© Gustavo Carrasco
The mountain forest ecosystem that protects one of the most representative waterfalls of the central Amazon of Peru, the "Velo de la Novia", has been officially added to the list of Fragile Ecosystems of the National Forestry and Wildlife Service (SERFOR). Now, Velo de la Novia represents an area of high conservation value, which will ensure its sustainable management, and the recovery and enhancement of its natural heritage, for the benefit of the local population.
Fragile Ecosystems are important areas for conservation, rich in species of wild flora and fauna, including endangered and endemic ones, with highly preserved habitats that provide ecosystem services to the local population. Now that it is recognized as a fragile ecosystem, it is more likely to be included in the Peruvian National Protected Areas system. This would have been highly unlikely before, given that part of the Velo de la Novia was classified as Permanent Protection Forest by the State, a category that allows timber extraction, explains the National Coordinator of Fragile Ecosystems of Peru’s National Forest Services, Daniel Ascencios.
The re-classification of the "Velo de la Novia" as a fragile ecosystem will not only help its legal protection but will also prohibit activities that could harm it. "Now that the Velo de la Novia is a Fragile Ecosystem, the Geologic, Metal and Mining Institute have registered it as an area restricted to any sort of mining activity," adds Ascencios.
Conservation International and its strategic partners, Nature and Culture International (NCI) and the Andes Amazon Fund, have been supporting this change, which was led by the Regional Environmental Authority of Ucayali’s Regional Government. "We are happy and proud to share this news with our partners and the entire population that has been seeking for years to revalue the Velo de la Novia for its natural wealth", said Kary Ríos, Manager of the Central Amazon Program at Conservation International.
Velo de la Novia: the montane forest of Ucayali
© Gustavo Carrasco
This new fragile ecosystem not only protects the Velo de la Novia waterfall, after which it is named, but also protects a total area of 16,191 hectares, located in the district and province of Padre Abad, three and a half hours from the city of Pucallpa. The waterfall is an important tourist attraction with a fall of 40 meters, forming a great natural pool, surrounded by dense vegetation.
Velo de la Novia is also home to 36 species of flora (6 in the endangered category, such as the Ishpingo or the Cedro Colorado, both of which are timber species); 69 species of birds (1 in the endangered category, the military macaw); also 14 species of mammals (3 in the endangered category, such as the howler monkey and the giant anteater).
Ecotourist services are very popular in the area. Companies such as Amazon Tours and Viridis Tours, located in Pucallpa, and Living Tours and Tingo María Nunash Tours, located in Tingo María, are good options to book your visits. Fifteen villages and one native community surround Velo de la Novia, who carry out small scale agricultural activities, cattle raising, and experiential tourism activities. Some work with non-timber forest products from their surroundings, such as bijao leaves, bamboo and palmiche.
"Villagers near the fragile ecosystem Velo de la Novia agreed to protect this area, because it provides clean water for human consumption. It is also a fishing area for shad, boquichico, mullet and corvina. We are enthusiastic about the great potential of Velo de la Novia to become a great hub for sustainable business in the central jungle", says Cristy Diaz, Project Coordinator at NCI.