TAXONOMY, PHYTOGEOGRAPHY, ETHNOBOTANY AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION MODEL OF THE FLORA AND FAUNA OF THE ACP ¨LOMAS DEL CERRO CAMPANA¨ AND ¨HUACAS DE MOCHE¨

Abstract

Peru's rich biodiversity offers a great opportunity to promote its economic and social development. One of the main measures to achieve this is the creation of Protected Natural Areas, which guarantee the conservation of biological diversity and environmental services.
The aim of this study was to describe the taxonomy, phytogeography, ethnobotany, and environmental conservation model of the flora and fauna of the "Lomas del Cerro Campana" and "Huacas de Moche" Protected Conservation Area (PCA). Twelve field visits were conducted to the study area, covering all four seasons of the year, to evaluate potential flora and fauna species through systematically stratified sampling and semi-structured interviews with residents of Trujillo. The "Lomas del Cerro Campana" and "Huacas de Moche" PCA is home to 84 species of interest, distributed among 66 genera and 34 families, with the Poaceae, Asteraceae, Cactaceae, Solanaceae, and Malvaceae families being the most representative in terms of the number of species; in addition to the presence of native herpetofauna (reptiles), avifauna (birds), and mastofauna (mammals). It is concluded that the "Lomas del Cerro Campana" and "Huacas de Moche" PCA are ecosystems with a wide diversity of flora and fauna, viewed from a holistic perspective; therefore, its conservation model exhibits a complex and multidirectional causal structure for the generation of environmental goods and services that can directly contribute to the economic flow necessary for its conservation and improvement of the quality of life of the local community.