Guaymaral y Torca ( es, Humedal Guaymaral y Torca) is a combined wetland, part of the

Wetlands of Bogotá Wetlands of Bogotá, Colombia are important areas of the capital city, and their development has become increasingly important for the area north of the Andes. A reserve for fauna and flora, the wetlands provide for the preservation and reproduct ...

, located in the north of the Colombian capital in the localities

Suba Suba may refer to: Groups of people *Suba people (Kenya), a people of Kenya **Suba language *Suba people (Tanzania), a people of Tanzania * Subha (writers), alternatively spelt Suba, Indian writer duo Individual people *Suba (musician), Serbian- ...

and

Usaquén Usaquén is the 1st locality of Bogotá, capital of Colombia. It is located in the north of the city. This district is mostly inhabited by upper middle and upper class residents. It is designated as Bogotá's #1 locality, while being a separate ...

Bogotá Bogotá (, also , , ), officially Bogotá, Distrito Capital, abbreviated Bogotá, D.C., and formerly known as Santa Fe de Bogotá (; ) during the Spanish period and between 1991 and 2000, is the capital city of Colombia, and one of the larges ...

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...

. The wetlands on the Bogotá savanna cover an area of about . Guaymaral y Torca, the northernmost wetlands of Bogotá at the foot of the Eastern Hills, is composed of three parts, Guaymaral in the west in Suba (), Torca in the east in Usaquén () and a small strip along the dividing

Autopista Norte Autopista Norte, also called Autopista paseo de los libertadores (Way of the Liberators Highway), is a major road in Bogotá, Colombia, running through the northern part of the city to its southern end at Avenida Caracas. Names The road was o ...

between the two main wetlands. The wetlands are located in the

Torca River The Torca River ( es, Río Torca) is a river on the Bogotá savanna and a left tributary of the Bogotá River. The river, in a basin of , originates in the Eastern Hills of Bogotá at an altitude of . It flows in the north of the Colombian capital ...

basin.Humedal Guaymaral website
/ref>Humedal Torca website
/ref>Moreno et al., s.a., p.21 The Autopista Norte was constructed in 1952, dividing the wetlands.Aves el en separador del humedal Torca-Guaymaral
/ref>

Etymology

The word Guaymaral is derived from the Chibcha name for ''

Brosimum utile ''Brosimum utile'' (Kunth), also called ''Galactodendron'', Pittier (= ''B. galactodendron)'' is a plant species in the family Moraceae. Description ''Brosimum utile'' can grow to a height of 30m. It is monoecious and has bisexual inflorescence ...

'', ''guaimaro'', cultivated by the indigenous people in the Valle de Upár and the Muzo.Plantas cultivadas y animales domésticos equinoccial I - Capítulo VI - Frutos y semillas (''Juglandaceas'' a ''Sapindaceas'')
- Banco de la República Torca is named after the

Flora and fauna

Flora

Flora registered in Guaymaral y Torca are among others '' Pennisetum clandestinum'', ''

Salix humboldtiana ''Salix humboldtiana'', called Humboldt's willow, is a tree species of willow native to North and South America, growing along watercourses. Some authorities consider it a synonym of '' Salix chilensis'', which Molina described in 1782. Willdeno ...

'', '' Ulex europaeus'', '' Schonoplectus californicus'', ''

Galium ascendens ''Galium'' is a large genus of annual and perennial herbaceous plants in the family Rubiaceae, occurring in the temperate zones of both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Some species are informally known as bedstraw. There are over 60 ...

'', ''

Bidens laevis ''Bidens laevis'' is a species of flowering plant in the Asteraceae, daisy family known by the common names larger bur-marigold and smooth beggarticks. It is native to South America, Mexico, and the southern and eastern United States. It grows in ...

'', ''

Ludwigia peploides ''Ludwigia peploides'' is a species of flowering plant in the evening primrose family known by the common names floating primrose-willow and creeping water primrose. It is native to Australia, New Zealand, North America, and South America, but i ...

'', '' Azolla filiculoides'', ''

Holcus lanatus ''Holcus lanatus'' is a perennial grass. The specific epithet ' is Latin for 'woolly' which describes the plant's hairy texture. Common names include Yorkshire fog, tufted grass, and meadow soft grass. In North America, where it is an invasive ...

'', '' Eichhornia crassipe'', '' Typha domingensis'', ''

Rumex conglomeratus ''Rumex conglomeratus'', known as clustered dock and sharp dock, is a plant of the family Polygonaceae The Polygonaceae are a family of flowering plants known informally as the knotweed family or smartweed—buckwheat family in the United Stat ...

'', '' Alnus acuminata'', '' Baccharis cf. latifolia'', '' Polygonum sp.'', '' Eleocharis sp.'', '' Carex sp.'', '' Rubus sp.'', '' Cuphea sp.''. Also ''

Hydrocotyle ranunculoides ''Hydrocotyle ranunculoides'', known commonly as floating pennywort, or floating marshpennywort, is an aquatic plant in the family Apiaceae. It is native to North and South America. Origin and invasiveness Water pennywort is an aquatic plant, ...

'', '' Lemna minor'', '' Typha latifolia'' and '' Juncus bogotensis'' have been noted.Moreno et al., s.a., p.22

Fauna

;Mammals A mammal present in the wetland is the Bogotá savanna guinea pig species ''

Cavia anolaimae ''Cavia anolaimae'' is a guinea pig species from South America. It is found in Colombia near Bogotá. It is believed to be a feral offshoot of the domestic guinea pig The guinea pig or domestic guinea pig (''Cavia porcellus''), also known ...

''. ;Amphibians Amphibians registered are among others the green dotted treefrog (''Hyla labialis'') and the

cream-backed poison frog The cream-backed poison frog (''Hyloxalus subpunctatus'') is a species of frog in the family Dendrobatidae endemic to Colombia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical, high-altitude grassland, shrub-dominated wetlands, swamps, intermit ...

(''Colostethus subpunctatus'').Historia de los Humedales
/ref> ;Birds In Guaymaral, 43 and in Torca 24 bird species have been registered.Andrade & Benitez, s.a., p.8Andrade & Benitez, s.a., p.11 Birds spotted are among others the saffron finch (''Sicalis flaveola''), yellow-billed cuckoo (''Coccyzus americanus''), and yellow-hooded blackbird (''Chrysomus icterocephalus bogotensis'').

References

Bibliography

* *

External links

*
Fundación Humedales de Bogotá
*
Conozca los 15 humedales de Bogotá
- El Tiempo {{Wetlands of Bogotá, state=expanded Wetlands of Bogotá