Suni or Jalca is one of the eight

Natural Regions A natural region (landscape unit) is a basic geographic unit. Usually, it is a region which is distinguished by its common natural features of geography, geology, and climate. From the ecological point of view, the naturally occurring flora and f ...

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

. It is located in the

Andes The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...

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

gramine Gramine (also called donaxine) is a naturally occurring indole alkaloid present in several plant species. Gramine may play a defensive role in these plants, since it is toxic to many organisms. Occurrence Gramine has been found in the giant reed, ...

ous plants and

shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...

s such as the taya-taya (''

Caesalpinia spinosa ''Tara spinosa'', commonly known as ''tara'' (Quechua), also known as Peruvian carob or spiny holdback, is a small leguminous tree or thorny shrub native to Peru. ''T. spinosa'' is cultivated as a source of tannins based on a galloylated quinic ...

''), the quishuar (''

Buddleja coriacea ''Buddleja coriacea'' is a variable species endemic to the high Andes from the Cordillera Blanca in Peru to Lake Titicaca in Bolivia. It grows on dry to semi-humid rocky soils at elevations of 3,000–4,350 m,Norman, E. M. (2000). Buddle ...

''), and the cantuta (''

Cantua buxifolia 240px, Cantutas in Taquile Island, Lake Titicaca, Peru">Lake_Titicaca.html" ;"title="Taquile Island, Lake Titicaca">Taquile Island, Lake Titicaca, Peru. ''Cantua buxifolia'', (, Hispanicized spellings ''cantuta, cantu''), known as ''qantu'', ' ...

'') 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 Quinoa (''Chenopodium quinoa''; , from Quechua ' or ') is a flowering plant in the amaranth family. It is a herbaceous annual plant grown as a crop primarily for its edible seeds; the seeds are rich in protein, dietary fiber, B vitamins, and ...

, maca, qañiwa,

broad beans ''Vicia faba'', commonly known as the broad bean, fava bean, or faba bean, is a species of vetch, a flowering plant in the pea and bean family Fabaceae. It is widely cultivated as a crop for human consumption, and also as a cover crop. Variet ...

and ulluku ''(Ullucus tuberosus)''. The main fauna is the

guinea pig The guinea pig or domestic guinea pig (''Cavia porcellus''), also known as the cavy or domestic cavy (), is a species of rodent belonging to the genus ''Cavia'' in the family Caviidae. Breeders tend to use the word ''cavy'' to describe the ani ...

and, among numerous other highland birds, the

Chiguanco thrush The Chiguanco thrush (''Turdus chiguanco'') is a species of bird in the family Turdidae. It is found in Ecuador and the Altiplano. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland and heavily degraded former forest. Gall ...

.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.

Overview

Andean Continental Divide Mountain top: * Mountain passes - 4,100 m *

Puna grassland The puna grassland ecoregion, of the montane grasslands and shrublands biome, is found in the central Andes Mountains of South America. It is considered one of the eight Natural Regions in Peru,Pulgar Vidal, Javier: Geografía del Perú; Las Ocho ...

* Andean-alpine desert *

Snow line The climatic snow line is the boundary between a snow-covered and snow-free surface. The actual snow line may adjust seasonally, and be either significantly higher in elevation, or lower. The permanent snow line is the level above which snow wil ...

- about 5,000 m *

Janca Janca is one of the eight Natural Regions of Peru (''Janq'u'' is Aymaran for “White”). It is located in the frozen heights where the condor lives. The fauna in this region is limited because of the very cold weather. The only plant that gr ...

- rocks, snow and ice * Peak

Literature

{{DEFAULTSORT:Suni (Geography) Tropical Andes Montane ecology Physiographic regions of Peru

Flora and fauna

Overview

See also

Literature