Natural Vegetation

Wildlife

SOUTH AMERICA

Natural

Vegetation

Equatorial Rain Forests

Tropical Grasslands

Warm Temperate Forests

Temperate Grasslands

Cold Desert Scrub

Hot desert

Mediterranean Vegetation

Cool Temperate Forests

Mountain Vegetation

Equator

Tropic of

Capricorn

EQUATORIAL FORESTS

SELVAS

1

Found in SELVAS of Amazon BasinLargest area of equatorial forests in the worldTrees are evergreen and they yield hardwoodForest is dense with trees like rubber, cinchona, rosewood, mahogany and ebony

2

3

TROPICAL GRASSLANDS

LLANOS

CAMPOS

Have long grassesKnown as LLANOS in Guiana and CAMPOS in BrazilThere are scattered trees between grasses of varying heights

MOUNTAIN VEGETATION

COCA TREE

Includes: Temperate deciduous forests at the

foothills Coniferous forests that extend up

to the tree line Alpine vegetation

Leaves of Coca- a native Peruvian tree-famous for relieving fatigue and hunger

HOT DESERT VEGETATION

ATACAMA DESERT

Mainly found in the dry ATACAMA DESERT

Cactus, prickly pear, scrub, thorny bushes and coarse grass are mainly found here

MEDITERRANEAN VEGETATION

Trees have adapted to the dry summer conditions

Trees have THICK, SHINY LEAVES Found mainly in CENTRAL CHILE-

south of Atacama Desert

WARM TEMPERATE

FORESTS

Found in GRAN CHACO Mainly grasslands with some forests The QUEBRACHO TREE, a hardwood tree, grows

here Suitable for CATTLE

REARING

QUEBRACHO TREE

COOL TEMPERATE MIXED FORESTS

Mainly found in SOUTHERN CHILE which has wet and climate throughout the year

Consists of both hardwood and softwood trees

MIXED FORESTS

TEMPERATE GRASSLANDS

Known as PAMPAS in NORTH-EASTERN ARGENTINA and URUGUAY

Consists of short, soft and nutritious grasses

Well suited to CATTLE GRAZING, DAIRYING AND WHEAT CULTIVATION

Vast amounts of WHEAT grown here for export

PAMPAS

COLD TEMPERATE DESERT VEGETATION

Found in the PATAGONIA DESERT

Consists of scrub and grass

PATAGONIA DESERT

WILDLIFE

• Colourful birds, monkeys, insects, snakes such as the PYTHON and the ANACONDA

AMAZON FORESTS

PYTHON

CROCODILE ALLIGATOR

Reptiles such as CROCODILES, ALLIGATORS and fishes including the PIRANHAPIRANHA

TAPIR

PUMA

ARMADILLO

The TAPIR, GIANT ANTEATER SLOTH, PUMA and the ARMADILLO are also found here.

TROPICAL REGION

• Birds like TOUCANS, EGRETS, HUMMINGBIRDS, PARROTS and FLAMINGOS

PAMPAS

• Large ostrich like RHEA

• Animal called GUANACO is related to the camel family but has a head and ears similar to a mule, legs like a stag and a tail like a horse

RHEA

GUANACO

PAMPAS DEER

JAGUAR

•PAMPAS DEER and the JAGUAR of the cat family are found here

ANDES

• Large preying birds such as the CONDOR

• The VICUNA, ALPACA and LLAMA are believed to belong to the camel family. These sure-footed, long-haired animals can withstand the severe cold in the Andes

CONDOR

VICUNA

ALPACA

LLAMAS

ATACAMA DESERT

• RODENTS, GECKOS and IGUANAS are abundant in the desert

sands

GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

• Off the coast of Ecuador• Mainly inhabited by GIANT TURTLES, LIZARDS and a variety of birds

GUANO ISLANDS

• Off the coast of Peru• Thousands of GUANO BIRDS are

found here• Droppings of these birds-

guano- are used as manure