Not just plain(s): A short guide to the Llanos’ diverse vegetation
Not just plain(s) – As some of the world’s richest tropical grasslands, Los Llanos, an area of about 375,790 square kilometers spanning Colombian as well as Venezuelan territory, are anything but simply grassy plains. Limited by the Andes in the west, the Venezuelan coastal range in the north and the Amazon in the south, they encompass diverse habitats and ecosystems that change their looks with the seasons: dry season and wet season. Here’s a guide to the Llanos’ different types of vegetation and sceneries.
Los Llanos (Spanish for ‘The Plains’), are a rugged ‘cowboy country’ boasting with hundreds of species of mammals, genus of birds and a large array of reptiles. ‘South America’s Serengeti’ and ‘The Green Sea’ refer to this extensive area that stretches from the Orinoco Delta in Venezuela to the Eastern Andes of Colombia geographically linking the Amazon in the south with the Andes. They can be partly flooded, especially during wet season from May to August. Big rivers such as the Orinoco and the Meta as well as numerous smaller ‘water veins’ run through Los Llanos and nourish their fauna and flora.
Savannah grasslands
The Llanos are savannas, a large grassland ecosystem characterized by trees that are widely spaced so that their canopy does not close and allows for the light to reach the ground. The open canopy therefore enables a herbaceous layer to flourish, primarily consisting of grasses. The Llanos are some of the world’s richest tropical grasslands and home to a great biodiversity. They can be classified into dry savannas, wet savannas and water savannas depending on their elevation and level of water. Amazon species as well as Andean species migrate to Los Llanos.
In wet season the savannahs are typically flooded and lush green whereas during dry spells from January to March their grass typically looks yellow and their then concrete like soil can even get cracks due to drought. In the latter period bush fires are not uncommon and capybaras, cattle, horses, caimans and other habitants of the llanos increasingly struggle for survival.
On the bright side: Animals are easy to spot during dry season as the vegetation is not as dense and lush and wildlife concentrates near water sources (see photo on right: various genus of birds gather around a waterhole). Off roads are now dry and easier to navigate. During wet season some areas of Los Llanos are best reached by boat – a real adventure!
From dry season’s desert like savannah look with large groups of birds around the scarce waterholes to the Llanos’ lush and green look during rain season, each period has its perks.
Gallery Forests
These green corridors can be found in abundance throughout Los Llanos. A gallery of dense palm tree forest always indicates the presence of water, of a river or creek (see photo left: crossing the river in a gallery forest). Gallery forests are able to exist where the surrounding landscape does not support forests. The boundary between gallery forest and the surrounding woodland or grassland is usually abrupt (see image on right: green corridor in the distance).
Gallery forests offer greater protection from fire which would kill tree seedlings. These green corridors are important for the Llanos’ ecosystem as their soil is fertile, their forests rich in fruit and seeds and their water supplies reliable even during dry spells. Gallery forests provide shelter to a range of species including monkeys, macaws, anteaters and hoatzins.
Morichal
Morichales are what locals refer to when they are talking of forests or groupings of moriche palms. These up to 35m high palm trees’ leaves form a rounded crown. Their appearance and silhouettes are iconic in Los Llanos, appearing in photographs, paintings, stories and songs.
Moriche palm fruit is edible and used to make juice, jam, ice cream, a fermented “wine”, oil, desserts and snacks. The trees always grow next to water or even in the water and is important to many animal species; several bird species, such as the red-bellied macaw and chestnut-fronted macaw, use it for nesting and food. Tapirs, peccaries, fish and monkeys depend on the fruit. It is not uncommon that moriche palms are part of a gallery forest.
Palmar
‘Palmar’ refers to a palm forest. Usually these are small forests of Attalea Butyracea (
see images). Located in the savannah and a little bit elevated from the grasslands, they are important habitats for monkeys and other mammals. Their fruit are a rich food source for many species including howlers and capuchins. The indigenous people even used their fruits to make ‘wine’.
Piedemonte Llanero
The ‘Piedemonte Llanero’, the lowland foothills, form the Western edge of Los Llanos and the beginning of the Eastern Andes. Here los Llanos transform from lush savannah to rugged and rocky terrain, lofty plateaus and rolling hills. The foothills lead the mighty rivers down from the Andes into the Llanos and are home to a large array of birds and butterflies.
Planning to travel?
A great gateway to Los Llanos is the city of Yopal, located at the Piedemonte Llanero and melting Llanos with Andes, catering for spectacular scenery, excellent birdwatching, wonderful horse trekking, hiking, mountain biking and insights into the eclectic mix of Andean culture and Llanero culture. Guesthouse Villa Pepita mixes the colonial charm of the Andean region of Boyaca with the Llanos’ rugged and wild cowboy spirit.