Chacas lagoon, Puno, Peru

Suni or Jalca is one of the eight Natural Regions of Peru. It is located in the Andes at an altitude between 3,500 and 4,000 metres above sea level. Suni has a dry and cold weather and there are many glacial valleys.

Flora and fauna

The flora includes gramineous plants and shrubs such as the taya-taya (Caesalpinia spinosa), the quishuar (Buddleja coriacea), and the cantuta (Cantua buxifolia) which was considered sacred by the Incas.

Even though it is hard for plants to grow because of the weather, people are able to cultivate such crops as quinoa, maca, qañiwa, broad beans and ulluku (Ullucus tuberosus).

The main fauna is the guinea pig and, among numerous other highland birds, the Chiguanco thrush.[1]

Overview

Quinoa, a flora species.

Andean Continental Divide

WestsideEastside
Chala, dry coastLowland tropical rainforest or Selva baja
Maritime YungasHighland tropical rainforest or Selva alta
Maritime YungasSubtropical cloud forest or Fluvial Yungas
Quechua - montane valleysQuechua - montane valleys
Tree lineTree line - about 3,500 m
Suni, scrubs and agricultureSuni, scrubs and agriculture

Mountain top:

See also

Literature

  1. Pulgar Vidal, Javier: Geografía del Perú; Las Ocho Regiones Naturales del Perú. Edit. Universo S.A., Lima 1979. First Edition (his dissertation of 1940): Las ocho regiones naturales del Perú, Boletín del Museo de historia natural „Javier Prado“, n° especial, Lima, 1941, 17, pp. 145-161.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.