Cotahuasi - Uchumiri (24027)
Peru, South America
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: B1, B2
Year of last assessment: 2023
National site name: Cotahuasi - Uchumiri
Central coordinates: Latitude: -15.0670, Longitude: -72.8050
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 920 to 6093
Area of KBA (km2): 4902.421751
Protected area coverage (%): 73.76
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The KBA Cotahuasi - Uchumiri covers an area of 6646.203 sq km and it's located in Peru, in the department of Arequipa, Province of La Unión (Huaynacotas, Puyca, Alca, Tomepampa, Cotahuasi, Toro, Tauria, Sayla, Quechualla, Charcana, and Pampamarca Districts) and Province of Condesuyos (Chichas District). The KBA Cotahuasi - Uchumiri has a very rugged topography because the Cotahuasi River forms the deepest canyon in the world with 3,354 m from the base of the snow-capped Solimana to the river bed. Therefore, it has a variety of types of weather: cold, rainy with dry autumn and winter; semifrigid, rainy with abundant humidity all seasons of the year; cold, rainy with dry winter; cold, semi-dry with dry winter; cold, semiarid with dry winters and springs; temperate, arid with moisture deficiency in all seasons of the year; temperate, arid with moisture deficiency in all seasons of the year; semifrigid, semi-dry with dry winter; semifrigid, rainy with dry winter and glacier, perennial ice. The temperature varies from -11°C to 21°C and the annual rainfall varies between 50 mm to 1200 mm approximately. The KBA Cotahuasi - Uchumiri includes the following ecosystems: "Pajonal de puna seca (Dry puna grassland)", "Periglaciar (Periglacier)", "Matorral andino (Andean scrubland)", "Desierto costero (Coastal desert)", "Bofedal", "Bosque relicto altoandino (High Andean relict forest)", "Bosque relicto mesoandino (Meso-Andean Relict Forest)", agricultural areas, glacier and urban areas. The main activity in the basin is agriculture. Livestock is raised extensively, especially camelids in the puna, which covers more than 50% of the territory.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: The KBA Cotahuasi - Uchumiri qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for B1 and B2 criteria described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs. This site harbors two range restricted bird species (Upucerthia albigula and Atlapetes nationi) and three lepidopteran species (Amastus cellularis, Amastus walkeri and Piercollias coropunae), known from few localities in Peru.
Additional biodiversity: Vicugna vicugna, Lama guanicoe, Browningia viridis, Liolaemus warjantay, Phegornis mitchellii, Anairetes alpinus, Vultur gryphus, Poospizopsis caesar, Leptasthenura pileata, Plegadis ridgwayi, Asthenes pudibunda, Armatocereus matucanensis, Austrocylindropuntia floccosa, Austrocylindropuntia subulata, Corryocactus aureus, Cumulopuntia boliviana, Cumulopuntia corotilla, Cumulopuntia sphaerica, Browningia hertlingiana, Corryocactus brevistylus, Trichocereus macrogonus var. macrogonus, Valeriana globularis
Manageability of the site: This KBA intersects with Cotahuasi Landscape Reserve, and this protected area is managed by the SERNANP, there are also collaborators in its management as representatives of the local population, public institutions, support or cooperation institutions, and companies or associations of producers or service providers. Source: Ministerio del Ambiente. Servicio Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas (2019). Plan Maestro de la Reserva Paisajística Subcuenca del Cotahuasi, 2019-2023. RP Nº 079-2019-SERNANP. https://sis.sernanp.gob.pe/biblioteca/?publicacion=1821
Other site values: There are representatives of the local population, public institutions, support or cooperation institutions, and companies or associations of producers or service providers. Source: Ministerio del Ambiente. Servicio Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas (2019). Plan Maestro de la Reserva Paisajística Subcuenca del Cotahuasi, 2019-2023. RP Nº 079-2019-SERNANP. https://sis.sernanp.gob.pe/biblioteca/?publicacion=1821
Delineation rationale: The Cotahuasi - Uchumiri KBA follows the limits of the Cotahuasi Landscape Reserve to the north. To the south, it is bordered by the limits of the former Uchumiri Private Conservation Area and to the west by the foothills of Coropuna. To the west, it is bordered by the Sambumuy Creek and to the east by the Atunmayo River.
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: Grassland 30-40%
Shrubland 10-20%
Wetland (inland) 1-10%
Other 30-40%
Desert 1-10%
Forest 1-10%
Other 40-50%
Land use: National protected area by the Peruvian government, in part
IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
---|---|---|
Grassland | 36.4 | |
Forest | 4.5 | |
Other | 36.4 | |
Desert | 4.5 | |
Shrubland | 13.6 | |
Wetlands(Inland) | 4.5 |
Threats
Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
---|---|---|---|
Climate change & severe weather | 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: Juan Grados, Arli Ayala, Emmy Medina, Letty Salinas, Alejandra Arana, Victor Sánchez, Laura Graham-Angeles and Camila Dávila.