Puracé Natural National Park (14494)
Colombia, South America

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Global KBA criteria: A1a, A1b, B2

Year of last assessment: 2023

National site name: Parque Nacional Natural Puracé

Central coordinates: Latitude: 2.1292, Longitude: -76.4292

System: terrestrial, freshwater

Elevation (m): 2350 to 4700

Area of KBA (km²): 917.68067

Protected area coverage (%): 99.99

KBA classification: Global

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: The Puracé Natural National Park is located in the municipalities of Santa Rosa, Puracé, San Sebastián, La Vega and Sotará, in the department of Cauca, and the municipalities of La Argentina, La Plata, Isnos, Saladoblanco and San Agustín in Huila. It is part of the Colombian Massif, and the Magdalena, Cauca, Caquetá and Patía rivers are born there, which means that the Park protects the main hydrographic star of the country. The Park contains a chain with 17 volcanic mouths, among which the Puracé and Sotará volcanoes stand out, as well as numerous sulfur springs, innumerable lagoons, moors and cloud forests. The Puracé volcano, the San Rafael waterfall, the Buey and La Magdalena lagoons and the Frailejones valleys are strategic places to spot the Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus). The average temperature ranges from 12 to 20° C, with a rainfall between 1,200 and 2,500 mm. The driest months are December, January and February. The Park is made up of large extensions of humid forest, páramo, super páramo and snow forest (Castaño-Uribe and Cano 1998), and 97% of its surface is covered by natural ecosystems (Rodríguez-N. et al. 2004).

Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This area it's important for the conservation of four plants species: Plutarchia miranda and Espeletia idroboi that triggered A1a criteria; and Puya cuatrecasasii and Plutarchia rigida that both triggered A1b criteria. Also, two species of birds that triggered the B2 criterion which are Opisthoprora euryptera and Bolborhynchus ferrugineifrons.

Additional biodiversity: In Purace there are also different threatened and range-restricted species of animals and plants. Among these species of fauna, you can find: a small number of Andean Condor individuals (Vultur gryphus), the puma (Puma concolor), spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus), brocket deer (Pudu mephistophiles), Andean deer (Mazama rufina), and the tigrillo (Leopardus tigrinus). Threatened species at the national level can be found, such as the Colombian pine (Podocarpus oleifolius), the oak (Quercus humboldtii), the wax palm (Ceroxylon spp), and the tree fern (Cyathea spp).

Manageability of the site: The Puracé Natural National Park is managed by Parques Nacionales Naturales de Colombia.

Other site values: The ancestral territories of indigenous communities of the Kokonuco, Yanaconas and Papallacta ethnic groups are located on the western slope of the protected area.

Delineation rationale: This area was delineated to follow the boundaries of the protected area called Puracé Natural National Park

Habitats

Summary of habitats in KBA: Almost 70% of this area is covered by Forest.

Land use: The Puracé National Natural Park is divided into 6 zones based on its use and management, which are: the primitive zone, the intangible zone, the natural recovery zone, the historical-cultural zone, the general outdoor recreation zone and an area of high density of use.

IUCN Habitat	Coverage %	Habitat detail
Forest	65

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Some of the most common threats within the area of the Puracé National Natural Park include logging and selective extraction of plant material, the expansion of agricultural and livestock frontiers, the introduction of species, the presence of roads that traverse it, the cultivation of illicit crops, improper disposal of wastewater and garbage, and global warming.

Threat level 1	Threat level 2	Threat level 3	Timing
Agriculture & aquaculture	Livestock farming & ranching	Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming	Ongoing

Additional information