the puma (Puma concolor), ocelot (Leopardus pardalis), Andean mountain cat (Leopardus jacobita), Pampas cat (Leopardus colocolo), Geoffroy's cat (Leopardus geoffroyi), South American gray fox (Lycalopex griseus), Pampas fox (Lycalopex gymnocercus), guanaco (Lama guanicoe), gray brocket (Mazama gouazoubira), Chaco owl (Strix chacoensis), turquoise-fronted amazon (Amazona aestiva), mountain parakeet (Psilopsiagon aurifrons), and grey-hooded parakeet (Psilopsiagon aymara).
Endangered animals in the park include the Andean mountain cat, furtive tuco-tuco (Ctenomys occultus), Chaco eagle (Buteogallus coronatus), and the frog Gastrotheca gracilis. Vulnerable bird species include the white-tailed shrike-tyrant (Agriornis albicauda), rufous-throated dipper (Cinclus schulzii), and Tucumán mountain finch (Poospiza baeri).
History
Campo de los Alisos National Park ("field of the alders") was created in 1995. In 2018, the park was given a new name, Aconquija National Park, and its size was increased to its present boundaries.