Puracé National Natural Park
| El Parque Nacional Natural Puracé | |
|---|---|
| Puracé National Natural Park | |
|
IUCN category II (national park) | |
 | |
  | |
| Nearest city | Popayán, Colombia |
| Coordinates | 2°12′N 76°21′W / 2.200°N 76.350°WCoordinates: 2°12′N 76°21′W / 2.200°N 76.350°W |
| Area | 830 km2 (320 sq mi)[1] |
| Established | 1961[1] |
| Governing body | SINAP |
The Puracé National Natural Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Natural Puracé) is a national park located in the Andean Region of Colombia, southeast of the city of Popayán in the Cordillera Central range. Its main feature is the active stratovolcano Puracé,[1] one of Colombia's most active volcanoes.[2] Four of the country's most important rivers originate within the area:[3] Magdalena River, Cauca River, Japurá River and Patía River.[4]
General
It was established in 1961 as the first national park in the Cauca Department.[1][4] During the 1990s the FARC guerrilla used the park as a base camp, but it has been cleaned of the forces since 2002 after the President of Colombia Álvaro Uribe's campaign against the movement.[4]
The only active volcano in the area is Puracé at 4,580 metres (15,030 ft) above mean sea level. In addition there are two higher volcanoes, Azúcar at 5,000 m (16,000 ft) and Coconuco at 4,600 m (15,100 ft), and four more with and elevation between 4,400 m (14,400 ft) and 4,500 m (14,800 ft).[5]
Climate
The highest daytime temperatures are between 14-16°C, and the coldest nighttime temperatures below freezing.[4] The average yearly rainfall is 2500 mm and tend to decrease and elevation increases. Frost occurs frequently above 3,000 m (9,800 ft) and almost daily above 4,200 m (13,800 ft).[6]
Flora and fauna
Over 200 orchids[6] and nationally threatened species such as the Colombian Pine, Andean Oak, Wax palm tree are found in the park.[5][7] It is home to over 160 species of birds, of which hummingbirds, ducks, birds of prey are the most dominating.[7] Several mammals are found in the park: spectacled bear, mountain tapir, cougar, pudú[1][4] as well as the Andean condor that the San Diego Zoo helped to reintroduce in the 1990s.[4] The lower elevation forests are home to four primates: woolly monkey, howler monkey, gray-bellied night monkey, tufted capuchin.[8]
Footnotes
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Puracé National Park". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 10 July 2010.
- ↑ "Puracé". Global Volcanism Program. Retrieved 10 July 2010.
- ↑ Villegas & Sesana 2007, p. 133
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Caputo, Newton & McColl 2009, p. 424
- 1 2 "Parque Nacional Natural Puracé" (in Spanish). Parques Nacionales Naturales de Colombia. Retrieved 10 July 2010.
- 1 2 Villegas & Sesana 2007, p. 134
- 1 2 "Naturaleza y Ciencia del Parque Nacional Natural Puracé" (in Spanish). Parques Nacionales Naturales de Colombia. Retrieved 10 July 2010.
- ↑ Villegas & Sesana 2007, p. 137
References
- Caputo, Lorraine; Newton, Paula; McColl, Richard (2009), Viva Travel Guides Colombia, Viva Publishing Network, ISBN 978-0-9791264-4-4.
- Villegas, Benjamin; Sesana, Laura (2007), Colombia Natural Parks, Villegas Asociados, ISBN 978-958-8156-87-3.
External links
Media related to Puracé at Wikimedia Commons- The park's page at Parques Nacionales Naturales de Colombia (Spanish)