Ecoregions of South America

The Orinoco wetlands ecoregion is located north of the Orinoco River Delta in northeastern Venezuela. It consists of several large and small patches of flooded grasslands, which occur in a habitat mosaic with swamp forests and mangroves.

The Pantepui forests and shrublands ecoregion in the Guiana Highlands of northern South America hosts an archipelago of more than 50 tabletop mountains with isolated sandstone plateaus and summits atop nearly vertical escarpments called tepuis.

The Peruvian Yungas ecoregion, nestled along the eastern slopes and central valleys of the Peruvian Andes, is a biological treasure trove, encompassing a vast expanse from northernmost to southernmost Peru. This subtropical montane region, characterized by its deciduous and evergreen forests, contributes significantly to the rich biodiversity of the Neotropics.

The Santa Marta montane forests is an ecoregion in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, a massif on the Caribbean coast of northern Colombia. This ecoregion is a characteristic moist forest; however, it rises from a very different habitat of the xeric scrub and dry forest surrounding it.

Perched beyond the treeline in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta on Colombia's Caribbean coast, the Santa Marta páramo emerges as an elevated moorland ecoregion, marking the northernmost extent of páramo in South America. This distinctive "sky island" showcases nature's complexities, thriving within high altitudes.

The Southern Andean steppe ecoregion is found in the higher elevations of the Chilean and Argentine Andes, the southern portion of the Andes range, and features a cold desert climate. It is part of the Montane grasslands and shrublands biome.

The Southwest Amazon moist forests are in the upper Amazon Basin, encompassing parts of Brazil, Peru, and Bolivia. The vast ecoregion contains some of the richest and largest tracts of intact tropical rainforest in the Amazon. Its inaccessibility has kept most of the habitat intact.

Nestled along the eastern slopes of the Andes in west-central Bolivia and extreme southeastern Peru, the Bolivian Yungas ecoregion stands as a transitional zone of unparalleled ecological significance. This tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forest forms a bridge between the lush Southwest Amazon moist forests to the northeast and the rugged Central Andean dry puna and wet puna ecosystems to the southeast, creating a unique and diverse landscape.

An ecological treasure trove lies in the Andes Mountains of southwestern Colombia: the Cauca Valley montane forests. This magnificent ecoregion, marked by its dramatic topography and diverse array of habitats, is a living testament to the incredible natural wealth of the Andean region. It supports a remarkable concentration of plant and animal life found nowhere else on Earth.

Nestled high amidst the jagged, snow-covered peaks of the Southern Andes lies the Central Andean Puna - a land of rugged resilience crafted from pristine pampas and awe-inspiring altiplano plains. This high-altitude montane grassland stretches across the southern regions of Peru, traversing the rugged Bolivian Altiplano and dipping into the northern corners of Argentina.