Alerce Andino National Park
Encyclopedia
Alerce Andino National Park is located in the Andes
, in Los Lagos Region
of Chile
. This national park covers about 393 km². It is bounded by the Reloncaví Estuary
on its east and south sides, and by the Reloncaví Sound
to the west (excluding a coastal fringe of a few km). To its north lies Chapo Lake
.
The park contains about 50 lake
s and natural pond
s.
cupressoides (locally known as Alerce) forests, which consist of pure and mixed stands comprising a total surface of about 200 km².
and Monito del Monte
.
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
, in Los Lagos Region
Los Lagos Region
Los Lagos Region is one of Chile's 15 regions, which are first order administrative divisions, and comprises four provinces: Chiloé, Llanquihue, Osorno and Palena. The region contains the country's second largest island, Chiloé, and the second largest lake, Llanquihue.Its capital is Puerto Montt;...
of Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
. This national park covers about 393 km². It is bounded by the Reloncaví Estuary
Reloncaví Estuary
Reloncaví Estuary is a fjord off Reloncaví Sound, located in Los Lagos Region of Chile. Several National Parks and Wilderness Areas are situated in the vicinity of this fjord. Among them are: Alerce Andino National Park, Hornopirén National Park, Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park, Llanquihue...
on its east and south sides, and by the Reloncaví Sound
Reloncaví Sound
Reloncaví Sound or Seno de Reloncaví is a body of water located immediately south of Puerto Montt, Chile. It is the place where the Intermediate Depression falls into the Pacific Ocean. There are several islands in the sound including Tenglo Island, Maillén Island and Huar Island...
to the west (excluding a coastal fringe of a few km). To its north lies Chapo Lake
Chapo Lake
Chapo Lake is a lake of Chile located in Los Lagos Region. It lies immediately southeast of Calbuco volcano and south of Llanquihue National Reserve...
.
The park contains about 50 lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
s and natural pond
Pond
A pond is a body of standing water, either natural or man-made, that is usually smaller than a lake. A wide variety of man-made bodies of water are classified as ponds, including water gardens, water features and koi ponds; all designed for aesthetic ornamentation as landscape or architectural...
s.
Flora
The centerpiece of this lush and mountainous protected area are the FitzroyaFitzroya
Fitzroya is a monotypic genus in the cypress family.-Species:The single living species, Fitzroya cupressoides, is a tall, long-lived conifer native to the Andes mountains of southern Chile and Argentina, where it is an important member of the Valdivian temperate rain forests...
cupressoides (locally known as Alerce) forests, which consist of pure and mixed stands comprising a total surface of about 200 km².
Fauna
The park provides important habitat for species such as PudúPudú
The pudús are two species of South American deer from the genus Pudu; the world's smallest deer. The name is a loanword from Mapudungun the language of the indigenous Mapuche people of southern Chile...
and Monito del Monte
Monito del Monte
The Monito del Monte The Monito del Monte The Monito del Monte (Spanish for "little mountain monkey", Dromiciops gliroides, is a diminutive marsupial native only to southwestern South America (Chile and Argentina). It is the only extant species in the ancient order Microbiotheria, and the sole New...
.