Kosñipata (100205)
Peru, South America
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1a, A1b, B1, B2
Year of last assessment: 2023
National site name: Kosñipata
Central coordinates: Latitude: -12.9476, Longitude: -71.3331
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 400 to 4350
Area of KBA (km2): 3287.35863
Protected area coverage (%): 17.03
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: No
Site details
Site description: The KBA Kosñipata covers an area of 3287.34 sq km and it's located in Perú, within the department of Cusco, province of Paucartambo (Kosñipata, Paucartambo, and Challabamba districts), privince of Quispicanchi (Camanti district), and the department of Madre de Dios, province of Manu (Madre de Dios, and Manu district). This KBA was delimited based on two previous KBA (Cosñipata Valley and Kosnipata Carabaya); the KBA Kosñipata is limited to the west and north by the Manu National Park (KBA Manu), to the east by the Amarakaeri Communal Reserve (KBA Amarakaeri) and to the south the previous limit of the AZE Kosnipata Carabaya and in part by the 'Japu - Forest Ukumari Llaqta' Private Conservation Area. The altitude range of the KBA Kosñipata is 400-4350 masl. The main types of weathers in the KBA are (1) temperate and very rainy with abundant humidity all year round, and (2) temperate and rainy with abundant humidity all seasons. The temperature ranges from 17°C to 29°C and the annual precipitation is between 1200 mm and 3500 mm. The KBA Kosñipata presents the following ecosystems: "Bosque basimontano de Yunga (Yunga basimontane forest)", "Bosque montano de Yunga (Yunga montane forest)", "Bosque de colina alta (High hill forest)", "Bosque altimontano (Pluvial) de Yunga (Yunga altimontane (pluvial) forest)", "Bosque de colina baja (Low hill forest)", "Bosque de terraza no inundable (Non-floodable terrace forest)", "Pajonal de puna húmeda (Puna húmeda Pajonal)", "Bosque aluvial inundable (Floodable alluvial forest)", "Matorral andino (Andean scrub)", rivers, secondary vegetation and agriculture zones.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: The KBA Kosñipata qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance because it meets A1, B1 and B2 criteria and thresholds for identifying sites of biodiversity importance. The KBA Kosñipata harbors six threatened frogs, two range restricted frogs (Gastrotheca antoniiochoai, Psychrophrynella usurpator), three trigger species of arthropods (Histioea magistrae, Incasarcus dianae and Polythore manua), two threatened and range restricted fish (Ancistrus marcapatae and Attonitus bounites) and four range restricted bird species (Tinamus osgoodi, Oreonympha nobilis, Phlogophilus harterti and Asthenes helleri).
Additional biodiversity: Isothrix barbarabrownae, Oligoryzomys microtis, Neacomys amoenus, Chironectes minimus, Phaethornis koepckeae, Phlogophilus harterti, Oreonympha nobilis, Heliodoxa branickii, Ara militaris, Nothoprocta taczanowskii, Chaetura pelagica, Aglaeactis castelnaudii, Elliotomyia viridicauda
Manageability of the site: Since the KBA Kosñipata includes in part areas such as Alto Pilcomayo and Queros Native Community Conservation Concessions, the Q'eros Kosñipata Regional Conservation Area, the Manu National Park Buffer Zone and the Amarakaeri Communal Reserve Buffer Zone. Based on this information, the KBA Kosñipata can be potentially managed by the National Service of Protected Natural Areas - SERNANP or the National Forest and Wildlife Service - SERFOR. Furthermore, this new KBA Kosñipata is covering the previous ones: KBA Cosñipata Valley and Kosnipata Carabaya.
The National Coordination Group of KBAs has a conservation promotion and monitoring committee, which is composed of various governmental and civil society institutions that will work to promote conservation actions in the KBAs.
Supersedes another site: SitRecID 45316 - Kosnipata Valley
Other site values: Queros, Quico Grande, Marcachea, Shintuya, and Palotoa Teparo native communities. Source: Base de datos de Pueblos Indígenas y Originarios. https://bdpi.cultura.gob.pe/mapa-interactivo. Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund. (2022). Gestión Sostenible del Área de Conservación Regional Q´eros-Kosñipata. https://www.cepf.net/sites/default/files/social-assessment-112942.pdf
Delineation rationale: The Kosñipata KBA borders the Manu National Park to the west as far as the Providencia River tributary. To the north, it extends from the town of Itahuania along the Carbon River to the Blanco River. To the east, it borders the Amarakaeri Natural Protected Area. To the south, it includes the limits of the Q'eros Kosñipata Regional Conservation Area, crossing the Rocomayo River and extending to the southern limit of Manu National Park in the province of Paucartambo.
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: Forest 80-90%
Shrubland 1-10%
Grassland 1-10%
Other 1-10%
Land use: National Park Buffer Zone, Communal Reserve Buffer Zone, Regional Conservation Area, Conservation Concessions; in part.
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 85 | |
| Shrubland | 5 | |
| Grassland | 5 | |
| Other | 5 |
Threats
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Ongoing | |
| Climate change & severe weather | Ongoing | ||
| Climate change & severe weather | Habitat shifting & alteration | Ongoing | |
| Climate change & severe weather | Habitat shifting & alteration | Only in the future | |
| Residential & commercial development | Housing & urban areas | Ongoing | |
| Transportation & service corridors | Only in the past and unlikely to return | ||
| Transportation & service corridors | Roads & railroads | In the past but now suspended and likely to return | |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Scale Unknown/Unrecorded | Ongoing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Livestock farming & ranching | Scale Unknown/Unrecorded | |
| Biological resource use | Logging & wood harvesting | Motivation Unknown/Unrecorded | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: MINAM. (2018). Mapa Nacional de Ecosistemas del Perú. SINIA (Sistema Nacional de Información Ambiental) https://sinia.minam.gob.pe/mapas/mapa-nacional-ecosistemas-peru
Castro, A., Dávila, C., Laura, W., Cubas Saucedo, F., Ávalos, G., López, C., ... & Marín, D. (2021). Climas del Perú: mapa de clasificación climática nacional. In Climas del Perú: mapa de clasificación climática nacional (pp. 70-70). https://www.senamhi.gob.pe/?p=mapa-climatico-del-peru
Contributors: Carlos Reynel Rodriguez, Cornelio Bota-Sierra,Emmy Medina, Juan Grados, Arli Ayala, Laura Graham-Angeles, Víctor Pacheco, Max Hidalgo, Letty Salinas, Victor Sánchez and Camila Dávila.