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The Andes |
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The Andes mountain is located in South America, running north to south along the western coast of the continent. It is the longest mountain range and also one of the highest mountain range of the world. The climate is not the same throughout the biome because there are places nearer to the equator than others. The Andes are separated into three natural regions: the southern, central and northern region. In the northern region, it is hotter because it is closest to the equator. There are rain forests in this region due to the humid and rainy climate. In the southern region, the mountains are nearer to the Antarctic and is colder.
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| The largest herb of the world Puya raimondii, grows in the central region and can survive at a high elevation of about 13,000 feet. The herb can also live for 100 years. The herb's leaves also grow from one big stem which allows the moisture to run down the leaves to the base of the plant. So the plant can survive even at the time of drought.Many of the plants that grow in the Andes are smaller in size to conserve energy. Their leaves are stiff and strong to protect them from frost and cold. |
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The mountain is the home for many birds like Flamingo, Andean Flicker, the Condor and the Hillstar Humming bird. Types of land animals include the Mountain Lion, the Red Perll and Llamas to name a few. The spectacled bear also lives in this biome. The Giant Toad and Andean Iguana are some examples of reptiles. Iguana is one of the few lizards found in the cold climate.
The Andes mountains are hurt by humans because they cut down trees which shelter many unique Andean animals. Man also mines gold, silver, copper which then erodes the soil and hurts the plant life of the Andes.
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