What are Colombia’s ecosystems

As a summary, the Colombian ecosystems are the following:

Colombian land ecosystems

• Sheet
• Moors
• Tropical forests
• Desert areas

Colombian aquatic ecosystems

• Coral reef
• Marine grass grasslands
• Pelágico ecosystem
• Mangroves

In the following sections we describe the main Colombian ecosystems and their characteristics.

Among the main terrestrial Colombian ecosystems The following are:

Sheet

One of Colombia’s terrestrial ecosystems is La Sabana. These are environments characterized by a great profusion of grass and legume herbaceous species, which are combined with trees (trupillo) or scattered bushes or small groups. The climate in the savanna is warm with scarce rainfall, which due to the composition of the soil, is usually evaded by runoff, which means that there is almost no available groundwater. As examples we find the savanna of the Orinoquia and that of Bogotá. Some of the animals that inhabit this ecosystem are hawks, herons or pumas.

Moors

The moors are typical mountain ecosystems. In Colombia it occurs in the Andean territory. The weather is cold and there is not always water available, so the vegetation is predominantly herbaceous. You can find rabbits, curies, deer, field mice, pumas or foxes.

Tropical forests

Tropical forests are characterized by their very high forest mass. The vegetation remains green throughout the year and the vegetation is very developed. They are usually found in both close to Ecuador (Pacific and Amazonia), which makes the weather very little variable throughout the year, with high temperatures and a large amount of rainfall and a high saturation of water in the environment. The vegetation includes ferns, platelets and Ceiba, and has a large number of different animal species.

Desert areas

Desert areas are characterized by very low rainfall and also very low water saturation in the environment. The different species that inhabit the area have characteristic adaptations that allow them to live in this extreme environment. For example, characteristic cactus are capable of storing water in their leaves. Those agencies capable of living in these environments are called “xerophilic”. There are also animals, such as small reptiles and snakes, birds such as eagles, insects, arachnids and other invertebrates. Two examples are La Guajira and Barranquilla.

In this other ecology article, we show you all about the desert ecosystem, its characteristics, flora and fauna.

These are the main aquatic Colombian ecosystems:

Coral reef

Coral reefs are large barriers of sponges and polyps that are generally characterized by a very resistant structure of calcium carbonate, which ends up giving rise to very characteristic structures. They provide a lot of services: protection to the coastline, landscape resources and tourism, in addition to serving as food and support for a wide variety of fish. They are very little resilient ecosystems in the face of changes. In Colombia, the Rosary Islands are known for these formations.

Marine grass grasslands

This other type of Colombian aquatic ecosystems are located near the coastline, in shallow waters (up to 25 meters). They are composed of large green algae that, through structures analogous to the roots, are subject to marine substrate. They constitute a source of food and a shelter for multitude of animals, such as fish, snails, octopus, sea stars, etc. They also contribute to preventing the erosion of the coast by the action of the currents. In Colombia they are present only on the coasts of the Caribbean, often associated with coral reef ecosystems.

Pelágico ecosystem

The pelagic term refers to what develops in the mass of water of the sea, when there is neither contact nor is there a direct dependence on the background. The base of the trophic chain are microscopic algae, which depending on the depth to which they are located, will be one type or another (this depends fundamentally on the quantity and wavelength of the light they receive). These algae serve as food for small invertebrates, which in turn will be the basis of the diet of other invertebrates or fish and marine mammals.

Mangroves

The mangroves are forests of some trees adapted so that a part of its structure is inside the water, in addition to having a great tolerance to salinity (the vegetation that tolerates large salt concentrations is called “halophite”). Mangroves have the so -called “air roots”, which, curiously, leave the substrate up, and can exceed the water level in some cases. The mangroves house a large amount of fauna and also provide important environmental services: they prevent the erosion of the coast, contribute to the formation of the slime and support a multitude of species of birds, fish and various invertebrates.

This article will discover more about what a mangrove is and its characteristics.

The 2017 “Colombia Viva” report of the WWF organization⁽¹⁾ value the importance of monitoring biodiversity and the quality and quantity of ecosystem services provided by the Colombian ecosystemsemphasizing the links between the health of ecosystems and human well -being.

According to this organization, of the total of large types of ecosystems in Colombia, 21% are in danger and 25% are in critical condition.

We show you some ideas so you can help improve the status of these ecosystems and the entire planet in general in this other article on how to take care of the environment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpeyapd6l-e

If you want to read more articles similar to What are Colombia’s ecosystemswe recommend that you enter our category of ecosystems.