Chimantá Massif Explained

Chimantá Massif
Elevation M:	2698
Map:	Venezuela
Map Size:	250
Location:	Bolívar, Venezuela
Coordinates:	5.2633°N -62.1478°W

The Chimantá Massif is a highly fragmented complex of tepuis in Bolívar state, Venezuela. The massif comprises around 11 tepuis^[1] and has a total summit area of 615sqkm and an estimated slope area of 915sqkm.^[2] It is divided in two by the Río Tírica, with the northern section being both larger and higher. The massif is notable for its high species richness and for its varied habitat types. It reaches an elevation of 2698m (8,852feet)^[3] on its highest peak, Murey-tepui (also known as Eruoda-tepui). The massif is situated entirely within the bounds of Canaima National Park.^[4] It hosts extensive cave systems, including the world's largest known quartzite cave, Cueva Charles Brewer, named after discoverer Charles Brewer-Carías.^{[5] [6] [7]} The processes behind their speleogenesis are the subject of some debate.^{[8] [9] [10]}

The isolated southern peaks of Angasima-tepui and Upuigma-tepui are sometimes considered part of the Chimantá Massif.^[11]

Tepuis

The major tepuis of the northern and southern parts of the Chimantá Massif are listed below. Coordinates given correspond to the approximate centre points of the tepui summit plateaus. Unless otherwise indicated, all information in the tables is sourced from Flora of the Venezuelan Guayana.

Northern group

Name	Coordinates	Maximum elevation	Summit area
Abacapá-tepui	5.1844°N -62.2975°W	2400m (7,900feet)	28.13sqkm
Agparamán-tepui	5.2472°N -62.2081°W	2400m (7,900feet)	22.5sqkm
Apacará-tepui	5.32°N -62.2286°W	2450m (8,040feet)	173.12sqkm
Chimantá-tepui	5.2769°N -62.1311°W	2550m (8,370feet)	93.75sqkm
Murey-tepui	5.3767°N -62.0933°W	2698m (8,852feet)	51.25sqkm
Tirepón-tepui	5.3678°N -62.02°W	±2600m (8,500feet)	8.75sqkm
Toronó-tepui	5.2117°N -62.1758°W	2500m (8,200feet)	59.38sqkm

An additional plateau, Sarvén-tepui, may be distinguished to the east of Chimantá-tepui (5.2986°N -62.0714°W).

Southern group

Name	Coordinates	Maximum elevation	Summit area
Acopán-tepui	5.1819°N -62.045°W	2200m (7,200feet)	92.5sqkm
Amurí-tepui	5.1492°N -62.1211°W	2200m (7,200feet)	36.88sqkm
Churí-tepui	5.2533°N -62.0114°W	2500m (8,200feet)	47.5sqkm

See also

• Chimantaea
• Distribution of Heliamphora
• Heliamphora sp. 'Akopán Tepui'

Further reading

• Barrio-Amorós, C.L., J. Mesa, C. Brewer-Carías & R.W. McDiarmid (25 May 2010). A new Pristimantis (Anura, Terrarana, Strabomantidae) from Churi-tepui in the Chimanta Massif, Venezuelan Guayana. Zootaxa 2483: 35–44.
• Delascio-Chitty, F. & C. Brewer–Carías (February 2006). Notas florísticas del Churi–tepuy, Estado Bolívar, Venezuela. [Floristic notes of the Churí-tepuy, State of Bolívar, Venezuela.] In: I Congreso Internacional de Biodiversidad del Escudo Guayanés: Programa y Libro de Resúmenes. Universidad Nacional Experimental de Guayana, Puerto Ordaz. p. 141.
• Derka, T. & P. Fedor (21 October 2010). Hydrolutos breweri sp. n., a new aquatic Lutosini species (Orthoptera: Anostostomatidae) from Churí-tepui (Chimantá Massif, Venezuela). Zootaxa 2653: 51–59.
• Jaffe, K., J. Lattke & R. Perez-Hernández (January–June 1993). Ants on the tepuies of the Guiana Shield: a zoogeographic study. Ecotropicos 6(1): 21–28.
• Huber, O. (ed.) (1992). El Macizo del Chimantá, Escudo de Guayana, Venezuela. Un ensayo ecológico tepuyano. Oscar Todtmann Editores, Caracas.
• Kodada, J., T. Derka & F. Čiampor, Jr. (6 March 2012). Description of Jolyelmis spangleri a new species from Churí-tepui (Chimantá Massif, Venezuela), with a description of the larva of J. spangleri and J. reitmaieri (Insecta: Coleoptera: Elmidae). Zootaxa 3223: 1–23.
• Kok, P.J.R., R.D. MacCulloch, D.B. Means, K. Roelants, I. Van Bocxlaer & F. Bossuyt (7 August 2012). Web site: Low genetic diversity in tepui summit vertebrates. . 2013-03-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130605015619/http://download.cell.com/current-biology/pdf/PIIS0960982212007105.pdf . 2013-06-05 . dead . Current Biology 22(15): R589–R590. Web site: supplementary information .
• La Cruz, L. (February–April 2010). Iván Calderon y su mundo vertical. Río Verde 1: 98–115.

Notes and References

1. Briceño, H., C. Schubert & J. Paolini (1990). Table-mountain geology and surficial geochemistry: Chimantá Massif, Venezuelan Guayana Shield. Journal of South American Earth Sciences 3(4): 179–194.
2. Huber, O. (1995). Geographical and physical features. In: P.E. Berry, B.K. Holst & K. Yatskievych (eds.) Flora of the Venezuelan Guayana. Volume 1. Introduction. Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis. pp. 1–61.
3. Nogué, S., V. Rull, E. Montoya, O. Huber & T. Vegas-Vilarrúbia (October 2009). Paleoecology of the Guayana Highlands (northern South America): Holocene pollen record from the Eruoda-tepui, in the Chimantá massif. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 281(1–2): 165–173.
4. Torres, I.N. & D.D. Martín (November 2007). Web site: Informe Final de la Evaluación del Parque Nacional Canaima, Venezuela, como Sitio de Patrimonio Natural de la Humanidad. . Mejorando Nuestra Herencia.
5. Aubrecht, R., C. Brewer-Carías, B. Šmída, M. Audy & Ľ. Kováčik (30 January 2008). Anatomy of biologically mediated opal speleothems in the world's largest sandstone cave: Cueva Charles Brewer, Chimantá Plateau, Venezuela. Sedimentary Geology 203(3–4): 181–195.
6. Brewer-Carías, C. (2011). El Sistema Charles Brewer: la cueva de cuarcita más grande del mundo. Río Verde 4: 67–84.
7. Brewer-Carías, C. (2010). El origen de los tepuyes: los hijos de las estrellas. Río Verde 3: 54–69.
8. Aubrecht, R., T. Lánczos, M. Gregor, J. Schlögl, B. Šmída, P. Liščák, C. Brewer-Carías & L. Vlček (15 September 2011). Sandstone caves on Venezuelan tepuis: return to pseudokarst? Geomorphology 132(3–4): 351–365.
9. Sauro, F., L. Piccini, M. Mecchia & J. De Waele (2013). Comment on "Sandstone caves on Venezuelan tepuis: return to pseudokarst?" by R. Aubrecht, T. Lánczos, M. Gregor, J. Schlögl, B. Smída, P. Liscák, Ch. Brewer-Carías, L. Vlcek, Geomorphology 132 (2011), 351–365. Geomorphology, published online on 29 November 2012.
10. Aubrecht, R., T. Lánczos, M. Gregor, J. Schlögl, B. Šmída, P. Liščák, C. Brewer-Carías & L. Vlček (2013). Reply to the comment on "Sandstone caves on Venezuelan tepuis: return to pseudokarst?". Geomorphology, published online on 30 November 2012.
11. Adankasima . ClimTepuyes.