Project news
Latest: February 2009
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Update April 2008
Baseline information on biodiversity of forest fragments and degraded vegetation; use of forest resources
In December 2008 the long process of obtaining the first government Concession for Conservation (500 ha) of riparian oasis Prosospis forest was completed in the name of Grupo Aves Peru (GAP), with technical and financial support from the project. Fieldwork (see project biodiversity report) was completed by GAP in December, contacting all the local communities and beginning the preparation of the management plan for which the government allows 2 years.
The work in the concession has revealed some important biodiversity discoveries indicative of the lack of research and conservation in coastal Peru. Firstly, two probable new species: a new plant in the Cyperaceae family and a large beetle (Cerambycidae) which, with the female at 65 mm long, is one of the largest in western Peru. Male and female specimens, found perfectly preserved, have been lodged with the San Marco University Museum of Natural History (Dr Geraldo Lamas). In November 2007 Michael Dillon Chicago Field Museum ) visited the project and, as well as conducting research on the lomas flora, provided training to project students. He was able to confirm the rediscovery of Nolana willeana, not found since the collection of its isotype in 1960. Other highlights included the discovery of a large eagle owl, a species not previously known from southern Peru, and observations on the reproduction of the black-necked woodpecker and slender-billed finch (see biodiversity report).
The annual biodiversity report summarized the following: 1 the purpose and aims of the project; 2 monitoring of plants in restoration areas and succession plots; 3 plant collections throughout the year and botanical training; 4 avian monitoring and research; 5 ongoing project studies that including (i) Inga varieties and domestication in Ica, (ii) germination and propagation studies of Cactaceae, (iii) succession plot study; 6 resumés of scientific publications presented of in preparation; 7 educational tree planting in schools and communities; and 8 market research and product development. Report production provided an exercise through which local Peruvian project members could present their work as a team in a formal format that could, whilst informing ongoing project activities, be used to demonstrate their capacity to undertake interdisciplinary study to provide biodiversity expertise for the Ica region, monitor biodiversity and undertake restoration and environmental impact studies. The work has been presented to some of the agricultural businesses involved in the project as part of the Darwin exit strategy.
The report did not cover the work of the two masters students from UNALM, whose theses (then ongoing) are complimentary to other project outputs: Analysis of Flora and Phytogeography of woody plants of forests of the Region of Ica (Gabriel Arango) and Germination and Propagation techniques of native plant species of Ica (Elisa Laura). Towards the production of the restoration manual we are currently collating detailed information on prior reforestation projects in the region of Ica including assessments of current status of the trees (size, health, root development) and collation of background information on planting, watering etc. This will allow us to learn from the successes and failures of these experiences. Work is also ongoing on the identification of herbarium specimens collected through project activities to date, which will be published as the first in-depth of the flora of the region.
In 2007 the project hosted a group of students from Newcastle University. As well as supporting ongoing project activities such as planting and monitoring, these students undertook research into local names of the native plants of the region.
The project undertook a GIS analysis comparing the US 1955 aerial survey with those of Google Earth 2007. With ground truthing data we were able to obtain some very useful information, both for deforestation rates and for rapid regeneration and growth rates, which we will publish in the manual and a scientific journal.
Tree nursery and seed handling/ propagation methodologies
The project has now established three small tree nurseries. As well as supplying the requirements of project planting activities, the main (Ica) nursery has been producing native plants to supply growing demand from the agro-industry sector, local government planting schemes and, recently, for a NGO child welfare charity. The nursery will also supply native trees for the ANIA-funded reforestation projects for which funding was brokered from Trees for Cities. This will fund reforestation in the reserve in Nazca which the project has helped to establish and in the surrounding communities under the ANIA Children's land project. In order to formalize the commercialization of the Ica nursery and secure its long-term future, a MOU has been established between UNICA and Kew. This stipulates that the nursery will remain dedicated to native useful and endangered species, linked to the seed collection and basic facilities of the seed laboratory in the Faculty of Agronomy.
We have also been asked to support the establishment of the Herbarium in UNICA Faculty of Sciences: the first for the region. The Faculty has donated a newly refurbished room to house the herbarium. The comprehensive duplicate specimen set generated by the project will form the core of this new collection, supplemented by reference materials from the small project library in the Ica office. Kew is now fund raising to buy cabinets and equipment.
In June and July the project was visited by Sandra King, an exceptional Kew horticulture diploma student who won a scholarship to fund her visit. The aim of the visit was to provide training in germination propagation and nursery practice, with a special focus on cacti germination. Prior to her arrival, the project set up a small nursery in the village of Huarangal on the land of the Anchante family, with the local school participating in watering and training.
Working with Octavio Pecho, Sandra helped collate the multiple enthobotanical uses of the cacti of the region and has since included this information into a leaflet for conservation and propagation of the region's cacti. This leaflet has been translated into Spanish but requires some illustration work and ecological notes for completion.
Production and processing trials and marketing of sustainable Prosopis pod flour and syrup
The sustainable management component has risen to the challenge of producing a high quality product despite problems with huarango pod production. The project has now completed market research and is this year collating information on historical production and annual production per tree age, variety and location. Despite the setbacks of Prosopis plagues and loss of crop from the La Niña rainfall event, production trials resulted in 200 kg of processed Huarango flour of which 130 kg is fine high grade sweet flour mesocarp, 40 kg touch bran endocarp (seed testa, exocarp, and 30 kg sieved endocarp granules. The trials were conducted with a recently opened German-run food mill. The first product was packaged in 150 gramme jars with Miskyhuaranga labels bearing the Darwin logo, producing about 600 labeled jars and 40 kg for the production of cakes and biscuits. The sieved endocarp granules are for toasting to produce caffeine-free coffee substitute.
The Miskyhuaranga sweet meal product was launched at this year's huarango festival, together with a range of cakes, biscuits, ice cream and 'coffee'. All products sold well on the third festival day, with a sell-out of the trial coffee product. Miskyhuaranga company formation is planned with reinvestment of the product return and support from an outside investor. In the following months marketing trials will be conducted in the local and tourist outlets identified by the market survey. A database of huarango producers has been produced by Rino Cortez, and we are producing a leaflet for plague control and crop improvement next month, that will be incorporated into sustainable management manual. The Miskyhuaranga questionnaire and market survey results, some of which are in the project team report, complement this database.
From the 16-25 May OQW led a group from Ica to visit dry forest in Piura, Northern Peru, with the aim of providing training through workshops and site visits at sustainable use projects (see group report). The group comprised Consuelo Borda, Rino Cortez, Kati Alvarez Muzuaurieta, Enma Huayhuameza Cuba, Ana Palomino Lizarbe and Claudia Luthi. During the visit the different projects were filmed for the training video (Claudia). The group was hosted by Gaston Cruz at the University of Piura. The trip visited a range of projects and was able to learn a great deal, especially by the difficulties faced. The group visited 6 large producers of Prosopis (Algarrobo) based products such as syrup, flour cakes and coffee, and observed and participated in production whilst interviews were noted and filmed. Other visits included; pottery fired with coppiced Algarrobo; carpentry project, Ecobosque producing compost from cow dung, Algarrobo leaf litter to satisfy demand for organic fertilizer and a UN funded carbon sequestration project. This visit, although costly, has been deemed to be a highly valuable training experience. It was the first time the Ica group had been out of their region. They were very impressed by northern Peruvian dry forest and the existence of a wide range of sustainable management practice despite large problems and deforestation. Using the experience gained from this visit, the Miskyhuaranga group consolidated to produce a sustainable pod flour this year (see product report) supported by the project.
Due to the unusual river flow this year, the huarango may produce a good second crop of pods in June, that, providing the weather is not excessively humid and the product continues to sell well, will also be processed. However we have also identified several other sustainable products. The most hopeful is the production of is Spondias purpurea de-pipped raisins. At present the quebrada villages such as Huarangal leave the crop abandoned under the trees bordering raised flood-field borders. The dried fruits are sweet-sour, with a taste not dissimilar to dried cranberries. We are entering discussions with the German sweetmeal producer for development of an appropriate de-pipping machine.
We have also begun research (Charo Leon ) into another sustainable forest product: painted carvings in Salix humboldtiana wood of the threatened birds of the region for the tourist market. There has been a small exchange of plant material produced by the project ( Indigofera truxillensis - a blue dye plant) for woven dyed cloth with the weaving community (Fundacion AYU) in Cuzco.
Children trained in tree planting, aftercare and habitat regeneration
The project has now produced three educational posters (with Darwin logo) on the plants, birds and reptiles of the Ica area. These have been distributed within schools, communities, universities, regional government and INRENA and CONAM. Due to the imminent dismantling of both CONAM and INRENA we have been working closely with the natural resources team of the regional government to which these responsibilities will be devolved. However, as a result of meetings with CONAM Ica we received a large donation of environmental educational materials, some of which were given out as prizes during the festival and will supply our new 'Brigadas Ecologicas' education programme involving 80 school children. Educational planting has continued at 12 schools, with support a further four schools now engaged through the Fundo Chapi agro-industry. The planting events have seen a series of talks and workshops that are summarized in the annual biodiversity report. Approximately 1200 students and children have planted at least 1 native tree from 8 schools and 3 communities with 5 more schools included during 2008 (the city of Ica has over 200,000 children under 17).
On the 1st May 2008 we are planning, in collaboration with the regional government education department, a 2 day teachers workshop (Nature of Ica - conservation and maintaining ecosystem services) in the Instituto National de Cultura (INC). The course will be made official through the government and will be valid as a teachers' certificate - proof of ongoing training under the state system. The aim of the course is, for the first time, to provide teachers with the capacity to teach environmental studies tailored to local biodiversity and ecology. As well as presenting habitat restoration and livelihoods we will also cover climate change and the benefits of biodiversity for protection of soil, water, and regeneration capacity. The project will provide CDs and educational materials derived from the project. We will solicit feedback as to the best way to present the project's educational findings in the manual.
Increased appreciation of forest ecosystem/ livelihood value among local communities and government agencies
The third Festival del Huarango y Naturaleza de Ica. was attended by 15 schools, the general public, landowners and Pisco producers. The festival focused on the biodiversity of Ica, presented in a relaxed family setting with children's rides, story telling, poetry and music, environmental theatre, nature drawing competitions for children, and demonstrations of native seeds, huarango varieties and drinks made from huarango pods. The key educational theme was conveyed through banners (giantografia) covering the biodiversity and ecology of the region, threatened and invasive plants birds and reptiles. The event was widely publicized by the government press department and OQW was filmed inviting people to the event as well as five radio and four TV shows. It was reported twice in the La Voz de Ica and once in El Correo as well as La Viajeros of Lima, and in a documentary film directed by Delia Ackerman and Kati Huber.
During the pod processing activities we have been able to facilitate further training of members of the Cortez Family (Jovana Cortez, Flor Parco, Susan Patino) with Rino Cortez. Last year we worked with the Hernandez family, whom we continue to work closely with at the San Pedro site. The product was produced this year by four key producers that we have assisted in control of Prosopis plagues, two families of which attended the festival. We are preparing a leaflet to provide simple instruction on control of plagues and pod production improvement (this information will be included in the manual).
Manuals for habitat restoration in dry forests and sustainable production of Prosopis pod products and publications
Habitat restoration trials are now fully established in two village community settings (San Pedro and Huarangal) with differing Prosopis ecosystems, soils and altitudes. Two further trials have been set up in large Agro-industrial farms (Fundo Chanca y Fundo Chapi). Two plots were set up the monitor natural regeneration from Andean ephemeral stream flood collection, two last year in fundo Chanca and one this year in Pampa Yauca. The project has been approached by several agro-businesses, one of which (the largest agro-industry in Peru ) has been selected for a final trial of techniques for use of sewage water in restoration.
Ostensibly tree growth in the agro-industrial sites has far outstripped the community sites due to inputs of nitrogen, more reliable watering and absence of grazing animals. However, we are now undergoing a program of root excavation to obtain information on development and biomass. We are now cutting water regimes across the sites to understand the impact on survival and growth and the degree to which plants can derive moisture from fog capture.
Regular monitoring continues at all sites, supported by photographic records. The task of collating all the data necessary for the production of the restoration manual is ongoing. This is drawing on data from two graduate theses and two Masters thesis as well as biodiversity monitoring reports, ecological studies, germination and propagation trials, phenology data, Prosopis plague studies, archaeobotanical and historical ecology studies, monthly monitoring data, studies of previous restoration projects, native plant collection records etc. The project has accumulated a stock of images of most species of plants, birds and reptiles in the area which will provide a valuable resource for the manual. Development of information resources for the sustainable production manual is also ongoing, including historical records of Huarango use from questionnaire analysis, market research, huarango pod processing and products.
Building local capacity for professional-quality reporting is considered a significant part of the exit strategy. To help with this a two day workshop was convened in March with all the students and a language teacher from Lima, both to improve communication for publications, and facilitate useful contribution to the restoration manuals.
This innovative programme is designed to encourage pride among school children in caring for and understanding the environment.
