La Canabina has almost 10.000 hectares inside San Francisco gorge at San Esteban, its limits are: to the north San Francisco River, to the east and to the south rage from Rio Colorado to Mocoen, to the west small properties.
Given its geographical extension there are two principal areas, one is the range and the other one is the foothill in which vegetal species which are typical from high Andean steppes are developed and while you go down in terms of altitude sclerophyll forests and scrublands appear. There is no exact limit for such changes, but altitude is doubtlessly a determining factor. Scenic value from this landscape is something that must be contemplated.
From 1500 to 2000 masl vegetation and flora is influenced by a more Mediterranean weather in which you can see vegetation which is typical from sclerophyll vegetation which can be found in few areas in the world (South Africa, California, Australia, Mediterranean basin and the center of Chile) which have caused particular conditions for its evolution with a high biodiversity and the presence from exclusive species. The rare stratification shows an herbaceous bushy understory which main characteristic are their hard and evergreen leaves which allow them to catch moist from the environment and lost less water during dry seasons. There are also some other plants without this characteristic which instead adopt other strategies in order to tolerate drought such as drying and surviving as tubers or wide roots.
All the area has a significant presence of tree, bushy and native and endemical species. Some of them are: quisco (Echinopsis chiloensis), hawthorn (Acacia caven), soap bark tree (Quillaja saponaria), Mayten tree (Maytenus boaria), lilen (Azara celastrina), bollén (Kageneckia oblonga), lun ((Escallonia revoluta), litre (Lithraea caustica) winter´s bark (Drimys winteri) brushes such as Colliguay (Colliguaja odorifera), Chilean little rosemary (Baccharis linearis), Chilean pepper tree (Schinus polygamus), as well as several species from bushes and annual and evergreen herbs.
Fauna is native in a high percentage, there are few big animals, the most representatives are grey fox (Lycalopex griseus) and rodents. However, it is also the habitat for lesser grison, ferret, little bush monkey, culpeo fox among many other species, including reptiles, entomological fauna with a wide variety of ground animals, more than 40 kind of birds, such as black-chested buzzard eagle, magellanic horned owl, pygmy owl, bay-winged hawk, and many others.
The high Andean area from its origins in the highest summits which are about 4000 masl – clear and pure water sources – up to 2000 masl, with a cold weather and high solar radiation, rainfalls mostly as snow or hailstones has a vegetation which is not higher than 50 cms, squat and twisted and species with fluffy bushes such as llareta (Azorella compacta), subshrub and grasses. Spring arrives late to these high areas at central valley; at the end of December and January, corresponding to September and October in lower areas.
La primavera llega a esta zona alta más tarde que en el valle central; fines de diciembre y enero corresponden a septiembre y octubre de las áreas más bajas.
As a consequence from ice melting, you can find meadows and wetlands with a lot of vegetation, a variety of beautiful flowers and medicinal plants such as bailahuén (Haplopappus baylahuen), horizonte (Tetraglochin alatum Gill), butterfly flower (Schizanthus hookeri) among many other species.
Vertebrated fauna is mainly composed by birds of prey such as condor, correndera pipit, eagle, eaglet, tiuque (Milvago chimango). Some other birds such as gray hooded sierra-finch, rufous-naped Ground-Tyrant, Andean gull, yellow-bridled finch, Andean goose. Lizards, rodents, brown hare (exotic animal).
Besides the magnificent presence of mammals such as puma, guanaco, viscacha, and pampas cat.
Pumas, guanacos, and foxes have the ability to migrate to lower areas when weather is adverse such as winter snow. Smaller animals hide in caves and hibernate.
