On August 26, 2003 the results of the rapid biological inventory were presented in INRENA’s auditorium. The inventory is part of the Ampiyacu, Apayacu, and Putumayo Reserved Zone proposal presented by indigenous organizations in the region and by the “Bien Común” Institute.
The following institutions and organizations participated in the rapid biological inventory: The Field Museum of Chicago, Bien Común Institute, the Center of Investigation and Management of ANP CIMA, the Regional Organization of Aidesep Iquitos (ORAI), the Federation of Native Communities of Ampiyacu (FECONA), the Federation of the Yagua Pueblos of the Orosa and Apayacu Rivers (FEPYROA), the Federation of Native Communities bordering Putumayo (FECONAFROPU), the National University of Peruvian Amazon (UNAP), and the Natural History Museum (UNMSM). Other collaborators included the National Police of Peru, INRENA-IANP, local people of the three basins, and the Wildlife Conservation Society of Iquitos. The fieldwork for the inventory was conducted between August 3 and August 21, 2003.
The indigenous representatives explained the ancestral importance of the proposed reserved zone. Today, there are 13 organizations representing the 3000 to 3500 regional residents. Since ancient times, the zone has been an important corredor between the Amazon and Putumayo, which have been inhabited by groups such as the Boras, Huitotos, Yaguas, Cocama – Cocamilla, and Quichuas among others. It is also the region of the “Yanapuma,” the black puma that used to scare away the rubber tappers.
During the 1980s the FECONA indigenous organization began planning for the protection of the Yaguasyacu and Ampiyacu headwaters. In the 1990s, the first proposals to create a communal reserve were drafted. In 1999, FECONA asked the Bien Común Institute to create a detailed map for the reserve. They created the first resource-use map at that time. This map shows that the communities use a large extent of the territory in order to take advantage of its vast natural resources. It also highlights the fact that the natural resource use extends beyond the communal land. In 2001, another indigenous organization, ORAI, presented a request to INRENA to create a reserved zone. In March 2003, the indigenous federations of the area agreed with the Field Museum of Chicago to carry out biological studies in the region.
The Peruvian Natural Protected Areas Master Plan has identified 38 priority conservation areas (based on biological diversity) throughout the country. Ten of these priority areas have no protection status; five of those areas are located within the department of Loreto in Northeastern Peru. The proposed reserved zone would include a portion of these ecosystems which currently require protection.
The goal of the rapid biological inventory was not to compile a complete species list, rather to identify important biological communities in order to determine their quality and conservation priority. In the presentation, the experts from different disciplines briefly shared their findings, which clearly showed the area’s importance and provided support for a protected area in the region. For example, they found great variety in composition and biodiversity throughout the region. They identified 1,500 plants, estimating a total of 2,500 to 3,000 plant species. They collected 207 fish species, of which 15 were endemics and possibly five species considered new to science. Sixty-four amphibian species were identified, 40 reptile species, 361 bird species, and 60 mammals. They also determined that it is necessary to protect areas of migration, reproduction and feeding grounds for fauna as well as protect endemic species and intact biological communities.
As part of the rapid biological inventory, a parallel anthropological study was conducted of the local communities. They determined the number of communities with titled land, they conducted workshops and focus groups. They also gathered basic data and identified conservation needs based on the local communities’ sacred places, important fishing grounds, forestry resources, soil resources, and palm resources.
This study is an important component in the process to create a new protected area in Peru and is a valuable source of information on the biological diversity of the region.
Diego Shoobridge, ParksWatch – Peru: August 2003