Coastal wetlands of the north of Peru: preservation progress

Abstract

Wetlands provide several ecological, biological, and environmental benefits, including their role in the hydrological cycle, especially in coastal areas. Coastal wetlands are affected by anthropogenic threats, as these are in constant synergy with local populations and agricultural expansion, which is one of the main factors causing their depletion. In addition, the ravages of climate change accentuate their vulnerability, which may lead to their irreparable loss. In this regard, the objective of this work was to identify the coastal wetlands of northern Peru and in order to verify the progress made in their conservation. For this purpose, a search was performed in wetlands atlas and similar studies, and a check was made to see if those wetlands had records of flora and fauna studies. Finally, information was sought on protection measures in the area. Consequently, 22 coastal wetlands were registered, and among them, three are internationally recognized as Ramsar sites: Mangroves of Tumbes, Mangrove of San Pedro de Vice, and the Virrilá Estuary, where commendable conservation efforts are underway. However, it was found that more than 77% of the coastal wetlands in northern Peru do not have preservation actions or scientific evidence describing their biodiversity.

Biodiversidad de árboles de mangle en el manglar de Puerto Pizarro, Tumbes, Perú

“…Ciertas investigaciones han mostrado que manglares expuestos al impacto antrópico pueden tener índices de biodiversidad distintos a los de manglares conservados (Zhila et al, 2014); por lo que para poder conocer mejor el estado de un manglar, una buena opción es evaluar su diversidad. En el Perú, los manglares se hallan al norte, en los departamentos de Tumbes y Piura, siendo el primero el que tiene la mayor área de manglar (Martinez, 2022;Seminario-Córdova et al, 2022). En los manglares peruanos se hallan presentes árboles de mangle de varias especies como: mangle rojo (Rhizophora mangle), mangle negro (Avicennia germinans), mangle blanco (Laguncularia racemosa), mangle colorado (Rhizophora harrisonii) y mangle botón (Conocarpus erectus) (Dioses-Puelles et al, 2023); sin embargo, según diversos autores C. erectus, no es un mangle verdadero pues no posee adaptaciones típicas de un mangle (raíces especializadas de tipo zancudas o con neumatóforos así como viviparidad) (Hamilton, 2020).…”