Monday, November 14, 2005

Bunch grasses

According to this site:

Páramos are ecosystems within the tropical regions of Mexico, Central and South America, Africa, Malesia including New Guinea, and Hawaii, that occur between the upper limit of continuous, closed-canopy forest (i.e., forest line or timberline) and the upper limit of plant life (i.e., snow line) between about 3000 m and 5000 m. Locally these "zacatonales" (the Mexican and Guatemalan volcanic highlands), "páramo" (Central and northern South America), "jalca" (northern Peru), "puna" (drier areas of the altiplano of the central Andes), "afroalpine" and "moorland" (East Africa), and "tropical-alpine" (Malesia). Tussock grasses, large rosette plants, shrubs with evergreen, coriaceous and sclerophyllous leaves, and cushion plants characterize the vegetation.