609:
growing population, construction of new roads, and mining activities are all acting as hindrances to the conservation of the ecosystem. Luckily, awareness is being raised about the problem, and steps are being taken to help improve its preservation. Currently range management programs are being introduced in many of the neighboring universities to research new ideas that implement little technology and can help restore the ecosystem. With the right management, the puna grasslands can rebound and support the growing populations of the surrounding areas. Ultimately however, it is up to the local individuals of the area to coordinate other ways they can receive income in ways that does not harm the land.
424:
262:
alpine herbs with dwarf shrubs. Within the dry puna are salt flats, high plateaus, snow-covered peaks and volcanoes. Dry puna is distinguished from the other types of puna by its diminished annual rainfall. The dry puna has an 8-month long dry season and receives less than 400 mm of rainfall each year. The region lies at an elevation of 3500–5000 m above sea level. The dry puna is oligothermic as well. The average temperatures in this ecoregion range from 8 to 11 degrees
Celsius and are lowest in the south. As a result of the elevation, varied temperatures and lack of rainfall, the
208:
596:
ecosystem. Fire often accompanies grazing as a management tool and is one of the main threats to the grasslands. The drier areas are being threatened with progression to desertification. Despite the fact that the puna grasslands experience heavy grazing, as an ecosystem it is highly resilient. In these areas of high grazing, successional species of grass and forbs grow back thick, thereby preserving the soil which means its potential to rebound is higher.
40:
237:
5000 m) causes the area to have large temperature differences between night and day. The average annual temperature is low, ranging from 5 to 7 °C; with night frost periods from March to
October. Temperatures shift from characteristic summer highs in the day and drop to winter lows at night. This extreme temperature shift has caused selective adaptation to occur and many endemic plants such as the
329:
588:, and llamas for wool and transport. Human habitation in the puna is widespread and tends to increase to the east, toward the moister areas. Native tubers and grains are cultivated over large areas of the central puna. The inhabitants of this region cultivate native tubers (potatoes and maca) along with non-native grains such as barley and native pseudocereals such as
253:, which is the highest navigable lake in the world, at an elevation of 3800 m (above sea level). The Suches and Tiwanacu rivers in Bolivia are the lakes tributaries. The areas in the north surrounding Lake Titicaca have eight wet months, and the areas in the south have one to two wet months. The average precipitation in this region ranges from 400 to 2000 mm.
569:
dramatically shape the ecosystem through the conversion of much of the land to farming grounds and grazing areas. Due to the high demand for cooking and heating fuel among the residents of the area, much of the land is degraded. For example, trees of the polylepis genus used to be easily found throughout the ecosystem and now are scarce.
346:(Yareta) has been heavily harvested for fuel and medicinal use. The vegetation with the puna grassland displays complex patterns of spatial variation, despite the low cover and overall density. The puna belt which ranges from wet puna in the north of the Andes to dry puna to the southwestern Andes is composed mostly by
55:
592:. Alpacas, vicuñas, llamas, and guanacos are raised for wool and, as a result, most of the entirety of the puna is under the effect of animal grazing. Cattle, horses, and donkeys are localized in the wet/humid puna while llama, sheep and alpaca can be raised in both the wet and drier areas of the puna.
599:
The grasslands are also influenced more locally by agriculture, mining, and waste disposal depending on the concentration of the population. There are two predominant forms of management of the puna grazing lands. The first is communal. In this form of management, the community controls the land and
531:
Bird populations in the puna ecosystem are surprisingly diverse for such a harsh and extreme environment. For example, the Lauca
National Park includes 148 species of birds, which represents about one third of the entire Chilean bird population. Many of these species are rare and attract visitors to
375:
There are several main rock unit formations in the Puna with distinct soil conditions that can be used to identify the main flora of each area. Up to 3000 m above the desert, the arid vegetation of the mountainous steppe is characterized by columnar cacti, arid shrubs and herbs. Vegetation located
319:
Puna soils are composed of an organic rich layer and a stony layer. The average soil profile is 33 cm deep. The puna ecosystem has a low diversity of bacteria in its soils. The rhizosphere of the grasses are dominated by the
Bacillas species, these organisms are composed of dormant cells that
261:
This ecoregion is a very dry, high elevation montane grassland of the southern high Andes. It extends into northern Chile and northwest
Argentina and east into western Bolivia occurring above 3500 m between the tree and permanent snow lines. The vegetation of the dry puna consists of tropical
973:
Ferrero, M.A., Menoyo, E., Lugo, M.A., Negritto, M.A., FarĂas, M.E., Anton, A.M., Siñeriz, F. “Molecular characterization and in situ detection of bacterial communities associated with rhizosphere soil of high altitude native
Poaceae from the Andean Puna region.” Journal of Arid Environments 74
595:
The most widespread influence on the grasslands is extensive grazing combined with the effects of fire. Grazing dries out the land, making it more susceptible to fire. Once a land has been exposed to fire, it makes it more likely to burn again, creating a feedback loop that leads to damage of the
266:
is a unique ecoregion with highly adapted flora and fauna. The southern region of the dry puna encompasses an even drier puna known as the desert puna. In the desert puna the average rainfall ranges from only 51–406 mm. The desert puna is dominated by the huge salt lakes and is known for the
604:
and degradation of the land. The second style of management is cooperative. This type of management originated from a movement that took land from large landholders and turned it over to council composed of workers. Agronomists and animal scientists see over the land and make sure the grazing is
236:
to northern
Bolivia. The wet puna shares its border on the west with the Sechura desert and the east with the wet Peruvian Yungas. The characteristically mountainous landscape contains high lakes, mountain valleys, snow-covered mountains, and plateaux. The high elevation of the wet puna (4200 to
608:
Though there are a significant number of problems in puna grasslands, mostly being attributed to overgrazing, there are measures being taken to improve the current situation. These impact measures are minimal however, since the ratio of protected areas to the rest of the ecosystem is minute. A
568:
Puna grasslands are being rapidly depleted by human activity, and as a result need much attention in the conservation realm. Numerous factors can lead to the cause of this destruction, but the preservation of it depends almost entirely on to what degree humans are populating the area. Humans
775:
Pulgar Vidal, Javier: GeografĂa del PerĂş; Las Ocho
Regiones Naturales del PerĂş. Edit. Universo S.A., Lima 1979. First Edition (his dissertation of 1940): Las ocho regiones naturales del PerĂş, BoletĂn del Museo de historia natural „Javier Prado“, n° especial, Lima, 1941, 17, pp.
936:; Fisher, Joshua B.; Meir, Patrick; Zimmermann, Michael; Dargie, Greta C.; Farfan, William R.; Garcia, Karina C. (2010). "Ecosystem Carbon Storage Across the Grassland–Forest Transition in the High Andes of Manu National Park, Peru".
998:
Kuentz, A., Gala´n de Mera, A., Ledru, M.P., and
Thouret, J.C. "Phytogeographical data and modern pollen rain of the puna belt in southern Peru (Nevado Coropuna, Western Cordillera)." Journal of Biogeography 34 (2007):
540:), which is similar to the ostrich found in the Old World, reaching up to one meter in height and 20 kg in weight. The puna also includes a great variety of aquatic species particularly at
499:, are found in the vast expanses of puna grasslands; however, many more birds are associated with the highland lakes and marshes that are found in the puna. The most common examples are the
282:(Bolivia, Peru) – With about 1000 mm of precipitation each year, it tends to be covered by grasses mixed with herbs, lichens, mosses, and ferns. Wet areas have sedges and rushes. The
249:
center their diversity in the wet puna. The ecoregion contains snow-capped peaks, glacial lakes, and several rivers that originate in the
Cordilleras. The biggest lake in the ecoregion is
986:
LAMBRINOS, J.G., KLEIER, C.C., and RUNDEL, P.W. "Plant community variation across a puna landscape in the Chilean Andes." Revista Chilena de Historia Natural 79(2006): 233-244
859:
320:
enable them to survive in the extreme climatic conditions in the puna ecosystem. The dormant bacterial community of puna grasses is similar to those found in desert soils.
1027:
The Puna: High Elevation Grassland of the Andes Brad Wilcox Rangelands, Vol. 6, No. 3 (Jun., 1984), pp. 99-101 Published by: Allen Press and Society for Range Management
288:
forests of 10,000 years ago were likely cleared by fire for agriculture and grazing. Many areas are farmed. It extends from north-central Peru, adjacent to the
310:(Northwest Argentina, Bolivia, Chile) – Mostly in the southern part of the Central Andes along the western cordillera of Bolivia. There is little agriculture.
1088:
843:
423:
895:
340:
The puna flora is characterized by its unique assemblages of cushion and mat forming species. Many of these species, most notably the large
115:
1133:
1103:
1093:
1143:
1128:
1113:
376:
between 3800 and 4000 m are sustained by brown andic soils on ash-fall deposits and includes many endemic plant species as
299:(Bolivia, Peru, Chile, Argentina) – Covering most of southern Peru, the region is dominated by shrublands and thickets of
1138:
1108:
1123:
1118:
204:
The puna is a diverse ecosystem that comprises varied ecoregions labeled wet/moist puna, dry puna and desert puna.
544:
located in northern Chile. The puna ecosystem has a great diversity of freshwater fish. Some of these include the
743:
557:
520:
232:
This ecoregion is a high elevation, wet, montane grassland in the southern high Andes, occurring from northern
384:
362:
1098:
452:
378:
307:
279:
263:
823:
333:
368:
390:
748:
1011:
Rundel, P. (2000). Preserving the Unique Puna Ecosystems of the Andean Altiplano. Bioone, 3, 262-271
701:
695:
663:
642:
472:
296:
207:
853:
460:
149:. The term puna encompasses diverse ecosystems of the high Central Andes above 3200–3400 m.
130:
817:
815:
813:
811:
809:
807:
805:
803:
887:
953:
891:
342:
267:
scattered halophytes around and in the depressions. These salt lakes are home to the endemic
945:
879:
728:
722:
541:
533:
484:
212:
185:
911:
933:
753:
504:
480:
268:
242:
122:
165:
above 4500–5000 m elevation. It extends from central Peru in the north, across the
216:
39:
1082:
880:
549:
508:
488:
456:
250:
126:
684:
553:
500:
300:
1065:
1053:
1041:
789:
601:
356:
328:
17:
949:
545:
512:
468:
451:
deer is shy and reserved. Also present are well-known rodent species, such as
403:
395:
351:
196:
and alpine desert) of puna grassland (mountain tops and slopes, much colder).
193:
957:
714:
709:
668:
516:
284:
246:
238:
220:
189:
178:
166:
162:
146:
111:
96:
45:
523:. The highland puna is a biome that encompasses relatively large reserves.
440:
407:
289:
882:
Imperfect balance: landscape transformations in the Precolumbian Americas
600:
every member of that community grazes livestock. This generally leads to
492:
399:
188:(high plateaus and cliffs, some agriculture) and from 4000 m to the
158:
496:
444:
347:
170:
142:
86:
688:
677:
656:
647:
589:
577:
573:
476:
464:
448:
436:
532:
the area. One example of this rare avifauna is the giant flightless
274:
The World Wildlife fund defines three distinct puna sub-ecoregions:
634:
432:
422:
327:
292:, and reaches southeast to along the eastern altiplano of Bolivia.
206:
174:
138:
118:
91:
585:
581:
233:
134:
81:
54:
354:(daisy) family. Other representative grasses include species
1023:
1021:
1019:
1017:
784:
782:
161:
at 3200–3500 m elevation, and below the permanent
27:
Type of grassland in the central part of the high Andes
982:
980:
394:. In the wettest area shrubby vegetation of families
969:
967:
74:
66:
61:
32:
1007:
1005:
994:
992:
927:
925:
886:. New York: Columbia University Press. pp.
858:: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (
584:. Alpacas, vicuñas, and guanacos are raised for
406:dominate. The puna is generally drier than the
771:
769:
560:(one of the rarest shorebirds in the world).
8:
873:
871:
869:
848:. Archived from the original on 2006-10-07.
410:montane grasslands of the northern Andes.
70:586,100 km (226,300 sq mi)
621:
228:Wet/moist puna (Central Andean wet puna)
765:
463:. Among carnivorous animals, there are
851:
431:Native mammals include (domesticated)
29:
825:Temperate Grasslands of South America
7:
483:. Relatively few birds, such as the
184:Other sources claim that it goes on
129:. It is considered one of the eight
173:, and south along the spine of the
257:Dry puna (Central Andean dry puna)
25:
1089:Montane grasslands and shrublands
916:Terrestrial Ecoregions. One Earth
427:Grazing vicuñas in northern Chile
116:montane grasslands and shrublands
932:Gibbon, Adam; Silman, Miles R.;
572:People of this region cultivate
439:, and their wild relatives, the
53:
38:
44:Puna grassland in the Chilean
1:
564:Human impact and conservation
332:Plateaus in the puna region,
137:, but extends south, across
878:David L. Lentz, ed. (2000).
350:(Grasses) and shrubs of the
157:The puna is found above the
169:plateau of Peru, Chile and
1160:
790:"Central Andrean wet puna"
121:, is found in the central
1066:"Central Andean dry puna"
1054:"Central Andean wet puna"
950:10.1007/s10021-010-9376-8
744:Climate zones by altitude
731:, scrubs and agriculture
618:Andean Continental Divide
558:diademed sandpiper-plover
521:diademed sandpiper-plover
52:
37:
725:, scrubs and agriculture
145:, and western northwest
1134:Grasslands of Argentina
1104:Ecoregions of Argentina
1094:Ecoregions of the Andes
845:Central Andean dry puna
385:Piplostephium tacorense
363:Calamagrostis vicunarum
308:Central Andean dry puna
280:Central Andean wet puna
264:Central Andean dry puna
1144:Neotropical ecoregions
1072:. World Wildlife Fund.
1070:Terrestrial Ecoregions
1060:. World Wildlife Fund.
1058:Terrestrial Ecoregions
1048:. World Wildlife Fund.
1046:Terrestrial Ecoregions
796:. World Wildlife Fund.
794:Terrestrial Ecoregions
428:
379:Hersodoma arequipensis
337:
224:
1129:Grasslands of Bolivia
1114:Ecoregions of Bolivia
1042:"Central Andean puna"
912:"Central Andean Puna"
426:
369:Festuca dolichophylla
331:
210:
114:, part of the Andean
749:Altitudinal zonation
1139:Grasslands of Chile
1109:Ecoregions of Chile
664:tropical rainforest
643:tropical rainforest
473:Andean mountain cat
366:("Crespillo"), and
297:Central Andean puna
1124:Grasslands of Peru
1119:Ecoregions of Peru
822:Andrea Michelson.
704:- Montane valleys
459:, and the montane
429:
338:
225:
974:(2010): 1177-1185
897:978-0-231-11157-7
842:Claudia Locklin.
735:
734:
698:- Montane valleys
467:(mountain lion),
391:Opuntia corotilla
343:Azorella compacta
211:Cono de Arita in
105:
104:
16:(Redirected from
1151:
1073:
1061:
1049:
1028:
1025:
1012:
1009:
1000:
996:
987:
984:
975:
971:
962:
961:
944:(7): 1097–1111.
934:Malhi, Yadvinder
929:
920:
919:
908:
902:
901:
885:
875:
864:
863:
857:
849:
839:
833:
832:
830:
819:
798:
797:
786:
777:
773:
717:- about 3,500 m
622:
360:("Paja Brava"),
315:Soil composition
213:Salar de Arizaro
57:
42:
30:
21:
18:Puna (ecoregion)
1159:
1158:
1154:
1153:
1152:
1150:
1149:
1148:
1079:
1078:
1064:
1052:
1040:
1037:
1032:
1031:
1026:
1015:
1010:
1003:
997:
990:
985:
978:
972:
965:
931:
930:
923:
910:
909:
905:
898:
877:
876:
867:
850:
841:
840:
836:
828:
821:
820:
801:
788:
787:
780:
774:
767:
762:
754:Puna de Atacama
740:
678:Maritime Yungas
657:Maritime Yungas
615:
566:
529:
505:Andean flamingo
481:Spectacled bear
421:
416:
372:("Chillihua").
326:
317:
269:Andean flamingo
259:
230:
202:
177:into northwest
155:
131:Natural Regions
123:Andes Mountains
101:
48:
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
1157:
1155:
1147:
1146:
1141:
1136:
1131:
1126:
1121:
1116:
1111:
1106:
1101:
1099:Tropical Andes
1096:
1091:
1081:
1080:
1075:
1074:
1062:
1050:
1036:
1035:External links
1033:
1030:
1029:
1013:
1001:
988:
976:
963:
921:
903:
896:
865:
834:
799:
778:
764:
763:
761:
758:
757:
756:
751:
746:
739:
736:
733:
732:
726:
719:
718:
712:
706:
705:
699:
692:
691:
689:Fluvial Yungas
681:
673:
672:
660:
652:
651:
639:
630:
629:
626:
614:
611:
565:
562:
528:
525:
497:yellow-finches
491:, and certain
420:
417:
415:
412:
325:
322:
316:
313:
312:
311:
304:
293:
258:
255:
229:
226:
217:Salta province
201:
198:
154:
151:
109:puna grassland
103:
102:
100:
99:
94:
89:
84:
78:
76:
72:
71:
68:
64:
63:
59:
58:
50:
49:
43:
35:
34:
33:Puna grassland
26:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1156:
1145:
1142:
1140:
1137:
1135:
1132:
1130:
1127:
1125:
1122:
1120:
1117:
1115:
1112:
1110:
1107:
1105:
1102:
1100:
1097:
1095:
1092:
1090:
1087:
1086:
1084:
1077:
1071:
1067:
1063:
1059:
1055:
1051:
1047:
1043:
1039:
1038:
1034:
1024:
1022:
1020:
1018:
1014:
1008:
1006:
1002:
995:
993:
989:
983:
981:
977:
970:
968:
964:
959:
955:
951:
947:
943:
939:
935:
928:
926:
922:
917:
913:
907:
904:
899:
893:
889:
884:
883:
874:
872:
870:
866:
861:
855:
847:
846:
838:
835:
827:
826:
818:
816:
814:
812:
810:
808:
806:
804:
800:
795:
791:
785:
783:
779:
772:
770:
766:
759:
755:
752:
750:
747:
745:
742:
741:
737:
730:
727:
724:
721:
720:
716:
713:
711:
708:
707:
703:
700:
697:
694:
693:
690:
686:
682:
680:
679:
675:
674:
671:
670:
665:
661:
659:
658:
654:
653:
650:
649:
644:
640:
637:
636:
632:
631:
627:
624:
623:
620:
619:
612:
610:
606:
605:sustainable.
603:
597:
593:
591:
587:
583:
579:
575:
570:
563:
561:
559:
555:
551:
550:silvery grebe
547:
543:
542:Chungará Lake
539:
535:
534:Darwin's rhea
526:
524:
522:
518:
514:
510:
509:Andean avocet
506:
502:
498:
494:
490:
489:Andean condor
486:
485:Darwin's rhea
482:
478:
474:
470:
466:
462:
458:
454:
450:
446:
442:
438:
434:
425:
418:
413:
411:
409:
405:
401:
397:
393:
392:
387:
386:
381:
380:
373:
371:
370:
365:
364:
359:
358:
353:
349:
345:
344:
335:
330:
323:
321:
314:
309:
305:
302:
298:
294:
291:
287:
286:
281:
277:
276:
275:
272:
270:
265:
256:
254:
252:
251:Lake Titicaca
248:
244:
240:
235:
227:
222:
218:
214:
209:
205:
199:
197:
195:
191:
187:
182:
180:
176:
172:
168:
164:
160:
152:
150:
148:
144:
140:
136:
132:
128:
127:South America
124:
120:
117:
113:
110:
98:
95:
93:
90:
88:
85:
83:
80:
79:
77:
73:
69:
65:
60:
56:
51:
47:
41:
36:
31:
19:
1076:
1069:
1057:
1045:
941:
937:
915:
906:
881:
844:
837:
824:
793:
685:cloud forest
683:Subtropical
676:
667:
655:
646:
633:
617:
616:
607:
598:
594:
571:
567:
554:Chilean teal
538:Rhea pennata
537:
530:
501:Andean goose
430:
389:
383:
377:
374:
367:
361:
355:
341:
339:
318:
283:
273:
260:
231:
203:
183:
156:
108:
106:
638:, dry coast
602:overgrazing
479:, and some
471:, the rare
447:. The rare
357:Jarava ichu
1083:Categories
938:Ecosystems
760:References
669:Selva alta
648:Selva baja
556:, and the
546:giant coot
513:giant coot
477:Andean fox
469:Pampas cat
461:guinea pig
453:chinchilla
404:solanaceae
396:asteraceae
352:asteraceae
200:Ecoregions
194:permafrost
999:1762–1776
958:1432-9840
854:cite book
715:Tree line
710:Tree line
662:Highland
628:Eastside
517:puna teal
285:Polylepis
247:Polylepis
239:Culcitium
221:Argentina
190:snow line
179:Argentina
167:Altiplano
163:snow line
147:Argentina
112:ecoregion
97:Argentina
75:Countries
62:Geography
46:altiplano
776:145-161.
738:See also
641:Lowland
625:Westside
613:Overview
578:potatoes
400:fabaceae
334:Ayacucho
159:treeline
153:Location
702:Quechua
696:Quechua
445:guanaco
419:Mammals
348:poaceae
306:NT1001
303:shrubs.
295:NT1002
290:páramos
278:NT1003
243:Perezia
171:Bolivia
143:Bolivia
87:Bolivia
956:
894:
890:–294.
590:quinoa
574:barley
552:, the
548:, the
493:miners
449:Taruca
441:vicuña
437:alpaca
408:páramo
336:, Peru
245:, and
829:(PDF)
635:Chala
527:Birds
433:llama
414:Fauna
324:Flora
175:Andes
139:Chile
119:biome
92:Chile
954:ISSN
892:ISBN
860:link
729:Suni
723:Suni
586:wool
582:maca
580:and
519:and
495:and
465:puma
457:paca
443:and
435:and
402:and
388:and
301:tola
234:Peru
186:Suni
135:Peru
107:The
82:Peru
67:Area
946:doi
888:292
687:or
666:or
645:or
133:in
125:of
1085::
1068:.
1056:.
1044:.
1016:^
1004:^
991:^
979:^
966:^
952:.
942:13
940:.
924:^
914:.
868:^
856:}}
852:{{
802:^
792:.
781:^
768:^
576:,
515:,
511:,
507:,
503:,
487:,
475:,
455:,
398:,
382:,
271:.
241:,
215:,
181:.
141:,
960:.
948::
918:.
900:.
862:)
831:.
536:(
223:)
219:(
192:(
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
