Arenillas (14525)
Ecuador, South America
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1b, A1d, B1
Year of last assessment: 2023
National site name: Arenillas
Central coordinates: Latitude: -3.5405, Longitude: -80.1474
System: terrestrial, marine
Elevation (m): 10 to 120
Area of KBA (km2): 135.35313
Protected area coverage (%): 100.00
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: This KBA is located in El Oro province on the limits with Peru. It is a Tumbesian area of endemism, it means that the ecosystems are typical of the dry forests shared with Peru, like: deciduous shrublands and mid-forest and deciduous forest of the lowlands of the coastal cordillera of Ecuador. A small portion of mangroves reach the KBA. The altitude goes from 10 to 120 m.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least three criteria described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs. Threatened of extinction species like: Ceratophrys stolzmanni (A1b); Brotogeris pyrrhoptera (A1d) and Pachyramphus spodiurus (A1d). Finally, the THE 25% of the global distribution of the lizard, Dipsas oswaldobaezi (B1) falls in the KBA.
Additional biodiversity: Tumbesian ecosystem vegetation. Pseudastur occidentalis, Onychorhynchus occidentalis, Coniophanes dromiciformis.
Manageability of the site: Public land. Protected area by the government of Ecuador via the Ministry of Environment, Water and Ecological Transition.
Other site values: This is public land owned by the state. *It was a military reserve during the 90s and early 2000s based on the conflicts between Ecuador and Peru.
Delineation rationale: This KBA follows the official limits of the Arenillas Ecological Reserve as follows. On north, the shrimp farms landscapes with small patches and remnants of mangroves plus Jambeli Channel. On east, the remnants of vegetation and farms of the western outskirts and rural areas of Arenillas municipality. Northeast and northwest, shrimp farms. On south, agricultural landscapes and quebrada Palmales parish. Southeast, Zarumilla river and deforested areas plus agricultural fields.
Habitats
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 85 | Forest – Subtropical/tropical dry |
| Wetlands(Inland) | 2 | Wetlands (inland) – Shrub dominated wetlands |
| Shrubland | 10 | Shrubland – Subtropical/tropical dry |
Threats
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Livestock farming & ranching | Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming | |
| Biological resource use | Logging & wood harvesting | Motivation Unknown/Unrecorded | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Unintentional effects (species being assessed is not the target) | Ongoing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Livestock farming & ranching | Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming | Ongoing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Small-holder farming | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Logging & wood harvesting | Unintentional effects: subsistence/small scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
Additional information
Contributors: Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, Instituto Nacional de la Biodiversidad, Universidad Católica del Ecuador and experts participating in the KBA workshop on birds and amphibians.