Auyán-tepui

Auyán-tepui (), also spelled Ayan, is a tepui in Bolívar state, Venezuela.Huber, O. (1995). Geographical and physical features. In: P.E. Berry, B.K. Holst & K. Yatskievych (eds.) '' Flora of the Venezuelan Guayana. Volume 1. Introduction.'' Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis. pp. 1–61. It is the most visited and one of the largest (but not the highest) tepuis in the Guiana Highlands, with a summit area of and an estimated slope area of .

The unevenly heart-shaped summit plateau of Auyán-tepui is heavily inclined, rising from around in the northwest to a maximum of in the southeast. It is incised from the north by a vast valley, the Cañón del Diablo (Devil's Canyon), formed by the Churún River. The larger western portion of the plateau is partially forested, whereas the eastern part comprises mostly bare rock with only patchy vegetation cover. The mountain hosts a number of extensive cave systems.

Auyán-tepui gives its name to the Auyán Massif, which also includes the tiny peaks of Cerro El Sol and Cerro La Luna to the north and the satellite mountain of Uaipán-tepui to the south. The massif has a total summit area of roughly and an estimated slope area of . It is situated entirely within the bounds of Canaima National Park. Torres, I.N. & D.D. Martín (November 2007). Mejorando Nuestra Herencia. Auyán-tepui means "Devil's House" in the local Pemón language.

Angel Falls, the tallest waterfall in the world, drops from a cleft near the summit. The falls are high, with an uninterrupted descent of — a drop nineteen times higher than that of Niagara Falls.

Auyán-tepui achieved international fame in 1933 when Angel Falls was accidentally discovered by Jimmie Angel, a bush pilot searching for gold ore. Attempting to land on the heart-shaped mesa in 1937, Angel crashed his small Flamingo plane on top of Auyán-tepui and was forced to hike down the gradually sloping backside, a trip that took him and his crew 11 days to complete; he was immortalised when the waterfall was named after him.Angel, K. (2001) evised 2009, 2010 Alexander von Humboldt International Conference 2001, Humboldt State University, Arcata, California.

Around 25 species of amphibians and reptiles are known from the summit plateau of Auyán-tepui, as well as numerous birds. Like many tepuis, the mountain hosts a rich assemblage of flora. Lindorf, H. (June 2006)
La expedición universitaria a la meseta Auyán-tepui, abril 1956
''Acta Botánica Venezuelica'' 29(1): 177–188.

See also

*Gran Sabana
* Distribution of ''Heliamphora''

References

Angel's Four by David Nott. An account of the first ascent of Angel Falls

Further reading

* Brewer-Carías, C. (2010)
El origen de los tepuyes: los hijos de las estrellas
''Río Verde'' 3: 54–69.
* De Marmels, J. (1983). The Odonata of the region of Mount Auyantepui and the Sierra de Lema, in Venezuelan Guyana. 3. Additions to the families Gomphidae, Aeshnidae and Corduliidae, with description of ''Progomphus racenisi'' spec. nov.. ''Odonatologica'' 12(1): 1–13.
* De Marmels, J. (1994). ''Sympetrum chaconi'' spec. nov. from Auyan-Tepui, Venezuela, with notes on a pantepuyan form of ''Tramea binotata'' (Rambur) (Anisoptera: Libellulidae). ''Odonatologica'' 23(4): 405–412.
* Delascio Chitty, F. (1997). Apuntes sobre la vegetación del Auyantepui. ''Acta Terramaris'' 10: 27–42.
* Dennison, L.R. (1942).

'. Hastings House, New York.
* Dunsterville, G.C.K. (August 1964). Auyantepui, home of fifty million orchids. ''American Orchid Society Bulletin'' 1964: 678–689.
* Dunsterville, G.C.K. (1965). Auyantepui. ''Boletín de la Sociedad Venezolana de Ciencias Naturales'' 26(109): 163–171.
* Dunsterville, G.C.K. & E. Dunsterville (1982). Auyán-tepui: reminiscences of an orchid search. In: J. Arditti (ed.)

'. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York. pp. 19–38.
* Jaffe, K., J. Lattke & R. Perez-Hernández (January–June 1993)
Ants on the tepuies of the Guiana Shield: a zoogeographic study.
''Ecotropicos'' 6(1): 21–28.
* Huber, O. (1976). Observaciones climatológicas sobre la región del Auyán-tepui (Edo. Bolívar). ''Boletín de la Sociedad Venezolana de Ciencias Naturales'' 32(132–133): 509–525.
* La Cruz, L. (February–April 2010)
Iván Calderon y su mundo vertical
''Río Verde'' 1: 98–115.
* Maguire, B. (1957). Resultados botánicos de la expedición de la Universidad Central de Venezuela a la región Auyantepui en la Guayana venezolana, abril de 1956. 1. Una nueva especie de la familia Cyperaceae. ''Acta Botánica Venezuelica'' 2(6): 43–45.
* Mecchia, M. & L. Piccini (1999). Hydrogeology and SiO₂ geochemistry of the Aonda Cave system (Auyantepui, Bolivar, Venezuela). ''Boletín Sociedad Venezolana de Espeleología'' 33: 1–11.
* Moldenke, H.N. (1957). Resultados botánicos de la expedición de la Universidad Central de Venezuela a la región Auyantepui en la Guayana venezolana, abril de 1956. 2. Three new species of the family Eriocaulaceae. ''Acta Botánica Venezuelica'' 2(7): 47–50.
* Myers, C.W. (1997). Preliminary remarks on the summit herpetofauna of Auyantepui, eastern Venezuela. ''Acta Terramaris'' 10: 1–8.
* Phelps, W.H. (1938). La expedición del American Museum of Natural History al Monte Auyantepui. ''Boletín de la Sociedad Venezolana de Ciencias Naturales'' 4(32): 251–265.
* Rácenis, J. (May–August 1968). Los odonatos de la región del Auyantepui y de la Sierra de Lema, en la Guayana Venezolana. 1. Superfamilia Agrionoidea. ''Memoria de la Sociedad de Ciencias Naturales La Salle'' 28(80): 151–176.
* Rácenis, J. (1970). Los odonatos de la región del Auyantepui y de la Sierra de Lema, en la Guayana Venezolana. 2. Las familias Gomphidae, Aeshnidae y Corduliidae. ''Acta Biologica Venezuelica'' 7(1): 23–39.
* Roze, J.A. (1958). Los reptiles del Auyantepui, Venezuela, basándose en las colecciones de las expediciones de Phelps-Tate, del American Museum of Natural History, 1937–1938, y de la Universidad Central de Venezuela, 1956. ''Acta Biologica Venezuelica'' 2(22): 243–270.
* Señaris, J.C. (1995) 1993' Una nueva especie de ''Oreophrynella'' (Anura; Bufonidae) de la cima del Auyán-tepui, Estado Bolívar, Venezuela. ''Memoria de la Sociedad de Ciencias Naturales La Salle'' 53(140): 177–183.
* Señaris, J.C. & J. Ayarzagüena (1994) 1993' Una nueva especie de ''Centrolenella'' (Anura: Centrolenidae) del Auyán-tepui, Edo. Bolívar, Venezuela. ''Memoria de la Sociedad de Ciencias Naturales La Salle'' 53(139): 121–126.
* Steyermark, J.A. (1967). Flora del Auyán-tepui. ''Acta Botánica Venezuelica'' 2(5–8): 5–370.
* Tate, G.H.H. (1938). Auyantepui: notas sobre la Expedición Phelps (Phelps Venezuelan Expedition). ''Boletín de la Sociedad Venezolana de Ciencias Naturales'' 5(36): 96–125.
* Tate, G.H.H. (July 1938). Auyantepui: notes on the Phelps Venezuelan Expedition. ''Geographical Review'' 28(3): 452–474.
* Vareschi, V. (1958). Resultados botánicos de la expedición de la Universidad Central de Venezuela a la región Auyantepui en la Guayana venezolana, abril de 1956. 3. ''Hymenophyllopsis universitatis'', a new species endemic to Guayana and its relatives. ''Acta Biologica Venezuelica'' 2(15): 151–162.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Auyan-tepui
Tepuis of Venezuela
Mountains of Venezuela
Mountains of Bolívar (state)
Canaima National Park