Serranía de Los Churumbelos Auka-Wasi National Natural Park ( es, Parque Nacional Natural Serranía de Los Churumbelos Auka-Wasi) was declared on 30 August 2007 by the Colombian government. It is located in the Bota Caucana of southern Colombia. Three biological expeditions conducted rapid biodiversity surveys and conservation assessments in Serranía de los Churumbelos from 1998 to 2000. The results from the expeditions were published by Fundacion ProAves in ''Conservacion Colombiana'' in 2007. These studies raised interest in the region and laid the justification for the protection of this spectacular mountain range.

Location

Serranía de los Churumbelos forms the southernmost spur of the Eastern Cordillera of the

Andes The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...

, and is situated on the border of four distinct biogeographical regions: lowland Amazonia, the Eastern Cordillera, the Central Cordillera and the dryer Magdalena Valley.

Biological expeditions

The first studies of Serrania de los Churumbelos were carried out by Anglo-Colombian expeditions, "Colombia '98" and "EBA Project", initiatives of Colombian and UK students. The mountain range was found to resemble the Northern Andean and Amazonia North Ecoregions. Several new plant species were discovered (in

Gesneriaceae Gesneriaceae, the gesneriad family, is a family of flowering plants consisting of about 152 genera and ca. 3,540 species in the tropics and subtropics of the Old World (almost all Didymocarpoideae) and the New World (most Gesnerioideae), wi ...

Piperaceae The Piperaceae (), also known as the pepper family, are a large family of flowering plants. The group contains roughly 3,600 currently accepted species in 5 genera. The vast majority of species can be found within the two main genera: ''Piper'' ...

and others). 462 bird species were recorded in Serranía de los Churumbelos, with 246 species ringed. Twelve

threatened Threatened species are any species (including animals, plants and fungi) which are vulnerable to endangerment in the near future. Species that are threatened are sometimes characterised by the population dynamics measure of ''critical depensa ...

and

near threatened A near-threatened species is a species which has been categorized as "Near Threatened" (NT) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as that may be vulnerable to endangerment in the near future, but it does not currently qualify f ...

bird species were recorded. It is estimated that the probable total bird species inventory exceeds 550 species: an exceptional diversity, making the Serranía a global avian "hotspot" and extremely important for bird diversity. 46 species of amphibians (30 species) and reptiles (16 species) were recorded, including four new species for Colombia and several potentially undescribed taxa. Mammals registered include spectacled bear (''Tremarctos ornatus'') and

mountain tapir The mountain tapir, also known as the Andean tapir or woolly tapir (''Tapirus pinchaque'') is the smallest of the four widely recognized species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism ...

(''Tapirus pinchaque''). 150 Lepidoptera (butterfly) species were recorded.

Environmental issues

The two greatest human pressures infiltrating the Serranía appear to be along the

Caquetá River Caquetá may refer to: * Caquetá River, a river in Colombia * Caquetá Territory, a former territory of Colombia * Caquetá Department Caquetá Department () is a department of Colombia. Located in the Amazonas region, Caquetá borders wit ...

- Miraflor - Piamonte - Puerto Bello road and the Pitalito -

Mocoa Mocoa () (Kamsá: Shatjok) is a municipality and capital city of the department of Putumayo in Colombia. The city is located in the northwest of the Putumayo department Putumayo () is a department of Southern Colombia. It is in the south- ...

road. Farming, hunting and cultivation pressures from environmentally poor crops such as

coca Coca is any of the four cultivated plants in the family Erythroxylaceae, native to western South America. Coca is known worldwide for its psychoactive alkaloid, cocaine. The plant is grown as a cash crop in the Argentine Northwest, Bolivia, ...

and maize are the major threats to

conservation Conservation is the preservation or efficient use of resources, or the conservation of various quantities under physical laws. Conservation may also refer to: Environment and natural resources * Nature conservation, the protection and managem ...

in the region. The steep sided slopes, combined with an extensive altitudinal gradient of the Serranía de los Churumbelos have created a number of different ecosystems and micro-habitat zones in the area. The myriad of ecosystems and habitats helps to explain to some extent the large scale spatial biodiversity of the Serranía. The existence of numerous range extensions in fauna and ecosystems typical of higher altitudes make the Serranía de los Churumbelos an area of high scientific interest. A previously unexplored table top massif in the Serranía de los Churumbelos, reminiscent of the

Tepuis A tepui , or tepuy (), is a table-top mountain or mesa found in South America, especially in Venezuela and western Guyana. The word tepui means "house of the gods" in the native tongue of the Pemon, the indigenous people who inhabit the Gran S ...

, was explored in 1998 and named Alto Cagadero (1°14'32.32"N, 76°30'28.34"W).

Conservation rationale for Serranía de los Churumbelos

There are strong biological justifications for the implementation of conservation measures. The Serranía de los Churumbelos encompasses a variety of ecosystems and micro-habitats, reflected in its high biodiversity. The eastern slope of the Andes has been subject to human population pressures and associated habitat degradation in recent years, but Serranía de los Churumbelos remained relatively intact having largely avoided the human impact that other regions have suffered. In recent years, the mountain range has come under increased pressure with the completion of the Mocoa-Bogotá highway, the proposed Puerto Asís-Florencia road, and the discovery and exploitation of petroleum and precious metals, all of which threaten a growth in human encroachment.

References

External links

*
The park's page at Parques Nacionales Naturales de Colombia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Serrania de los Churumbelos National parks of Colombia Mountain ranges of Colombia Protected areas established in 2007 Geography of Cauca Department