Northen Andes (200898)
Peru, South America
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1a, A1e, B1, B2
Year of last assessment: 2024
National site name: Andes del Norte
Central coordinates: Latitude: -5.3943, Longitude: -79.2601
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 1230 to 3600
Area of KBA (km2): 4594.31563
Protected area coverage (%): 31.00
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: No
Site details
Site description: The KBA Andes del Norte covers an area of 4594.315 km and it's located within Peru, in the departments of Piura and Cajamarca. The altitude range of the KBA is 1230 to 3600 masl. The KBA has a temperate, arid climate with moderate thermal amplitude, with a maximum and minimum temperature of 24.5°C to 12.8°C (for the period 1961-1980) and a mean annual accumulated precipitation for the period 1961-1980 of 476.1 mm, and the site is dominated by patches of montane forest, grasslands and cultivated fields. Habitat loss is due to increased agriculture and cattle ranching.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: The KBA Andes del Norte qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for the A1b, A1d and A1e and B2 criteria described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs.
This KBA harbors five trigger amphibians, a population of the Andean Tapir, the Endangered Cleistocactus longiserpens and eighteen range restricted bird species.
Additional biodiversity: Akodon orophilus, Borzicactus longiserpens Incaspiza ortizi, Anairetes nigrocristatus, Megascops petersoni, Gallinago jamesoni, Lathrotriccus griseipectus, Melanopareia maranonica.
Manageability of the site: This KBA is located within the Northern Peruvian Andes Conservation Corridor, administered by National Service for Natural Areas Protected by the State - SERNANP and the Regional Governments of Piura and Cajamarca. Within this KBA are the following conservation areas: Tabaconas Namballe National Sanctuary, ACR Bosques El Chaupe, Cunia y Chinchiquilla, ACR Páramos y Bosques Montanos de Jaén y Tabaconas, ACR "Bosques de Neblina y Páramos de Samanga", ACP "Lagunas y Páramos Andinos de San José de Tapal", ACP "Bosques Montanos y Páramos Chicuate- Chinguelas", ACP "Bosques Montanos y Páramos Huaricancha", ACP "Páramos y Bosques Montanos de la San Juan de Sallique", ACP "Páramos y Bosques Montanos San Miguel de Tabaconas", ACP "Páramos y Bosques Montanos, Paraíso de la Comunidad Campesina San Felipe", ACA "Páramos y Bosque Nublados de Cachiaco y San Pablo - Pacaipampa". The heads of all these conservation areas, the regional governments and the national service of state-protected areas have formed a management and coordination committee for the conservation of this Conservation Corridor, so this KBA will continue to be managed by this committee.
Also, the National Coordination Group of KBAs has a conservation promotion and monitoring committee, which is composed of various governmental and civil society institutions that will work to promote conservation actions in the KBAs.
Supersedes another site: 14733 Cordillera de Huancabamba, 14735 Chinguela Hill, 14848 Santuario Nacional Tabaconas-Namballe, 14708 La Cocha
Other site values: Segunda y Cajas, Huaricancha, San Miguel de Tabaconas, San Juan de Sallique, San Felipe, Lipanga Peasant Communities.
Delineation rationale: The KBA "Andes del Norte" extends along the northern border between Peru and Ecuador, also following the departmental boundary of the provinces of Ayabaca and Huancabamba. To the east, it follows the boundaries of the Buffer Zone of the Tabaconas Namballe National Sanctuary and the El Chaupe, Cunia, and Chinchiquilla Regional Conservation Area. To the south, it stretches into the Cajamarca region through the Paramos and Montane Forests of the San Juan de Sallique and San Felipe Peasant Community. To the west, it reaches up to Highway 2A in the Canchaque district.
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: The vegetation in the area is representative of the paramo and montane forests.
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The Northern Andes KBA reports threats related to modifications of natural systems, specifically fire suppression, urban growth and cattle ranching.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy production & mining | Mining & quarrying | Ongoing | |
| Biological resource use | Logging & wood harvesting | Motivation Unknown/Unrecorded | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Motivation Unknown/Unrecorded | Ongoing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Scale Unknown/Unrecorded | Ongoing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Livestock farming & ranching | Scale Unknown/Unrecorded | Ongoing |
| Natural system modifications | Fire & fire suppression | Trend Unknown/Unrecorded | Unknown |
Additional information
References: National Ecosystems Map of Peru. SINIA (National System of Environmental Information. 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). Climates of Peru: national climate classification map. 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, César Aguilar, Letty Salinas, Elio Nuñez, Carolina Guevara, Victor Sanchez and Camila Dávila.