Northern Andean páramo

Northern Andean páramo (NT1006)
Landscape in Nevado del Ruiz, Colombia
Location in northwest South America (purple shading)
Ecology
Realm	Neotropical
Biome	Montane grasslands and shrublands
Geography
Area	30,044 km2
Countries	Colombia, Ecuador
Coordinates	2°20′38″N 76°23′02″W / 2.344°N 76.384°W / 2.344; -76.384Coordinates: 2°20′38″N 76°23′02″W / 2.344°N 76.384°W / 2.344; -76.384
Climate type	Cfb warm temperate; fully humid; warm summer

The Northern Andean páramo (NT1006) is an ecoregion containing páramo vegetation above the treeline in the Andes of Colombia and Ecuador. In the past, when the climate was cooler, the treeline and the páramo units were lower and the units were connected. During the present warmer Holocene epoch the páramos have migrated uphill, shrinking and becoming isolated. They contain many rare or endangered species, some of them restricted to a narrow area of one mountain or mountain range. The ecoregion is relatively well preserved, but faces threats from over-grazing and farming.

The Northern Andean páramo surrounds the highest peaks of the Andes between the treeline and the snowline from north central Colombia along the cordilleras south to central Ecuador. It has an area of 3,004,386 hectares (7,424,000 acres). The páramo is found at elevations from 3,000–3,500 metres (9,800–11,500 ft) to the snow line at 5,000 metres (16,000 ft), islands of grasslands and shrubs surrounded by a sea of cloud forest lower down. Areas of the ecoregion are found within or adjoining the Apure-Villavicencio dry forests, Cordillera Oriental montane forests, Magdalena Valley montane forests, Magdalena Valley dry forests, Northwestern Andean montane forests and Eastern Cordillera Real montane forests.

There are many types of soil due to the diverse geology of the Andes, but most are fairly young. They include andosols, inceptisols, histosols, entisols and mollisols. At the lowest levels, the subpáramo, soils are dark, low in acid, low in calcium and free phosphorus, fairly high in potassium and nitrogen, with more than 10% organic matter in the top layer. At the middle levels, the grass páramo, soils are fairly deep and are dark in color, acidic, moist or saturated with water, rich in organic matter and peat-like. At the highest levels, known as the superpáramo, soils are shallow and coarse, with much rock and sand and little organic matter. They do not retain water and are highly infertile.