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Sierra del Divisor Protection Area

 

Turnip Tailed Gecko (Thecadactylus rapicaudus)

Turnip Tail Gecko (Theacadactylus rapicaudus) © Moises Barbosa/UFAC

A Bi-National Project

Peru's Sierra del Divisor sister protected area in Brazil, Serra do Divisor National Park, is equally as significant in terms of biological diversity. As nature doesn't know geopolitical boundaries, The Nature Conservancy's cross-border work in this important region encompasses an area about twice the size of Connecticut.  This project is exemplary of the Conservancy's cross-boundary strategies across South America as well as the world.

"Cerro el Cono" in Sierra del Divisor, Peru

"Cerro el Cono" in Sierra del Divisor Protection Area 
© Claudia Vega/TNC

Protecting Unprecedented Biodiversity in Peru


Its distinct isolated mountain peaks rising up out of a carpet of rainforest across Peru and Brazil, Sierra del Divisor is truly a bi-national wonder. The region has some of the highest indices of biodiversity found in the entire Amazon Basin. It also possesses elevated levels of endemic and rare species, making it a conservation priority.

Location
Sierra del Divisor is located in northeastern Peru in the departments of Loreto and Ucayali expanding into the Alto Juruá region of Acre state in Brazil. The region is an important biodiversity corridor encompassing a mosaic of private lands, indigenous lands, and protected areas including reserves and the Serra do Divisor National Park (Brazil). In Peru alone the project area spans more than 3.7 million acres (1.5 million hectares) and including Brazil, comes to nearly 7.9 million acres (3.2 million hectares). 
 
Animals
The Sierra del Divisor region has extraordinary diversity in primates- 18 species- including the Red Uakari monkey (Cacajao calvus) and Goeldi”s monkey (Callimico goeldi). In a recent biological assessment 300 species of birds were counted, many of which are extremely rare and little known, including the Acre antshrike (Thamnophilus divisorius). The Acre antshrike is newly registered in Peru and only previously seen in the highlands of the Brazilian side. The bird takes its name divisorius from this incredible region where it was discovered.

Plants
Sierra del Divisor’s isolation and different gradients of elevation -- from mighty cedar and mahogany rainforest trees in the lowlands to dwarf shrubs on the crests -- lend to its high levels of diversity and endemism. It is estimated that the entire region possesses between 3,000-3,500 plant species. In a recent 18-day biological assessment, nearly 1,000 plant species, 13 of which are new, were counted.

Why the Conservancy Works Here
Important for the survival of many species, Sierra del Divisor is a key part of the important Vilcambaba-Amboró biological corridor that links the southeast of Peru with Bolivia and Brazil. In addition, in recent years its plants, animals, waters and traditional human populations have suffered increased ecological threat from predatory logging, fishing, mining and unsustainable infrastructure development. The region is also believed to harbor some of the last isolated indigenous groups of the Amazon.

What the Conservancy is Doing
Sierra de Divisor’s consortium of Peruvian partners includes ProNaturaleza, the Center for Conservation Data (CDC-UNALM), the Peruvian Society for Environmental Law (SPDA) and Instituto del Bien Común (IBC). In Brazil, partners are SOS Amazônia and Comissão Pro-Índio do Acre. Objectives of the project are:

• Work with national and local governments towards the bi-national protection and conservation of the Sierra del Divisor region between Peru and Brazil. Specifically, on the Peruvian side encourage the declaration of a Reserve Zone adjacent to Brazil’s Serra do Divisor National Park. Once the Reserve Zone is declared, the project will provide technical support in the development and implementation of a site conservation management plan for the area.

• Harness support from the Peruvian government, authorities and local populations to halt illegal logging- one of Sierra del Divisor’s greatest ecological threats.

• Support bi-national conservation planning and monitoring to consolidate efforts throughout Sierra del Divisor. As part of this planning process, the Conservancy and partners are working in collaboration with indigenous groups of the region to conduct ethnomapping on their lands. In addition, the project has conducted numerous socio-economic and anthropological assessments of the region for more inclusive conservation planning.

• Provide biological information through rapid assessments of Sierra del Divisor’s biodiversity to assist in the declaration of the Reserve Zone and development of effective conservation management plans.