Cutervo National Park
| Cutervo National Park | |
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IUCN category II (national park) | |
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Forests at Cutervo National Park. Photo: Michael O. Dillon. | |
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| Location | Cutervo Province, Cajamarca Region, Peru |
| Coordinates | 6°12′7″S 78°47′18″W / 6.20194°S 78.78833°WCoordinates: 6°12′7″S 78°47′18″W / 6.20194°S 78.78833°W |
| Area | 8,214 hectares (31.71 sq mi) |
| Established | September 8, 1961 |
| Governing body | SERNANP |
Cutervo National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional de Cutervo) is the oldest protected area in Peru, established in 1961.[1] It is located in the northern Peruvian Andes, in the region of Cajamarca.[1][2] The park has an extension of 82.14 km2 (31.71 sq mi)[2] and protects areas of Andean montane forests and paramo for headwater conservation.[1] Moreover, those areas are the habitat of animal species like the spectacled bear,[1][2] the mountain tapir,[2] and the oilbird;[1] and plant species like the Andean wax palms.[3]
History
Human occupation in the area dates back to the Pre-Columbian era, as archaeological remains are present inside the national park (El Perolito Archaeological Site).[1]
In 1938, as a consequence of the 8th Pan-American Conference in Lima, a nature conservationist society is founded: Comité Nacional de Protección a la Naturaleza (National Committee of Nature Protection) and many habitants and institutions of Cutervo sympathize with the society.[2] Among them, the Federación Cultural de Cutervo-Lima (Cultural Federation of Cutervo in Lima) submits a project for a national park near Cutervo to the Ministry of Agriculture; however, the project is dismissed.[2]
In 1956, Salomon Vilchez Murga, biologist, is elected as deputy for the region of Cajamarca.[2] During his tenure, he presents to the Peruvian Congress a project for the creation of Cutervo National Park[2] which is passed as a law (Law N° 13694) to the presidency on September 8, 1961.[1] This law became effective on September 20 of that same year and Cutervo National Park is officially created with a surface of 2500 hectares (25 km2).[2]
Since the year 2000 it was proposed that the park area should be increased.[2] Cutervo National Park finally expanded its area to reach the current 82.14 km2 by Law No 28860, on August 3, 2006.[2] In 2007, a buffer zone surrounding the national park was created in order to diminish pressure and threats to the ecosystems inside the park.[4]
Geography
Cutervo National Park is located in the districts of San Andres de Cutervo, Santo Domingo de la Capilla, Callayuc, Santa Cruz de Cutervo, Pimpingos and Santo Tomas de Aquino; which belong to the Cutervo Province, within the region of Cajamarca.[4] The park's 8214 Ha are divided in two separate sectors: the Northern sector (2429.54 Ha) and the Southern sector (5784.69 Ha).[4] The buffer zone surrounding the park comprises an area of 19425.77 Ha.[4]
Elevations inside the park range between 1550 and 3500 meters above sea level.[4] Its most important geographical feature is Cordillera de Tarros: a mountain range with the highest elevations in the park[5] and where many water streams have their origin.[5] This mountain range also has several caves.[5]
Ecology
The park protects part of the Peruvian Yungas ecoregion[2] and encompasses a variety of ecological communities such as: wet montane forests, high-elevation grasslands above 3000 m and aquatic environments (rivers and small lakes).[3]
Flora
About 741 species of vascular plants have been reported inside the park.[3] Within that amount of species, there are many broadleaved trees (e.g.: Chionanthus pubescens, Cornus peruviana, Hedyosmum scabrum, Morus insignis, Ocotea arnottiana, Prunus integrifolia, Polylepis multijuga, Vallea stipularis, etc.), a conifer (Podocarpus oleifolius) and palm trees (e.g.: Ceroxylon spp.).[3] In addition, ca. 88 species of orchids have been reported inside the park.[6]
Fauna
The park is home to mammal species facing risk of extinction such as the neotropical otter, the mountain tapir; the spectacled bear, the mountain paca, the giant anteater and a species of wild cat (Leopardus colocolo).[1] Bird species like the oilbird, the golden-headed quetzal and the Andean cock-of-the-rock are also present in the park.[1] A species of catfish (Astroblepus rosei) can be seen in the underground streams of the caves inside the park.[1]
Climate
Forests in the area are covered by clouds and fog almost year-round.[3] The park possesses an average annual rainfall of over 800 mm, with maximums of nearly 2,000 mm per year.[3] Temperature is correlated to elevation: at 1000–2000 meters, temperature ranges between 18-23 °C; at 2000–2500 meters, between 14-18 °C and at 2500–3500 meters, between 7-14 °C.[4]
Recreation
Camping and hiking are the main activities in the area, being the season between July and October the best to perform those activities.[1]
There are several caves inside the park, being the main three: Gruta de los Guácharos (Oilbird Cave), Gruta Blanca (White Cave) and Gruta del Murciélago (Bats' Cave). Stalactites and stalagmites are present in the caves, as well as underground streams home to a rare species of catfish (Astroblepus rosei).[1]
Another tourist attraction are the palm tree forests, which have a scenic beauty and a great ecological value. The main source of food for the oilbirds are the fruits of those palm trees.[1]
It is possible to visit the mountaintops where the ecosystem known as paramo is present. Here, grassland and lakes dominate the landscape.[1]
Environmental issues
The main threats to the park's biodiversity are: illegal wood extraction and clearance of forests for agriculture and pastures.[3][7] These threats grow rapidly through illegal acquisition of land inside the park and rejection to the laws concerning the new boundaries of the park.[7]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 "Cutervo - Servicio Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas por el Estado". www.sernanp.gob.pe (in Spanish). Retrieved 2016-01-26.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Plan Maestro del Parque Nacional de Cutervo 2010-2014 (in Spanish). SERNANP. 2009. pp. 13–16.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Cutervo National Park". www.sacha.org. Retrieved 2016-01-26.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Plan Maestro 2010 - 2014. Parque Nacional de Cutervo.". SERNANP. 2009. pp. 21–22.
- 1 2 3 "Plan Maestro 2010 - 2014. Parque Nacional de Cutervo." (in Spanish). SERNANP. pp. 65–68.
- ↑ Sánchez, María; Calderón, Abelardo (2010). "Evaluación Preliminar de Orquídeas en el Parque Nacional de Cutervo" (PDF). Ecología Aplicada 9 (1). Retrieved 27 January 2016.
- 1 2 "Plan Maestro 2010 - 2014. Parque Nacional de Cutervo.". SINIA | Sistema Nacional de Información Ambiental (in Spanish). SERNANP. pp. 77–79. Retrieved 2016-01-27.
External links
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