Preserving cloud forests and puna grasslands in the Bolivian Andes

Location

Guanay, La Paz, Bolivia

About the project:

Andes Amazon Fund (AAF)'s Guanay Municipal Conservation Area, located in the department of La Paz, Bolivia, conserves 110,837 ha of cloud forest and high elevation puna grasslands. The area extends from 1,500 to over 13,500 feet above sea level and protects 32% of the municipality of Guanay. The communities there depend on these intact cloud forests for drinking water and irrigation, and as a barrier against ecological disasters like floods.

Nearly a quarter of the new Guanay Municipal Conservation Area falls within a Key Biodiversity Area, a place known for significant contributions to global biodiversity. Due to its inaccessibility and remote location, much of the flora and fauna within the area remains unknown. However, based on inventories of nearby locations, notable species likely include trees such as the endangered Madidi Magnolia (Magnolia madidiensis) and Freziera dudleyi; amphibians such as the recently re-discovered Devil-eyed Frog (Oreobates zongoensis) and the rare Coroico Robber frog (Yunganastes bisignatus); endangered and vulnerable birds such as the Black-and-chestnut Eagle (Spizaetus isidori) and the Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus); and mammals like the Spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus) and the Andean deer (Hippocamelus antisensis).

The Guanay Municipal Conservation Area was made possible through the collaboration of the Municipal Government of Guanay, AAF grantee Conservation International – Bolivia, and the local communities in Guanay who lent their support to this project.

Investment type