Cordillera de la Costa montane forests
Encyclopedia
The Cordillera de la Costa montane forests is a montane
ecoregion
of the Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forest Biome
, in the Venezuelan Coastal Range
(Cordillera de la Costa) on the Caribbean Sea
in northern Venezuela
.
The Venezuelan Coastal Range, which is actually two parallel ranges, runs east and west across northern Venezuela, separating the Orinoco River basin to the south from the Caribbean Sea
to the north. The range consists of western and eastern sections. The Coastal Range is a northeastern extension of the Andes Mountains, separated from the Cordillera de Mérida
to the southwest by the Yaracuy Depression. These forest enclaves are surrounded at lower elevations by the dry La Costa xeric shrublands, and are separated from both the moist forests of the Andes and of Amazonia by dry shrublands and the vast Llanos
grasslands of the Orinoco basin.
transition forest
s, evergreen montane
cloud forest
s, and upper montane elfin forest
, which are determined by elevation and exposure.
Evergreen transition forests
The Evergreen transition forests extend from 600–900 meters to 1000 meters elevation. They lie above the drier lower montane semi-deciduous forests of the La Costa xeric shrublands. The transition forests have a closed canopy made up of Trophis racemosa, Ficus macbridei, Tetragastris caracasana, Zanthoxylum ocumarense, Banara nitida, etc. The giant endemic tree Gyranthera caribensis, which can grow up to 60 meters in height, forms small emergent stands that rise above the forest canopy. The understory is composed of woody shrubs, ferns, and large herbs like Heliconia bihai
, Heliconia revoluta, and Dieffenbachia maculata.
Evergreen montane cloud forests
The Evergreen montane cloud forests range from 1000 to 2000–2400 meters elevation, and the most species-rich plant community in the ecoregion. The forests have a closed canopy of 15–20 meters elevation. Palms are common in both the canopy and the understory, growing as solitary trees or in large clumps, depending on the species. The forests support a dense understory of shrubs, herbs, and ferns, and the trees are festooned with abundant epiphyte
s (ferns, orchids, bromeliads, ericads and gesneriads).
Upper montane elfin forest and scrub
The Upper montane elfin forest and scrub is found above 2000–2400 meters. It consists of low mossy forests of dwarfed trees, including Clusia multiflora, Weinmannia
spp., and Prumnopitys harmsiana
, as well as open scrublands dominated by Libanothamnus neriifolius.
Montane
In biogeography, montane is the highland area located below the subalpine zone. Montane regions generally have cooler temperatures and often have higher rainfall than the adjacent lowland regions, and are frequently home to distinct communities of plants and animals.The term "montane" means "of the...
ecoregion
Ecoregion
An ecoregion , sometimes called a bioregion, is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than an ecozone and larger than an ecosystem. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and contain characteristic, geographically distinct assemblages of natural...
of the Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forest Biome
Biome
Biomes are climatically and geographically defined as similar climatic conditions on the Earth, such as communities of plants, animals, and soil organisms, and are often referred to as ecosystems. Some parts of the earth have more or less the same kind of abiotic and biotic factors spread over a...
, in the Venezuelan Coastal Range
Venezuelan Coastal Range
The Venezuelan Coastal Range is a mountain range that runs along the central and eastern portions of Venezuela's northern coast...
(Cordillera de la Costa) on the Caribbean Sea
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
in northern Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
.
Geography
The montane forests consist of eleven enclaves, lying between 600–2675 m (1,968.5–8,776.2 ft) in elevation, in the Venezuelan Coastal Range of the northeastern Andes Mountains. The moist forests cover an area of 14300 square kilometres (5,521.3 sq mi).The Venezuelan Coastal Range, which is actually two parallel ranges, runs east and west across northern Venezuela, separating the Orinoco River basin to the south from the Caribbean Sea
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
to the north. The range consists of western and eastern sections. The Coastal Range is a northeastern extension of the Andes Mountains, separated from the Cordillera de Mérida
Cordillera de Mérida
The Cordillera de Mérida is a series of mountain ranges, or massif, in northwestern Venezuela. The Cordillera de Mérida is a northeastern extension of the Andes Mountains. The ranges run southwest–northeast between the Venezuelan–Colombian border and the Venezuelan coastal range...
to the southwest by the Yaracuy Depression. These forest enclaves are surrounded at lower elevations by the dry La Costa xeric shrublands, and are separated from both the moist forests of the Andes and of Amazonia by dry shrublands and the vast Llanos
Llanos
The Llanos is a vast tropical grassland plain situated to the east of the Andes in Colombia and Venezuela, in northwestern South America. It is an ecoregion of the Flooded grasslands and savannas Biome....
grasslands of the Orinoco basin.
Flora
The ecoregion is home to three main plant communities, evergreenEvergreen
In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
transition forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
s, evergreen montane
Montane
In biogeography, montane is the highland area located below the subalpine zone. Montane regions generally have cooler temperatures and often have higher rainfall than the adjacent lowland regions, and are frequently home to distinct communities of plants and animals.The term "montane" means "of the...
cloud forest
Cloud forest
A cloud forest, also called a fog forest, is a generally tropical or subtropical evergreen montane moist forest characterized by a persistent, frequent or seasonal low-level cloud cover, usually at the canopy level. Cloud forests often exhibit an abundance of mosses covering the ground and...
s, and upper montane elfin forest
Elfin forest
-Residential community:Elfin Forest is an unincorporated residential community of San Diego County in the foothills of the Santa Rosa Mountains. The quiet grouping of homes is southwest of Escondido and according to the USGS it is located at in the Escondido zip code of 92029...
, which are determined by elevation and exposure.
Evergreen transition forests
The Evergreen transition forests extend from 600–900 meters to 1000 meters elevation. They lie above the drier lower montane semi-deciduous forests of the La Costa xeric shrublands. The transition forests have a closed canopy made up of Trophis racemosa, Ficus macbridei, Tetragastris caracasana, Zanthoxylum ocumarense, Banara nitida, etc. The giant endemic tree Gyranthera caribensis, which can grow up to 60 meters in height, forms small emergent stands that rise above the forest canopy. The understory is composed of woody shrubs, ferns, and large herbs like Heliconia bihai
Heliconia bihai
Heliconia bihai of the Heliconiaceae family is an erect herb typically growing taller than 1.5 m...
, Heliconia revoluta, and Dieffenbachia maculata.
Evergreen montane cloud forests
The Evergreen montane cloud forests range from 1000 to 2000–2400 meters elevation, and the most species-rich plant community in the ecoregion. The forests have a closed canopy of 15–20 meters elevation. Palms are common in both the canopy and the understory, growing as solitary trees or in large clumps, depending on the species. The forests support a dense understory of shrubs, herbs, and ferns, and the trees are festooned with abundant epiphyte
Epiphyte
An epiphyte is a plant that grows upon another plant non-parasitically or sometimes upon some other object , derives its moisture and nutrients from the air and rain and sometimes from debris accumulating around it, and is found in the temperate zone and in the...
s (ferns, orchids, bromeliads, ericads and gesneriads).
Upper montane elfin forest and scrub
The Upper montane elfin forest and scrub is found above 2000–2400 meters. It consists of low mossy forests of dwarfed trees, including Clusia multiflora, Weinmannia
Weinmannia
Weinmannia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cunoniaceae. The genus includes approximately 150 species of canopy trees and shrubs, ranging across the montane tropics and temperate New Zealand and Chile....
spp., and Prumnopitys harmsiana
Prumnopitys harmsiana
Prumnopitys harmsiana is a species of Prumnopitys, native to the Andes in Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, and Venezuela. It is in the family Podocarpaceae, and an IUCN Near Threatened species....
, as well as open scrublands dominated by Libanothamnus neriifolius.