Machu Picchu - Peru

Urubamba Hotspot - Cusco Impact Region.

Machu Picchu - Urubamba - Cusco Impact region

The Cusco Region, located in the south-eastern part of Peru, has an area of 71,987 km2, which represents 5.6 percent of the national territory. It has thirteen (13) provinces, 112 districts and amongst those 87 native communities. The population is 1 369 932 inhabitants (INEI projection to 2021), with a growth rate of 1.3% and a population density of 18.3 people per km2.

The area of direct impact is the district of Machu Picchu, covering an area of 374,000 km2 (37,400 has), with an altitude of 2,078 meters above sea level, where the National Archaeological Park of Machu Picchu and the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu are located.

This area is within the “Yungas” ecoregion, within a cloud forest,  a favorable environment enabling great biodiversity, especially of orchids (372 registered native species), ferns, bromeliads and heliconia.

Increasing natural threats and anthropic activities such as  landslides, floods “huaycos”, forest fires, vegetation degrading, such as cutting of trees for firewood, the extraction of shrub and herbaceous plants, result in Machu Picchu’s deforestation and degradation of ecosystems.

These threats can be summarized as:

600 Hectares deforested

2000 Hectares affected by forest fires

60% loss of water springs (aquifers)

Species of orchids
species of bromeliads
0
species of ferns
0
species of birds
0
Species of butterflies
0

Impact Indicators

The areas where the reforestation will take place have very little organic matter, steep slopes eroded by forest fires and landslides, and little biodiversity.

These will be monitored every ninety days, to verify their progress and removal of weeds from their growth area (plateo). The dead seedling will be replaced, to maintain the population of planted specimens.

Total hectares to be restored
0 ha

Fauna and Flora which are found in this area are:

CRITICALLY ENDANGERED SPECIES (CR)

Palm

Ceroxylon sp

Qolle

Buddleja coriacea

Quishuar

Buddleja incana

Queñua

Polylepis incana

Orchid

Masdevallia karineae

Queen's shoe

Phragmipedium caudatum

ENDANGERED SPECIES (EN)

Swietenia-macrophyla forestfriends

Q'ñoa

Swietenia macrophyla

VULNERABLE SPECIES (VU)

Molle

Schinus pearcei

Chachacomo

Scallonia racemosa

Alder

Alnus acuminate

Tara

Caesalpinia spinose

Andícola geonoma palmiche - ForestFriends

Palmiche

Andícola geonoma

Cyathea-caracasna---forestfriends

Tree fern

Cyathea caracasna

Anguluoa-virginalis-forestfriends

Tulip

Anguluoa virginalis

Orchid

Brachionidium machupichuensis

Comparettia falcate - forestfriends

Comparetia

Comparettia falcate

Gongora rufescens

Gongora

Gongora rufescens

Wakanki

Masdevallia veitchiana

Odontoglossum machupichuensis

Orchid

Odontoglossum machupichuensis

Odontoglossum-praestans-forestfriends

Orchid

Odontoglossum praestans

Orchid

Prosthechea fusca

Orchid

Stanhopea nigriceps

Trichopilia-fragrans---forestfriends

Orchid

Trichopilia fragrans

NEAR THREATENED SPECIES (NT)

Walnut

Juglans neotropica

Cantuta flower

Cantua buxifolia

mammals

Andean bear

Odontoglossum praestans

Rat of Machupicchu

Cuscomys oblativa

Andean cat

Leopardus jacobitus

Puma

Puma concolor

birds

Cock of the rocks

Rupicola peruviana

Watchmaker

Momotus aequatorialis

Positive impacts of the project to the region

The main objective is to recover aquifers and prioritize protected species, improving productivity through pollination and dispersal of genetic material, planting timber species combined with cocoa and other fruit trees.

Regarding Wild fauna, the species are protected through Supreme Decree No. 004-2014-MINAGRI, which approves the categorization of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and prohibits their hunting, capture, possession, transport or export for commercial purposes. Also Wild Flora protected by Supreme Decree No. 043-2006-AG (approving the categorization of Endangered Species of Wild Flora),