El Palmar (200755)
Bolivia, South America
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1a, B1
Year of last assessment: 2024
National site name: El Palmar
Central coordinates: Latitude: -18.6632, Longitude: -64.8644
System: terrestrial, freshwater
Elevation (m): 1300 to 2500
Area of KBA (km2): 602.65911
Protected area coverage (%): 100.00
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: No
Site details
Site description: This site coincides with the El Palmar National Integrated Management Natural Area, which was created to specifically protect and conserve the Parajubae torralli palm tree and the mountain pine, but also to conserve ecosystems of the Inter-Andean Dry Valleys and its fauna (the puma, spectacled bear, red-fronted macaw, peccary, anteater, racoon, condor). In this site there are ecosystems mainly from temperate to dry climates, Interandean Dry Forests and Chaco Serrano. The area is within the macro-basin of the Amazon River and the Rio Grande basin. It has a transitional landscape between the high Andean block and the low, hot plains. Due to the characteristics of height, shape, slope, relief and drainage, several Great Landscape units are distinguished, whose particularities determine ecosystems of different life: Mountain Range and Valley. Its climate is mostly temperate, with average temperatures of 16.2 °C and the average maximum of 24.1 °C, and rainfall of around 498 mm. The heaviest rainfall occurs between December and March, in the summer season.
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. Trigger species Ara rubrogenys qualifies under A1a Criteria, and Parajubaea torallyi qualifies under A1a and B1 Criteria.
Manageability of the site: El Palmar National Integrated Management Natural Area is under the management of the National Service of Protected Areas of Bolivia SERNAP
Other site values: Quechua descendant communities live inside the KBA
Delineation rationale: Site deliniation follows the exact limits of the El Palmar National Integrated Management Natural Area.
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: Rocky Areas 10%
Land use: Local communities are dedicated to agricultural activities inside the KBA, as well as many families rely their economic income on the extraction of fruits and seeds of the Janchicoco Palm (Parajubaea torallyi).
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 40 | Forest – Subtropical/tropical dry |
| Shrubland | 20 | Shrubland – Subtropical/tropical dry |
| Wetlands(Inland) | 5 | Wetlands (inland) – Seasonal/intermittent/irregular rivers/streams/creeks |
| Artificial - Aquatic | 25 | Plantations |
Threats
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Small-holder farming | |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Livestock farming & ranching | Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Logging & wood harvesting | Intentional use: subsistence/small scale (species being assessed is the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Gathering terrestrial plants | Intentional use (species being assessed is the target) | Ongoing |
| Natural system modifications | Fire & fire suppression | Increase in fire frequency/intensity | Ongoing |
Additional information
Contributors: Romeo Rojas Estrada Museo de Historia Natural Alcide d'Orbigny (MAdO)
Victor Hugo García Consultant - Asociación Civil Armonía
Dirk Derek Independent; Consultant Asociación Civil Armonía
Jennifer Cahill Centro de Biodiversidad y Genética, Universidad Mayor de San Simón (CBG)
Oswaldo Maillard Fundación para la Conservación del Bosque Chiquitano (FCBC)
Enrique Domic Red para la Conservación de Tortugas de Bolivia (RTB)
Adriana Ávila Consultant - Asociación Civil Armonía
Diego Peñaranda Asociación Civil Armonía
Elsa Saravia Gobierno Autónomo Municipal de Sucre, Chuquisaca