Puna is a type of montane grassland found in the central Andes Mountains of South America.
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Setting
The puna is found above the treeline at 3200-3500 meters elevation, and below the permanent snow line above 4500-5000 meters elevation. It extends from central Peru in the north, across the Altiplano plateau of Peru and Bolivia, and south along the spine of the Andes into northern Argentina and Chile.
Flora
The flora of the puna is characterized by alpine bunchgrasses interspersed with herbs, grasses, lichens, mosses, ferns, cushion plants, and occasional low shrubs, with sedges and rushes in poorly-drained areas. The puna is generally drier than the páramo montane grasslands of the northern Andes.
Fauna
Native mammals include llamas, alpacas, vicuñas and guanacos. Native birds includes the Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus), Andean Goose or huallata (Chloephaga melanoptera), Andean Flamingo or parihuana (Phoenicopterus andinus), Puna Teal (Anas puna), and other wading birds.
People
People of this region cultivate barley, potatoes and maca. Alpacas, vicuñas, and guanacos are raised for wool, and llamas for wool and transport.
Ecoregions
The World Wildlife fund defines three distinct puna ecoregions:
- Central Andean wet puna (Bolivia, Peru)
- Central Andean puna (Bolivia, Peru)
- Central Andean dry puna (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile)
