Páramo

The Páramo is a form of vegetation of the tropics in the heights of the mountains, typical of the South American Andes. He comes above the tree line between about 3200 and 4800 m above sea front in a humid climate. The páramo areas are in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and northern Peru. But also in Ethiopia and New Guinea, there are at similar latitude and altitude páramo -like vegetation zones.

Characteristic elements are high Horst grasses and crested rosettes.

The corresponding form of vegetation dry climates called Puna.

Height steps

The botanists distinguish between the Subparamo, Paramo and Superparamo.

Subpáramo

The Subpáramo forms the transition between montane forest and the páramo. In Subparamo be found mainly up to 3 m tall shrubs.

Páramo

Shrubs resign, or are only to be found in crippled form. Ferns and perennial herbs come to the fore. Striking, however, are also man-high plants from different families like the Compositae ( Asteraceae), the Lobeliaceae and the Bromeliad family ( Bromeliaceae ). The dominant life forms are cropping trees and crested rosette (eg Espeletia, " frailejones ").

Superpáramo

Almost exclusive fouling by ground cover of various systematic affiliation, but especially lichens and mosses. This ground-covering plants have the ability to store large amounts of water.

Climate

The climate in the Páramo is marked by great contrasts. In the dry season may in strong sunlight, the temperature rise to 25 ° C and fall in the night to -7 ° C.

In the rainy season the sun goes sharply and the Páramo remains for days shrouded in fog, with temperatures from -4 to 10 ° C.

Fauna

The wildlife of the Páramo is very diverse, but increases with altitude from. Among the mammals, especially the spectacled bear, the opossum and the rabbit are known; among birds ranging the span of different species of hummingbirds to the condor.

Environmental significance

Since the vegetation of the Páramos can absorb and hold a lot of water, it represents an important natural reservoir that feeds sources even in long drying times. For this reason, the Páramo in many areas is put under protection. So threatened the advance of agriculture and animal husbandry as well as the exploitation of natural resources ( gold, coal, ores ) the drinking water supply of nearby towns and cities, a situation that recently conducted in all countries, more and more conflicts.