Ampay y Río Pachachaca (100230)
Peru, South America

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Global KBA criteria: A1a, B1, B2

Year of last assessment: 2023

National site name: Ampay y Río Pachachaca

Central coordinates: Latitude: -13.6010, Longitude: -72.9380

System: terrestrial, freshwater

Elevation (m): 107 to 5185

Area of KBA (km²): 1489.98979

Protected area coverage (%): 2.58

KBA classification: Global

Legacy site: No

Site details

Site description: The KBA Ampay y Río Pachachaca covers an area of 1489.990 sq km and it's located in Peru, department of Apurímac, provinces of Abancay and Andahuaylas. It limits in the northeast with the Apurimac river, and the southwest with the province of Aymaraes. The geomorphology of the KBA Ampay y Río Pachachaca includes high plateaus with gently shaped hills; the Eastern Cordillera, which differs from the first by its morphology, the reliefs are very acute; the latter are dissected by deep valleys and often canyoned. Within this KBA, runs the Pachachaca river, tributary of the Apurimac river. The elevation of the Ampay y Río Pachachaca KBA ranges from 1070 to 5185 masl. The Ampay y Río Pachachaca KBA includes five climate types: 1) Semidry with dry winter, temperate; 2) Rainy with dry autumn and winter, Cold; 3) Semidry with abundant humidity all seasons of the year, Temperate; 4) Rainy with dry autumn and winter, temperate and 5) Semidry with dry autumn and winter, temperate. The temperature of the KBA Ampay y Río Pachachaca ranges between -3°C to 27 °C and the annual precipitation is about 300 to 2000 mm, approximately. The KBA Ampay y Río Pachachaca encompasses plant cover types as Scrub, Mesoandean relict forest, Interandean xeric forest and andean grassland (Pajonal andino). The vegetation is mainly scrub and inter-andean xeric forest.

Rationale for qualifying as KBA: The KBA Ampay y Río Pachachaca qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for the A1, B1 and B2 criteria described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs. The KBA Ampay y Río Pachachaca harbors a range restricted species of Cactaceae: Weberbauerocereus cuzcoensis, a Critically Endangered snake Drymoluber apurimacensis and nine range restricted bird species (Nothoprocta taczanowskii, Synallaxis courseni, Poospizopsis caesar, Oreonympha nobilis, Atlapetes forbesi, Asthenes ottonis, Aglaeactis castelnaudii, Asthenes virgata, Coeligena albicaudata).

Additional biodiversity: Aglaeactis castelnaudii, Grallaria andicolus, Bolborhynchus orbygnesius, Thlypopsis ruficeps, Phrygilus punensis, Orochelidon andecola, Ochthoeca oenanthoides, Colaptes rupicola, Primolius couloni, Sicalis uropigyalis, Podocarpus glomeratus, Tremarctos ornatus

Manageability of the site: The KBA Ampay y Río Pachachaca could be managed by the National Service for Natural Areas Protected by the State - SERNANP, since part of its area is including the De Ampay National Sanctuary and its Buffer Zone; and some areas of the Rio Pachachaca - Río Pampas National Priority Zone (MINAM).

Supersedes another site: 14800 - Santuario Nacional del Ampay

Other site values: Peasant Communities: Carcco San Fernando, Huascatay, Cruzpampa, Pacobamba, Huancarama, Ccallaspuquio Pumarcco, Llactabamba, Juan Velasco Alvarado, Juan Velasco Alvarado, Huayllabamba, Pararani Ccantuyoc Ccaccapaqui, Piscaya, Cotarma, Cruz Pata, Huayrapampa, Seccebamba, Yaca, Siusay, Santa Isabel De Caype, Lambrama, Urpipampa, Kishuara

Delineation rationale: The boundaries of the Ampay and Pachachaca River KBA were delineated taking into account the elevation range, the Pachachachaca and Lambrama riverbeds following the shape of the canyons. To the north it follows the boundaries between Apurimac and Cusco, including the Ampay National Sanctuary; to the south with the Atancama Community and to the east with Yanama and the town of Kushuara.

Habitats

Summary of habitats in KBA: Forest Shrubland Artificial - terrestrial Introduced vegetation

IUCN Habitat	Coverage %	Habitat detail
Forest	28
Shrubland	40
Artificial - Terrestrial	12
Introduced Vegetation	20

Threats

Threat level 1	Threat level 2	Threat level 3	Timing
Human intrusions & disturbance	Work & other activities		Ongoing
Residential & commercial development	Housing & urban areas		Ongoing
Agriculture & aquaculture	Livestock farming & ranching	Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming	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 -MINAM, https://geoservidor.minam.gob.pe/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/MAPA_COBERTURA_VEGETAL.pdf -Marocco, R. (1975). Geología de los cuadrángulos de Andahuaylas, Abancay y Cotabambas-[Boletín A 27].