Preserving the Unique Puna Ecosystems of the Andean Altiplano
A Descriptive Account of Lauca National Park, Chile
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 13908607 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Philip W Rundel (0000-0002-9455-2302, Intel (United States), corresponding author), Beatriz Palma (0009-0005-6835-9516, Intel (United States), corresponding author) |
| Year | 2000 |
| Volume | 20 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 262-271 |
| Publication date | 2000-08-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Mountain Research and Development (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0276-4741 • E-ISSN: 1994-7151 |
| Publisher | International Mountain Society (PUBLISHER • CH) |
| DOI | 10.1659/0276-4741(2000)020[0262:ptupeo]2.0.co;2 |
| OpenAlex | W1835240536 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
| References cited | 8 |
Lauca National Park forms a unique area of puna and prepuna ecosystems in the high Altiplano of northeastern Chile. Its extensive puna steppe shrublands lying above 4000 m and high volcanoes reaching above 6000 m provide some of many strong justifications for its designation as a UNESCO International Biosphere Reserve in 1983. The park also contains Lago Chungará, the highest lake in the world at 4518 m elevation, and a rich variety of fauna and flora. The mammal fauna of the park includes notable populations of large herbivores such as vicuña, guanaco, and huemul, and a rich diversity of rodent species. More than 140 species of birds, one third of the total Chilean bird fauna—with many rare wetland species— and more than 400 species of vascular plants occur within the park. Despite its relatively pristine natural environment, Lauca National Park faces numerous management challenges. These include the management of critical and limited water resources, the impacts of human population and tourism, management of rare and endangered species, and pressures from mining and agricultural interests to decertify areas currently within park boundaries. Expansion of the park boundary westward to include ecologically significant prepuna habitats should be a high priority of park management
Agroforestry · Archaeology · Biology · Ecosystem · Endangered species · Fauna · Geography · Habitat · National park · Population · Protected area · Wetland · Ecology and biodiversity studies · Environmental and Cultural Studies in Latin America and Beyond · Plant Taxonomy and Phylogenetics · Ecology
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| Citations per year | 0.36 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2015 - 2025 (11) |
| Highly cited | No |