# Chala

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Peruvian natural region

This article is about a region in Peru. For other uses, see [Chala (disambiguation)](/source/Chala_(disambiguation)).

The "Coast".

The **Chala** or "Coast" is one of the eight [natural regions](/source/Life_zones_of_Peru#Javier_Pulgar_Vidal's_version) in [Peru](/source/Peru). It is formed by all the western lands that arise from sea level up to the height of 500 meters. The coastal desert of Peru is largely devoid of vegetation but a unique fog and mist-fed ecosystem called [Lomas](/source/Lomas) is scattered among hills near the Pacific coast as elevations up to 1,000 metres (3,300 ft).

In this region, the flora includes vegetation that grows near the rivers, like the [carob tree](/source/Prosopis_pallida), the [palo verde](/source/Parkinsonia_aculeata), [salty grama grass](/source/Distichlis_spicata), [manglar or mangrove tree](/source/Rhizophora_mangle), the [carrizo or giant reed](/source/Arundo_donax) and the [Caña brava (ditch reed)](/source/Gynerium_sagittatum); and plants that grow in the hills, such as the [Amancay or Peruvian daffodil](/source/Hymenocallis_amancaes) (*Hymenocallis amancaes*), the [wild tomato](/source/Cyphomandra_betacea), the mito or Peruvian papaya (*[Vasconcellea candicans](/source/Vasconcellea_candicans)*), and the [divi-divi](/source/Divi-divi) (*Cæsalpinia coriaria*).

The coastal fauna of the Chala includes [sea lions](/source/South_American_sea_lion), the [anchovy](/source/Peruvian_anchoveta) and several seabirds.

Common trees in the north are the faique, the [sapote](/source/Sapote), the zapayal, the *[barrigon](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Barrigon&action=edit&redlink=1)* and other thorny [tropical savanna](/source/Tropical_savanna) trees of the [equatorial](/source/Equatorial_climate) dry [forests](/source/Forest) on the northern coast of [Piura](/source/Piura_Region) and [Tumbes](/source/Tumbes_Region). [Páramo](/source/P%C3%A1ramo) and the northern coast of the Piura region are not under the influence of the cold [Humboldt Current](/source/Humboldt_Current). [Páramo](/source/P%C3%A1ramo) has a tree line at the border, even on the westside of the continental divide.[1]

## Overview

**Andean Continental Divide**

Westside Eastside Chala, dry coast Lowland tropical rainforest or Selva baja Maritime Yungas Highland tropical rainforest or Selva alta Maritime Yungas Subtropical cloud forest or Fluvial Yungas Quechua - Montane valleys Quechua - Montane valleys Tree line Tree line - about 3,500 m Suni, scrubs and agriculture Suni, scrubs and agriculture

Mountain top:

- Mountain passes - 4,100 m

- [Puna grassland](/source/Puna_grassland)

- Andean-alpine desert

- [Snow line](/source/Snow_line) - about 5,000 m

- [Janca](/source/Janca) - rocks, snow and ice

- Peak

## Loma-vegetation

[Lomas de Lachay](/source/Lomas_de_Lachay), Lima, Peru

**Loma-vegetation**, is found between 150 metres (490 ft) and 600 metres (2,000 ft) and it is situated at the first westside slope near the coast in Peru.[2] This subregion has a [subtropical](/source/Subtropics) [desert](/source/Desert) climate with little rainfall along the central and southern coast (drier as one goes south). The average year round day temperature is 21 °C (70 °F) (max 33 °C, min 8 °C).

**Orientation:**

- [Lomas](/source/Lomas), fog and mist-fed ecosystems on hills near the ocean and scattered along the nearly-rainless coastal desert.

- [Lomas de Lachay](/source/Lomas_de_Lachay), [Huaral Province](/source/Huaral_Province) in [Lima](/source/Lima), a protected example of a mist-fed ecosystem.

## See also

- [Climate zones by altitude](/source/Climate_zones_by_altitude)

- [Altitudinal zonation](/source/Altitudinal_zonation)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Pulgar Vidal, Javier: Geografía del Perú; Las Ocho Regiones Naturales del Perú. Edit. Universo S.A., Lima 1979. First Edition (his dissertation of 1940): Las ocho regiones naturales del Perú, Boletín del Museo de historia natural „Javier Prado“, n° especial, Lima, 1941, 17, pp. 145–161.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-seibert1996_2-0)** Seibert, Paul (1996); Farbatlas Südamerika: Landschaften und Vegetation, Verlag Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart, pp. 288.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Chala](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chala) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chala?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.