Reservas de la vereda Altagracia (44735)
Colombia, South America

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Global KBA criteria: D1a

Year of last assessment: 2023

National site name: Reservas de la vereda Altagracia

Central coordinates: Latitude: 5.3970, Longitude: -70.7812

System: terrestrial, freshwater

Elevation (m): 118 to 120

Area of KBA (km²): 102.37837

Protected area coverage (%): 55.29

KBA classification: Global

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: This KBA is located in the Llanos-Orinoquia region of Colombia. In this KBA, an eolian plain or open savannah floodable with dunes predominates (Huber & Alarcón 1988), which is characterized by interdune depressions, mostly floodable, covered by dominant grasses such as Trachypogon plumosus, Axonopus affinis, Bulbosfylis paradoxa and Sporobolus indicus. Morichales (Mauritia flexuosa) are common on the site. In the KBA there is a very marked bimodal climate, from May to October it is the rainy season, during this time the savanna is flooded and only the upper parts of the savanna remain emerged, which are known as benches. From December to March there is a dry season. The months of April and November are known as transition months.

Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international importance meeting the KBA thresholds for Neochen jubata and Calidris subruficollis, meeting criteria D1. This KBA features the largest congregation of the Orinoco Goose (Neochen jubata) in Colombia and perhaps in the hemisphere. Likewise, it is a key site for the Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Calidris suruficollis) during its spring migration, more than 1% of the global population of this species uses this KBA between February and April. Furthermore, this KBA is key for the conservation of several species restricted to the Biome.

Additional biodiversity: This KBA presents extensive biodiversity-friendly livestock, in addition to birds, there are: Capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris), White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus), Northern Long-nosed Armadillo (Dasypus sabanicola-NT), Neotropical Otter (Lontra longicaudis- NT), Brazilian Porcupine (Coendou prehensilis), Giant Anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla-VU), Puma (Puma concolor), Jaguar (Panthera onca-NT), Coatin (Dasyprocta fuliginosa), Southern Tamandua (Tamandua tetradactyla), feral pigs (Sus scrofa), Iguana (Iguana iguana), Green Anaconda (Eunectes murinus), Spectacled Caiman (Caiman crocodilus) and turtles such as the South American River Turtle (Podocnemis expansa) and Yellow-spotted River Turtle (Podocnemis unifilis-VU).

Manageability of the site: This KBA is made up of twelve reserves of civil society, the management is private and carried out by the Local Conservation Group IBA Reserves of the village of Altagracia.

Delineation rationale: The limits of the KBA are given by the twelve reserves of civil society

Habitats

Land use: In this KBA the main economic activity is traditional livestock farming, a livestock farm with conservation-friendly practices. And after the designation of the site as IBA, this KBA is carrying out ecothyrism as a secondary economic activity

IUCN Habitat	Coverage %	Habitat detail
Savanna	55	Savanna - Dry
Wetlands(Inland)	40	Wetlands (inland) – Permanent freshwater marshes/pools (under 8 ha)
Forest	5	Forest – Temperate

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Internally, this KBA does not present threats, however, the agricultural frontier, especially for rice cultivation, is growing in the area and may at some point affect biodiversity, given that the management of these crops implements aerial spraying. Another external threat that can affect the KBA is the burning and degradation of savannahs by neighbors close to the KBA.

Threat level 1	Threat level 2	Threat level 3	Timing
Transportation & service corridors	Roads & railroads		Ongoing
Biological resource use	Logging & wood harvesting	Intentional use: subsistence/small scale (species being assessed is the target) [harvest]	Ongoing
Human intrusions & disturbance	Work & other activities

Additional information