peruvian jungle

Reliefs-And-Ecosystems

2022

We explain what the Peruvian jungle is, its history, location, relief, flora and fauna. Also, some examples from other jungles.

The Peruvian jungle occupies 782,880 km2.

What is the Peruvian jungle?

It is known as the Peruvian jungle or, more correctly, the Peruvian Amazon to the portion of the territory of Peru that is occupied by long extensions of biome jungle belonging to the South American Amazon. It is a leafy, humid and high vegetation extension, in which the largest quota of biodiversity Y endemisms of the continental world.

The Amazon is the largest jungle of the planet, and extends in part of the territories of Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil and Venezuela. In Peru it occupies 782,880 km2 of territorial surface, corresponding to 62% of the country's territory and 13% of the total continent, and the second largest after Brazil.

It is the least densely populated region (8%) of this country. However, it enjoys the greatest human diversity, since different aboriginal ethnic groups make life in her. The Peruvian jungle is an ecologically very important region, given the gigantic biodiversity it houses, quite safe from the intrusions of the humanity.

Together with the rest of the Amazon, it constitutes one of the great plant lungs of the planet, responsible for the generation of oxygen and the fixation of carbon necessary to keep the temperature planetary and sustain the margins of life animal.

Location of the Peruvian jungle

This jungle stretches from the Andes to the borders with Brazil, Colombia and Ecuador.

The Peruvian jungle begins in the eastern foothills of the Andean Cordillera, and extends to the Peruvian political borders with Brazil, Colombia and Ecuador, in the territory of the Peruvian departments of Loreto, Amazonas, San Martín, Ucayali and Madre de Dios. All this, of course, in the center-west of the subcontinent South American.

It is divided into mountain jungle or high jungle (in the mountain range) and rain forest or low jungle (in the plain and the piedmont)

History of the Peruvian jungle

The origin of the Amazon rainforest began 20 million years ago, when the tectonic movements of the region produced the gradual rise of the Andes Mountains, causing the Amazon basin to become a system of lakes.

Although after this movement the area was covered with water, it began to dry out 10 million years ago. Thus, the animal and plant species of the region were able to colonize the new and fertile territory, to then expand and diversify rapidly, laying the foundations of the biological panorama that exists today.

During the period of the Spanish conquest and colonization of America, this territory was associated with the myths indigenous people of El Dorado and the Country of Cinnamon. During the early twentieth century it was a region of intense exploitation of the rubber tree.

Relief of the Peruvian jungle

It extends to the top of the mountains, as in Machu Picchu.

The Peruvian jungle has the particularity of covering a territory with several elevational floors, that is, with a diverse relief, which favors its enormous biodiversity.

Generally, they are divided, as we have already said, into high jungle (the one that approaches and extends over the Andean mountain range) and low forest (the one that extends in the plains), and thus varying their climatic and rainy conditions.

  • High jungle. The jungle of Mountain It is found at an average height between 800 and 3000 meters above sea level, exhibiting temperatures warm at the base and getting colder as you ascend, as well as the highest levels of rainfall in the entire country, with up to 5,000 mm per year. His relief It is mountainous and complex, with deep ravines and narrow valleys, all covered in impenetrable jungle.
  • Low jungle. Between 800 and 80 meters above sea level extends the Amazon plain, an extremely warm tropical forest (annual averages of 28 ° C) and a very high humidity relative (above 75%), given its frequent rainfall. It is a region of soils heterogeneous and abundant rivers.

Peruvian jungle fauna

The fauna of the Peruvian jungle includes 2,500 species of butterflies and 180 of reptiles.

The fauna of the Peruvian jungle is one of the most biodiverse on the entire planet. In fact, after Colombia, Peru is the second country with the largest number of bird species that exists, and the third in terms of mammals.

In this jungle at least 262 species of amphibians, 806 of birds, 293 of mammals, 697 of inland fish, 180 of reptiles and an incredible 2,500 species of butterflies daytime. Many of these animal species are endemic of this region, that is, they do not exist anywhere else in the world.

Flora of the Peruvian jungle

Not all plant species have yet been discovered in the Peruvian jungle.

Like the fauna, the flora of the Peruvian jungle is abundant, vigorous and extremely diverse, to the point that many of the botanical species that inhabit this region are yet to be discovered and classified.

Only in plants with flower (Phanerogams) there are 7,372 different known species in this region (7% of all species in the world) and some 700 species of ferns (10% of the world's species).

Other jungles of the world

The Paranaense Jungle contains the Iguazu Falls.

Apart from the Peruvian Amazon, the main jungles of the world can be summarized as:

  • The rest of the Amazon, between Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia and Venezuela.
  • The Darien Jungle, between Colombia and Panama.
  • The Lacandora Jungle, between Mexico and Guatemala.
  • The Paranaense Forest (of the Paraná River) between Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil.
  • The Yungas in northern Argentina, Bolivia and part of Peru.
  • The Congo Jungle in Africa Central.
  • The Guinean Rainforest (western and eastern) in Africa.
  • The Jungle of Borneo.
  • The Rainforest of Madagascar.
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