- The relief and soil of the Amazon lowland forest
- The relief of the low jungle in the vicinity of the Andean region
- Articles of interest
- References
The lowland forest relief is generally horizontal and very dense. There is a lot of vegetation, which forms the so-called virgin forest. Due to the disposition of the relief -represents a great plain-, it is a flooded area that with the flooding of the rivers in rainy seasons can be flooded.
These rains are frequent when geographically located in an area with a tropical rainy climate. The low jungle is how the tropical jungle that is located in Peru is known. It constitutes the Amazon plain or Amazonian tropical forest.
The extension of the low jungle is very large, and along it Peruvian cities such as Iquitos, Pucallpa or Puerto Maldonado are located. Among the most characteristic plant species of the lowland forest are 2,500 different species of trees.
Mahogany, aguaje, onion, oje or chonta stand out. The low jungle, in turn, can be divided according to climatic conditions: the humid low jungle and the seasonal low jungle.
The relief and soil of the Amazon lowland forest
As we have already said, the low forest is characterized by being an enormous plain, with some low hills that slightly modify the flat relief. These hills do not usually exceed 500 meters in altitude.
Only the Contanamá mountain range breaks this linear uniformity. It is located on the bank of the Yaraví River and at its highest point it reaches 780 meters above sea level.
Among the most characteristic and recurrent geographical features of the Amazonian lowland forest, some valleys and depressions stand out. The presence of several rivers that cross the jungle at different latitudes facilitates the existence of these accidents on the ground.
Also, in the low jungle we find depressions that are called tahuampas or aguajales. These areas remain flooded practically all year round due to the flooding of the rivers as a result of torrential rains.
The relief of the low jungle in the vicinity of the Andean region
In addition to the low jungle, in the territory of Peru we find the high jungle and the Andean highlands. The relief of the lowland forest, which is mostly flat and of low altitude, presents some variations in the areas closest to the Andes.
The Andes are a mountainous region of variable altitude but, in any case, higher than that of the low jungle. For this reason, the low jungle forms part of the Andes, its orography presents some alterations.
The highest altitudes of the lowland jungle, as well as the colder and less humid climate areas, are located near the Sierra de Peru.
This is where the low jungle presents a more mountainous vegetation. The eastern mountain range of the Sierra de Peru, which is the one that borders the low jungle, is the one with the lowest altitude, in line with the relief of the low jungle.
Also, the proximity of the humid low forest conditions the climate of the Sierra de Peru on its eastern slope, differentiating it from the western slope that separates the Andes from the Pacific Ocean.
Articles of interest
Relief of the high forest.
References
- Rain Forests: Facts and Information on National Geographic, at nationalgeographic.com.
- Rainforests: An Overview of the World's Rainforests on Thought.com, at thoughtco.com.
- Peru's Amazon Jungle and Rainforest on Discover Peru, at discover-peru.org.
- Rainforest Facts on Peru Explorer, at peru-explorer.com.
- Peruvian Amazon on Wikipedia, at wikipedia.org.