Altiplano Norte de Antioquia (200516)
Colombia, South America

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Global KBA criteria: A1b, A1e, B1, B2

Year of last assessment: 2023

National site name: Altiplano Norte de Antioquia

Central coordinates: Latitude: 6.8516, Longitude: -75.5353

System: terrestrial, freshwater

Elevation (m): 1900 to 3000

Area of KBA (km²): 586.83313

Protected area coverage (%): 0.81

KBA classification: Global

Legacy site: No

Site details

Site description: The KBA of Northern Altiplano of Antioquia is located in the northernmost region of the central mountain range of Colombia, in a hilly plateau that includes parts of the municipalities of Yarumal, Santa Rosa De Osos, San José De La Montana, Angostura, and San Andrés De Cuerquia, in Antioquia. This area is part of the Lower Montane Very Humid Forest life zone, with general climate boundaries of an average biotemperature between 12 and 18°C and an annual average rainfall of 2000 to 4000 mm (Espinal & Vásquez 2011). It occupies an altitudinal range between 1900 and 3000 meters above sea level, which corresponds to the Antioquia region with the highest concentration of endemic plant species.

Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs. KBA were identified by Instituto Humboldt and a group of experts for re-assessment and nomination of this area in Colombia. Taxonomy, nomenclature and threat status follow the 2023 IUCN Red List. The site qualifies as a KBA because three threatened amphibian species (Hyloscirtus Antioquia, Pristimantis dorsopictus, and Rhinella nicefori) trigger criteria A1b and B2 and three bird species (Atlapetes blancae, Iridosornis porphyrocephalus and Cyanlocya quindiuna) trigger KBA criteria A1e and B2.

Additional biodiversity: The undulated relief of the Northern Altiplano of Antioquia, the biodiversity it harbors, and the relationship with the human populations that have used and transformed it, is today a mixture of landscapes: the Oak Forest, the Mortiño Thicket, the Paramo, the landscape with Wax Palm, the aquatic landscape, and the productive landscapes. Among all of them, we find a large number of native species, some of them endemic and threatened mainly by habitat loss due to land use transformation (e.g. Atlapetes blancae, Hyloscirtus Antioquia, Ischnura solitaria, Mesamphiagrion gaudiimontanum, Pristimantis dorsopictus, Puya roldanii, Rhinella nicefori, Rhionaeschna caligo, Sericossypha albocristata, Leopardus tigrinus).

Manageability of the site: Altiplano Norte de Antioquia it's managed by different mayorships that has some jurusdiction in this area. Those mayors office are Angostura, Yarumal, Santa Rosa de Osos, San José de la Montaña and San Andres mayor's office. Also, CORANTIOQUIA as the autonomous regional corporation is in charge of the environmental jurisdiction of this area. Neotropical Innovation is leading the Montañerito Paisa Conservation Initiative (iCMP), which includes actions in the territory involving various stakeholders.

Delineation rationale: The delimitation was based on veredal boundaries, which is the smallest administrative territorial division category in Colombia. This facilitates the identification of the area in terms of management. In these veredas, there are records for threatened species in the region, and they have community action boards, a social, civic, and community organization elected by popular vote and organized with the aim of addressing the most pressing issues in their community.

Habitats

Land use: In the colony, the driving force behind landscape transformation was gold mining. During this period, forests were cleared for firewood, construction, and transportation, as well as to establish territorial ownership. These deforested but still fertile lands were transformed into family agriculture plots, which over time transitioned from mixed crops to monocultures and large estates. Subsequently, a significant number of residents shifted to dairy farming as their primary source of income, converting hundreds of hectares into monocultures of grasses. More recently, intensive monocultures of potatoes and carrots have been added, serving as a catalyst for deforestation of natural coverages, which were in a state of succession from extensive livestock farming. Simultaneously, there are forest plantations that adhere to international FSC standards, ensuring the protection of natural coverages and the habitat of threatened species.

IUCN Habitat	Coverage %	Habitat detail
Forest	54	Forest – Subtropical/tropical moist montane
Artificial - Aquatic	45	Plantations
Wetlands(Inland)	1	Wetlands (inland) – Seasonal/intermittent/irregular rivers/streams/creeks

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The shrublands, highland paramos, and natural low-lying coverages are currently being deforested and serve as a unique habitat for threatened species documented in this area. The transformation of natural coverages for the implementation of intensive monoculture systems is rapidly increasing habitat loss and undermining the main ecological structure of this territory, with its adverse impacts on the provision of ecosystem services, primarily water regulation and erosion control.

Threat level 1	Threat level 2	Threat level 3	Timing
Transportation & service corridors	Roads & railroads		Ongoing
Human intrusions & disturbance	Work & other activities		Ongoing
Agriculture & aquaculture	Livestock farming & ranching	Agro-industry grazing, ranching or farming	Ongoing

Additional information