Natural regions of Peru
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When the Spanish arrived, they divided
Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...
into three main regions: the coastal region (11.6% of Peru), that is bounded by the
Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the conti ...
; the highlands (28.1% of Peru), that is located on the Andean Heights, and the jungle, that is located on the Amazonian Jungle ( Climate of Peru). But
Javier Pulgar Vidal Javier may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Javier, in video game '' Advance Wars: Dual Strike'' * Javier Rios, a character in the Monsters, Inc. franchise. * ''Javier'' (album), a 2003 album by the American singer Javier Colon, known ...
( es), a geographer who studied the biogeographic reality of the Peruvian territory for a long time, proposed the creation of eight Natural Regions.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. In 1941, he presented his thesis "Las Ocho Regiones Naturales del Perú" at the III General Assembly of the
Pan-American Institute of Geography and History {{Expand Spanish, date=June 2021 The Pan American Institute of Geography and History (PAIGH, es, Instituto Panamericano de Geografía e Historia - IPGH) is an international organisation dedicated to the generation and transference of knowledge spe ...
. These eight Peruvian regions are: * Chala or Coast (subtropical dry and tropical savanna) *
Yungas The Yungas (Aymara ''yunka'' warm or temperate Andes or earth, Quechua ''yunka'' warm area on the slopes of the Andes) is a bioregion of a narrow band of forest along the eastern slope of the Andes Mountains from Peru and Bolivia, and extends into ...
** Fluvial Yunga ** Loma-Vegetation *
Quechua Quechua may refer to: *Quechua people, several indigenous ethnic groups in South America, especially in Peru *Quechuan languages, a Native South American language family spoken primarily in the Andes, derived from a common ancestral language **So ...
* Suni or Jalca * Puna *
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 ...
* Rupa - Rupa or Highland Jungle * Omagua or Lowland Jungle


Example: Andes 10°S

::''See also
Altitudinal zonation Altitudinal zonation (or elevational zonation) in mountainous regions describes the natural layering of ecosystems that occurs at distinct elevations due to varying environmental conditions. Temperature, humidity, soil composition, and solar r ...
''


Classic version, Amazonic side

* Sea level ** Estimated 22 - 24°C (75°F), but the cold
Humboldt Current The Humboldt Current, also called the Peru Current, is a cold, low-salinity ocean current that flows north along the western coast of South America.Montecino, Vivian, and Carina B. Lange. "The Humboldt Current System: Ecosystem components and pro ...
generates fog on the coast side * ''
Tierra caliente ''Tierra caliente'' is an informal term used in Latin America to refer to places with a distinctly tropical climate. These are usually regions from sea level from 0–3,000 feet.Zech, W. and Hintermaier-Erhard, G. (2002); Böden der Welt – Ein Bi ...
'' (Hot land,
tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...
) up to 2,500 ft (about 750 m - 1,000 m). ** Crops: Cacao,
Banana A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – botanically a berry – produced by several kinds of large herbaceous flowering plants in the genus ''Musa''. In some countries, bananas used for cooking may be called "plantains", disting ...
,
Sugarcane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, perennial grass (in the genus '' Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fibrous stalk ...
,
Manioc ''Manihot esculenta'', commonly called cassava (), manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively cultivated ...
,
Sweet Potato The sweet potato or sweetpotato ('' Ipomoea batatas'') is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the bindweed or morning glory family, Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting tuberous roots are used as a root vegetable. The young ...
es, Yams. * ''
Tierra templada Tierra templada (Spanish for ''temperate land'') is a pseudo-climatological term used in Latin America to refer to places which are either located in the tropics at a moderately high elevation or are marginally outside the astronomical tropics, prod ...
'' (Temperate land,
subtropical The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical and climate zones to the north and south of the tropics. Geographically part of the temperate zones of both hemispheres, they cover the middle latitudes from to approximately 35° north a ...
) up to 6,000 ft (about 1,850 m – 2,000 m) ** The warmest month has an average temperature of below 22°C or 72°F. ** Crops:
Coffee Coffee is a drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. It is the most popular hot drink in the world. Seeds of ...
,
Tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...
,
Maize Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American English, North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples of Mexico, indigenous ...
,
Coca Coca is any of the four cultivated plants in the family Erythroxylaceae, native to western South America. Coca is known worldwide for its psychoactive alkaloid, cocaine. The plant is grown as a cash crop in the Argentine Northwest, Bolivia, ...
, Peruvian Pepper (''
Schinus molle ''Schinus molle'' (Peruvian pepper, also known as American pepper, Peruvian peppertree, escobilla, false pepper, rosé pepper, molle del Peru, pepper tree, (Archived bWebCite peppercorn tree, California pepper tree, pirul (in Mexican Spanish si ...
''),
Avocado The avocado (''Persea americana'') is a medium-sized, evergreen tree in the laurel family ( Lauraceae). It is native to the Americas and was first domesticated by Mesoamerican tribes more than 5,000 years ago. Then as now it was prized for ...
, Guave (''
Psidium guajava ''Psidium guajava'', the common guava, yellow guava, lemon guava, or apple guava is an evergreen shrub or small tree native to the Caribbean, Central America and South America. It is easily pollinated by insects; when cultivated, it is pol ...
''),
Cherimoya The cherimoya (''Annona cherimola''), also spelled chirimoya and called chirimuya by the Inca people, is a species of edible fruit-bearing plant in the genus ''Annona'', from the family Annonaceae, which includes the closely related sweetsop ...
,
Plum A plum is a fruit of some species in ''Prunus'' subg. ''Prunus'.'' Dried plums are called prunes. History Plums may have been one of the first fruits domesticated by humans. Three of the most abundantly cultivated species are not found ...
,
Citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. The genus ''Citrus'' is native to ...
fruits. * ''
Tierra fría In Latin America, tierra fría ( Spanish for ''cold land'') are mountain locations where high elevation results in a markedly cooler climate than that encountered in the lowlands at a comparable latitude. The combination of low latitude and high a ...
'' (Cool land, temperate) below 12,000 ft (about 3,600 m, treeline) ** The warmest month has an average temperature of below 18°C or 64°F. ** Crops:
Potato The potato is a starchy food, a tuber of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'' and is a root vegetable native to the Americas. The plant is a perennial in the nightshade family Solanaceae. Wild potato species can be found from the southern Unit ...
,
Maize Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American English, North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples of Mexico, indigenous ...
,
Squash Squash may refer to: Sports * Squash (sport), the high-speed racquet sport also known as squash racquets * Squash (professional wrestling), an extremely one-sided match in professional wrestling * Squash tennis, a game similar to squash but pla ...
, Passionfruit, Papaya,
Peach The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and cultivated in Zhejiang province of Eastern China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and others (the glossy-skinned, non-f ...
,
Wheat Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...
, Rye, and
Barley Barley (''Hordeum vulgare''), a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. It was one of the first cultivated grains, particularly in Eurasia as early as 10,000 years ago. Globally 70% of barley p ...
. Farming of
cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult ma ...
. * ''
Tierra helada Tierra Helada (Spanish for "frozen land"), also known as Tierra Nevada (Spanish for "snowy land"), is a term used in Latin America to refer to the highest places found within the Andes mountains. The ''Tierra Helada'' comprises the montane grasslan ...
'' (Cold land) above 12,000 ft (about 3,600 m) ** The definition of
treeline The tree line is the edge of the habitat at which trees are capable of growing. It is found at high elevations and high latitudes. Beyond the tree line, trees cannot tolerate the environmental conditions (usually cold temperatures, extreme snowp ...
of Coniferae: the warmest month has an average temperature of below 10°C or 50°F ). ** Crops above tree line:
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, a ...
, Cañigua,
Mashua ''Tropaeolum tuberosum'' (mashua, see below for other names) is a species of flowering plant in the family Tropaeolaceae, grown in the Andes, particularly in Peru and Bolivia, and to a lesser extent in Ecuador as well as in some areas of Colombi ...
, Oca, Tarhui,
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. Var ...
and
Ulluco ''Ullucus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Basellaceae, with one species, ''Ullucus tuberosus'', a plant grown primarily as a root vegetable, secondarily as a leaf vegetable. The name ''ulluco'' is derived from the Quechua word , ...
. Farming of
Sheep Sheep or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are domesticated, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus '' Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticated ...
,
Llama The llama (; ) (''Lama glama'') is a domesticated South American camelid, widely used as a meat and pack animal by Andean cultures since the Pre-Columbian era. Llamas are social animals and live with others as a herd. Their wool is soft ...
s and
Alpaca The alpaca (''Lama pacos'') is a species of South American camelid mammal. It is similar to, and often confused with, the llama. However, alpacas are often noticeably smaller than llamas. The two animals are closely related and can success ...
s. ** Terrestrial Biome Type 10:
Montane grasslands and shrublands Montane grasslands and shrublands is a biome defined by the World Wildlife Fund. The biome includes high elevation grasslands and shrublands around the world. The term "montane" in the name of the biome refers to "high elevation", rather than th ...
* '' Tierra Nevada (Janca)'', above the snow line, 15,000 ft (about 4,500 m - 5,000 m) ** Just warmer than -1°C over rocks or just warmer than -3°C over snow, annual mean temperature).Zech, W. and Hintermaier-Erhard, G. (2002); ''Böden der Welt – Ein Bildatlas'', Heidelberg, p. 98.


Javier Pulgar Vidal's version

The Peruvian geographer Javier Pulgar Vidal divided Peru in 8 regions (traditionally, it was ''costa'', ''sierra'' and ''selva''):
Map from República del Perú - Instituto Geográfico Nacional
*
Chala The Chala or "Coast" is one of the eight natural regions in Peru. It is formed by all the western lands that arise from sea level up to the height of 500 meters. The coastal desert of Peru is largely devoid of vegetation but a unique fog and mist ...
(West, Pacific Coast) 0– 500 m *
Omagua Omagua or low jungle (''selva baja'' or partially '' tierra caliente'') is one of the eightPulgar Vidal, Javier: Geografía del Perú; Las Ocho Regiones Naturales del Perú. Edit. Universo S.A., Lima 1979. First Edition (his dissertation of 1940): ...
(Lowland jungle or ''Selva baja'', Amazonic rainforest) 80– 400 m *
Rupa-Rupa Rupa-Rupa or High Jungle is one of the eight natural regions of Peru. It is located between 400 and 1,000 m above the sea level to the east of the Andes mountain range in the Amazon basin of Peru. This region has many long, narrow valleys and flu ...
(Highland jungle, ''Selva alta'') 400– 1,000 m *
Yungas The Yungas (Aymara ''yunka'' warm or temperate Andes or earth, Quechua ''yunka'' warm area on the slopes of the Andes) is a bioregion of a narrow band of forest along the eastern slope of the Andes Mountains from Peru and Bolivia, and extends into ...
(
Aymaran Aymaran (also Jaqi or Aru) is one of the two dominant language families in the central Andes alongside Quechuan. The family consists of Aymara, widely spoken in Bolivia, and the endangered Jaqaru and Kawki languages of Peru. Hardman (1978) prop ...
for "Warm Lands", Cloud forest) **Loma-Vegetation (West, "Yunga coastal" at the north of Peru) 450– 600 m **Fluvial Yungas (East, "Yunga fluvial") 1,000- 2,300 m *
Quechua Quechua may refer to: *Quechua people, several indigenous ethnic groups in South America, especially in Peru *Quechuan languages, a Native South American language family spoken primarily in the Andes, derived from a common ancestral language **So ...
(East, High valleys) 2,300– 3,500 m * Suni (or Jalca or Sallqa too, high
plateau In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; ), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. Often one or more sides ...
s and cliffs) 3,500– 4,100 m * Puna (means "mountain top") 4,100– 4,800 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 ...
(means white) above 4,800 m, permafrost, rocks, snow and ice


Notes

* Biomes & Ecoregions nearby: WWF Global 200
World Map of 14 Terrestrial Biomes and 867 Ecoregions
/ref>
Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests (TSMF), also known as tropical moist forest, is a subtropical and tropical forest habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature. Description TSMF is generally found in large, discon ...
*
Bolivian Yungas The Bolivian Yungas is a tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion in the Yungas of central Bolivia. Setting The ecoregion occurs in elevations ranging from on the eastern slopes of the Andes in Bolivia, extending into a small p ...
*
Peruvian Yungas The Peruvian Yungas is a tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion in the Yungas of Peru. Setting The Peruvian Yungas occur on the eastern slopes and valleys of the Peruvian Andes. They form a transition zone between the Southwes ...
* Southwest Amazon moist forests
Montane grasslands and shrublands Montane grasslands and shrublands is a biome defined by the World Wildlife Fund. The biome includes high elevation grasslands and shrublands around the world. The term "montane" in the name of the biome refers to "high elevation", rather than th ...
* Central Andean dry puna * Central Andean puna * Central Andean wet puna
Deserts and xeric shrublands Deserts and xeric shrublands are a biome defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature. Deserts and xeric (ancient Greek xērós, “dry") shrublands form the largest terrestrial biome, covering 19% of Earth's land surface area. Ecoregions in this h ...
*
Atacama Desert The Atacama Desert ( es, Desierto de Atacama) is a desert plateau in South America covering a 1,600 km (990 mi) strip of land on the Pacific coast, west of the Andes Mountains. The Atacama Desert is the driest nonpolar desert in th ...
*
Sechura Desert The Sechura Desert is a coastal desert located south of the Piura Region of Peru along the Pacific Ocean coast and inland to the foothills of the Andes Mountains. Its extreme aridity is caused by the upwelling of cold coastal waters and subtrop ...


Overview - Amazonic side

* Mouth of the Amazon River, Atlantic Ocean **
Belém Belém (; Portuguese for Bethlehem; initially called Nossa Senhora de Belém do Grão-Pará, in English Our Lady of Bethlehem of Great Pará) often called Belém of Pará, is a Brazilian city, capital and largest city of the state of Pará in t ...
, Brazil, 24 m, annual mean temperature 26.0°C **
Gurupa várzea The Gurupa várzea (NT0126) is an ecoregion of seasonally and tidally flooded várzea forest along the Amazon River in the Amazon biome. Location The Gurupa várzea ecoregion is named after the Ilha Grande de Gurupá, an alluvial island in the ...
(NT0126) ** Manaus, Brazil, 72 m, annual mean temperature 26.6°C ** Monte Alegre várzea (NT0141) **
Purus várzea The Purus várzea (NT0156) is an ecoregion of seasonally flooded várzea forest in the central Amazon basin. It is part of the Amazon biome. The ecoregion is home to a vegetation adapted to floods of up to that may last for eight months. There ...
(NT0156) * Colombia - Peru - Brazil border **
Leticia, Colombia Leticia () is the southernmost city in the Republic of Colombia, capital of the department of Amazonas, Colombia's southernmost town (4.09° south 69.57° west) and one of the major ports on the Amazon river. It has an elevation of 96 meters ( ...
, 84 m, annual mean temperature 25.8°C ** ''Tierra Caliente'' or Tropical rainforest *** Omagua or ''Selva baja'' ( Southwest Amazon moist forests - NT0166) *** Iquitos, Peru, 126 m, annual mean temperature 26.2°C *** Rupa-Rupa or ''Selva alta'' (
Iquitos várzea The Iquitos várzea (NT0128) is an ecoregion of flooded forest along rivers in Brazil, Peru and Bolivia in the west of the Amazon biome. The forest is seasonally flooded up to by whitewater rivers carrying nutrient-rich sediment from the Andes. ...
- NT0128) ** '' Yunga fluvial'' (more than 5°C colder than the Peruan Tropics) ***
Peruvian Yungas The Peruvian Yungas is a tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion in the Yungas of Peru. Setting The Peruvian Yungas occur on the eastern slopes and valleys of the Peruvian Andes. They form a transition zone between the Southwes ...
(NT0153) ** Quechua (High valleys, more than 10°C colder than the Peruan Tropics) *
Tree line The tree line is the edge of the habitat at which trees are capable of growing. It is found at high elevations and high latitudes. Beyond the tree line, trees cannot tolerate the environmental conditions (usually cold temperatures, extreme snow ...
** ''Tierra Helada'' *** Suni (plateau) * Mountain pass ** Puna (mountain slope) *** Central Andean wet puna (NT1003) *** Central Andean puna (NT1002) ** "Andean-Alpine desert" * Snow line ** ''Tierra Nevada'' or Janca * Peak


Estimated temperatures - Continental Divide

Explanations: * Region, elevation (m); avg annual precipitation (mm); avg annual temperature (°C); * Peruvian Highland Rainforest (Tropical climate), Cloud forest (Subtropical climate) and Temperate forest (Temperate climate); * Cusco reference, estimated avg annual temperature (°C, Lowland Rainforest or ''Selva baja'' gets more rain, so it is more cloudy, so it is cooler); * Snow line reference, Humboldt cold current/ Pacific climate influence, estimated avg annual temperature (°C).Klimadiagramme weltweit - Europa
/ref> **
Cuzco Cusco, often spelled Cuzco (; qu, Qusqu ()), is a city in Southeastern Peru near the Urubamba Valley of the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cusco Region and of the Cusco Province. The city is the seventh most populous in Peru; ...
, Peru; 3,249 m; avg annual temperature 12.5 °C; avg annual precipitation 736 mm. **
Lima Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of the central coastal part of ...
, Peru; 30 m; avg annual temperature 19.2 °C (fog influence); avg annual precipitation 15 mm.


Example: Kallawaya Region, Bolivia

Altitudinal zonation: Kallawaya Region, around
Charazani Charazani or Charasani is a small town in the South American Andes in Bolivia. Location ''Charazani'' is the capital of Bautista Saavedra Province and central town of the municipality. It is situated on a spur at an elevation of 3,200 m am ...
, Bolivia (border to Peru). * Glacier ** Elevation: 5,900- 5,200 m, Annual mean temperature: below 0 °C, Agriculture: none * High Mountain Desert, ''
Werneria ''Werneria'', also known as the torrent toads or smalltongue toads, is a small genus of "true toads", family Bufonidae. They are found in western Central Africa (Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and Cameroon), with the greatest species richness in th ...
ciliolata'' on
scree Scree is a collection of broken rock fragments at the base of a cliff or other steep rocky mass that has accumulated through periodic rockfall. Landforms associated with these materials are often called talus deposits. Talus deposits typically ...
** Elevation: 5,200- 5,000 m, Annual mean temperature: below 0 °C - 0 °C, Agriculture: none. * Grass Zone ** ''
Calamagrostis ''Calamagrostis'' (reed grass or smallweed) is a genus of flowering plants in the grass family Poaceae, with about 260 species that occur mainly in temperate regions of the globe. Towards equatorial latitudes, species of ''Calamagrostis'' general ...
minima'' Steppe, ***Elevation: 5,000- 4,600 m, Annual mean temperature: 0- 3.5 °C, Farming: alpacas, lamas. ** ''Pycnophyllum'' Steppe, ***Elevation: 4,600- 4,300 m, Annual mean temperature: 3.5- 7.5 °C, Farming: alpacas, lamas. ** ''Aciachne'' Humid Grassland, ***Elevation: 4,300- 3,900 m, Annual mean temperature: 7.5- 10.0 °C, Farming: alpacas, lamas, pigs; Agriculture: bitter potatoes, ( oca), (
oat The oat (''Avena sativa''), sometimes called the common oat, is a species of cereal grain grown for its seed, which is known by the same name (usually in the plural, unlike other cereals and pseudocereals). While oats are suitable for human con ...
); Fallow land: more than 8 years. * Shrub Zone ** ''
Satureja ''Satureja'' is a genus of aromatic plants of the family Lamiaceae, related to rosemary and thyme. It is native to North Africa, southern and southeastern Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia. A few New World species were formerly included ...
'' Shrub (westslope), ''
Baccharis ''Baccharis'' is a genus of perennials and shrubs in the aster family (Asteraceae). They are commonly known as baccharises but sometimes referred to as "brooms", because many members have small thin leaves resembling the true brooms. They are ...
pentandii'' Shrub, with ''
Berberis ''Berberis'' (), commonly known as barberry, is a large genus of deciduous and evergreen shrubs from tall, found throughout temperate and subtropical regions of the world (apart from Australia). Species diversity is greatest in South Amer ...
'' (eastslope), ***Elevation: 3,900- 3,600 m, Annual mean temperature: 10.0- 11.5 °C, Farming: sheep; Agriculture:
potato The potato is a starchy food, a tuber of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'' and is a root vegetable native to the Americas. The plant is a perennial in the nightshade family Solanaceae. Wild potato species can be found from the southern Unit ...
es, oca,
ulluco ''Ullucus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Basellaceae, with one species, ''Ullucus tuberosus'', a plant grown primarily as a root vegetable, secondarily as a leaf vegetable. The name ''ulluco'' is derived from the Quechua word , ...
,
barley Barley (''Hordeum vulgare''), a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. It was one of the first cultivated grains, particularly in Eurasia as early as 10,000 years ago. Globally 70% of barley p ...
; Fallow land: 3 to 4 years. ** ''
Mutisia ''Mutisia'' is a genus of flowering plant in the tribe Mutisieae within the family Asteraceae. ''Mutisia'' has been named after José Celestino Mutis. It comprises about sixty species which can be found along the entire length of the Andes and i ...
'' Shrub (westslope), ''
Baccharis ''Baccharis'' is a genus of perennials and shrubs in the aster family (Asteraceae). They are commonly known as baccharises but sometimes referred to as "brooms", because many members have small thin leaves resembling the true brooms. They are ...
pentlandii'' Shrub, with '' Siphocampylus'' (eastslope), ***Elevation: 3,600- 2,700 m, Annual mean temperature: 11.5- 16.5 °C, Farming: sheep, cattle; Agriculture:
wheat Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...
, (
barley Barley (''Hordeum vulgare''), a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. It was one of the first cultivated grains, particularly in Eurasia as early as 10,000 years ago. Globally 70% of barley p ...
),
pea The pea is most commonly the small spherical seed or the seed-pod of the flowering plant species ''Pisum sativum''. Each pod contains several peas, which can be green or yellow. Botanically, pea pods are fruit, since they contain seeds and d ...
s, beans,
maize Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. The ...
up to 3,500 m with crop rotation. ** '' Kaunia longipetiolata'' Shrub, ***Elevation: 3,200- 2,700 m, Annual mean temperature: 13.5- 16.5 °C, Farming: cattle; Agriculture:
maize Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. The ...
,
wheat Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...
, beans, spring
potato The potato is a starchy food, a tuber of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'' and is a root vegetable native to the Americas. The plant is a perennial in the nightshade family Solanaceae. Wild potato species can be found from the southern Unit ...
es, use of fertilizers, no
crop rotation Crop rotation is the practice of growing a series of different types of crops in the same area across a sequence of growing seasons. It reduces reliance on one set of nutrients, pest and weed pressure, and the probability of developing resistant ...
. ** Highland Rainforest, ***Elevation: below 2,700 m, Annual mean temperature: over 17.0 °C, Farming: cattle; Agriculture: tropical fruits,
oranges An orange is a fruit of various citrus species in the family Rutaceae (see list of plants known as orange); it primarily refers to ''Citrus'' × ''sinensis'', which is also called sweet orange, to distinguish it from the related ''Citrus × ...
,
coffee Coffee is a drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. It is the most popular hot drink in the world. Seeds of ...
,
coca Coca is any of the four cultivated plants in the family Erythroxylaceae, native to western South America. Coca is known worldwide for its psychoactive alkaloid, cocaine. The plant is grown as a cash crop in the Argentine Northwest, Bolivia, ...
at around 2,000 m.Seibert, Paul; ''Farbatlas Südamerika'', Verlag Eugen Ulmer, 1996.


Gallery

Image:Peru_veg_1970.png, Vegetation of Peru Image:Amazonriverbasin basemap.png, Amazon basin Image:Lake-Titicaca-Jacques-Nicolas-Bellin-1758.jpg, Watershed around
Lake Titicaca Lake Titicaca (; es, Lago Titicaca ; qu, Titiqaqa Qucha) is a large freshwater lake in the Andes mountains on the border of Bolivia and Peru. It is often called the highest navigable lake in the world. By volume of water and by surface area, i ...
, Arequipa,
Puno Puno (Aymara and qu, Punu) is a city in southeastern Peru, located on the shore of Lake Titicaca. It is the capital city of the Puno Region and the Puno Province with a population of approximately 140,839 (2015 estimate). The city was establish ...
and Cusco Image:Peru Provinces Costa Sierra Selva.png, Costa - Sierra - Selva Image:Peru - HotSprings.jpg,
Rupa-Rupa Rupa-Rupa or High Jungle is one of the eight natural regions of Peru. It is located between 400 and 1,000 m above the sea level to the east of the Andes mountain range in the Amazon basin of Peru. This region has many long, narrow valleys and flu ...
- High Rain forest Image:Yungas03.jpg, Mist forest (2,500 m) Image:ValleColca lou.jpg,
Quechua Quechua may refer to: *Quechua people, several indigenous ethnic groups in South America, especially in Peru *Quechuan languages, a Native South American language family spoken primarily in the Andes, derived from a common ancestral language **So ...
Image:Urubamba_valley1.jpg, Sacred Valley of the Incas between Písac and Ollantaytambo (2002) Image:Yungas01.jpg, Mountain slope (4,000 m) Image:Laguna Conococha.jpg, Lake Quñuqqucha (4,050 m) Image:Lama guanicoe in Parque Nacional Torres del Paine in Patagonia, Chile.jpg, Puna with shrubs Image:Parinacota volcano.jpg, Lauca National Park - Parinacota volcano Image:Peru - Altiplano1.jpg, Region of Ayacucho, Peru, 1986 - Puna Image:Peru - Altiplano2.jpg, Region of Ayacucho, Peru, 1986 - Puna Image:Qoyllur Rit'i dancers.jpg, Qoyllur Rit'i, Quyllur Rit'i, glacier and alpine desert - 2007 Image:Taulliraju.JPG, Huáscarán National Park; Cordillera Blanca; Tawllirahu (5,830 m); North of Lima


See also

* Climate of Peru * * Geography of Peru *
Altitudinal zonation Altitudinal zonation (or elevational zonation) in mountainous regions describes the natural layering of ecosystems that occurs at distinct elevations due to varying environmental conditions. Temperature, humidity, soil composition, and solar r ...


References

{{Peru lists Altitudinal life zones of Peru, Climatic and glaciological subregions of the Andes Ecology of the Andes Ecoregions of the Andes Ecoregions of Peru, * Physiographic regions of Peru, * Peru geography-related lists Montane ecology Natural history of Peru Natural regions of South America Tropical Andes ca:Geografia del Perú