List of protected areas of Peru

The protected areas in Peru, South America.

Natural heritage

View of the beach in Punta Sal.

The Constitution of Peru of 1993 recognized the natural resources and ecosystem variety of its country as a heritage^{[citation needed]}. In 1900, the National System of Natural Areas that are protected by the Government (SINANPE) was created^{[citation needed]}. This entity depends on the National Institute of Natural Resources (INRENA). Also created was a map of protection and preservation of historical-cultural heritage and nature.

This map has 63 natural areas (14,2% of the country surface area) that are preserved by the National Government: twelve national parks, eleven national reservations, seven national sanctuaries, four historical sanctuaries, two wild life refuges, two landscape reserves, six protected forests, seven communal reserves, two hunting enclosed lands and ten reserved zones.^[1]

Peru is considered to be among 17 of the most megadiverse countries in the world.^[2] With over 1,700 species of birds, it has the world's second most diverse avian community, after Colombia.^[3]

National Parks are places where the wild flora and fauna are protected and preserved. Natural resources exploitation and human settlements are forbidden.

National System of Natural State Protected Areas

National parks

• Cutervo, created in 1961 and located in Cajamarca, is the oldest Peruvian National Park. It contains many caves, including the San Andres Cave is a home of the endangered guacharo (oilbird)and Golden Quetzal.
• Tingo Maria is located in Huanuco. Its principal attraction is the Cueva de las Lechuzas (Owl Cave), another guacharo habitat.
• Manu, located in the departments of Madre de Dios and Cuzco. It is most representative of Amazon biodiversity.^{[citation needed]} In 1977, UNESCO recognised it as a Reserve of Biosphere; and in 1987, it was pronounced a Natural Heritage of Humanity.
• Huascarán is located in Ancash. It was also pronounced a Natural Heritage of Humanity and recognized as Reserve of Biosphere. Peru's highest snow-covered mountain (6,768 m) is found here, also named Huascarán. This park is the habitat of the Puya Raimondi, the Cougar, the Jaguar, the Llama, the Guanaco, the Marsh Deer, the Peruvian tapir, the Peruvian Piedtail, a hummingbird species, and many kinds of ducks.
• Cerros de Amotape (Amotape Hills) is located in Piura and Tumbes. It has many dry-climate forests and endangered species such as the American crocodile.
• The Abiseo River Park, another Natural and Cultural Heritage of Humanity site, is located in San Martín.
• Yanachaga-Chemillen, a tropical forest preservation zone at 4,800 m, is located in Pasco. The Palcazu river, Huancabamba river, Pozuzo river and their affluents flows through the park. Some native communities still live in here. There are also archaeological fields from the Inca and Yanesha cultures.
• Bahuaja-Sonene is located in Madre de Dios. It contains Puno Department's tropical forests, the Heath Pampas and part of the Tambopata-Candamo Reservation Zone.
• Cordillera Azul
• Otishi
• Alto Purús
• Ichigkat muja - Cordillera del Condor

National reserves

Valle del Colca, Arequipa.

• Pampa Galeras – Barbara D’Achille is located in Ayacucho. It is the habitat of the vicuña.
• Junin is located in Junin. One of its main purposes is to protect the ecosystem and biodiversity of Lake Junin.
• Paracas is located in Ica. Its main purpose is to preserve the sea ecosystem and protect the historical and cultural heritage of the area.
• Lachay is located in Lima. Its main purpose is to restore and protect the ecosystem of the Lomas de Lachay (Lachay Hills).
• Pacaya-Samiria is located in Loreto. Its main purpose is to preserve the ecosystems of the Omagua Region and to promote the indigenous towns.
• Salinas and Aguada Blanca are located in Arequipa and Moquegua. Their main purpose is to preserve flora, fauna and landscape.
• Calipuy is located in La Libertad. Its main purpose is to protect guanaco populations.
• Titicaca is located in Puno. Its main purpose is to preserve Lake Titicaca's ecosystems and landscape.
• Tambopata
• Allpahuayo-Mishana

National sanctuaries

National sanctuaries are areas of national importance for the protection of the habitat of specific species of flora and fauna, and natural formations of scientific or scenic interest.^[1]

• Ampay
• Calipuy
• Huayllay
• Lagunas de Mejia ("Mejia Lagoon")
• Manglares de Tumbes ("Mangroves of Tumbes")
• Manglares de Vice, found in the Sechura Province of Piura Region (the southernmost mangrove swamp system in the Pacific region; smaller than the Manglares de Tumbes National Sanctuary)
• Megantoni
• Tabacones Namballe

Historical sanctuaries

Machu Picchu

• Chacramarca
• Pampas de Ayacucho ("Pampas of Ayacucho")
• Machu Picchu
• Pómac Forest

National Forests

• Biabo Cordillera Azul
• Mariscal Cáceres
• Pastaza–Morona–Marañon
• Alexander von Humboldt

Protection forests

• Aledaño Bocatoma del Canal Nuevo Imperial ("Adjacent to the Nuevo Imperial Canal Intake")
• Puquio Santa Rosa ("Santa Rosa (Water) Spring")
• Pui–Pui
• San Matías–San Carlos
• Alto Mayo
• Pagaibamba

Communal reserves

Communal reserves are conservation areas for flora and fauna, allowing traditional use for the rural populations surrounding the areas. The use and marketing of the natural resources within the communal reserve is conducted by the same rural populations.^[1]

Reserve	Date	Area (ha)
Yanesha	19880428 28 April, 1988	&1000000000003474400000034,744
El Sira	20010622 22 June, 2001	&10000000000616413000000616,413
Amarakaeri	20020509 9 May, 2002	&10000000000402335000000402,335
Machiguenga	20030114 14 January, 2003	&10000000000218905000000218,905
Asháninka	20030114 14 January, 2003	&10000000000184468000000184,468
Purús	2004112020 November, 2004	&10000000000202033000000202,033
Tuntanain	2007081010 August, 2007	&1000000000009496700000094,967

Enclosed hunting lands

• Sunchubamba
• El Angolo

Reserved zones

Manú National Park

• Manu
• Laquipampa
• Apurimac
• Pantanos de Villa (Villa Swamps)
• Tambopata–Candamo
• Batán Grande
• Algarrobal El Moro
• Tumbes
• Güeppí
• Chancaybaños
• Aymuru Lupaca
• Listo Sifaca

See also

• Iperu, tourist information and assistance
• Tourism in Peru

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} SINANPE, SINANPE protected areas, retrieved 5 february 2009.
2. ^ Conservation International, South America Banks on Regional Strategy to Safeguard Quarter of Earth's Biodiversity. Retrieved on June 29, 2007.
3. ^ Lambertini, A Naturalist's Guide to the Tropics, excerpt

External links

• INRENA Official Website (Spanish)