DESTINATIONS IN PERU - NATURE PROTECTION AREAS

Peru is one of the countries with the highest diversity of species worldwide. Its broad range of climates and landscapes provide perfect conditions for millions of animal and plant species.
Due to its topographic structure and the three dominating climates, you can find 28 out of the Earth´s 32 natural habitats within Peru's territorial borders. National parks such as Manu in the Southern rainforest are profoundly abundant in countless varieties of both animals and plants. In order to secure the continuity of these unique biotopes in times of ever growing industrialization, they have been classified as protected areas. The first of these zones were converted into a nature protection areas in the 1960's.

To give an overview of the numerous different categories and forms of nature parks, we defined some terms as they are valid in Peru.

In these areas, the protection of the natural environment is the one and only objective. Any use or alteration of the landscape is strictly forbidden. The only exceptions are scientific research and activities that contribute to tourism, education, culture or recreation, which are allowed in a limited scope. The following areas fall under the category of indirectly used areas:

• National Park (Parque Nacional): According to the definition of INRENA (Instituto Nacional de Recursos Naturales, National Institute for Natural Resources), those areas are declared national park, that are representative of the ecological diversity of a country. National parks serve the protection of this diversity and one or more eco systems, typical flora and fauna, natural evolutionary processes as well as characteristic landscape and culture.
  There are 11 national parks in Peru.
  

• Natural Monument (Santuario Nacional): Natural monuments are protected landscapes or elements of landscape that have a certain specialty (e. g. specific flora or fauna).
  Peru has 7 natural monuments.

• Historical Monument (Santuario Histórico): Besides a unique natural landscape, historical monuments contain an archaeologically or historically valuable site.
  The most famous of Peru's 4 historical monuments is certainly Machu Picchu.

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The group of directly used areas describes those protected areas, where the use of natural resources is allowed under the strict rules of a master plan, monitored by a local body and exclusively for the local population.

• National Reserve (Reserva Nacional): Similar to a national park, also in national reserves, the protection and conservation of the biodiversity is the main goal. Contrary to national parks, in a national reserve economic activities including cultivation and agriculture, with the exception of forestry with exotic woods, are allowed.
  During your Peru journey you can visit up to 10 national reserves.

• Landscape Protection Area (Reserva Paisajística): This term describes those areas that are of a certain value because they, in a special manner, are representative for the relation between natural and man-made cultural aesthetics. In these areas people can both settle and make tourism and agricultural use of the landscape, as long as they do not significantly change or transform its character.
  So far there are 2 landscape protection areas in Peru.

• Wildlife Protection Area (Refugio de Vida Silvestre): These territories serve the active protection and recreation of endangered habitats. It is not allowed to use these areas if this encroaches on or alters the environmental space.
  

• Community Reserve (Reserva Comunal): Community reserves have as a goal the conservation of wild flora and fauna in order to serve the local, mostly rural, population with their traditional activities and workmanship. Via long term plans, controlled by local organs, it is intended, that the profits made out of this, stay within the region.
  In 6 Peruvian community reserves the local population gets supported in a sustainable way.
  

• Protection Forest (Bosque de Protección): Protection forests help to counteract the natural erosion, especially along rivers. In these territories, common activities that do not harm the vegetation are allowed.
  In Peru 6 protection forests cater for more security.
  

• Hunting Ground (Coto de Caza): These areas are dedicated to hunting sports solely.
  In Peru wildlife can be hunted under regulations on 2 hunting grounds.

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The category of biosphere reserves was created by the UNESCO in 1974. These reserves are sort of model regions, in which apart from the protection of the natural environment, the integration of the local population into the planning of the habitats as well as scientific research and education are major objectives.
The original idea of the biosphere plan of the UNESCO is to extend the existing net of reserves until, sooner or later, all types of habitats and biotopes of the world are represented.
Biosphere reserves in Peru are:

• Huascarán National Park
• Manu National Park
• Biosfera Noroeste (Biosphere Northwest - Cerros de Amotape National Park, Hunting Ground El Angolo and Reserved Zone Tumbes)

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Apart from the already mentioned categories there are so called reserved zones. These areas contain territories that will soon be dedicated to be a national park, national reserve or the like. In order to get this status of a nature protection area, there still needs to be done scientific research and further studies in order to find out, e. g. about the actual size or the category under which it should be protected in a later stage.

Back to the page Nature Protection Areas.

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