Lomas Formations in the Atacama Desert

What are Lomas?

The Atacama desert extends from a narrow coastline up to an elevation of
1000-m near the Andes mountains (Cereceda et al., 2008). It has been
classified as one of the driest deserts on Earth because it receives less than
2-mm of average annual rainfall, making it difficult for plant life to exist. In
fact, in the northern coast of Chile where the Atacama desert is located,
rainfall events have never been recorded for more than 20 years (Armesto et
al., 1993). Still, plant communities with high biodiversity along the northern
coast of Chile ( 18 - 30 S) grow with no contribution of rainfall (Armesto et
al., 1993). The plant communities are known as lomas which grow near the
coast where ocean fog provides enough moisture to support plant life.
How are Lomas Formed?
The climate patterns of the coastal plains and the Andes mountains are main
determinants of the lomas formations. These formations are heavily
influenced by the moisture input and cool sea surface temperatures
associated with the Humboldt current (Rundell and Dillon, 1997;Houston and
Hartley, 2003). In addition, the rainshadow effect contributes to the moisture
input that develops the fog zones that concentrate against the steep coastal
hills where lomas are formed. Thus, researchers also classify the Atacama as
a coastal desert with abundant cloudiness because the coast climate is
cloudy and the climate in the mountain range is foggy (Cereceda et al.,
2008). The fog zones of stratus clouds that forms between 400 and 800
meters in elevation and it is less than 250 meters in thickness (Rundell et al.,
1991;Cereceda et al., 2008). Thus, the availability of moisture is dependent
on the consistency and frequency of the stratus layer.
Endemic Species
Differences in microclimate exists between the elevation gradients that occur
between the coastal plain and the steep coastal hills. The diagrammatic
image illustrate how the microclimate within the steep coastal slopes
contributes to differences in vegetation or lomas formation (Dillon et al.,
1991). The central fog zones at 300 to 800 m in elevation support the richest
development of vegation of the lomas formation because of the maritime air
that moves into the interior valleys which helps protect from extreme sun
exposure (Rundel et al., 1991). This region is predominantly dominated by
Euphorbia lactiflua and Eulychnia iquiquensis which are important shrubby
species. These tall drought-deciduous shrubs support other subshrubs and
succulent cacti in the region. A unique endemic community of
Tillandsioideae grows in the lomas formations of Iquique in nothern Chile.
Tillandsia landbeckii is an epiphyte that grows at an elevation around 1000
meters near the fog zone in steep sandy slopes. T.landbeckii has adapted to

live in this xeric environment by having narrow leaves with specialized water
absorbing trichomes which allows uptake of moisture through the leaves
( Rundel et al., 1991). Another endemic plant that has adapted to this xeric
environment is the Copiapoa species. This is a succulent species can survive
extensive periods of drought because it has a high storage capacity in its
stem and it utilizes CAM photosynthesis. Another significant adaptation is
that this species can change the position of its stems in order to reduce heat
load and maintain water storage (Rundel et al., 1991).
El Nino Events
The El Nino phenomenon occurs infrequently, roughly 30 to 50 years for
major events (Rundel et al., 1991;Dillon, 1990). The El Nino phenomenon
involves the warming of the coastal waters along the Pacific Ocean which
affects the rate of precipitation. This phenomenon causes several heavy rain
events and high temperatures to occur along the nothern and central areas
of Peru, thus impacting the Atacama Desert (Rundel et al., 1991). Recently in
2015-16, the El Nino stimulated a blossoming event of desert wildflowers.
The increased availability of moisture triggered the growth of annuals and
perennials in the lomas formations. The photographs below illustrate
beautiful growth of the desert wildflowers.
Significance
The lomas formations are important ecosystems of the Atacama desert
because they contribute to many endemic species not found anywhere else.
Lomas formations are also known as fertile belts or meadows of the desert
because contribute to high biodiversity of vascular flora (Dillon, 1985). There
is high anthropogenic impact that can affect this region which is important to
protect this region.
Fog Catchers and Lomas
Lomas formations are the centers of biodiversity in the Atacama desert and
fog capture by locals can have an environmental impact on the ecosystem.
In Iquito, fog catchers have established poly