La tierra que nos sustenta

Memory of the soil
Since the formation of the continental masses, this territory has
always been very rich in biodiversity, which allowed multiple
microclimates to develop, promoting a wide variety of plant
and animal species. El Salvador is one of the richest spaces in
biological and paleontological material of the continent.
The current Central America is the result of the clash of three
tectonic plates: Caribbean, Cocos and Nazca, originated 23
million years ago. The displacement of the Chortis and Maya
blocks, the intense volcanic activity (from 19 to 10 Ma.) And the
fast convergence of the Cocos plate that produced the rupture
of the Cocos slab, generated the uprising in the North of Central
America, which affected the north of El Salvador forming the
mountainous relief, a topography that configured cloud forest,
rainforest, floodplain and coastal flatland.
The geological force of the volcanoes has drawn a mountainous
topography that surrounds fertile valleys such as Zapotitán and
Jiboa, nourished by the alluvial transits between the volcanic
chain. The result of archeological studies remark that the
small territory of El Salvador covers more volcanic features per
square kilometer than any other country on the mainland in the
hemisphere, and the identity of our soil also depends on this
intense volcanic activity.
The condition of the isthmus of Central America, considered for
a long time only with geopolitical potential, is also strategically
biodiverse. In El Salvador, for example, the diverse concentrated
microclimates enable unique ecosystems of humid and salty
forests, among mountains, valleys, cliffs, and coasts. That
explains why, in the same geographical area, vegetations of
different climates vary; like cacti and orchids are differentiated
in their habitat by the soil and its height. El Salvador is located
in a neotropical zone, characterized by a high floral biomass and
diversity of fauna that extends from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec
to the lowlands of South America.
The prehistoric formation of the soil, allows us to know the
biodiversity on each stage. The stratigraphies throughout the
country narrate the historical stages of the soil and the sediments
of tephra, volcanic material composed of pumice, ash, rocks and
volcanic sand, reveal the ages of the organisms that inhabited it.
Farallones costa del Pacífico.
La Libertad.
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