Suni (geography)

Chacas lagoon, Puno, Peru

Suni is one of the eight Natural Regions of Peru. It is located in the Andes at an altitude between 3,500 and 4,000 metres above sea level. This region is also called Jalca in the northern part of Peru. Suni has a dry and cold weather and there are many glacial valleys.

Flora and fauna

The flora includes gramineous plants and shrubs such as the taya-taya (Caesalpinia spinosa), the quishuar (Buddleja coriacea), and the cantuta (Cantua buxifolia) which was considered sacred by the Incas.

Even though it is hard for plants to grow because of the weather, people are able to cultivate such crops as quinoa, maca, qañiwa, broad beans and ulluku (Ullucus tuberosus).

The main fauna is the guinea pig and, among numerous other highland birds, the Chiguanco thrush.^[1]

Overview

Quinoa, a flora species.

Andean Continental Divide

Westside	Eastside
Chala, dry coast	Lowland tropical rainforest or Selva baja
Maritime Yungas	Highland tropical rainforest or Selva alta
Maritime Yungas	Subtropical cloud forest or Fluvial Yungas
Quechua - montane valleys	Quechua - montane valleys
Tree line	Tree line - about 3,500 m
Suni, scrubs and agriculture	Suni, scrubs and agriculture

Mountain top:

• Mountain passes - 4,100 m
• Puna grassland
• Andean-alpine desert
• Snow line - about 5,000 m
• Janca - rocks, snow and ice
• Peak

See also

• Climate zones by altitude
• Altitudinal zonation

Literature

1. Pulgar Vidal, Javier: Geografía del Perú; Las Ocho Regiones Naturales del Perú. Edit. Universo S.A., Lima 1979. First Edition (his dissertation of 1940): Las ocho regiones naturales del Perú, Boletín del Museo de historia natural „Javier Prado“, n° especial, Lima, 1941, 17, pp. 145-161.