Peru: Major Landscapes and Ecosystems
Report prepared by Allison Hebert and Gabrielle Osswald, students in BCIT's Fish, Wildlife and Recreation Program.
Peru consists of three major landscapes:
The Western Coastal Plains
The coast is made up of deserts, beautiful beaches, and fertile valleys. The Peruvian coastline is formed by a long winding desert located between the sea and the mountains.
Patacancha Valley The Andes
Patacancha Valley
The Andes rise 6,000 m or 19,700 feet above sea level, separating the Pacific Ocean and the Amazon jungle basin. From the depths of the Peru-Chile trench, just off the Peruvian coast, to the Andean peaks is a difference in altitude of more than 12,192 m - within a distance of 80 km. Peru has had to deal with the effects of the El Niño Current for centuries. For example, the southern Sierra is periodically subjected to severe draughts every eight-ten years.
The Jungles of the Amazon Basin
Almost half of Peru lies within the Amazon Basin. The dense Amazon Jungle is home to over fifty percent of the planet's rainforests. It is a vast and, for the most part, inaccessible region, and is sparsely populated. It is believed to be the most biologically diverse region in the world. Almost two-thirds of Peru is forested and amazingly, almost ninety percent of the original forest remains.
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