Cerro de la Muerte
Encyclopedia
Cerro de la Muerte is the highest point in the Costa Rica
n section of the Inter-American Highway
. Its name means "Mountain of Death", since in the past crossing the mountains from the Valle Central meant a three or four day journey, on foot or on horseback, and many ill-prepared travelers succumbed to the cold and rain. However, the peak is now easily accessible since the highway runs close by.
The drivable track from the highway leads to the summit, with its cluster of telecommunications aerials. At this altitude, overnight temperatures can dip below freezing, but the sun soon raises the temperatures in the morning, with a high risk of sunburn in the thin clear air.
This mountain is in Talamanca range
, which extends from eastern Costa Rica into neighbouring western Panama
. This range was a volcanic island in the geological past, it raised result of tectonic uplift
and its separation from other mountain ranges means that it has developed many endemic species of animals and plants, often with affinities to Andean
forms.
The higher areas are páramo
habitat, with stunted shrubs, dwarf bamboo
, and tree ferns, and smaller plants like blueberry
, gooseberry
and lady's slipper
. Below this zone, the natural vegetation is oak
forest with bamboo understory, an excellent place to see the charismatic Resplendent Quetzal
.
Nearly fifty percent of the bird
species recorded from Cerro de la Muerte are endemic
to the Talamanca range. These include Fiery-throated Hummingbird
, Timberline Wren
, Sooty Robin, Black-billed Nightingale-Thrush
, Peg-billed Finch
and Volcano Junco
.
File:150cerrodelamuerte.JPG|Paramo at the summit
File:155savegre.JPG|Oak forest
File:ResplendentQuetzal.jpg| Resplendent Quetzal
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
n section of the Inter-American Highway
Inter-American Highway
The Inter-American Highway is the Central American section of the Pan-American Highway and spans 3,400 miles between Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, and Panama City, Panama....
. Its name means "Mountain of Death", since in the past crossing the mountains from the Valle Central meant a three or four day journey, on foot or on horseback, and many ill-prepared travelers succumbed to the cold and rain. However, the peak is now easily accessible since the highway runs close by.
The drivable track from the highway leads to the summit, with its cluster of telecommunications aerials. At this altitude, overnight temperatures can dip below freezing, but the sun soon raises the temperatures in the morning, with a high risk of sunburn in the thin clear air.
This mountain is in Talamanca range
Cordillera de Talamanca
The Cordillera de Talamanca is a mountain range that lies on the border between Costa Rica and Panama. Much of the range and the area around it is included in the La Amistad International Park, which also is shared between the two countries....
, which extends from eastern Costa Rica into neighbouring western Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
. This range was a volcanic island in the geological past, it raised result of tectonic uplift
Tectonic uplift
Tectonic uplift is a geological process most often caused by plate tectonics which increases elevation. The opposite of uplift is subsidence, which results in a decrease in elevation. Uplift may be orogenic or isostatic.-Orogenic uplift:...
and its separation from other mountain ranges means that it has developed many endemic species of animals and plants, often with affinities to Andean
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...
forms.
The higher areas are páramo
Páramo
The term páramo can refer to a variety of ecosystems. Some ecologists describe the páramo broadly as “all high, tropical, montane vegetation above the continuous timberline”. A more narrow term classifies the páramo according to its regional placement - specifically located in “the northern Andes...
habitat, with stunted shrubs, dwarf bamboo
Bamboo
Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
, and tree ferns, and smaller plants like blueberry
Blueberry
Blueberries are flowering plants of the genus Vaccinium with dark-blue berries and are perennial...
, gooseberry
Gooseberry
The gooseberry or ; Ribes uva-crispa, syn. R. grossularia) is a species of Ribes, native to Europe, northwestern Africa and southwestern Asia...
and lady's slipper
Lady's Slipper
Lady's slipper orchids, lady slipper orchids or slipper orchids are the orchids in the subfamily Cypripedioidea, which includes the genera Cypripedium, Mexipedium, Paphiopedilum, Phragmipedium and Selenipedium...
. Below this zone, the natural vegetation is oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
forest with bamboo understory, an excellent place to see the charismatic Resplendent Quetzal
Resplendent Quetzal
The Resplendent Quetzal, Pharomachrus mocinno, is a bird in the trogon family. It is found from southern Mexico to western Panama . It is well known for its colorful plumage. There are two subspecies, P. m. mocinno and P. m...
.
Nearly fifty percent of the bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
species recorded from Cerro de la Muerte are endemic
Endemic (ecology)
Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, all species of lemur are endemic to the...
to the Talamanca range. These include Fiery-throated Hummingbird
Fiery-throated Hummingbird
The Fiery-throated Hummingbird is a medium-sized hummingbird which breeds only in the mountains of Costa Rica and western Panama...
, Timberline Wren
Timberline Wren
The Timberline Wren is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Thryorchilus. It is found in Costa Rica and western Panama. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 27...
, Sooty Robin, Black-billed Nightingale-Thrush
Black-billed Nightingale-thrush
The Black-billed Nightingale-thrush is a small thrush endemic to the highlands of Costa Rica and western Panama. Its position in the genus Catharus is somewhat equivocal, but it is apparently closer to the Hermit Thrush than to the other nightingale-thrushes except the Russet Nightingale-thrush...
, Peg-billed Finch
Peg-billed Finch
The Peg-billed Finch, Acanthidops bairdii, is a passerine bird which is endemic to the highlands of Costa Rica and extreme western Panama. Despite its name, it is not a true finch, but now recognized as a member of the tanager family , after being long placed in the Emberizidae. It is the...
and Volcano Junco
Volcano Junco
The Volcano Junco, Junco vulcani, is an American sparrow endemic to the high mountains of Costa Rica and western Panama.This junco breeds above the timberline, typically at altitudes above 3000m, but there is an isolated population at 2100 m on the Caribbean slope of Costa Rica, and forest...
.
File:150cerrodelamuerte.JPG|Paramo at the summit
File:155savegre.JPG|Oak forest
File:ResplendentQuetzal.jpg| Resplendent Quetzal