1 - CAR-SPAW-RAC

AGRADECIMIENTOSBIODIVERSIDAD DE LA CUENCA DEL ORINOCO:II. ÁREAS PRIORITARIAS PARA LA CONSERVACIÓNY USO SOSTENIBLEC. LassoEXECUTIVE SUMMARYClara L. Matallana, Wilson Ramírez, Anabel Rial B., Carlos A. Lasso and Donald TaphornSTUDY AREAThe binational Orinoco Basin encompasses 981,446 km 2 .It is bounded in the west by the eastern range of theColombian Andes, to the north we find the VenezuelanAndes and the Coastal Mountain range, in the south itreaches its limit with the Guaviare River drainage, and tothe east its delta empties into the Atlantic Ocean.For this study, the basin is subdivided into the followingregions: 1) Orinoco Plains, 2) Andean Orinoco, 3) OrinocoHigh plains, 4) Lower Orinoco Corridor 5) Middle OrinocoCorridor, 6) Upper Orinoco Corridor, 7) Orinoco/AmazonTransition, 8) Guyanan Orinoco, 9) Orinoco DeltaCorridor and 10) Coastal Orinoco.INTRODUCTIONIn 2009, the Second Binational Workshop to identifyConservation Priority Areas and Sustainable Uses ofBiodiversity in the Orinoco Basin met in Bogotá. In thatevent, more than 90 participants from 32 institutionsanalyzed the extent of our knowledge of the flora, mammals,birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and some invertebrategroups such as butterflies and ants, and defined 19 areasthat are important for the conservation of biodiversity inthe Orinoco Basin.Looking to further refine and continue the analysis ofthe Biodiversity of the Orinoco Basin, and the priorityareas that require protection to guarantee it protection,the “Third Binational Workshop to Identify PriorityConservation Areas in Nominated Regions of the OrinocoBasin: Threats and Opportunities” that was coordinatedby the Instituto Alexander von Humboldt in conjunctionwith the Ministerio de Ambiente Vivienda y DesarrolloTerritorial, the Fundación Omacha, the Instituto deEstudios de la Orinoquia de la Universidad Nacional deColombia, WWF-Colombia, the Fundación La Salle deCiencias Naturales, the Fundación Palmarito-Casanare andEcopetrol. In this exercise 92 scientists, administrators, andtechnicians participated from universities, research centers,non-governmental organizations and several governmentalinstitutions.METHODSThe initial phase of the workshop consisted of gatheringand validation of cartographic information and thelists of threats reported by specialists that were sent inelectronically.During the three days of the workshop, discussion groupswere formed to concentrate efforts of the specialists on aseries of analyses for each of the regions under discussion.Three groups were formed that included the following unitsfor analysis:1. Andean Orinoco.2. Plains (Highland Orinoco Plains and Orinoco Plains).3. Guyanan and Delta Orinoco Region (Orinoco/AmazonTransition Zone, Coastal Orinoco, and the Corridors ofthe Orinoco Delta, High, Middle and Lower Orinoco,and Guyanan Orinoco).The analytical exercise consisted of pondering thethreats and vulnerabilities, examination of the degreeof the threats and vulnerabilities and calculationof conservation goals to define the percentage of therepresentative area that should be protected, taking intoaccount upper and lower limits and attainable goals. Withthe results of these analyses and thematic cartographicsupport, conservation priorities were identified.After evaluating and validating the new results, theproposals were adjusted, and the nominated conservationareas were prioritized, taking into account three variables:importance, urgency and opportunity, to generate the finalpriority area map.Salto Ángel. Foto: C. Brewer Carias.25