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 (11,600 sq mi) |
| Countries | Colombia, Ecuador |
| Coordinates | 2°20′38″N 76°23′02″W / 2.344°N 76.384°W |
| 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.