Long Description
Los Glaciers National Park is an area of exceptional natural
beauty, with rugged, towering mountains and numerous glacial lakes,
including the great Lago Argentino. This vast alpine area includes the
Patagonian ice field which occupies about half of the park. Extending
over 14,000 km2, the ice field is the largest ice mantle
outside Antarctica. It has a total of 47 glaciers and a further 200
smaller glaciers are independent of the main ice field.
It is the best place in South America to see glaciers in action.
Glacial activity is concentrated around two main lakes, Argentino and
Viedma. Lake Argentino is particularly spectacular with three glaciers
dumping their effluvia into its milky glacial waters. Massive blue
icebergs are launched into the lake with a thunderous splash.
Los Glaciers contains some of the few glaciers in the world that are
actually advancing. The effects of retreating and advancing glaciers can
be clearly seen. The advancing Mereno glacier in the park often
advances so far that its snout cuts off the normal escape stream of Lake
Rico, forming a natural dam which inundates vast areas. When the
glacier retreats in the heat of summer a wall of water roars down the
valley.
The park contains two distinct vegetation types: subantarctic
Patagonian forest and Patagonian steppe. The most impressive wildlife in
the park is the birds. The many lakes offer an ideal habitat to
black-necked swans and a variety of ducks and geese, and Chilean
flamingos wade along the shore. Overhead glides the Andean condor, the
largest bird in the world in terms of wing area, and the high grasslands
are dotted with Darwin's rhea, South America's version of the ostrich.
Mammals include an isolated population of southern Andean huemul, and
mountain viscacha probably lives in some sectors of the park, but its
presence remains to be confirmed. Other species of interest are the
guanaco, Argentine grey fox and Austral hog-nosed skunk.
The site suffers from introduced species, notably the European hare,
whose voracious appetite is having a major impact on the natural
ecosystem, and two species of trout, which have taken up residence in
the rushing streams of the park.
Mammals include an isolated population of southern Andean huemul,
and mountain viscacha probably lives in some sectors of the park, but
its presence remains to be confirmed. Other species of interest are the
guanaco, Argentine grey fox and Austral hog-nosed skunk.
Prehistoric inhabitants of the area were hunter-gatherers who relied
on guanaco for their subsistence. These were followed by the Tehuelchian
culture. The park includes at least 14 sites of archaeological interest
which are related to these cultures. Tehuelches Indians were almost
exterminated during the process of European colonization.
Source: UNESCO/CLT/WHC
Notes
- Property inscribed only for geological values under natural criterion N (ii) before 1994. Criterion N (ii) was replaced with criterion N (i) [Operational Guidelines 2002]. For more details see Decision 30.COM 8D.1.
