Andean Paramo Food Web
Terrestrial
Montane Grasslands & Shrublands
Northern Andes — Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
Description
The paramo is a neotropical alpine ecosystem found above the treeline and below the snowline in the northern Andes, from 3,000 to 5,000 meters. Giant rosette plants called frailejones dominate the landscape, and the spectacled bear is the only bear species in South America. Paramos act as critical water towers, with spongy soils storing and slowly releasing rainfall.
Trophic Pyramid
Level 5
Decomposers
Cold-adapted fungi
Paramo soil bacteria
Micro-arthropods
3 species
Level 4
Tertiary Consumers
Puma
Andean condor (scavenger)
2 species
Level 3
Secondary Consumers
Andean condor
Culpeo fox
Andean hawk
3 species
Level 2
Primary Consumers
Spectacled bear
Paramo rabbit
White-tailed deer
3 species
Level 1
Producers
Frailejones (Espeletia)
Paramo grasses
Puya raimondii
3 species
Apex Predators
Tertiary Consumers
Secondary Consumers
Primary Consumers
Producers
Key Interactions
- Frailejones trap moisture from clouds and insulate their core against nightly freezing
- Spectacled bears feed on Puya and bromeliads, acting as key seed dispersers
- Andean condors soar on thermals above the paramo searching for carrion
- Paramo soils act as water sponges, regulating downstream water supply for millions