Puracé National Natural Park

El Parque Nacional Natural Puracé
Puracé National Natural Park
IUCN category II (national park)
Nearest city	Popayán, Colombia
Coordinates	2°12′N 76°21′W / 2.200°N 76.350°WCoordinates: 2°12′N 76°21′W / 2.200°N 76.350°W
Area	830 km^2 (320 sq mi)[1]
Established	1961[1]
Governing body	SINAP

The Puracé National Natural Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Natural Puracé) is a national park located in the Andean Region of Colombia, southeast of the city of Popayán in the Cordillera Central range. Its main feature is the active stratovolcano Puracé,^[1] one of Colombia's most active volcanoes.^[2] Four of the country's most important rivers originate within the area:^[3] Magdalena River, Cauca River, Japurá River and Patía River.^[4]

General

It was established in 1961 as the first national park in the Cauca Department.^[1][4] During the 1990s the FARC guerrilla used the park as a base camp, but it has been cleaned of the forces since 2002 after the President of Colombia Álvaro Uribe's campaign against the movement.^[4]

The only active volcano in the area is Puracé at 4,580 metres (15,030 ft) above mean sea level. In addition there are two higher volcanoes, Azúcar at 5,000 m (16,000 ft) and Coconuco at 4,600 m (15,100 ft), and four more with and elevation between 4,400 m (14,400 ft) and 4,500 m (14,800 ft).^[5]

Climate

The highest daytime temperatures are between 14-16°C, and the coldest nighttime temperatures below freezing.^[4] The average yearly rainfall is 2500 mm and tend to decrease and elevation increases. Frost occurs frequently above 3,000 m (9,800 ft) and almost daily above 4,200 m (13,800 ft).^[6]

Flora and fauna

Over 200 orchids^[6] and nationally threatened species such as the Colombian Pine, Andean Oak, Wax palm tree are found in the park.^[5][7] It is home to over 160 species of birds, of which hummingbirds, ducks, birds of prey are the most dominating.^[7] Several mammals are found in the park: spectacled bear, mountain tapir, cougar, pudú^[1][4] as well as the Andean condor that the San Diego Zoo helped to reintroduce in the 1990s.^[4] The lower elevation forests are home to four primates: woolly monkey, howler monkey, gray-bellied night monkey, tufted capuchin.^[8]

Footnotes

1. "Puracé National Park". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 10 July 2010.
2. "Puracé". Global Volcanism Program. Retrieved 10 July 2010.
3. Villegas & Sesana 2007, p. 133
4. Caputo, Newton & McColl 2009, p. 424
5. "Parque Nacional Natural Puracé" (in Spanish). Parques Nacionales Naturales de Colombia. Retrieved 10 July 2010.
6. Villegas & Sesana 2007, p. 134
7. "Naturaleza y Ciencia del Parque Nacional Natural Puracé" (in Spanish). Parques Nacionales Naturales de Colombia. Retrieved 10 July 2010.
8. Villegas & Sesana 2007, p. 137

References

• Caputo, Lorraine; Newton, Paula; McColl, Richard (2009), Viva Travel Guides Colombia, Viva Publishing Network, ISBN 978-0-9791264-4-4.
• Villegas, Benjamin; Sesana, Laura (2007), Colombia Natural Parks, Villegas Asociados, ISBN 978-958-8156-87-3.

External links

• Media related to Puracé at Wikimedia Commons
• The park's page at Parques Nacionales Naturales de Colombia (Spanish)