Abstract

GOMEZ SALAZAR, Juan Camilo; RAMIREZ CASTANO, Viviana Andrea  and  GUEVARA, Giovany. TERRESTRIAL VERTEBRATES FROM THE CENTRAL HIDROELÉCTRICA DE CALDAS -CHEC- NATURAL RESERVE (VILLAMARÍA, COLOMBIA): CURRENT KNOWLEDGE. Bol. Cient. Mus. Hist. Nat. Univ. Caldas [online]. 2017, vol.21, n.1, pp.71-89. ISSN 0123-3068.  https://doi.org/10.17151/bccm.2017.21.1.6.

The high levels of biodiversity reported in Colombia are supported by its rich flora and fauna of the Andean region which includes both strategic ecosystems and the most vulnerable to the impact of habitat fragmentation. To counteract these effects, alternatives are proposed for the maintenance of such biotic richness through protected areas. However, these areas generally lack continuous or long-term studies that account for the precise species composition and their population fluctuations, among other ecological aspects. For this reason, a compilation of records on the presence of vertebrates in the Reserva Forestal Protectora Bosques de la Central Hidroeléctrica de Caldas -CHEC- (Villamaría, Caldas, Colombia), reported in different studies by various entities, was carried out between 1996 and 2015 to establish its current state, detect information gaps and update the taxonomic lists of the different fauna groups reported. It was found that 349 species distributed in 75 families and 33 orders have been registered. A total of 82 mammal species (12 orders, 25 families), 227 bird species (18 orders, 43 families), 35 species of anurans belonging to 4 families and 1 order and, 5 reptile species belonging to 3 families and 2 orders, have been reported to date. It is suggested to maintain mid or long-term studies to verify the collected information, differentiate between resident or migrant fauna, and detect the potential impacts of the Geothermal Project of the Nereidas Valley. This will allow highlighting the importance of the private protected areas in the conservation of biodiversity.

Keywords : protected areas; Andes; conservation; fauna; geothermal.

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