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The Cordillera de Talamanca is a mountain range that lies in the southeast half of Costa Rica and the far west of Panama. Much of the range and the area around it is included in La Amistad International Park, which also is shared between the two countries.

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Talamanca Mountain Range
Aerial view of the Cordillera de Talamanca
Highest point
Peak	Cerro Chirripó, Costa Rica
Elevation	3,820 m (12,530 ft)
Coordinates	09°29′02.7″N 83°29′19.2″W
Naming
Native name	Cordillera de Talamanca (Spanish)
Geography
Countries	Costa Rica and Panama
Range coordinates	9°30′N 83°40′W

This range in the south of Costa Rica stretches from southwest of San José to beyond the border with Panama and contains the highest peaks of both Costa Rica and Panama, among them Cerro Chirripó at 3,820 m,[1] and the more accessible high peak of Cerro de la Muerte. Much of the Caribbean areas of the range are still unexplored.

Exploration and classification

The range is covered by the Talamancan montane forests to elevations of approximately 3,000 m. Much of it is covered by rainforests. Above elevations of 1,800 m these are dominated by huge oak trees (Quercus costaricensis). Above 3,000 m, the forests transition to enclaves of sub-páramo, a sort of shrub and dwarf bamboo Chusquea dominated scrub, above 3,400 m this becomes Costa Rican páramo, a tropical alpine grassland. The sub-páramo and páramo vegetation are subject to regular frosts at night, temperatures above 3,200 m can reach 32 degrees Fahrenheit or below, the lowest recorded temperature was 15 degrees Fahrenheit at the Mount Chirripó base camp (the second lowest ever recorded in Central America). The region has been extensively studied by paleolimnologists to reconstruct the changes in climate, vegetation and fire frequencies (see also Sally P Horn).

The range is of global importance as it is a centre of endemism for many plant and animal groups and as an important habitat for many large mammals (Baird's Tapir, Puma, Jaguar) and birds that are now threatened in much of their range. An intended hydroelectricity project threatens the existence of the Tabasara Rain Frogs.[2]

National parks

Several national parks and reservations are located in the Talamanca mountain range, including Chirripó National Park. The Cordillera de Talamanca and La Amistad national parks have been designated by UNESCO a World Heritage Site It is also the first binational biosphere reserve. The two parks comprise 2,400 square km of land and protect important ecosystems like paramo, and wetlands.

The highland paramo is located mainly in subalpine forests and thickets, located at an altitude between 3,100-3,300 m.a.s.l. and the alpine scrub and grasslands, located between 3,300-3,819 m.a.s.l.[3]

Peat bogs are wetlands located in topographic depressions, on poorly drained land and are periodically flooded.[4] In Costa Rica they are located in the low montane and high montane altitude zones. The flora is similar to the high elevation moors, including also oak trees (Quercus spp.), and Blechnum plants in association with bryophytes from the genus Sphagnum. Other common genus are Rubus, Pteridium and Comarostaphyllis. The El Empalme peat bog suffers greater pressure from agricultural activity and as altitude increases, there is an increase in floristic diversity.[5]

Important elevations

• Cerro Chirripó - 3820 m (Costa Rica)
• Cerro Ventisqueros - 3812 m (Costa Rica)
• Cerro Terbi - 3760 m (Costa Rica)
• Cerro Urán - 3660 m (Costa Rica)
• Cerro Kamuk - 3554 m (Costa Rica)
• Cerro de la Muerte - 3491 m (Costa Rica)
• Volcán Barú - 3475 m (Panamá)
• Cerro Fábrega - 3335 m (Panamá)
• Cerro Itamut - 3293 m (Panamá)
• Cerro Durika - 3280 m (Costa Rica)
• Cerro Echandi - 3162 m (Costa Rica - Panamá)

See also

• List of mountain ranges

References

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Costa Rica". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 7 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 220.

External links

• Unesco World Heritage Convention: The Talamanca Range + La Amistad Reserves and National Park

На других языках

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[de] Cordillera de Talamanca

Die Cordillera de Talamanca (Talamanca-Gebirgskette) ist der größte und höchste Gebirgszug Costa Ricas und reicht von der Provinz Cartago (im Norden) bis zum Volcán Barú nach Panama (im Südosten). Der höchste Berg Costa Ricas, der Cerro Chirripó (3820 m)[1] befindet sich in der Cordillera de Talamanca. Ein Großteil der Gebirgskette liegt im Nationalpark La Amistad.

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- [en] Cordillera de Talamanca

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[es] Cordillera de Talamanca

La cordillera de Talamanca es la de mayor elevación en el sur de América Central. Se extiende desde la parte sur del Valle Central de Costa Rica y continúa en territorio de la República de Panamá con los nombres de Cordillera de Chiriquí o Cordillera Central. En Costa Rica, a través de la Carretera Interamericana Sur se puede llegar hasta uno de los cerros más altos de la cordillera (y el de más fácil acceso), el cerro Buenavista (3491 m), más comúnmente llamado Cerro de la Muerte, pues existen historias que afirman que los transeúntes que iban del Valle del General hacia San José, al hacer noche en el cerro, morían de frío en el lugar.

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[fr] Cordillère de Talamanca

La cordillère de Talamanca est la plus haute chaîne de montagnes du sud de l'Amérique centrale. Elle s'étend du sud de la vallée Centrale du Costa Rica au Panama où elle prend le nom de cordillère de Chiriquí et de Serranía de Tabasará.

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[it] Cordigliera di Talamanca

La Cordigliera di Talamanca è una catena montuosa della Costa Rica, raggiunge i 3.820 m. con il Cerro Chirripó, che è anche la più alta vetta del paese.

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