Cordillera Vilcabamba - Avireri - VRAEM (14724)
Peru, South America
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1a, A1b, B1, B2
Year of last assessment: 2023
National site name: Cordillera Vilcabamba - Avireri - VRAEM
Central coordinates: Latitude: -11.8372, Longitude: -73.4775
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 400 to 4250
Area of KBA (km2): 23166.4546
Protected area coverage (%): 30.63
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The KBA Cordillera Vilcabamba - Avireri - VRAEM covers an area of 23166.455 sq km and it's located within the department of Ucayali, province of Atalaya (Sepahua, and Raymondi districts); the department of Junín, province of Satipo (Rio Tambo, Mazamari, and Pangoa districts); and the department of Cusco, province of La Convención (Echarate, Quimbiri, Pichari, and Vilcabamba districts). This KBA was delimited based on the original KBA Cordillera Vilcabamba - Avireri - VRAEM except for the portion belonging to the Megantoni National Sanctuary at the southeast extrem. The altitude range of the KBA Cordillera Vilcabamba - Avireri - VRAEM is 400-4250 masl. The main types of weather in the area are: (1) temperate, rainy with dry winter; (2) temperate, rainy with abundant humidity all seasons; and (3) warm, very rainy with abundant humidity all seasons. The KBA Cordillera Vilcabamba - Avireri - VRAEM presents the following ecosystems: "Bosque montano de Yunga (Yunga montane forest)", "Bosque basimontano de Yunga (Yunga basimontane forest)", "Bosque de colina baja (Low hill forest)", "Bosque de colina alta (High hill forest)", "Bosque altimontano (Pluvial) de Yunga (Yunga montane (Pluvial) forest)", "Bosque aluvial inundable (Flooded alluvial forest)", "Bosque de terraza no inundable (Non-flooded terrace forest)", Secondary vegetation and rivers.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: The KBA Cordillera Vilcabamba - Avireri - VRAEM qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for A1, B1 and B2 criteria described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs. The KBA Cordillera Vilcabamba - Avireri - VRAEM harbors the Vulnerable plant Weinmannia glomerata, three trigger species of Arthropoda (Histioea magistrae, Obidosus kakinte and Obidosus machiguenga), a Vulnerable rodent Akodon surdus and the range restricted rodent and bat (Akodon torques and Platyrrhinus masu, respectively), two Endangered frogs (Boana palaestes and Oreobates lehri), seven range restricted bird species and 22 trigger fish species.
Additional biodiversity: Attonitus irisae, Chaetostoma lineopunctatum, Creagrutus changae, Hypostomus ericius, Hemibrycon helleri, Tyttocharax tambopatensis, Geryichthys sterbai, Marmosa andersoni, Gardnerycteris crenulatum, Oxymycterus inca, Euryoryzomys nitidus, Oxymyctersinca, Hylaeamys perenensis, Marmosa regina, Nephelomys keaysi, Proechimys kulinae, Marmosops noctivagus, Nephelomys levipes, Carollia benkeithi, Akodon aerosus, Akodon surdus, Carollia brevicauda, Hylaeamys yunganus, Marmosops impavidus, Metachirus myosuros, Sturnira giannae, Sturnira oporaphilum, Tonatia maresi, Vampyrodes caraccioli, Primolius couloni, Phaethornis koepcke, Cacicus koepckeae, Tinamus osgoodi, Spizaetus isidori, Leptopogon taczanowskii, Zimmerius cinereicapilla, Conopias cinchoneti, Herpsilochmus motacilloides, Herpsilochmus axillaris, Cnipodectes superrufus, Neomorphus geoffroyi, Chaetura pelagica, Hemitriccus rufigularis, Psophia leucoptera, Syndactyla ucayalae, Picumnus subtilis, Hapalopsittaca melanotis, Elliotomyia viridicauda, Poecilotriccus albifacies, Grallaria erythroleuca, Pheugopedius eisenmanni, Atlapetes tricolor, Myiothlypis chrysogaster, Phlogophilus harterti the range restricted and Phaethornis stuarti, Heliodoxa branickii, Pipreola pulchra, Lepidohtrix coeruleocapilla, Cranioleuca curtata, Chamaeza mollisima, Iridosornis reinhardti, Phylloscartes parkeri, Cinnycerthia fulva, Piprepla frontalis, Cyphorhinus thoracicus, Conothraupis speculigera, Akletos goeldii, Aulacorhynchus coeruleiceintus, Brachygalba albogularis, Cercomacra manu, Chiroxiphia boliviana, Creurgops dentatus, Cymbilaimus sactaemariae, Dubusua castaneoventris, Entomodestes leucotis, Epinecrophyla leucohthalma, Galbula cyanescens, Hemitriccus flammulatus, Hylopezus berlepschi, Iridosornis jelskii, LAnio versicolor, Malacoptila semicinta, Mitephanes olivaceus, Myrmoborus lophotes, Murmotherula iheringi, Neopelma sulphureiventer, Philydor erythrocercum, Picumns aurifrons, Picumnus Dorbugnyanus, Psarocolius atrovirens, Pseudospingus zanthophthalmus, Psophia leucoptera, Pterogloddus beauharnaissi, Scytalopus parvirostris, Synallaxis azarae, Syncallaxis cabanisi, Thamnomanes schistogynus, Zimmerius bolivianus, Bartramia longicauda.
Manageability of the site: Since different important areas are located within the KBA Cordillera Vilcabamba - Avireri - VRAEM (Ashaninka Communal Reserve and buffer zone, Otishi National Park, Machiguenga Communal Reserve and buffer zone, a small portion of the Megantoni National Sanctuary Buffer Zone, six concessions for conservation to the north, Prioritized Zones at the Regional Level Cutivireni, Urusayhua- Koshireni and Villa Virgen and Q'euñales de Vilcabamba and the National Prioritized Area Cumpirusiato River - Cushireni River - Cirialo River), the KBA Cordillera Vilcabamba - Avireri - VRAEM can be managed by the National Service of Protected Natural Areas - SERNANP.
Supersedes another site: -
Other site values: Native communities belonging to the Asháninka, Machiguenga, Kakinte, and Yine-Yami indigenous peoples. Source: SERNANP (2019). Reserva Comunal Asháninka. https://www.gob.pe/institucion/sernanp/informes-publicaciones/1928797-reserva-comunal-ashaninka. SERNANP (2019). Reserva Comunal Mashiguenga. https://www.gob.pe/institucion/sernanp/informes-publicaciones/1932362-reserva-comunal-machiguenga. SERNANP (2019). Parque Nacional Otishi. https://www.gob.pe/institucion/sernanp/informes-publicaciones/1949371-parque-nacional-otishi
Delineation rationale: The KBA Cordillera Vilcabamba - Avireri - VRAEM to the east follows the Vilcanota River margin, excluding the Megantoni National Sanctuary, to the north where it then follows the Tambo River and then to the west along the limits of the Otishi National Park and its Buffer Zone. To the southwest it follows the Apurimac River to the south along the Chontamayo River.
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: Forest 90-100%
Other 1-10%
Land use: Natural Protected Areas for the Peruvian Government, in part
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 95 | |
| Other | 5 |
Threats
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Climate change & severe weather | Ongoing | ||
| Geological events | Earthquakes/tsunamis | Ongoing | |
| Residential & commercial development | Housing & urban areas | Ongoing | |
| Transportation & service corridors | Roads & railroads | Ongoing | |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Scale Unknown/Unrecorded | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Fishing & harvesting aquatic resources | Motivation Unknown/Unrecorded | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Logging & wood harvesting | Motivation Unknown/Unrecorded | Ongoing |
| Natural system modifications | Fire & fire suppression | Trend Unknown/Unrecorded | Ongoing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Small-holder farming | Ongoing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Livestock farming & ranching | Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming | Ongoing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Marine & freshwater aquaculture | Industrial aquaculture | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Intentional use (species being assessed is the target) | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Unintentional effects (species being assessed is not the target) | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Gathering terrestrial plants | Unintentional effects (species being assessed is not the target) | Ongoing |
| Natural system modifications | Fire & fire suppression | Increase in fire frequency/intensity | Ongoing |
| Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases | Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases | Named species | Ongoing |
| Pollution | Domestic & urban waste water | Type Unknown/Unrecorded | Ongoing |
| Pollution | Excess energy | Noise pollution | Ongoing |
| Energy production & mining | Oil & gas drilling | Ongoing | |
| Transportation & service corridors | Flight paths | Ongoing | |
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Work & other activities | Ongoing | |
| Natural system modifications | Other ecosystem modifications | Ongoing | |
| Pollution | Garbage & solid waste | Ongoing | |
| Geological events | Avalanches/landslides | 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: Laura Graham-Angeles, Víctor Pacheco, Max Hidalgo, Arli Ayala, Juan Grados, Emmy Medina, Letty Salinas, Victor Sánchez and Camila Dávila