Machu Picchu is located in a region that is part of the High Jungle or “Brow of the Jungle”.
Machu Picchu sanctuary is an area with great biodiversity; a great environmental heterogeneity that, together with its jagged relief and its climate, makes the existence of numerous life zones possible, in accordance with the Holdridge classification system, between 2,000 and 6,000 m. above sea level.
The ecology of the Sanctuary of Machu Picchu is extremely diverse and complex, since this biodiversity includes ten wildlife zones, from the low, dry mountain forest – by the side of the valley – to the level of the mountain range summits. In terms of altitude, this means that it reaches from 1,725 m. at the level of the Urubamba River, up to 6,271 m. at snowy Salcantay’s summit. As a consequence, these geographical variations, and the singular topography, originate a really wide range of flora and wild fauna (a great biodiversity).
The whole region of Machu Picchu possesses dramatic biodiversity, a feature of each and all of the types of ecosystems that form it, and the wet forest formations are its richest resource. The species of fauna and flora that have been registered in this habitat represent a high proportion of those present in the whole Peruvian country, plus the species restricted to the area. It is calculated that between 10 and 20% of the species in Machu Picchu are endangered.
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