The páramo is a very special type of mountainous ecosystem. It can mainly be found in some areas of South America and has characteristics that allow it to provide great ecosystem benefits to the regions where it is found. These are very large mountainous areas, full of vegetation and fauna. In addition, they are an environment in which the natural management of water is very beneficial for the entire environment and, in addition, allows people from nearby places to benefit when there is drought in their region, among many more positive aspects, which make it so important to conserve conserve the moors.
Next, in this Green Ecologist article, we will know in more detail the characteristics of the moor, its flora and fauna, as well as its great importance.
Páramo: characteristics
Between the main characteristics of the moor we can stand out:
- The páramo is a unique ecosystem on the planet due to its environmental conditions, it is classified as a intertropical mountainous ecosystem.
- It has a function as important as that of retain water and maintain its balance between contributions and losses within the ecosystem. This characteristic is due to its altitude and climate, thanks to it in times of drought the water can be taken to lower areas and supplied with water, thus guaranteeing the supply of drinking water for humans in nearby towns, irrigation and hydroelectricity.
- The best known is the Andean wasteland from South America, stretching from Colombia to northern Peru. 80% of the world's páramos are found in the countries of Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Costa Rica and Colombia, and only in Colombia are more than 60% of the existing páramos. Learn more about these ecosystems and others with this other post about What are the ecosystems of Colombia.
- It is located from altitudes of approximately 2,700 meters above sea level to 4,000 m - 5,000 m above sea level.
- According to their biogeographic characteristics, ecosystem functions and vegetation are classified into low moor, middle moor and super moor.
- This mountainous ecosystem has a geology with an irregular, rugged and rough relief. Their floors are of volcanic origin and they are dark in color due to this origin and the large amount of organic matter that remains buried.
- With regard to hydrogeology these have great valleys shaped like a "U" product of the transit of ice that gives it depth or valleys with a "V" shape are also formed by the passage of water currents. Its large slopes make it easier to descend the waters. In them we can find lakes and tributaries that are beneficial for the hydrological cycle.
- As already mentioned, the paramo has a extraordinary biological wealth, its species have adapted to be able to live in the extreme conditions of this ecosystem: the intense daily fluctuation in temperature and a marked seasonality due to precipitation, moments of high radiation or other cloudiness, drying winds and daily freezing and thawing of the soil. Furthermore, there is also little oxygen availability and the soils are underdeveloped and sometimes nutrient deficient.
- Some adaptations that have developed both the flora and fauna that inhabit it have been mechanisms to retain water, protect against the wind and maintain an optimal and stable temperature.
Moor flora
The páramo vegetation it is capable of preventing floods when water is abundant and droughts when it is scarce, as well as reducing the erosive impact of the soil. It is believed that in the moors there are more than 4,000 species of plants, with 60% endemism. The flora that we find has evolved to the extreme conditions present in the ecosystem. The most representative species are the following:
- Frailejón.
- Cardón.
- Tiller.
- Chusques.
- Bamboos
- Dwarf trees and shrubs.
Páramo fauna
The fauna represents great vulnerability to this ecosystem, not only due to extreme conditions, but also due to threats such as habitat destruction and uncontrolled hunting. Between the animals that inhabit the moor we find around:
- 70 species of mammals: such as the puma, the jaguar, the tigrillo, the fox, the tapir, the bus and the spectacled bear.
- 15 species of reptiles: specifically 11 species of lizards and 4 of snakes.
- 90 species of amphibians: there are 3 species of salamanders and 87 species of frogs and toads.
- 154 species of birds: the condor, the blackbird, hummingbirds or ducks are some of the most representative.
- In this ecosystem there are 131 species of butterflies.
- It is also worth mentioning the aquatic fauna, although this is not very diverse, which includes the pregnant women.
Importance of the moor and its conservation
The moors are unique ecosystems that offer important ecosystem services in their environment, with their great variety of flora and fauna, also contribute to the reduction and adaptation to climate change thanks to the great capacity of CO2 fixation they have their floors.
It is important to know that they are fundamental ecosystems for life because of the great diversity of living beings that inhabit it, because they are a great hydrological regulator and mitigate the impact of CO2. Its conservation is necessary since it is currently a very vulnerable ecosystem by anthropogenic activity, with practices such as agriculture, livestock, hunting activities (hunting), mineral exploitation or burning for pasture.
Now that you know the benefits that an ecosystem like the páramo brings to living beings, you will see that it is necessary to help their conservation through education, sustainable tourism and public awareness. We have thousands of hectares on our planet occupied by this biological relic and not conserving it would be irresponsible.
If you want to read more articles similar to Páramo: characteristics, flora and fauna, we recommend that you enter our Ecosystems category.
