¿What do we know about
Peruvian peatlands?
Mariela López Gonzales, et al.
Symposium: Tropical South American Peatlands:
distribution, impacts of disturbanceand knowledge gaps.
58th Annual Meeting of the Association for Tropical
Biology and Conservation (ATBC) Cartagena-Colombia
Ecosystem services, threats and Regulatory framework

Peatlands
• Oxygen deficient wetlands. Saturated
condition allow peat formation.
• 2,8 % of the Earth´sSurface(Xu et al. 2018)
→ 815 Gtof C in the soil (Yu et al, 2012).
Perú: One of the richest countries in
tropical peatlands (Gumbricht et al.2017).

I. Location
• Ecosystem
located in their
three regions.
• Predominance in
the Amazon.

II. Ecosystems
Region
Estimated area of
peatlands (km2
)
Ecosytem with
potential to form peat
Amazon
74 644#
Palm swampforest
Pole forest
Grass-shrub
swamp
Floodplain forest
Andes
13 800&
Bofedal
Paramo
Jalca
Coast
n. d. Mangrove
Coastalwetland
# Gumbricht et al. (2017). & Solo en bofedales, según Chimner (2019 en
Chimner et al. 2019).
Palm swampforest
Bofedal
Mangrove

III. Importance- Ecosystemservices
❑ Important carbon reservoir
→Pastaza Marañón (3% forest area)=3,1
Gt C (Draper et al.2014)(50% of C stored
in aerial biomass of Perú)
→Average C accumulation rates: up to
66 g C m-2 year-1 (Lähteenoja et al. 2009)
→Peat dephts: ~7.5 m (Amazon) and up
to 10.5 m (Andes).
❑ Regulation of the hydrological
cycle

III. Importance
❑ Home to unique biodiversity
❑ Livelihoods of local communities
✓ Amazon: > 50 species form part of local
community
✓ Andes: Animal husbandry is the main source of
income
❑ Important part of the cultural roots of many
indigenous communitites
Macaws (Ara ararauna)
Tapir (Tapirus terrestris)
Agouti(Dasyproctaspp.)
Mauritiaflexuosa
fruit Cinclodes palliatus

IV. Threats
• Amazon
✓ Explotation of oil and mining Resources
(24% of peatlands in Pastaza are located in
oil concessions,Roucoux et al.2017).
✓ Selectively felling female palms.
✓ Land-use change (plantations and rice
fields expanded in Madre de Dios, Ucayali
y San Martin).
✓ Overhunting
- Anthropogenic

IV. Threats
• The Andes
✓ Mining activities
✓ Road construction
✓ Overgrazing
✓ Peat extraction
• Coast
✓ Population expansion
✓ Fires

V. Regulatory Framework
• Commitment to conservation within the
framework of the Ramsar Conventionon
Wetlands.
• Some peatlands areas are in protected
zones.
• Important regulations on mechanisms for
the compensation of ecosystemservices
• DS N° 006-2021 MINAM
• There is no explicit inclusión in policies
related to climate change: REDD + and NDC

Conclusions
Peruvian peatlands…
They play an importantrole in the fixationand storageof C, their conservation,
sustainablemanagement and restorationare consideredkey among naturalclimate
solutions.
They are essential for adaptationto climate changethroughtheir provision of water-
related ecosystemservices, such as water storageand regulation,buffering against
floods, and waterpurificationat local and regional scales.
They are fragile ecosystemsthatare being damaged by anthropogenicactivitiesthat
include infrastructuredevelopmentand resourceextraction,and unsustainableuses or
practicesof varying intensity thatthreatenthem and increase their vulnerability.
Therefore,it is essential that Peruvian policies ensure the conservationand sustainable
use of peatlandsand prioritize them within the national climate and environment
agenda.

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