Introduction

The Atacama Desert is a narrow strip of desert along the northwest coast of Chile. It extends nearly 1,600 kilometers (km) and reaches a maximum width of 180 km. In many areas rainfall has never been recorded. Consequently, an extremely arid, almost barren, landscape predominates. Despite the aridity of this desert, some cacti (Eulychnia), perennials (Nolana), and mesquite (Prosopis) occur in basins where occasional water accumulation occurs. Relatively few animal species have adapted to this arid environment and therefore, faunal diversity and density is extremely low. Even bacteria are scarce, and in many portions of the desert insects and fungi are absent. The intrinsic value of the Atacama Desert's plant and animal communities lies in the unique nature of their composition, the high levels of endemism and some species' remarkable adaptations for survival in some of the planet's most demanding conditions.

Click link below right for more information on the Atacama Desert
(Digital Universe - Encylopedia of Earth) »

Introduction

The Atacama Desert is a narrow strip of desert along the northwest coast of Chile. It extends nearly 1,600 kilometers (km) and reaches a maximum width of 180 km. In many areas rainfall has never been recorded. Consequently, an extremely arid, almost barren, landscape predominates. Despite the aridity of this desert, some cacti (Eulychnia), perennials (Nolana), and mesquite (Prosopis) occur in basins where occasional water accumulation occurs. Relatively few animal species have adapted to this arid environment and therefore, faunal diversity and density is extremely low. Even bacteria are scarce, and in many portions of the desert insects and fungi are absent. The intrinsic value of the Atacama Desert's plant and animal communities lies in the unique nature of their composition, the high levels of endemism and some species' remarkable adaptations for survival in some of the planet's most demanding conditions.

Click link below right for more information on the Atacama Desert
(Digital Universe - Encylopedia of Earth) »