Magdalena Valley, Colombia Photograph by WWF/ R.G. Bermal   Northern South America: Western Colombia Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests   40,600 square miles (105,100 square kilometers) -- about the size of Colorado Critical/Endangered

· Magnificent Magdalena
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
More Photos

Magnificent Magdalena

The Magdalena River flows through Colombia's northern Andes, crossing several kinds of ecosystems. If you were to follow the river upstream, you'd travel through the swamps and wetlands of the Caribbean lowlands, to the Magdalena Medio rainforest, finally reaching the Magdalena Valley Dry Forests ecoregion. This dry forest ecoregion is home to many different kinds of plants and animals, from cactuses to Colombian weasels to tropical rattlesnakes to parrots.

Special Features

The Magdalena Dry Forests experience a dry climate, with rainfall of no more than 40 inches (1,000 mm) per year. The two rainy seasons occur between April and July and between October and December. The bottom of the valley is completely flat. The soils contain large deposits of volcanic ash from the surrounding Huila and Puracé volcanoes and are considered very good for agriculture. The Tatacoa Desert, located in the middle of the upper course of the Magdalena River, gets less than 28 inches (700 mm) of rain per year and has thorny vegetation. Higher up, rainfall increases and vegetation changes to mountain cloud forests and páramos.

	The burrowing owl, predominantly a dry forest and desert species, is one of the few types of birds to live underground. It uses burrows, usually created by armadillos or other true "burrowing" species, to keep cool during the hottest periods of the day.

Wild Side

In addition to being a way point for several species of migratory birds such as the osprey, the dry forests of this ecoregion are also home to native bird species including the burrowing owl, tropical bobwhite, and the velvet-fronted euphonia. Other native species include the tropical cottontail rabbit, and the national flower of Colombia, the Christmas orchid. The rare and highly endangered yellow-eared parrot was rediscovered in this region after many years of presumed extinction.

Cause for Concern

Today, most of the original forest cover of this ecoregion has disappeared due to conversion to farmland and cattle ranching. Only a few forest patches still exist around the Cabrera River in Tolima and along creeks. Goats were introduced in the 16th century by the Spanish, and their descendants still roam and graze throughout the region today, competing with native species for food and causing damage to the landscape. Several oil deposits are present in the region, and drilling and extraction causes pollution around the Tatacoa Desert. There are no reserves or other conservation projects protecting this ecosystem.

For more information on this ecoregion, go to the World Wildlife Fund Scientific Report.