Tepuy

A tepuy is a plate with contours particularly abrupt, frequent in the Gran Sabana vénézuélienne. One can meet some in the close areas (with the Guyana, the Brésil and in Colombia). The tepuys frequently have a specific natural environment, where develop single forms evolutionary as well animal as vegetable.

General information

The word “tepuy” would come from a term of the language of the Indians Pemon S, which means “mountain”.

180 million years ago, the distortion of the American continent involved the formation of fractures in the plates. Erosion accentuated these faults and the terrestrial tectonic forces raised blocks, supporting the formation of tepuys . Those contain endemic thousands of plants and certain animal species whose researchers know only the prints.

Flora and fauna

The tops of the plates are almost completely isolated from the remainder of the surrounding forest. On the one hand, altitude causes an important climatic difference with the forest level. The climate of the forest is typically tropical with high temperatures and much of moisture, while on the plate of the tepuys, it can rain even more, but the temperature is much fresher. In addition, the extreme verticality of the walls which border them, with cornices out of reach, makes the migration often impossible between the base and the top and vice versa . These factors made possible the appearance of a flora and an endemic fauna.

Indeed, the biological process of evolution was in the beginning many animal species and vegetable single in the world, so that one could call the tepuys “ the Galápagos of the ground ferme ”.

Being given the impossibility of accumulation of Humus due to the wind and the mountainous constitution of the ground, the ground of these plates is low in Nutriment S, which generated the proliferation of a whole range of plants carnivores.

In the higher layer of the forests of Piedmont of the tepuys, grow many species of Orchidée S and broméliacées.

These characteristics give to the mesetas or plates an interest of foreground for the biologists évolutifs : many already found species were not classified yet, and probably remains about it still much to discover. In particular, some tepuys are perpetually covered with large masses of clouds (like Pico of Neblina), and only could be photographed since a helicopter, by radar. Some also were never pressed by the man.

Tepuys particularly significant

Among most notable, citons :

Tepuy Autana . This tepuy dominates of: 1300 meters the close forest. On his surface, one can see enormous some 400 depth meters pits. It is thought that they would be caves whose roofs crumbled.

Tepuy Auyan . This enormous plate has a surface of 700 km ². Top of its top the cascade of Salto Angel precipitates 989 meters downwards. It is in the National park Canaima.

Tepuy Kukenan . Regarded as mountain crowned by the native Amerindians. Since 1997, it cannot be climbed any more, considering the chasm is particularly insurmountable.

Tepuy of Neblina . It is highest of all the tepuys, known also under the name of Pico da Neblina . It is in the Serranía National park Neblina.

Tepuy Ptari . The walls of this tepuy are so high and abrupt that one supposes that it is there a number particularly high of new alive species.

Tepuy Roraima , known also as Assembles Roraima. A mission of Robert Schomburgk, celebrates exploring of South America inspired Arthur Conan Doyle for the scenario of its news the world lost .

the Sarisariñama . Located in the National park Jaua-Sarisariñama at the extreme south-east of the state of Bolívar. The particular characteristic of this tepuy of: 2300 meters height is the presence of Doline S almost perfectly circular which remain a enigma for the geologists.

See too

Internal bonds

National park Canaima
Mount xerothermic Trafalgar
Index of Gaussen
Guyana vénézuélienne

External bonds

Mongabay.com Photographs of tepuys Venezuelans
The Making off the Tepuis Film: '' The Living room Edens: The Lost World ''
the world lost
Account of a Spanish forwarding in the 2004 highest
of the tepuys of Venezuela climbed by a Spanish forwarding
the gran Sabana in the history

References

Uwe éeorge: Inseln in der Zeit . GEO - Gruner + Jahr AG & Co., Hamburg, ISBN 3570062120.
Roland Stuckardt: Sitze der Götter . will terra - Heft 3/2004, Tecklenborg Verlag, Steinfurt.

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