San Antonio Forest/Km 18 (19130)
Colombia, South America
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1b, A1e, B2
Year of last assessment: 2025
National site name: Bosque de San Antonio/Km 18
Central coordinates: Latitude: 3.5296, Longitude: -76.6172
System: terrestrial, freshwater
Elevation (m): 1800 to 2200
Area of KBA (km2): 161.74896
Protected area coverage (%): 57.78
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: San Antonio Forest and KM 18 KBA cover an area of 161km2. It's located between the municipalitis of Santiago de Cali (El Saladito, Felidia, La Elvira districts), La Cumbre, Yumbo and Dagua (San Bernardo, Km. 26 districts) in Valle del Cauca department on the eastern side of the western mountain range in southwestern Colombia. The Cerro de San Antonio, or also called Cerro de La Horqueta, is a montane summit with almost 2200 meters above sea level. This zone is characterized by the presence of Cloud Forests with a dominant vegetation cover of Andean Forest, located on the divide between the Chocó Biogeographic and Andean eco-regions.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This KBA contains significant populations of Andinosaura laevis, a reptilian species that triggered the A1b criteria. Also, it has the presence of two birds species (Cypseloides lemosi and Penelope perspicax), two amphibian species (Pristimantis calcaratus and P. juanchoi) that triggered the B2 criteria, and one tree species that has triggered the A1e criteria (Elaeagia barbata).
Additional biodiversity: Taking into account the studies carried out in the area, recent observations made during field trips and activities such as national bird censuses, over 400 bird species have been recorded in the area. The presence of threatened species such as Chlorochryssa nitidissima and Glaucidium nubicola is noteworthy. Non-bird biodiversity: The area is home to a varied fauna and flora. Recently, three new species of the genus Eleutherodactylus were described (Lynch 1996). Additionally, Jorge Giraldo, while studying small cloud forests near kilometer 18, found 528 species of vascular plants belonging to 76 families and obtained the first record of the Jobinia genus for Colombia.
Manageability of the site: Many entities are involved in the manageability of this KBA as the organizations of the technical table of the Governance scheme. This technical table is integrated by entities as Corporación para la Gestión Ambiental Biodiversa, Fundaciones Ecovivero, Ecotonos, Dapaviva and Corfopal. Also by Governance Scheme consisting of 4 focus groups from the municipalities of Cali, Yumbo, La Cumbre and Dagua, the central Focal group and the Technical table. The focus groups are made up of communities, organizations and public institutions (mayors, CVC, and Government)
Delineation rationale: The new delineation of this area was created using the boundaries of the cloud forest ecosystem and looking for connectivity with the protected area of the Farallones de Cali Natural National Park.
Habitats
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Artificial - Aquatic | 25 | Plantations |
| Wetlands(Inland) | 5 | Wetlands (inland) – Seasonal/intermittent/irregular rivers/streams/creeks |
| Artificial - Aquatic | 15 | Rural Gardens |
| Artificial - Aquatic | 5 | Water Storage Areas [over 8 ha] |
| Forest | 50 | Forest – Subtropical/tropical moist montane |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Despite its status as a forest reserve area, the wooded area faces serious problems that threaten its conservation. The main problem is the fragmentation of the forest, which has even led to local bird extinctions (Kattan et al. 1994). The presence of endemic anurans is highly threatened by the loss of their microhabitat caused by water extraction for local aqueducts (Murcia et al. 1993). Additionally, the illicit extraction of forest products such as "tierra capote," wood, scale stems, orchids, heliconias, and other ornamental plant species is a problem.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biological resource use | Logging & wood harvesting | Intentional use: subsistence/small scale (species being assessed is the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
| Transportation & service corridors | Roads & railroads | ||
| Residential & commercial development | Housing & urban areas | Ongoing | |
| Pollution | Domestic & urban waste water | Run-off | Ongoing |
Additional information
Contributors: Alexander von Humboldt Institute and at least 10 NGOs that are part of the Governance for the KBA site
BGCI