Los Nevados
Encyclopedia
Los Nevados National Natural Park is a national park
located in the Cordillera Central of the Colombia
n Andes
. The 5,300-meter high volcano
Nevado del Ruiz
is dominating Los Nevados. Out of the 55 protected areas in Colombia, Los Nevados National Natural Park was the third most visited in 2009, with 50,045 visitors. The most visited was the Rosario and San Bernardo Corals National Natural Park
followed by the Tayrona National Natural Park
.
, Santa Isabel
, Nevado del Quindío, Páramo de Santa Rosa, Cerro Bravo
, Cerro Machín
and Nevado El Cisne
.
Glacial activity has shaped the landscape 3000 metres (9,842.5 ft) above mean sea level
, leaving U-shaped valleys and moraine
s behind. Extrusive igneous rock
are dominant above 3500 m (11,482.9 ft) on the eastern slope and 2200 m (7,217.8 ft) on the western slope. The Otún Lake, lying in extinct volcano crater, and Green Lake
are located in the area.
The park's hydrographic networks supply water to over 2,000,000 coffee-growers in the region, and to most of the rice and cotton crops in the Tolima Department.
The park is located in the departments of Caldas
, Quindío
, Risaralda
, Tolima and divided in the municipalities, Villamaría
, Santa Rosa de Cabal
, Pereira
, Salento
, Ibagué
.
s, 200 bryophyte
s, 300 lichen
s and 180 macroscopic fungi.
On the lower slopes and in the valleys the Andean wax palms
are dominant. The upper Andean forest has trees reaching up to 30 metres (98.4 ft) in height.
Noteworthy birds include Blue-crowned Motmot
, Yellow-eared Parrot
, Fuertes's Parrot, Rufous-fronted Parakeet
, Andean Condor
, Brown-banded Antpitta
and Ruddy Duck
. The Bearded Helmetcrest
hummingbird
is endemic to the region. Noteworthy mammals include Mountain Tapir
, Spectacled Bear
, Northern Pudú
, Oncilla and Cougar, White-eared Opossum
.
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
located in the Cordillera Central of the Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
n Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
. The 5,300-meter high volcano
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
Nevado del Ruiz
Nevado del Ruiz
The Nevado del Ruiz, also known as La Mesa de Herveo or Kumanday in the language of the local pre-Columbian indigenous people, is a volcano located on the border of the departments of Caldas and Tolima in Colombia, about west of the capital city Bogotá. It is a stratovolcano, composed of many...
is dominating Los Nevados. Out of the 55 protected areas in Colombia, Los Nevados National Natural Park was the third most visited in 2009, with 50,045 visitors. The most visited was the Rosario and San Bernardo Corals National Natural Park
Rosario and San Bernardo Corals National Natural Park
The Rosario and San Bernardo Corals National Natural Park is a natural park located in the Sucre and Bolívar Departments on the coast of the Caribbean Region of Colombia, 45 km from the Bay of Cartagena...
followed by the Tayrona National Natural Park
Tayrona National Natural Park
The Tayrona National Natural Park is a protected area in the Colombian northern Caribbean region and within the jurisdiction of the Department of Magdalena and some 34 km from the city of Santa Marta...
.
General
In addition to Nevado del Ruiz, seven other volcanoes are located in the area, Nevado del TolimaNevado del Tolima
Nevado del Tolima is a stratovolcano located in Tolima Department, Colombia, south of Nevado del Ruiz volcano.The steep-sided, glacier-clad Nevado del Tolima volcano contrasts with the broad profile of Nevado del Ruiz volcano to the north...
, Santa Isabel
Santa Isabel (volcano)
Santa Isabel is a shield volcano located in Tolima Department, Colombia, southwest of Nevado del Ruiz volcano....
, Nevado del Quindío, Páramo de Santa Rosa, Cerro Bravo
Cerro Bravo
Cerro Bravo is a stratovolcano located in Tolima Department, Colombia, north of the Nevado del Ruiz volcano.- Eruptive history :As with many volcanoes in the region, Bravo's eruptions are often characterized by a central vent eruption, followed by an explosive eruption and pyroclastic flows...
, Cerro Machín
Cerro Machín
Cerro Machín is a stratovolcano located in Tolima Department, Colombia. Cerro Machin is a volcanic plug that is approximately the same age as the Ruiz-Tolima Massif and has the appearance of being part of that volcanic system...
and Nevado El Cisne
Nevado El Cisne
The Nevado El Cisne is a mountain in the Central Cordillera of the Andes in Colombia. Its summit is at an altitude of 4636 metres. The mountain is one of the five lava domes of the Nevado del Ruiz volcano complex...
.
Glacial activity has shaped the landscape 3000 metres (9,842.5 ft) above mean sea level
Above mean sea level
The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
, leaving U-shaped valleys and moraine
Moraine
A moraine is any glacially formed accumulation of unconsolidated glacial debris which can occur in currently glaciated and formerly glaciated regions, such as those areas acted upon by a past glacial maximum. This debris may have been plucked off a valley floor as a glacier advanced or it may have...
s behind. Extrusive igneous rock
Igneous rock
Igneous rock is one of the three main rock types, the others being sedimentary and metamorphic rock. Igneous rock is formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or lava...
are dominant above 3500 m (11,482.9 ft) on the eastern slope and 2200 m (7,217.8 ft) on the western slope. The Otún Lake, lying in extinct volcano crater, and Green Lake
Green Lake
Green Lake may refer to:In Canada:* Green Lake , British Columbia* Green Lake , British Columbia* Green Lake , Halifax Regional Municipality* Green Lake, Saskatchewan...
are located in the area.
The park's hydrographic networks supply water to over 2,000,000 coffee-growers in the region, and to most of the rice and cotton crops in the Tolima Department.
The park is located in the departments of Caldas
Caldas Department
Caldas is a department of Colombia named after Colombian patriotic figure Francisco José de Caldas. It's part of the Paisa Region and its capital is Manizales. The population of Caldas is 1,030,062, and its area is 7,291 km²...
, Quindío
Quindío Department
Quindío is a department of Colombia. It is in the western central region of the country, crossed by the Andes mountains. Its capital is Armenia. It is famous for the quality of the coffee plantations, colorful architecture, benign weather, variety of hotel accommodations and touristic landmarks...
, Risaralda
Risaralda Department
Risaralda is a department of Colombia. It is located in the western central region of the country and part of the Paisa Region. Its capital is Pereira.It was divided from the department of Caldas in 1966...
, Tolima and divided in the municipalities, Villamaría
Villamaría, Caldas
Villamaría is a town and municipality in the Colombian Department of Caldas....
, Santa Rosa de Cabal
Santa Rosa de Cabal
Santa Rosa de Cabal is a town and municipality in the Risaralda Department, west central Colombia, on the western slopes of the Andean Cordillera Central. It is a commercial and manufacturing centre for the fertile agricultural and pastoral hinterland...
, Pereira
Pereira, Colombia
Pereira is the capital city of the Colombian department of Risaralda. It stands in the center of the western region of the country, located in a small valley that descends from a part of the western Andes mountain chain. Its strategic location in the coffee producing area makes the city an urban...
, Salento
Salento, Quindío
Salento is a town and municipality in the north-east of the department of Quindío, Colombia. The municipality covers an area of 377.67 km2. It was the first settlement in Quindío of the modern era, and the first municipality founded in the department. The town of Salento itself is located 24 km...
, Ibagué
Ibagué
Ibagué is the capital of the department of Tolima in Colombia. It is situated 1,285 m above sea level, on the eastern slopes of the Cordillera Central between the Chipalo and Combeima rivers, tributaries of the Coello River...
.
Flora and fauna
The area is home to 1250 species of vascular plantVascular plant
Vascular plants are those plants that have lignified tissues for conducting water, minerals, and photosynthetic products through the plant. Vascular plants include the clubmosses, Equisetum, ferns, gymnosperms and angiosperms...
s, 200 bryophyte
Bryophyte
Bryophyte is a traditional name used to refer to all embryophytes that do not have true vascular tissue and are therefore called 'non-vascular plants'. Some bryophytes do have specialized tissues for the transport of water; however since these do not contain lignin, they are not considered to be...
s, 300 lichen
Lichen
Lichens are composite organisms consisting of a symbiotic organism composed of a fungus with a photosynthetic partner , usually either a green alga or cyanobacterium...
s and 180 macroscopic fungi.
On the lower slopes and in the valleys the Andean wax palms
Ceroxylon quindiuense
Ceroxylon quindiuense , is a palm native to the Andean high altitude valley of Cocora in the department of Quindío, northwest Colombia.-Description:...
are dominant. The upper Andean forest has trees reaching up to 30 metres (98.4 ft) in height.
Noteworthy birds include Blue-crowned Motmot
Blue-crowned Motmot
The Blue-crowned Motmot, Momotus momota, is a colourful near-passerine bird found in forests and woodlands of eastern Mexico, Central America, northern and central South America, and Trinidad and Tobago...
, Yellow-eared Parrot
Yellow-eared Parrot
The Yellow-eared Parrot , is an endangered parrot of tropical America. It is found in the western Andes in Colombia and Ecuador and is closely associated to the wax palm Ceroxylon sp. which is itself endangered.-Range and habitat:The Yellow-eared Parrot nests and lives among wax palms in a few...
, Fuertes's Parrot, Rufous-fronted Parakeet
Rufous-fronted Parakeet
The Rufous-fronted Parakeet, Toui À Front Roux, or Catita Frentirrufa is a species of parrot in the Psittacidae family.It is endemic to Colombia....
, Andean Condor
Andean Condor
The Andean Condor is a species of South American bird in the New World vulture family Cathartidae and is the only member of the genus Vultur...
, Brown-banded Antpitta
Brown-banded Antpitta
The Brown-banded Antpitta is a species of bird in the Formicariidae family. It is endemic to Colombia.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests and plantations. It is threatened by habitat loss....
and Ruddy Duck
Ruddy Duck
The Ruddy Duck is a small stiff-tailed duck.Their breeding habitat is marshy lakes and ponds throughout much of North America, and in South America in the Andes. They nest in dense marsh vegetation near water. The female builds her nest out of grass, locating it in tall vegetation to hide it from...
. The Bearded Helmetcrest
Bearded Helmetcrest
The Bearded Helmetcrest is a species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae. It is found in Colombia and Venezuela. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland, known as páramo....
hummingbird
Hummingbird
Hummingbirds are birds that comprise the family Trochilidae. They are among the smallest of birds, most species measuring in the 7.5–13 cm range. Indeed, the smallest extant bird species is a hummingbird, the 5-cm Bee Hummingbird. They can hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings...
is endemic to the region. Noteworthy mammals include Mountain Tapir
Mountain Tapir
The Mountain Tapir or Woolly Tapir is the smallest of the four species of tapir and is the only one to live outside of tropical rainforests in the wild...
, Spectacled Bear
Spectacled Bear
The spectacled bear , also known as the Andean bear and locally as ukuko, jukumari or ucumari, is the last remaining short-faced bear and the closest living relative to the Florida spectacled bear and short-faced bears of the Middle Pleistocene to Late Pleistocene age.The spectacled bear is a...
, Northern Pudú
Pudú
The pudús are two species of South American deer from the genus Pudu; the world's smallest deer. The name is a loanword from Mapudungun the language of the indigenous Mapuche people of southern Chile...
, Oncilla and Cougar, White-eared Opossum
White-eared Opossum
The White-eared Opossum is an opossum species from South America. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela....
.