Sumapaz Páramo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Páramo de Sumapaz |
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IUCN Category II (National Park)
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Páramo de Sumapaz is the largest páramo ecosystem worldwide
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| Location | Cundinamarca |
| Nearest city | Bogotá |
| Area | 178,000 hectares |
| Established | 1977 |
| Governing body | SINAP |
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The Sumapaz Páramo (which means "Utterly peaceful moorland" in Spanish) is a huge and important mountain ecosystem in Colombia. It is considered the largest páramo (a special type of high-altitude grassland) in the entire world!
This amazing place was made a National Park of Colombia in 1977. It's super important because it's a biodiversity hotspot, meaning it has many different kinds of plants and animals. It's also the main source of water for the Bogotá savanna, which is one of the most populated areas in Colombia.
Contents
A Look at Sumapaz History
The Sumapaz Páramo was a very special and sacred place for the Muisca indigenous people long ago. They believed it was connected to the gods who created the world and where humans first came from. Because of this, people were not supposed to enter this sacred area.
In the 1500s, a German explorer named Nikolaus Federmann tried to cross Sumapaz. He was looking for the legendary treasure of El Dorado. It was a very difficult journey, and many people and horses died because of the extreme cold. The Spanish explorers called the area "País de la Niebla," meaning "Country of Fog," because of the thick clouds that often covered the ground.
Later, in 1783, José Celestino Mutis led a big plant study called the Botanic Expedition. They wanted to learn about the plants and animals of the region. However, they didn't explore the páramo itself because the weather was too harsh.
The first good description of the páramo and its plants came from the German scientist Alexander von Humboldt in 1799. He also noticed that the valleys looked like they were carved by glaciers, similar to what he had seen in the Alps mountains.
Climate and Geography
The Sumapaz Páramo has a very cold and tough climate. The average temperature is usually below 10°C (50°F), but it can change quickly from a bit warmer to freezing cold. The altitude is generally between 3,500 and 4,000 meters (about 11,500 to 13,000 feet) above sea level. The highest point is the Nevado del Sumapaz peak, which is 4,306 meters (14,127 feet) high.
It rains a lot here, almost all year round, except from December to February. Even when it's sunny, the ultraviolet radiation is very strong. Many local plants have special features, like white or glassy leaves, to protect themselves from this intense sunlight.
The air is usually very humid, and the ground is often soaked and muddy. There are also hidden shallow pools of water and sticky mud called "Chupaderos" or "Chucuas" ("Drainages"). These can be dangerous for people who don't know the area well.
Sumapaz is located between the Orinoco River and the Magdalena River basins, which are Colombia's two main river systems. This means it feeds water into both of these important rivers. The high rainfall and special plants that act like sponges help the páramo store a lot of water, making it a vital water reservoir.
Geology of the Páramo
The eastern part of Sumapaz has very old metamorphic rocks and looks like an alpine mountain area with steep cliffs. The western part has younger sedimentary rocks and smoother landscapes.
During the Ice Ages, huge glaciers moved through the area. They left behind lots of rock and debris, and also formed beautiful glacier lakes, like Chisaca Lake.
Soil Conditions
The soil in Sumapaz is acidic and has high levels of certain minerals. It's a coarse-grained soil, which means water can easily pass through it and form groundwater in underground layers called aquifers.
Because of the soil's makeup and the cold temperatures, there isn't much humus (decayed plant and animal matter). This means the soil isn't very good for agriculture or growing crops.
Amazing Plants (Flora)
Over 200 different kinds of vascular plants (plants with tubes for water and nutrients) grow naturally in Sumapaz. Many of these plants are endemic, meaning they are found only in this area and nowhere else in the world!
The most famous plants here are the Espeletias, also known as frailejones. These unique plants are like giant rosettes with fuzzy leaves. The largest one, Espeletia uribei, can grow up to 12 meters (almost 40 feet) tall!
Another important plant is the Sphagnum moss, which covers large parts of Sumapaz. This moss is like a super sponge, helping the soil hold a lot of water and nutrients. In the canyons, you'll find trees like encenillo and tibouchina.
Wonderful Animals (Fauna)
The Sumapaz Páramo is home to the endangered spectacled bear. These bears mostly eat the fruits of the Puya boyacana plant and the stems of the Espeletia (frailejones).
Other animals that live here include the Little Red Brocket Deer, tapirs, coatis, golden eagles, and different kinds of ducks like the torrent duck and Páramo duck. In some of the water bodies, you can also find rainbow trout, which were introduced to the area.
People and the Páramo
Even though the climate and soil are tough for farming, some people live in the Sumapaz Páramo. Villages like San Juan de Sumapaz, Nazareth, Santa Rosa, and El Hato are home to about 1,200 families. Many of these families face poverty and lack things like schools or proper sanitation.
Because of these challenges, some farmers sometimes grow potato crops inside the protected area. Also, the natural forest line is often changed by human activities like cutting down trees (logging) and letting too many cattle graze. It's hard to tell the difference between natural grasslands and those changed by humans. It's estimated that about 10,000 cattle live or feed within the protected area.
In 1950, the president at the time, Mariano Ospina Pérez, tried to discourage these activities. He ordered Colombian banks not to give loans for farming or cattle raising in areas higher than 3,500 meters (about 11,500 feet).
More recently, the Colombian government has had a military presence in the area since 2002. This has caused some debate about its impact on the environment. There have been concerns about damage to the frailejones plants, as soldiers are sometimes said to use their leaves to make simple mattresses.
See also
In Spanish: Páramo de Sumapaz para niños
