High-carbon Yungas forests found only in the eastern Andes Mountains hold an astounding number of species that are threatened by illegal mining and coca production.
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Species at Risk
Black-faced Black Spider Monkey (EN), Black-and-chestnut Eagle (EN), Blue-headed Macaw (VU), Common Woolly Monkey (VU), Margay (NT)
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Carbon stored
42,022,439 mT*
*(metric tons of CO2 equivalents) -
Partner
Association for the Conservation of the Amazon Basin (ACCA)
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188,000 Proposed Acres Conserved by
Designation
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Project Cost: $594,447
188,000
High-carbon Yungas forests found only in the eastern Andes Mountains hold an astounding number of species that are threatened by illegal mining and coca production.
-
Species at Risk
Black-faced Black Spider Monkey (EN), Black-and-chestnut Eagle (EN), Blue-headed Macaw (VU), Common Woolly Monkey (VU), Margay (NT)
-
Carbon stored
42,022,439 mT*
*(metric tons of CO2 equivalents) -
Partner
Association for the Conservation of the Amazon Basin (ACCA)
-
188,000 Proposed Acres Conserved by
Designation
-
Project Cost: £475,557
188,000
The carbon safely locked up in the proposed conservation area is equivalent to the emissions from
coal-fired power plants during one year.
In the Peruvian Amazon, the Bahuaja-Sonene National Park and the Tambopata National Reserve just to its north protect a complex mosaic of habitats that hold at least 20% of the country’s species. This megadiverse landscape borders the 4.6-million-acre Madidi National Park in Bolivia to the east. The Bahuaja-Sonene and Tambopata protected areas are critically important in safeguarding water resources flowing from the eastern Peruvian Andes highlands into the Amazon basin. Yet, increasingly, the area is threatened by illegal mining, coca production, and oil and gas exploration.
Along the southern boundary of Bahuaja-Sonene National Park, Rainforest Trust and our partner, Association for the Conservation of the Amazon Basin (ACCA), support the designation of 188,000 acres as the Selva Verde–Santo Domingo Regional Conservation Area. This designation will safeguard 121 mammal and 193 bird species as well as populations of at least 17 threatened mammals, amphibians, and reptiles. The area includes critical habitat for wide-ranging species like the Andean Bear, and protects the Common Woolly Monkey and Black-faced Black Spider Monkey.
The Yungas forests that blanket this remote landscape are unique to the eastern slopes and valleys of the Andes highlands. They are 80-90% intact, thanks to their complex geography and limited access by land or water, and have high levels of carbon sequestration.
The proposed conservation area will shelter amphibian species that live only in the Yungas forests with limited ranges, such as the Critically Endangered Bolivian Stubfoot Toad. The little-known Yellow-bellied Climbing Mouse was re-identified by science in this region in 2010. New species of orchids are also expected to be identified among the great diversity that exists here.
Explore Peru’s Yungas forests
The Blue-headed Macaw, by Danny Ye
Margay Leopardus wiedii, by Diego Grandi
Black-faced Black Spider Monkey, by Mike Lane
Black-and-chestnut Eagle, by Camilo Robayo
Black Tinamou, by Blair Dudeck/Wikimedia Commons-CC
Project landscape, courtesy of ACCA
Prevent Illegal Mining and Coca Cultivation in Species-rich Yungas Forests
Illegal mining and coca cultivation encourage new settlements and related agriculture that threaten the region’s exceptional biodiversity. These threats destroy Yungas forests that are important in reducing erosion in an area of unstable soils and constant rainfall. Local communities rely on these forests for water and food, and they will be hired and trained as community park rangers to patrol the area using satellite surveillance and other smart technology to detect illegal activity in the new Selva Verde–Santo Domingo Regional Conservation Area.
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Conservation work is critical, challenging, and can be costly. We work hard to ensure we raise only the funds needed for each project. In the rare case we raise more money than needed or a project comes in under budget, excess monies will be transferred to the Conservation Action Fund. This fund supports our important conservation work throughout the tropics.
Project Modifications
Rainforest Trust conducts extensive research and due diligence on each of the projects that we support, so that once a project is offered for public support we believe it will succeed. We work closely with our project implementers, offer support, and regularly monitor their progress. Given the nature of the work, projects may not progress exactly as intended and may be unable to meet all objectives. To respond dynamically to the needs of our project implementers and the realities of the landscapes in which they operate, Rainforest Trust expressly reserves the right to modify a project as it deems necessary, provided that donor intent is honored by ensuring that that the original project objectives are diligently pursued and that project funds continue to benefit the landscape and species identified in the project overview. Project modifications that we may need to make in certain circumstances include the specific project implementer, the size of the landscape to be protected, the type of protection to be afforded to the landscape, and the development of sustainability mechanisms.
Partnering to Save Rainforest
Our partners’ ability to work with their governments and build strong connections with local communities ensures the successful implementation of our projects.
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