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| Central Andean dry puna | |
|---|---|
| Name | Central Andean dry puna |
| Biome | Montane grasslands and shrublands |
| Biogeographic realm | Neotropical |
| Country | Bolivia; Argentina; Chile; Peru |
| Area km2 | 200000 |
Central Andean dry puna The Central Andean dry puna is a high-elevation ecoregion of the Andes characterized by cold, arid plateaus and intermontane basins. It spans portions of Bolivia, Argentina, Chile, and Peru and forms a cultural and ecological bridge between the Altiplano and the higher, wetter puna and Cordillera Blanca. The landscape supports specialized biota and traditional pastoral societies shaped by millennia of interaction with regional centers such as Potosí, Cusco, and La Paz.
The ecoregion occupies parts of the central Andes including the southern Altiplano and adjacent valleys near Lake Titicaca, Salar de Uyuni, and the Desaguadero River basin. It overlaps political regions around Potosí Department, Oruro Department, Jujuy Province, Salta Province, and northern Antofagasta Region. Major geomorphological features include the Altiplano plateau, the Cordillera Oriental, the Cordillera Occidental, and high basins bordering the Atacama Desert. Transport and trade routes cross the region near cities such as Oruro, Puno, Arica, and Calama.
The climate is marked by strong diurnal temperature ranges, low mean annual precipitation, and pronounced wet and dry seasons influenced by the South American Monsoon System and the El Niño–Southern Oscillation. Mean annual precipitation varies across rain shadows east of the Cordillera and leeward slopes toward the Pacific Ocean; evapotranspiration often exceeds inputs in basins like Salar de Atacama and Salar de Coipasa. Hydrological features include saline endorheic basins, ephemeral streams feeding the Desaguadero River, high-altitude wetlands such as Bofedales, and glacially fed rivers originating in ranges like the Cordillera Real and Cordillera de los Frailes.
The geology reflects Cenozoic volcanic arcs, Pleistocene glaciations, and tectonic shortening of the Andean orogeny. Volcanic centers such as Licancabur, Sairecabur, and Sabancaya influence mineralogy and geomorphology. Soils are often shallow, poorly developed aridisols and entisols with high salinity and low organic matter, underlain by ignimbrites, lava flows, and alluvial deposits in intermontane basins like Salar de Uyuni. Mineral resources include reserves of lithium, boron, copper, and silver in districts near Cerro Rico and the Altiplano-Puna mineral belt.
Vegetation is dominated by tussock grasses, cushion plants, and xerophytic shrubs adapted to frost and low moisture, with communities including Festuca grasslands, Stipa tussock steppes, and Azorella cushions in high plateaus. Wetland plants form Bofedales with peat-forming mosses and sedges such as Carex and Schoenoplectus near springs and streams. Polylepis woodlands persist in sheltered ravines associated with ranges like the Cordillera Blanca and support relict populations similar to those around Huascarán, Illimani, and Sajama. Plant assemblages show affinities with puna flora recorded in floristic inventories from Mark Lago and herbarium collections at institutions including Museo Nacional de Historia Natural (Lima), Museo Nacional de Historia Natural y Antropología (La Paz), and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew expeditions.
Fauna includes iconic Andean mammals such as the vicuña, guanaco, alpaca, and the llama alongside carnivores like the Andean fox and the elusive puma. Avifauna is rich with migratory and resident species including the Andean condor, James's flamingo, Andean goose, and highland specialists like the diademed sandpiper-plover. Amphibian and invertebrate assemblages show endemism in puna wetlands and saline flats; crustaceans inhabit hypersaline ponds in basins such as Salar de Coipasa. Trophic interactions hinge on patchy primary productivity, with herbivory by camelids and rodents such as viscacha shaping plant community structure and nutrient cycling, while mutualistic relationships with pollinators like hummingbirds and Andean bees support reproduction of cushion and asteraceous species.
Human occupation dates to pre-Columbian polities including the Tiwanaku and later the Inca Empire, with archaeological sites near Tiahuanaco, Pukara de Pucuncho, and ceremonial centers on the Altiplano. Contemporary land use centers on pastoralism with communal grazing systems (ayllus) supporting alpaca and llama herding, salt and mineral extraction at salares, and limited cultivation of tubers and quinoa in microclimates near Lake Titicaca and valleys around Cochabamba. Infrastructure corridors link mining towns like Potosí, Oruro, and Antofagasta with export routes to ports such as Arica and Antofagasta Port affecting traditional livelihoods and markets tied to institutions including regional cooperatives and national ministries.
Conservation efforts target fragile wetlands, Polylepis stands, and vicuña populations through protected areas like Sajama National Park, Reserva Nacional Salinas y Aguada Blanca, and regional parks near Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve. Threats include mining (lithium and metallic ores) in the Altiplano-Puna volcanic complex, groundwater depletion from extraction in salares, overgrazing by domestic camelids, climate change impacts on glaciers in ranges like the Cordillera Real and Cordillera Blanca, and pollution from tailings affecting wetlands and flamingo breeding sites at Salar de Uyuni and Salar de Atacama. International and local stakeholders such as UNEP, IUCN, indigenous federations, and national ministries are engaged in mitigation, restoration, and sustainable use initiatives.
Category:Ecoregions of South America