Los Estoraques Unique Natural Area
Encyclopedia
The Los Estoraques Unique Natural Area is one of the smaller national park
s, covering only 6 km² (2.3 sq mi), located in the Cordillera Oriental of Colombia in the Norte de Santander Department. The landscape is shaped by large brownstone pedestals and columns formed by thousands of years of erosion
. The area is part of the Catatumbo River
basin and elevation range from 1,450 to 1,900 meters above mean sea level
. It was declared a Área Natural Única (Unique Natural Area) in 1998.
is twice that of precipitation, causing a water deficit.
There are two types of plant life in the area, a dry forest
with species such as Stachytarpheta
mutabilis, Psidium
guineense, Erythroxylum
lucidum and Dodonaea viscosa
and a sub-Andean forest covered in fog most time of the year with species such as Andean Oak
and Horse-chestnut.
The fauna of the region is rich in species, many of them endemic and represented only by small populations which indicates a fragile ecosystem. Birds are the most numerous group of vertebrates, with 58 species in 50 different genus and 22 families. Hunting, deforestation
, the introduction of agriculture and domestic animals have limited the number of species and number of individuals per species. Mammals found in the area include: Tapeti
, Jaguarundi
, Crab-eating Fox
, Common Opossum
.
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
s, covering only 6 km² (2.3 sq mi), located in the Cordillera Oriental of Colombia in the Norte de Santander Department. The landscape is shaped by large brownstone pedestals and columns formed by thousands of years of erosion
Erosion
Erosion is when materials are removed from the surface and changed into something else. It only works by hydraulic actions and transport of solids in the natural environment, and leads to the deposition of these materials elsewhere...
. The area is part of the Catatumbo River
Catatumbo River
The Catatumbo River is a river rising in northern Colombia, flowing into Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela. The Catatumbo River is approximately 210 miles long...
basin and elevation range from 1,450 to 1,900 meters above mean sea level
Above mean sea level
The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
. It was declared a Área Natural Única (Unique Natural Area) in 1998.
Geography
The climate is warm and predominantly dry. The average temperature is 22°C and the average yearly rainfall is 870 mm, with a dry season from January to March. The evapotranspirationEvapotranspiration
Evapotranspiration is a term used to describe the sum of evaporation and plant transpiration from the Earth's land surface to atmosphere. Evaporation accounts for the movement of water to the air from sources such as the soil, canopy interception, and waterbodies...
is twice that of precipitation, causing a water deficit.
There are two types of plant life in the area, a dry forest
Tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests
The tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forest biome, also known as tropical dry forest, is located at tropical and subtropical latitudes. Though these forests occur in climates that are warm year-round, and may receive several hundred centimeters of rain per year, they have long dry seasons...
with species such as Stachytarpheta
Stachytarpheta
Stachytarpheta is a plant genus in the verbena family . The flowers are rich in nectar and popular with many butterflies, such as the South Asian Crimson Rose , Malabar Banded Swallowtail , and Grass Yellow .-Selected species:* Stachytarpheta cayennensis* Stachytarpheta indica*...
mutabilis, Psidium
Guava
Guavas are plants in the myrtle family genus Psidium , which contains about 100 species of tropical shrubs and small trees. They are native to Mexico, Central America, and northern South America...
guineense, Erythroxylum
Erythroxylum
Erythroxylum is a genus of tropical flowering plants in the family Erythroxylaceae. Many species contain the drug cocaine; Erythroxylum coca, a native of South America, is the main commercial source of cocaine and of the mild stimulant coca tea...
lucidum and Dodonaea viscosa
Dodonaea viscosa
Dodonaea viscosa is a species of flowering plant in the soapberry family, Sapindaceae, that has a cosmopolitan distribution in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions of Africa, the Americas, southern Asia and Australasia.-Description:...
and a sub-Andean forest covered in fog most time of the year with species such as Andean Oak
Quercus humboldtii
Quercus humboldtii, commonly known as the Andean Oak, Colombian Oak or Roble, is a species of oak in the Fagaceae family. It is endemic to the highlands of northern South America, with an altitudinal range from 1,000 to 3,200 m...
and Horse-chestnut.
The fauna of the region is rich in species, many of them endemic and represented only by small populations which indicates a fragile ecosystem. Birds are the most numerous group of vertebrates, with 58 species in 50 different genus and 22 families. Hunting, deforestation
Deforestation
Deforestation is the removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter converted to a nonforest use. Examples of deforestation include conversion of forestland to farms, ranches, or urban use....
, the introduction of agriculture and domestic animals have limited the number of species and number of individuals per species. Mammals found in the area include: Tapeti
Tapeti
The Tapeti , also known as the Brazilian Rabbit or Forest Rabbit, is a cottontail rabbit species found in Central and South America....
, Jaguarundi
Jaguarundi
The jaguarundi is a small-sized wild cat native to Central and South America. In 2002, the IUCN classified the jaguarundi as Least Concern as it is likely that no conservation units, with the probable exception of the mega-reserves of the Amazon basin could sustain long-term viable populations. It...
, Crab-eating Fox
Crab-eating Fox
The crab-eating fox , also known as the forest fox, wood fox, and the common fox, is an extant species of medium-sized canid endemic to the central part of South America and which appeared during the Pliocene epoch...
, Common Opossum
Common Opossum
The common opossum , also called the southern or black-eared opossum, is a mammal species living from the northeast of Mexico to Bolivia, including the Lesser Antilles, where it is called manicou. It prefers the woods, but can also live in fields and cities...
.