Natural resources in Argentina

This is the main resource that characterizes the natural wealth of Argentina and, therefore, is one of the most important natural resources of Argentina . Traditionally, large areas of pasture have shaped the landscapes and economic activity of this country. Unlike the recession that characterizes the primary sector in many other countries, currently in Argentina agriculture and livestock continue to be the main engine of society.

The introduction of soybeans in the mid-90s and its exponential growth has modified the Argentine agrarian structure, with this crop constituting more than half of the agricultural surface. The genetic modification of these seeds and the use of glyphosate as a herbicide give rise to potential adverse environmental and human health effects.

Faced with an increase in agricultural production lands and monocultures in Argentina, as a measure to alleviate and stop the loss of biodiversity (here you can learn about the Flora and fauna of Argentina and the Animals in danger of extinction in Argentina ) and the deterioration of edaphic resources, has opted for the establishment of cultivation borders as a conservation strategy.

The large amount of raw materials in Argentina has favored, since the beginning of the last century, a growing trend in the exploitation of hydrocarbon reserves (oil and gas) and minerals (iron, coal, copper, sulfur and gold). In fact, such is the rate of extraction that we speak of large-scale mining or mega- mining , which stands out mainly in open-pit metal extraction .

As a consequence of the overexploitation of these non-renewable Argentine natural resources, a high social and environmental impact takes place and, despite the general rejection that citizens show against such conditions, mega-mining today only has restrictions and / or prohibitions in seven of the 23 Argentine provinces.

We encourage you to find out about Argentina’s environmental problems by visiting this other article.

To continue with more examples of natural resources from Argentina , we stop to explain forest resources. The forest resources present in NE Argentina, characterized mainly by forests, are widely exploited and are strongly subject to deforestation . Changes in land use for agriculture, the burning of vegetation and logging for wood, constitute the main threats to forest resources.

As a strategy to preserve the autochthonous plant species of Argentina, forest crops are established, consisting mainly of foreign commercial species (conifers, eucalyptus and salicaceae); which allows maintaining the forest extractive economic activity and also the forest resources of the area. In addition, the substitution of native woods contributes to carbon fixation, the recovery of degraded soils and the purification of water resources, indirectly favoring agricultural activities.

You can learn more about this topic in this other article about Deforestation in Argentina: causes and consequences , to better understand the risk that Argentine forest resources run if they are not managed better.

Argentina has an important network of protected areas in order to conserve the mosaic of climates and landscapes that it possesses. Of the 49 protected areas in Argentina, 46 are terrestrial and 3 are marine.

In 1922 the first protected area was established, the South National Park, which today is known as Nahuel Huapi National Park. This protected natural space in Patagonia is one of the largest. However, Los Glaciares National Park, located in the Santa Cruz province and characterized by the presence of continental ice and glaciers that shape the southern Andean-Patagonian forest, exceeds it in extension, coming to be considered the protected area with the largest surface in Argentina .

Here you can learn about the importance of nature reserves and protected areas . We also recommend you to know the Ecoregions of Argentina with this other summary.

We finished commenting on the main natural resources of Argentina, focusing on renewable natural resources . In order to replace the exploitation and dependence on non-renewable resources, in Argentina, during the last decades it has made its way to wind projects. The southern mountain and coastal areas of Buenos Aires are places with high wind potential, where wind farms such as Mayor Buratovich and Tandil stand out.

Also solar energy has become more important in recent years. Since 2010, with the support of national policies, the installations of photovoltaic plants have increased. In Buenos Aires, the Provincial Program of Incentives for Distributed Energy Generation (PROINGED) stands out, which promotes electricity generation, of renewable origin, through small energy sources close to consumption areas.

Despite their importance, solar energy and wind energy have a nascent development. Above these energy sources, in the context of renewables, hydroelectric production stands out , which produces 30% of the total electricity in the country.

If you want to read more articles similar to Natural resources in Argentina , we recommend that you enter our Other environment category .