Junín National Reserve is a

protected area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...

located in the region of Junín,

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

. One of its main purposes is to protect the ecosystem and biodiversity of Lake Junín and the surrounding

Central Andean wet puna The Central Andean wet puna is a montane grasslands and shrublands ecoregion in the Andes of Peru and Bolivia. Setting This ecoregion occurs above and consists of high-elevation, wet, montane grasslands amid lakes, plateaus, valleys, and high m ...

Ecology

Flora

Land native plant species found in the reserve include: ''

Plantago rigida ''Plantago rigida'', colloquially known as "Colchón de agua" (water mattress), is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family found in the high-altitude páramo biome of South America. Distribution Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Ven ...

Calamagrostis ''Calamagrostis'' (reed grass or smallweed) is a genus of flowering plants in the grass family Poaceae, with about 260 species that occur mainly in temperate regions of the globe. Towards equatorial latitudes, species of ''Calamagrostis'' general ...

vicunarum,

Paranephelius ''Paranephelius'' is a genus of South American plants in the tribe Liabeae within the family Asteraceae. ; Species * '' Paranephelius asperifolius'' (Muschl.) H.Rob. & Brettell - Bolivia, Salta * '' Paranephelius bullatus'' A.Gray ex Wedd. - Hu ...

ovatus, Lobelia oligophylla,

Baccharis ''Baccharis'' is a genus of perennials and shrubs in the aster family (Asteraceae). They are commonly known as baccharises but sometimes referred to as "brooms", because many members have small thin leaves resembling the true brooms. They are n ...

tricuneata,

Jarava ichu ''Jarava ichu'', commonly known as Peruvian feathergrass, ''ichhu'', ''paja brava'', ''paja ichu'', or simply ''ichu'' (Quechua for straw), is a grass species in the family Poaceae native to the Americas. It is found growing in a vast area: Mex ...

Alchemilla ''Alchemilla'' is a genus of herbaceous perennial plants in the family Rosaceae, with the common name lady's mantle applied generically as well as specifically to ''Alchemilla mollis'' when referred to as a garden plant. The plant used as a herb ...

pinnata, Festuca dolychophylla,

Chuquiraga ''Chuquiraga'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae.''Chuquirag ...

spinosa,

Geranium ''Geranium'' is a genus of 422 species of annual, biennial, and perennial plants that are commonly known as geraniums or cranesbills. They are found throughout the temperate regions of the world and the mountains of the tropics, but mostly in ...

sessiliflorum,

Distichia A distichia is an eyelash that arises from an abnormal part of the eyelid. This abnormality, attributed to a genetic mutation, is known to affect dogs and humans. Distichiae usually exit from the duct of the meibomian gland at the eyelid margin. T ...

muscoides,

Ribes ''Ribes'' is a genus of about 200 known species of flowering plants, most of them native to the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The various species are known as currants or gooseberries, and some are cultivated for their edible f ...

cuneifolium, Azorella diapensioides,

Austrocylindropuntia floccosa ''Austrocylindropuntia floccosa'', also called ''waraqu'' (Aymara and Quechua for cactus, Hispanicized spelling ''Huaraco'') is found in the high plains of Northern Peru and Bolivia. Uses Fences ''Waraqu'' are cultivated for the use of planti ...

Lupinus ''Lupinus'', commonly known as lupin, lupine, or regionally bluebonnet etc., is a genus of plants in the legume family Fabaceae. The genus includes over 199 species, with centers of diversity in North and South America. Smaller centers occur ...

brachyphyllus, etc.'' Aquatic native plant species found in the reserve include: ''

Schoenoplectus californicus ''Schoeneoplectus californicus'' is a species of sedge known by the common names California bulrush, southern bulrush and giant bulrush. It is also sometimes called "tule", but the closely related ''Schoenoplectus acutus'' is the species most oft ...

Elodea ''Elodea'' is a genus of 6 species of aquatic plants often called the waterweeds described as a genus in 1803. Classified in the frog’s-bit family (Hydrocharitaceae), ''Elodea'' is native to the Americas and is also widely used as aquarium vege ...

potamogeton,

Juncus ''Juncus'' is a genus of monocotyledonous flowering plants, commonly known as rushes. It is the largest genus in the family Juncaceae, containing around 300 species. Description Rushes of the genus ''Juncus'' are herbaceous plants that superfici ...

arcticus,

Myriophyllum ''Myriophyllum'' (water milfoil) is a genus of about 69 species of freshwater aquatic plants, with a cosmopolitan distribution. The center of diversity for ''Myriophyllum'' is Australia with 43 recognized species (37 endemic). These submersed aq ...

quitense, Chara fragilis,

Potamogeton ''Potamogeton'' is a genus of aquatic, mostly freshwater, plants of the family Potamogetonaceae. Most are known by the common name pondweed, although many unrelated plants may be called pondweed, such as Canadian pondweed (''Elodea canadensis'' ...

'' spp.'','' etc.

Fauna

Some of the birds found in the reserve include: the Junin grebe, the Junin crake (both species endemic to this lake); the

Puna teal The Puna teal (''Spatula puna'') is a species of dabbling duck in the family Anatidae. It was at one time regarded as a subspecies of the silver teal. The Puna teal is resident in the Andes of Peru, western Bolivia, northern Chile, and extreme ...

, the

common gallinule The common gallinule (''Gallinula galeata'') is a bird in the family Rallidae. It was split from the common moorhen by the American Ornithologists' Union in July 2011. It lives around well-vegetated marshes, ponds, canals, and other wetlands in t ...

, the

Andean goose The Andean goose (''Chloephaga melanoptera'') is a species of waterfowl in tribe Tadornini of subfamily Anserinae.HBW and BirdLife International (2021) Handbook of the Birds of the World and BirdLife International digital checklist of the birds ...

, the

Chilean flamingo The Chilean flamingo (''Phoenicopterus chilensis'') is a species of large flamingo at closely related to the American flamingo and the greater flamingo, with which it was sometimes considered conspecific. The species is listed as near threatened ...

, the

ruddy duck The ruddy duck (''Oxyura jamaicensis'') is a duck from North America and one of the stiff-tailed ducks. The genus name is derived from Ancient Greek ''oxus'', "sharp", and ''oura'', "tail", and ''jamaicensis'' is "from Jamaica". Taxonomy The ru ...

, the

yellow-billed pintail The yellow-billed pintail (''Anas georgica'') is a South American dabbling duck of the genus ''Anas'' with three described subspecies. Taxonomy The yellow-billed pintail was formally described in 1789 by the German naturalist Johann Friedric ...

, the

silvery grebe The silvery grebe (''Podiceps occipitalis'') is a species of grebe in the family Podicipedidae. It is found in the western and southern part of South America at altitudes of up to . Its natural habitat is freshwater lakes but it also feeds in sa ...

, the

Andean gull The Andean gull (''Chroicocephalus serranus'') is a species of gull in the family Laridae. As is the case with many gulls, it has traditionally been placed in the genus ''Larus''. It is found in the Andes in mountainous regions of Argentina, Bol ...

, etc. Among the mammals found in the reserve are: the

Andean fox The culpeo (''Lycalopex culpaeus''), also known as culpeo zorro, Andean zorro, Andean fox, Paramo wolf, Andean wolf,Comparative ecology of two South American foxes, 'Dusicvon ariseus' and 'culpaeus' by Warren E. Johnson. Doctoral dissertation. Io ...

, the

northern viscacha The northern viscacha (''Lagidium peruanum'') is a species of viscacha, a rodent in the family Chinchillidae. It is known from Peru and Chile, at elevations from 300 to 5000 m, and may also be present in Bolivia. Description The northern visca ...

, the

Molina's hog-nosed skunk Molina's hog-nosed skunk, also called the Andes skunk (''Conepatus chinga''), is a skunk species from South America. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Paraguay, and Uruguay, at elevations up to 5000 m. Habitat The Molina' ...

, the montane guinea pig, the

Pampas cat The Pampas cat (''Leopardus colocola'') is a small wild cat native to South America. It is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List as habitat conversion and destruction may cause the population to decline in the future. It is named after ...

, the

long-tailed weasel The long-tailed weasel (''Neogale frenata''), also known as the bridled weasel, masked ermine, or big stoat, is a species of Mustelidae, mustelid distributed from southern Canada throughout all the United States and Mexico, southward through all ...

, etc.

References

National Reservations of Peru Ramsar sites in Peru Geography of Junín Region {{SouthAm-protected-area-stub