Ocetá Páramo#Geology
{{Short description|Ecosystem in Colombia}}
{{Infobox ecoregion
|name = Ocetá Páramo
|image = Ciudad de piedra.JPG
|image_size =
|image_alt =
|caption = Ciudad de Piedra and frailejones on the Ocetá Páramo
|map =
|map_size =
|map_alt =
|map_caption =
|biogeographic_realm = Neotropic
|biome = Páramo
|animals = Andean condor, black agouti, eastern cottontail, mountain paca, spectacled bear, white-tailed deer
|bird_species =
|mammal_species =
|border1 = Pisba National Natural Park
|border2 = Siscuinsí Lake
|borders =
|area = 57.711
|country = {{COL}}
|countries =
|state = Monguí, Mongua, Tópaga
Sugamuxi Province, Boyacá
|region_type =
|elevation = {{convert|2950|m|ft}} to {{convert|3950|m|ft}}
|coordinates = {{coord|5|42|39.5|N|72|47|52.2|W|region:CO|display=inline,title}}
|geology = Paleocene: Socha Formation
Cretaceous: Guaduas, Guadalupe & Chipaque Formations
Basin: El Cocuy sub-basin
Orogen: Eastern Ranges
Mountain range: Andes
|seas =
|rivers = Calicanto, Morro & Tejar Rivers
|climate = Cf
|soil =
|conservation =
|global200 =
|habitat_loss =
|habitat_loss_ref =
|protected =
|protected_ref =
}}
{{Location map+ | Altiplano Cundiboyacense
| AlternativeMap = Altiplano Cundiboyacense (subdivisions).png
| width = 400
| caption = Location of Ocetá Páramo on the Altiplano Cundiboyacense
| places =
{{Location map~ | Altiplano Cundiboyacense
| lat_deg = 5.710983
| lon_deg = -72.797843
| mark = Green pog.svg
| marksize = 16
| label = {{white|Ocetá Páramo}}
| position = left
}}
}}
The Ocetá Páramo (Spanish: Páramo de Ocetá) is a páramo, which means an ecosystem above the continuous forest line yet below the permanent snowline. This particular páramo is located at altitudes between {{convert|2950|m|ft}} and {{convert|3950|m|ft}} in the Eastern Ranges of the Colombian Andes. It covers parts of the municipalities Monguí, Mongua and Tópaga, belonging to the Sugamuxi Province, Boyacá. The Ocetá Páramo is known for its collection of small shrubs called frailejones, as well as other Andean flora and fauna. Hiking tours from Monguí or Mongua to the páramo take a full day.
The Páramo de Ocetá in the times before the Spanish conquest of the Muisca was inhabited by the Muisca, loyal to the iraca of Suamox, who considered the region sacred. Myths and legends exist from pre-Columbian and Spanish colonial times and in the lower part of the páramo the Muisca women gave birth in little man-made pools (Tortolitas).
The Ocetá Páramo is considered the most beautiful páramo in the world and one of the treasures of Colombia.
Description
The Ocetá Páramo is considered the most beautiful páramo in the world and one of the national treasures of Colombia.{{in lang|es}} [http://www.eltiempo.com/archivo/documento/MAM-153206 Ocetá, el páramo más bello en el mundo] - El TiempoWills et al., 2001, p.117 It is located at {{convert|230|km|mi}} from the Colombian capital Bogotá and {{convert|93|km|mi}} from the departmental capital Tunja. Colombia is the country with the most páramos in the world; more than 60% of the Andean ecosystem is found within Colombian territories.[http://www.colombia.co/en/this-is-colombia/environment/geography/five-unmissable-colombian-paramos-begging-explored/ Five unmissable Colombian páramos begging to be explored] Boyacá is the department where 18.3% of the national total area is located.Nieto Escalante et al., 2010, p.75
= Geography and climate =
The Ocetá Páramo is situated in the Eastern Ranges of the Colombian Andes at altitudes between {{convert|2950|m|ft}} and {{convert|3950|m|ft}}.{{in lang|es}} [http://www.sendanativa.com/es/actividades/expediciones/item/40-mongui-oceta-camping-caminata#.WCzFvPnhBPY Monguí-Ocetá Caminata]{{in lang|es}} [http://www.colparques.net/OCETA Páramo de Ocetá] - Colparques The páramo with an area of {{convert|5771.1|ha|acre}} lies east of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense, southwest of the Pisba National Natural Park and north of Siscuinsí Lake.N.N. - Monguí - Plan Ambiental, s.a., p.4 Farther to the northeast are the Sierra Nevada del Cocuy and to the southwest Lake Tota. The climate varies between {{convert|0|C|F}} in winter nights and {{convert|17|C|F}} on sunny days.Wills et al., 2001, p.116 Foggy blankets are common in the area.{{in lang|es}} [http://www.usergioarboleda.edu.co/altus/vida-y-sociedad/paramos-colombia-oceta/ Objeciones del páramo más lindo del mundo] - Universidad Sergio Arboleda
Páramos are "sponges"; sources of water for lower lying terrains and the Ocetá Páramo is no exception.{{in lang|es}} [http://www.banrepcultural.org/blaavirtual/faunayflora/paramo/suelo2.htm Factores de formación de los suelos de páramo] - Banco de la República In the upper part of the páramo, marshes and small lakes exist. The biggest waterbody is the Laguna Negra and the Calicanto, Tejar and Morro Rivers as well as numerous creeks (quebradas) have their origin on the Páramo de Ocetá. The Penagos waterfall feeds the Laguna Negra.{{in lang|es}} [http://www.monguipueblolindo.org/paramo-de-oceta.html Páramo de Ocetá]
File:Boyaca Topographic 2.png|Topography of Boyacá
File:Fog - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg|Fog at the Ocetá Páramo
File:Creeks - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg|Creeks on the páramo
File:Marshes - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg|Marshes in Ocetá
File:Laguna Negra - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg|Laguna Negra
File:Cascada Laguna Negra, Mongua, Boyacá.JPG|Penagos waterfall
= Geology =
The Ocetá Páramo is part of the El Cocuy sub-basin, an inverted basin in the Eastern Ranges.Sarmiento Rojas et al., 2006, p.384 During the Hauterivian, the El Cocuy and Tablazo sub-basins formed a continuous basin due to the flooding of the Santander-Floresta paleohigh.Sarmiento Rojas et al., 2006, p.390 The main uplift in the Eastern Ranges occurred between the late Oligocene and Pleistocene, with increased tectonic uplift in the Plio-Pleistocene.Hoorn et al., 1995, p.238 The Neogene compression led to the formation of alluvial fans in the intermontane valleys of the Eastern Cordillera. Pollen analysis has shown the transition from lowland tropical forests to colder mountainous vegetation over the last 5 million years.Hoorn et al., 1995, p.239 The youngest uplifted eastern chain of the Colombian Andes formed the provenance area for the Magdalena River.Hoorn et al., 1995, p.240 In the vicinity of the area of Ocetá, to the southwest in Iza and Paipa for the Eastern Cordillera unique volcanic and magmatic activity is noted from 4.7 to 2.1 Ma.Monsalve et al., 2011, p.120
The stratigraphical units encountered on the Ocetá Páramo are Paleocene sandstones and shales of the Socha Formation in the Peña de Ortí, and the Late Cretaceous Guadalupe sandstone and shale formations, Guaduas Formation, and the organic shales of the Chipaque Formation.Ulloa et al., 1998 The Guaduas Formation contains coal seams that are mined in the area.N.N. - Monguí - resumen esquema ordenamiento territorial, s.a., p.7 The Cretaceous-Paleocene Guaduas Formation is the most important source for the rich coal deposits in the Andean interior of Colombia.Amaya et al., 2010
During the Miocene, establishing the current ecosystem in the Pliocene, the vegetation became that of a páramo.Hammen, 2000, p.233
File:Coal - Guaduas - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg|Coal
Guaduas Formation
File:Shale - Chipaque - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg|Dark organic shale
Chipaque Formation
File:Shale 2 - Chipaque - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg|Banded shales
Chipaque Formation
File:Shale grey - Chipaque - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg|Grey shale
Chipaque Formation
File:Sandstone - Guadalupe - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg|Sandstone
Guadalupe Group
File:Coal mining - Monguí - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg|Coal mining close to Monguí
= Flora =
The typical flora of a páramo are frailejones, that are plants of the genus Espeletia. The lower altitude parts of the páramo are characterised by Espeletia barclayana, Espeletia jaramilloi, Espeletia congestiflora and Espeletia argentea, while Espeletia grandiflora is growing in a wider altitude distribution. Chusquea tessellata is characteristic of the Eastern Ranges.{{in lang|es}} [http://www.imeditores.com/banocc/paramos/cap4.htm Los páramos de Colombia - Chapter 4 - Zonas altitudinales del páramo] On the Ocetá Páramo, formerly written as Oseta, various species have been described by Thomas van der Hammen; Bryum argenteum, Breutelia polygastrica, Calamagrostis effusa, Ceratodon stenocarpus, Didymodon laevigatus, Leptodontium flexifolium and Sphagnum sancto-josephense.[http://www.tropicos.org/specimen/90122949 Bryum argenteum] - Tropicos[http://www.tropicos.org/specimen/90126815 Breutelia polygastrica] - Tropicos[http://www.tropicos.org/specimen/90098444 Ceratodon stenocarpus] - Tropicos[http://www.tropicos.org/specimen/90122698 Didymodon laevigatus] - Tropicos[http://www.tropicos.org/specimen/90124146 Leptodontium flexifolium] - Tropicos[http://www.tropicos.org/specimen/90128014 Sphagnum sancto-josephense] - Tropicos Other flora occurring on the páramo are Pentacalia vernicosa, Ageratina tinifolia, Bidens andicola, Lupinus luisanae var. ocetensis, Viola sp., Arnica sp. and various types of mosses and lychen.Barney Duran, 2011, p.9[http://www.mobot.org/MOBOT/research/paramo_ecosystem/introduction.shtml Páramo Ecosystem]
File:Pentacalia vernicosa - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg|Pentacalia vernicosa
File:Ageratina tinifolia - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg|Ageratina tinifolia
File:Calamagrostis effusa - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg|Calamagrostis effusa and Espeletia
File:Bidens andicola - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg|Bidens andicola
File:Lupinus alopecuroides 2 - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg|L. luisanae
File:Gentianella - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg|Viola sp.
= Fauna =
Among the fauna that can be observed on the páramo are Andean condor, black agouti, eastern cottontail, frogs, mountain paca, spectacled bear, white-tailed deer. The spectacled bear is very rare and possibly extinct.{{in lang|es}} [http://www.eltiempo.com/colombia/boyaca-7-dias/oceta-una-maravilla-ambiental/16612559 Ocetá, una de las últimas maravillas ambientales] - El Tiempo The white tailed deer, the main ingredient of the diet of the Muisca and pre-Muisca, has been extensively hunted and captured over time.
File:Colca-condor-c03.jpg|Andean condor
File:Dasyprocta fuliginosa2.JPG|Black agouti
File:CottontallRabbit.jpg|Eastern cottontail
File:()Guagua.jpg|Mountain paca
File:Oso andino Porcon.jpg|Spectacled bear
File:Whitetail-deer-1 - West Virginia - ForestWander.jpg|White-tailed deer
= History =
The Páramo de Ocetá was a sacred place for the Muisca, who inhabited the Altiplano Cundiboyacense and surrounding areas before the Spanish conquest.[http://www.visitsugamuxi.com/paramo-oceta.html Páramo de Ocetá - the world's most divine and sacred natural beauty] The region of Monguí was populated by the Sanoa tribe.
= Sights =
Along the route from Monguí to the highest point of the Ocetá Páramo, a series of sights are present. From most of the route, to the (south)west, a view of the Duitama-Sogamoso Valley, especially the settlements of Tibasosa, Nobsa and Duitama, is visible. From the Mirador de Cóndores and the Cerro de Águilas on clear days it is possible to see the snowy peaks of the Sierra Nevada del Cocuy and even the Llanos Orientales.Wills et al., 2001, p.118
{{wide image|Panorama Tibasosa-Nobsa-Duitama - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg|1200px|align-cap=center|Panorama of Tibasosa (left), Nobsa (centre) and Duitama (background)}}
== Tortolitas ==
The Tortolitas (English: "Sweethearts") are oval-shaped depressions that were made by the Muisca. They served as "baths" where the Muisca women bore their babies. Close to the Tortolitas, Muisca petroglyphs have been found.
File:Tortolitas - Páramo de Ocetá - Mongui - Colombia.jpg|Rock formation where the Tortolitas are made
File:Tortolita 1 - Páramo de Ocetá - Monguí - Colombia.jpg|Tortolita
File:Tortolita 2 - Páramo de Ocetá - Monguí - Colombia.jpg|Tortolita
File:Muisca Petroglyphs - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg|Muisca petroglyphs
File:Muisca Petroglyph 2 - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg|Muisca petroglyph
File:Muisca Petroglyphs 2 - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg|Muisca petroglyphs
== Peña de Otí ==
The Peña de Otí (English: "Rock of Otí") is an outcrop of alternating shales and sandstones of the Socha Formation. It is observed to the southwest from the main trail leading to the Mirador de los Cóndores on the páramo. The rocks of the Peña de Otí were used to construct the churches and convent in Monguí. Legends about the Peña include tales of witches dancing with the devil on October 31, the origin of the scratches on the rock face from the devil who was riding a donkey on the hilltop and fell down, when the hoofs created the scratches and that the hill opened one day revealing the Calicanto Bridge and church made of gold. The end of the world would come when the hill closed again.{{in lang|es}} [http://recursosyreservasnaturalesdeboyaca.blogspot.com.co/2009/06/mongui_09.html Recursos y reservas naturales - Monguí]
{{wide image|Panorama Peña de Otí - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg|1200px|align-cap=center|Panorama of the Peña de Otí}}
== Caja del Rey ==
The Caja del Rey (English: "The King's Box") is a monolith of about {{convert|8|m|ft}} high, {{convert|8|m|ft}} wide and {{convert|15|m|ft}} long. Legend says it is a box of rock with a lid on top where the cacique Sanoha hid a fifteen-year-old girl inside, who during a night in April exited naked. The monolith contains an upper part where a natural fractured zone has been excavated more by humans. The rock is also a viewpoint for the western area.
{{wide image|Panorama Caja del Rey - Peña de Otí - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg|1200px|align-cap=center|Panorama of the Caja del Rey and the Peña de Otí}}
== Ciudad de Piedra ==
Ciudad de Piedra or Ciudad Perdida (English: "The Stone or Lost City"), not to be confused with its famous counterpart in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, is a series of rock formations of {{convert|15|m|ft}} high, {{convert|20|m|ft}} wide and {{convert|200|m|ft}} long.{{in lang|es}} [http://www.colombia.travel/es/a-donde-ir/andina/mongui/actividades/visita-el-paramo-de-oceta Visita el Páramo de Ocetá] In the Ciudad de Piedra, a tabular stone, thought to have served for human sacrifices, called Mesa de los Sacrificios is present.{{in lang|es}} [http://www.mincit.gov.co/loader.php?lServicio=Documentos&lFuncion=verPdf&id=4082&name=FICHA_REGIONAL_MONGUI.pdf Monguí - caravana de comercio, industria y turismo]
El Pulpito del Diablo (English: "The Devil's Pulpit") is a raised mesa-type hill to the south of the main hiking trail on the Páramo de Ocetá.
File:Ciudad de Piedra Entrance - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg|Ciudad de Piedra
File:Ciudad de Piedra - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg|Ciudad de Piedra
File:Ciudad de Piedra Moss - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg|Moss at the Ciudad de Piedra
File:Ciudad de Piedra Moss 2 - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg|Moss at the Ciudad de Piedra
File:Mesa de los Sacrificios - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg|Mesa de los Sacrificios
File:El Pulpito del Diablo - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg|El Pulpito del Diablo
== Playa de los Frailejones ==
The Playa or Valle de Frailejones or Jardines de Ocetá (English: "Frailejon Beach or Valley" or "Ocetá Gardens") is a relatively flat portion on the páramo where a large quantity of frailejones are growing. The frailejones grow {{convert|1|cm|in}} a year.
{{wide image|Panorama Playa de los Frailejones - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg|1200px|align-cap=center|Panorama of the Playa de los Frailejones}}
== Cerro de Águilas ==
== Mirador de Cóndores ==
The Mirador de Cóndores (English: "Condor Viewpoint") is the highest point of the páramo and offers a view on the Laguna Negra. Andean condors can be sighted from this viewpoint.
{{wide image|Panorama Cerro de Águilas & Laguna Negra - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg|1200px|align-cap=center|Panorama from the Mirador de Cóndores}}
== Laguna Negra ==
Laguna Negra (English: "Black Lake") is a permanent lake on the páramo that can be viewed from the Cerro de Águilas or the Mirador de Cóndores. The lake drains towards Mongua and it is possible to reach from that village. Legend tells that a young boy is living in the lake, whose singing can be heard close to the Penagos waterfall.Hurtado Caro, 2012
{{wide image|Panorama Laguna Negra - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg|1200px|align-cap=center|Panorama of Laguna Negra and feeder creeks}}
Tourism
The Ocetá Páramo is mostly accessed from Monguí along the Camino de la Otra Vida; a full-day hike, ascending and back descending {{convert|1000|m|ft}}, that takes between six and eleven hours. A steep and pebbly access to the Ocetá Páramo is indicated with a gate called Portal de la Gloria. It is possible to access the páramo by horse and do wild camping on the páramo. The use of a trained guide is recommended, as the journey contains many paths and the sudden mist can be cold and dangerous due to the loss of orientation.[https://latinamerikaliv.se/2015/11/08/oceta-the-most-beautiful-paramo/ Hiking the most beautiful páramo of Colombia] The best months to visit the páramo are November and December.
An alternative route towards the Ocetá Páramo starts in Mongua and reaches the Laguna Negra first.
File:La Otra Vida - Access to Páramo de Ocetá - Monguí.jpg|Camino La Otra Vida; access from Monguí to the Páramo
File:Portal de la Gloria - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg|Portal de la Gloria
File:No hunting or making fires - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg|Hunting and making fires is forbidden
File:Wild Camping - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg|Wild camping on the Ocetá Páramo
File:Parque de Mongua 4.JPG|Mongua gives an alternative access to the Páramo
File:Cabalgata - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg|Horseriders on the Páramo
See also
{{Portal|Biology|Colombia|Andes}}
References
{{reflist|20em}}
= Bibliography =
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External links
{{commons category|Páramo de Ocetá}}
- {{in lang|fr}} [http://www.tresorsdumonde.fr/paramo-de-oceta/ Páramo de Ocetá: le plus beau désert du monde]
{{Treasures of Colombia}}
{{Muisca navbox|Geography and history|state=expanded}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oceta Paramo}}
Category:Geography of Boyacá Department