It is considered one of the eight Natural Regions in Peru,[1] but extends south, across Chile, Bolivia, and western northwest Argentina.

Other sources claim that it goes on Suni (high plateaus and cliffs, some agriculture) and from 4000 m to the snow line (permafrost and alpine desert) of puna grassland (mountain tops and slopes, much colder).

[2] The high elevation of the wet puna (4200 to 5000 m) causes the area to have large temperature differences between night and day.

This extreme temperature shift has caused selective adaptation to occur and many endemic plants such as the Culcitium, Perezia, and Polylepis center their diversity in the wet puna.

It extends into northern Chile and northwest Argentina and east into western Bolivia occurring above 3500 m between the tree and permanent snow lines.

As a result of the elevation, varied temperatures and lack of rainfall, the Central Andean dry puna is a unique ecoregion with highly adapted flora and fauna.

[8] The rhizosphere of the grasses are dominated by the Bacillas species, these organisms are composed of dormant cells that enable them to survive in the extreme climatic conditions in the puna ecosystem.

[9] The vegetation with the puna grassland displays complex patterns of spatial variation, despite the low cover and overall density.

[10] Other representative grasses include species Jarava ichu ("Paja Brava"), Calamagrostis vicunarum ("Crespillo"), and Festuca dolichophylla ("Chillihua").

Vegetation located between 3800 and 4000 m are sustained by brown andic soils on ash-fall deposits and includes many endemic plant species as Hersodoma arequipensis, Piplostephium tacorense and Opuntia corotilla.

[11] The puna also includes a great variety of aquatic species particularly at Chungará Lake located in northern Chile.

Some of these include the giant coot, the silvery grebe, the Chilean teal, and the diademed sandpiper-plover (one of the rarest shorebirds in the world).

Numerous factors can lead to the cause of this destruction, but the preservation of it depends almost entirely on to what degree humans are populating the area.

Alpacas, vicuñas, llamas, and guanacos are raised for wool and, as a result, most of the entirety of the puna is under the effect of animal grazing.

Once a land has been exposed to fire, it makes it more likely to burn again, creating a feedback loop that leads to damage of the ecosystem.

In these areas of high grazing, successional species of grass and forbs grow back thick, thereby preserving the soil which means its potential to rebound is higher.

This type of management originated from a movement that took land from large landholders and turned it over to council composed of workers.

[12] Though there are a significant number of problems in puna grasslands, mostly being attributed to overgrazing, there are measures being taken to improve the current situation.

Currently range management programs are being introduced in many of the neighboring universities to research new ideas that implement little technology and can help restore the ecosystem.