EL REY NATIONAL PARK

At 200 kms from the city of Salta, in the centre of the province, nailed on a horseshoe shaped valley and framed by the high crests of the Sierra del Piquete Mountain range and the Cresta del Gallo, which conform its natural borders, travellers will encounter the Parque Nacional El Rey.

Created on 1948 with the goal of preserving a very interesting area of the "Yungas" High Clouded Forest and the transitional steps between this place and the Chaco Sierra High Mountain. Its name comes from a famous cattle-breeding ranch, which also keeps a very nice forest.

In the 17th century, it was still a dependence of the Peruvian Vice-royalty, and in 1767 it was given by Royal Grant to a Don Juan Fernández Cornejo on account of his services to the Spanish King.

Its total surface amounts to 44,162 hectares and it has a very rough terrain. Thus, the difficult access and circulation within its boundaries have contributed to maintain its species richness unchanged.

This is a mountainous region; the highlands that constitute the park's northern, eastern and western boundaries belong to the Sub-Andean Mountainrange System. Altitude varies between 700 and 2,300 m.a.s.l.. It comprises the Andean Eastern slopes, sthat go from Venezuela to the Province of Catamarca in Argentina, in its southern most extremity.

ASPECTS OF NATURE
The park is enclosed by mountain chains which gradually descend to the central valley, thus forming a huge amphitheatre of unique beauty. Uncounted streams come down from the mountains finally joining together in one big river, the Popayan. The park's particular topographic characteristics, open to southern cold winds, results in a less mild weather than that of the neighbouring areas.

CLIMATE
Sub-tropical Highlands that have many diverse seasons. In fact, 80% of annual rainfall falls during the summer (November to March), showing a rate of 1,500 mm on the mountain (montana) zone, diminishing on the lower foothill (pedemontana) zone. Standard temperatures registered are 12º C during the dry or winter season (May through October) and 27º C in the rainy or summer season (November - April). On very rarely occasions, winter temperatures have come well below 0º C.

In summer, rains turn the earthen road accessing the park into muddy tracks, and provoke sudden outflows of the Rio la Sala River and others, which leads to the need to ford them at several known places. The visitor may know when he is entering the park, but never reallizes when he is getting out of it.

FLORA
Among the many plants that we can see in the Parque Nacional El Rey, we can mention the quebracho, the guaiacum (Lignus vitae), the carob tree, the so called Chañar, the hackberry tree, the so called vivaró, the cebil, the lapacho, the so called palo lanza, white tipa, laurel, lianas, climbing plants, epiphytes, pepper trees or Horco Molle (Blepharocalyx gigantea), criollo walnut tree, myrtaceous, mountain pine, alder and queñoas.

All the boundaries of the Parque Nacional El Rey, excepting a few of them, are natural barriers composed mostly of mountain chains like Maíz Gordo, Centinela, Santa Bárbara, Cresta del Gallo and Piquete.

On the mild immense territory of this continental sub-tropical climate you will find diverse tree species, clasified according to the kind of forest they are found in.

Thus, on the "pedemontana" or transitional jungle, we find tipa trees, the Pacarás, palos amarillos and palos blancos, ranging above 30 ms high and showing hanging lianas, bringing to memory the legendary Tarzan, king of the African jungle.

A different kind of forest will be found on the "Chaqueño Serrano" area. Species like Cebils (Anandenanthera sp.), algarrobos blancos or White Carob Trees (Prosopis alba) and algarrobo negro or Black Carob Tree (Prosopis nigra) None of them lives above 10 ms high.

The "montana" jungle has a very damp climate and grows huge trees, like Tipa tree (Tipuana tipu), the Walnut (Juglans australis), the Cedar (Cedrela sp.), the Laurel (Phoebe sp.), and the Horco Molle (Blepharocalyx gigantea), all covered by lianas and every creepers and climbing plants.

Finally, the "montana" forest is the region located in the highest altitude possible among the mountain jungles. It is a colder place and hosts shorter types of trees. The three main kinds of trees of this zone are the Mountain Pine (Podocarpus parlatorei), the Matos Tree (Myrcianthes mato) and Alder Tree (Alnus acumitata).

The lowlands of the Park are a fraction of a huge transitional zone, which along with the "Chaco" zone, bristle with hills and gorges. The "Chaqueño Serrano" forest presents its special species, like the Horco Quebracho, the Cochucho, the Atamisque and the Giant Cactus or Cardon. The vegetation of the Cloud Forest, with its different habitats and height floors, is magnificently represented in this Park. As you go up, the transition forests show their Tipa and Pacarás Trees, followed by the "montana" forest boasting its gigantic specimens (Cedar, Tarco, Tipa, Walnut and many others). From 800 m.a.s.l., the Myrtle jungle shows up, where we can mention the palo barroso (muddy stick), the alpamato or Myrtus thea, and the mato, the chal- chal, and the güili. From 1,500 m.a.s.l, upwards, Mountain Pine woods develop in first place, followed by the Alder and the Queñoa tree, all species capable of forming one specie communities. Beautiful coloured birds from this forest are the so-called Rey de los Bosques (King of the Woods) and the Monterita Ceja Rojiza among many. The highest part of the mountains are grasslands.

One of the most attractive aspects of the plant life of this jungles is the huge variety of epiphytes that hang and cover almost completely the trunks and branches of the trees. These are the Tank Bromeliads, the Claveles del Aire or Air Carnations, and several Orchid species. Water stored inside the bigger bromeliad epiphytes work as perfect habitats to different kinds of insects and crustaceans.

The Park hosts about 700 species of plants; Some 17 gender and 12 species of plants with a very high nutritional level have been catalogued. Among them, several forage grasses, wood trees and wild species that are also cultivated like the poroto silvestre or wild bean (Phaseolus vulgaris var. indigenu) and the aji (Capsicum sp.). The conservation of these wild species is essential, because of their potential economical value.

The highlands provide for the existence of various kinds of forest structures, whose characteristics rely not only on altitude but also on the exposure to sunlight, gradient degree and type of soil. In the Park, one can roughly describe seven floors of vegetation, depending on structural and physiognomic features:

1. Fields and Lower Forests. Developed in the pedemontana (Central-South) zone of the Park. Topographically constituted by lesser slopes and heights (ranging between 700 and 900 m.a.s.l.). The fields are areas that have supported a major intensity of human activities. The Lower Forests are composed by arboreal communities that usually do not exceed 20 mshigh and with a varying floral structure and composition. These woods can be booked as Transitional Forests. They are mainly secondary woods, with predominance of acacias, and the so-called Espina de Corona (Gleditsia amorphoides), and several isolated individuals of White Carob Tree.
   
   
2. Forests of Cebils. Developed on slopes of higher gradients and reaching 1200 m.a.s.l. approximately. Mostly crowded by Cebiles Colorados or Red Cebils and Horco Cebiles. On the slopes that are more exposed to the sunlight is usual to find other species from the Chaco. On the less exposed slopes, other species associated to the high deciduous forest are found.
   
   
3. Forests of Tipa Trees. Lying on the lesser montana strip, located approximately between 900 and 1000 m.a.s.l. The superior emergent stratum is constituted by the Tipa Tree (Tipuana Tipu), a very large tree that reaches heights above 40 metres, and several other species. There is a great development achieved by the Epiphytes, notably of the big Tank Bromeliad.
   
   
4. Laurel Forests. It stands at the feet of the mountain ranges between 500 and 900 m.a.s.l. The superior stratum of about 30 msis outlined by trees whose dominant species are the Laurel de Cerro or Mountain Laurel. A second level strata is formed by trees below 20 mshigh, as the Chal Chal tree. The third level stratum is the domain of the bushes, from 4 to 2 mshigh. The fourth level belongs to the high grasses, below two mshigh. The fifth level is occupied by species that grow at ground level. There are lots of liana and creepers, as of moss and epiphytes developing mainly over Laurel and Tipa Trees.
   
   
5. Forests of Queñoa and Cebil Trees. Shows similar characteristics to the ones of the Laurel and Tipa trees forests but with drier climate conditions.
   
   
6. Forests of Myrtles. Extending over damper slopes, starting at 950 m.a.s.l. and ending at 1,500 m.a.s.l. Has a higher development of epiphytes, with predominance of mosses and ferns.
   
   
7. Forests of Pino del Cerro or Mountain Pine. Mainly developed over 1450 m.a.s.l., varying on the different mountains. The Arboreal Superior Strata Level does not surpass 25 ms high and is mainly constituted by Mountain Pines.
   
   
8. Forests of Alder Trees. Found above 1,600 m.a.s.l., and usually associated with gorges and forming small woods of one specie deciduous Mountain Alders.
   
   
9. Forests of Queñoa. It develops only in certain mountains, depending mostly on exposure to sunlight conditions, usually appearing as isolated individuals or in small groups, composed of small trees or squat bushes, appearing specially on steep walls and gorges.
   
   
10. Grasslands of the Sierra. Extending on the crests of the mountains, generally above 1,600 m.a.s.l., composed by several groups of grasses that share the ground with thickets.