1. Geological Genesis. Precambrian rocks.
The Tapas are part of the Guiana Shield, a cratonic land mass whose sandstones and quartzites (known as the Roraima Group) began to sink about 1,700 to 2,000 million years ago (the Paleoproterozoic Era). The origin of the tabular form. Originally they created a huge continuous level. With the rifting of Pangea and the opening of the Atlantic Ocean, tectonic fractures created cracks that millions of years of water and wind erosion eroded, isolating huge residual blocks. structural resistance. The nearly vertical walls "reaching freefalls of up to 1,000 meters" are preserved because the quartzite sandstones are exceptionally hard and resistant to chemical dissolution compared to the surrounding valleys. 2. Biological islands and extreme endemism. Due to their geographic isolation from the savannahs and jungles that surround them, the headlands of the Tapuis function as a continental archipelago (Tapui Islands). own microclimate. While the base has warm temperatures and a savannah or tropical forest climate, the peaks (which rise 2,000 to 2,800 meters above sea level) suffer from constant winds, almost constant fog, torrential rains and temperatures that drop to 0 degrees Celsius at night. Poor soils and carnivorous plants. The constant water washes nutrients from the rock, preventing the formation of rich soils. To compensate for the lack of nitrogen and phosphorus, the vegetation developed an extreme adaptation; Endemic carnivorous species stand out, such as those of the genus Liamphora (pitcher plants) and Drosera roraimae. Unique fauna. Among the most notable species is the Roraima mining toad (Oreophrynella quelchii), a black johnny amphibian that cannot swim or jump; Instead, he walks or curls up into a ball and rolls down rocky slopes to escape madmen.