The Patagonian steppe is a temperate desert to semi-desert region covering a vast area in the south of Argentina. It is one of only two cool deserts in South America, the other being the high elevation Puna ecotype in the Andes, which we have classified as alpine. The region is highly heterogeneous and diverse with vegetation types ranging from true desert to shrub or grass steppe. Soils are just as variable and wide spread as the vegetation and range from haplustols to salorthids to ochraquepts.