Fragile fog oasis ecosystem in Peru granted official protection

Peruvian Government have formally conserved the 16k acre dry desert site ‘Lomas Amara y Ullujaya’ on the coast of Peru
Lomas are unique fog oasis ecosystems teeming with rare & endemic biodiversity
Scientific data collated over 15 years from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Huarango Nature provided evidence to protect this unique ecosystem
Threatened by 4x4 driving and development, official protection will allow the rich biodiversity to be conserved and studied

Two men walk among desert plants and sand

London, Tuesday 4 June: After more than 15 years of research and advocacy, and four intense years of leading multiple rounds of negotiation with local and national authorities, the Peruvian Government have recognised the efforts of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (RBG Kew) and Huarango Nature to safeguard the fragile and globally rare fog oasis site Lomas y Tillandsiales de Amara y Ullujaya in the ancient hyper-arid coast of Peru. Stamped now with an official Concession for Conservation, the state-owned land which spans 15,936 acres and is full of rare and threatened native species, will be protected for future research and exploration.

Lomas are fog oasis ecosystems in Peru and Chile, that have evolved over tens of millions of years and occur like hilltop ‘islands’ in the desert. They are rich with native plant and animal species, such as wild tomato and papaya relatives, which act as important genetic resources for futureproofing our crops. They are also a vital last refuge for the wild lama relative called guanaco.

Linked physically and climatically to the Pacific Ocean, the ecosystem depends entirely on sea-generated fog to sustain it. This kind of maritime climate is globally unique for a terrestrial habitat and occurs due to its proximity to converging warm tropical and cold Antarctic Ocean currents. The lomas also provide multiple ecosystem services – including clean water, carbon storage, clean air, and food for the 58% of the Peruvian population who live in the coastal zones nearby.

Until recently, Lomas Amara y Ullujaya has managed to stay largely intact due to its isolation from major highways. However, in recent years, new roads and an increase in off-road driving, urban development and mining have severely threatened the ecosystem, making it an urgent priority for local and international scientists for official protection.

Oliver Whaley, a scientist at RBG, Kew who has worked in Peru for over 25 years says: “Lomas are perhaps the most highly sensitive and responsive ecosystems on the planet. The plants that grow there are so highly evolved in this ancient arid environment, that they respond to tiny changes of humidity and temperature. They have huge potential to help us understand species responses to climate change, climatic cycles, and marine currents. This is why their protection is so crucial – we can learn so much from this incredibly unique corner of the world”.

Scientists from Kew and Huarango Nature have been dedicated to studying the extent of Lomas y Tillandsiales de Amara y Ullujaya for two decades, making herbarium collections in the field and, more recently, using remote sensing and drones to map the ecosystem to better understand what species there are. A scientific paper, published in 2021 by Kew researchers and partners, revealed the true extent of the lomas fog ecosystems (and their unique biodiversity) using satellite imagery and highlighted the vast number of endemic species found only in this region. These data were vital to getting the concession for conservation.

Justin Moat, scientist at RBG Kew and lead author of the 2021 study says: "After so many years of work, it is incredibly exciting to see this area finally protected. With the recent advent of mass satellite imagery, we have been able to map these remote and often ephemeral ecosystems in extraordinary detail. Presently only 4% of the lomas are protected in Peru and Chile. The boundaries of Lomas y Tillandsiales de Amara y Ullujaya protected area are directly defined using satellite imagery. We look forward to studying this area in greater detail in the future and hope to see more of these unique and critical ecosystems protected”.

The newly conserved site, which will be managed by Huarango Nature working in partnership with Kew, local organic farm Samaca, and SERFOR (Peru National Forestry and Wildlife Service), will offer so many more possibilities for understanding, documenting, and researching the biodiversity and how it is being impacted by climate change.

Oliver Whaley says: “This is the first Concession for Conservation on the desert coast of Peru, and also the first Concession for lomas fog ecosystems. Key to the success of this conservation achievement has been the magnificent collaboration with local biologists, communities, environmental law experts and national park authorities, so it has very much been a team effort, decades in the making. We are so proud of this work and celebrate with everyone involved.”

Alfonso Orellana Garcia, Peruvian biologist and one of the Directors of Huarango Nature says: “This new Concession for the Conservation of Lomas and Tillandsiales of Amara - Ullujalla is a great opportunity to demonstrate the real importance of these fragile and biodiverse lomas ecosystems for the Ica region and Peru. With the leadership of RBG Kew and Huarango Nature, this Concession will be a world example in research and conservation of key species, both endemic and threatened, along with their habitats”.

Ing. Alberto Yataco, Administrador Técnico Forestal y de Fauna Silvestre- ATFFS Ica-SERFOR says: ".For us, as SERFOR, it is important to grant this Concession for Conservation in Amara-Ica to an entity with proven technical and scientific capacity that will ensure the conservation and sustained management of all existing resources and biodiversity (wild flora and fauna) in the Peruvian coastal lomas”.

ENDS 

  For high-res images, please download from the following link and credit as named: https://we.tl/t-j0Us7D9rrt

For interview requests please contact: Heather McLeod, PR Manager (h.mcleod@kew.org); Sebastian Kettley, Media Officer (s.kettley@kew.org) or pr@kew.org  

 NOTES TO EDITORS 

This work has been made possible thanks to a significant support from the Bentham-Moxon Trust, who funded collaborative fieldwork and training in the fog oases for some of the researchers involved.

About Kew Science  

Kew Science is the driving force behind RBG Kew’s mission to understand and protect plants and fungi, for the well-being of people and the future of all life on Earth. Over 470 Kew science staff work with partners in more than 100 countries worldwide to halt biodiversity loss, uncover secrets of the natural world, and to conserve and restore the extraordinary diversity of plants and fungi. Kew’s Science Strategy 2021–2025 lays out five scientific priorities to aid these goals: research into the protection of biodiversity through Ecosystem Stewardship, understanding the variety and evolution of traits in plants and fungi through Trait Diversity and Function; digitising and sharing tools to analyse Kew’s scientific collections through Digital Revolution; using new technologies to speed up the naming and characterisation of plants and fungi through Accelerated Taxonomy; and cultivating new scientific and commercial partnerships in the UK and globally through Enhanced Partnerships. One of Kew’s greatest international collaborations is the Millennium Seed Bank Partnership, which has to date stored more than 2.4 billion seeds of over 40,000 wild species of plants across the globe. In 2023, Kew scientists estimated in the State of the World’s Plants and Fungi report that 3 in 4 undescribed plants globally are already likely threatened with extinction. 

About Huarango Nature

Huarango Nature (LINK) – HN is a Peruvian non-profit association founded in 2017 as a legacy of several conservation projects initiated by Kew with the support of Darwin Initiative (Defra, UK), Sainsbury’s plc and others. Since 2001, the NGO has focused on the lomas, and dry forest conservation, with restoration of native species on the Peruvian coast and Andes.

The mission of HN is to promote the conservation, protection, and restoration of local biodiversity and agrobiodiversity. Working through science-based research, education, community engagement a multidisciplinary team supports sustainable use of natural resources and associated ecosystems and agriculture.