Pantanos de Villa Wildlife Refuge is a protected area of marshes located in the district of Chorrillos, within the city of

Lima Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of the central coastal part of ...

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

with an extension of .https://www.gob.pe/institucion/sernanp/informes-publicaciones/1833908-refugio-de-vida-silvestre-los-pantanos-de-villa Refugio de Vida Silvestre Los Pantanos de Villa - SERNANP (in spanish)

History

Since 1977, the Municipality of Lima, through the Lima Parks Service (SERPAR), managed and protected the area. In 1989, the

Ministry of Agriculture An agriculture ministry (also called an) agriculture department, agriculture board, agriculture council, or agriculture agency, or ministry of rural development) is a ministry charged with agriculture. The ministry is often headed by a minister ...

declared the area as a wildlife reserve. In 1993, the Municipality of Lima established the Natural Metropolitan Park of Villa; creating in 1994 a special office for the wildlife reserve with members of the military, the ministry of agriculture and members of the municipalities of Lima and Chorrillos. In 1997, the reserve was declared a Ramsar site.Zona Reservada Los Pantanos de Villa - RAMSAR Sites Information Service
/ref> In 1998, the municipality issued decrees to strengthen the protection of the reserve, and to manage it through a special governing body named PROHVILLA. In 2001, the area was declared a reserved zone; and in 2006 it finally reaches the present category of wildlife refuge.

Geography

Pantanos de Villa Wildlife Refuge consists of a series of brackish water lagoons and marshes. These wetlands are formed by the filtration and discharge of water from the Ate-Surco-Chorrillos

irrigation canal An acequia () or séquia () is a community-operated watercourse used in Spain and former Spanish colonization of America, Spanish colonies in the Americas for irrigation. Particularly in Spain, the Andes, northern Mexico, and the modern-day A ...

(which branches off from the Rimac River) and other underground canals. Elevational range inside the protected area goes from 0 to 5 meters above sea level.

Climate

The refuge has a subtropical climate characterized by Austral winters with

drizzle Drizzle is a light precipitation consisting of liquid water drops smaller than those of rain – generally smaller than in diameter. Drizzle is normally produced by low stratiform clouds and stratocumulus clouds. Precipitation rates from dri ...

, called garua, and high relative humidity (85–99%). Temperatures in winter fluctuate between 14 °C and 19 °C; while in summer, between 15 ° and 26 °C. Annual average precipitation reaches 60 mm.

Ecology

Flora

These wetlands are located in the Pacific subtropical desert, but are surrounded by urban areas. Some native plant species found in or around the wetlands are: ''

Typha domingensis ''Typha domingensis'', known commonly as southern cattail or cumbungi, is a perennial herbaceous plant of the genus '' Typha''. Distribution and habitat It is found throughout temperate and tropical regions worldwide. It is sometimes found as a ...

'', ''

Schoenoplectus americanus ''Schoenoplectus americanus'' ( syn. ''Scirpus americanus'') is a species of flowering plant in the sedge family known by the common names chairmaker's bulrush and Olney's three-square bulrush. It is native to the Americas, where it is known fro ...

'', ''

Solanum pimpinellifolium ''Solanum pimpinellifolium'', commonly known as the currant tomato or pimp, is a wild species of tomato native to Ecuador and Peru but naturalized elsewhere, such as the Galápagos Islands. Its small fruits are edible, and it is commonly grown i ...

Persicaria hydropiperoides ''Persicaria hydropiperoides'' is a New World species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family known by the common names swamp smartweed and false waterpepper. It is widespread across much of North America and South America.Cowan, C. P. 1983. F ...

, Sarcocornia'' sp., ''

Myrsine ''Myrsine'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Primulaceae. It was formerly placed in the family Myrsinaceae before this was merged into the Primulaceae. It is found nearly worldwide, primarily in tropical and subtropical areas. It con ...

manglilla, Ludwigia peploides,

Wolffia columbiana ''Wolffia columbiana'', the Columbian watermeal,USDA PLANTS Profile for ''Wolffia columbia ...

Najas guadalupensis ''Najas guadalupensis'' is a species of aquatic plant known by the common names southern waternymph, guppy grass, najas grass, and common water nymph. It is native to the Americas, where it is widespread. It is considered native to Canada (from A ...

Paspalum vaginatum ''Paspalum vaginatum'' is a species of grass known by many names, including seashore paspalum, biscuit grass, saltwater couch, silt grass, and swamp couch.Solanum americanum ''Solanum americanum'', commonly known as American black nightshade, small-flowered nightshade or glossy nightshade, is a herbaceous flowering plant of wide though uncertain native range. The certain native range encompasses the tropics and subtr ...

, Ludwigia peruviana, Sagittaria montevidensis,

Phyla nodiflora ''Phyla nodiflora'', the frog fruit, sawtooth fogfruit, or turkey tangle, is a flowering plant in the family Verbenaceae, and is native to the area from northern South America to southern United States. It can be found in tropical areas around th ...

Lemna minuta ''Lemna minuta'' is a species of duckweed known by the common name least duckweed. It is the smallest ''Lemna'' species. It is native to parts of the Americas, and naturalized in others; the exact native range is not known. It is found on other c ...

'', ''

Distichlis spicata ''Distichlis spicata'' is a species of grass known by several common names, including seashore saltgrass, inland saltgrass, and desert saltgrass. This grass is native to the Americas, where it is widespread. It can be found on other continents a ...

,'' etc.

Fauna

A total of 210 bird species are reported in this protected area, but a study conducted between 2004 and 2007 reports 58 species (resident or migrant) with the possibility of finding up to 56 more. Among the birds found in the area are: the

white-cheeked pintail The white-cheeked pintail (''Anas bahamensis''), also known as the Bahama pintail or summer duck, is a species of dabbling duck. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his landmark 1758 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae'' under its current ...

, the

great grebe The great grebe (''Podiceps major'') is the largest species of grebe in the world. A disjunct population exists in northwestern Peru, while the main distribution is from extreme southeastern Brazil to Patagonia and central Chile. The population f ...

, the

Andean coot The Andean coot (''Fulica ardesiaca''), also known as the slate-colored coot, is a species of bird in subfamily Rallinae of family Rallidae, the rails, gallinules, and coots. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru ...

, the

Neotropic cormorant The neotropic cormorant or olivaceous cormorant (''Nannopterum brasilianum'') is a medium-sized cormorant found throughout the American tropics and subtropics, from the middle Rio Grande and the Gulf and Californian coasts of the United States so ...

, the Peruvian pelican,

Franklin's gull Franklin's gull (''Leucophaeus pipixcan'') is a small (length 12.6–14.2 in, 32–36 cm) gull. The genus name ''Leucophaeus'' is from Ancient Greek ''leukos'', "white", and ''phaios'', "dusky". The specific ''pipixcan'' is a Nahuatl name f ...

, the gray-headed gull, the puna ibis, the

black vulture The black vulture (''Coragyps atratus''), also known as the American black vulture, Mexican vulture, zopilote, urubu, or gallinazo, is a bird in the New World vulture family whose range extends from the northeastern United States to Peru, Cen ...

, the Peruvian thick-knee, the black skimmer, the

American oystercatcher The American oystercatcher (''Haematopus palliatus''), occasionally called the American pied oystercatcher, is a member of family Haematopodidae. Originally called the "sea pie", it was renamed in 1731 when naturalist Mark Catesby observed the ...

and

Wilson's phalarope Wilson's phalarope (''Phalaropus tricolor'') is a small wader. This bird, the largest of the phalaropes, breeds in the prairies of North America in western Canada and the western United States. It is migratory, wintering in inland salt lakes ...

. Among the important native fish in the area are: '' Bryconamericus peruanus, Lebiasina bimaculata,

Mugil cephalus The flathead grey mullet (''Mugil cephalus'') is an important food fish species in the mullet family Mugilidae. It is found in coastal tropical and subtropical waters worldwide. Its length is typically . It is known with numerous English names ...

'' and ''

Andinoacara stalsbergi ''Andinoacara stalsbergi'' is a species of South American freshwater fish in the family Cichlidae. It was previously included in '' A. rivulatus'', but was described as a separate species in 2009. The specific name honours the Norwegian aquar ...

.''

Activities

Birdwatching Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device like binoculars or a telescope, by ...

is the main activity, especially during the summer months (December to March). PROHVILLA, the municipality division that jointly manages the refuge with the government, offers three tourist routes (2 of them of 1 hour, the other one of 45 minutes). Research is also carried out in the area.

Environmental issues

Current threats to biodiversity in the area are: invasion of lands inside the protected area, chaotic urban growth next to the area, wastewater discharge at nearby areas, industrial plants inside the buffer zone and disappearance and pollution of agricultural canals that feed the marshes (especially the Surco canal).

References

External links

Profile at protectedplanet.net
{{Landmarks in Lima Reserved zones of Peru Tourist attractions in Lima Ramsar sites in Peru Geography of Lima Chorrillos District