Peru is one of the most biodiverse countries on the planet

Peruvians have many reasons to be proud. Interestingly, one such reason is its diversity. A quality that can be appreciated within the population itself, as well as through the wonderful gifts that its land has to offer.

Thus, in the wake of the International Day for Biological Diversity, celebrated every May 22, it is important to remember that Peru ranks 14th among the world's most biodiverse countries, according to a report released by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and UNESCO.

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Una publicación compartida por Perú (@peru) el 23 de Feb de 2020 a las 2:08 PST

"In Peru there are three very different regions: the Andes mountains, the Pacific coast and the Amazon jungle, where native animals such as the llama, the alpaca and the condor live," states the article that accompanies the mention in National Geographic’s prestigious portal.

You can see it here by clicking on the following link.

In fact, according to the Andean Agency, Peru has registered 25,000 species of flora (10% of the world total), a third of which are endemic species (that is, they are restricted to Peruvian territory). Bless you, Amancaes flower!

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Peru’s national territory boasts an extraordinary diversity of life forms. It is megadiverse in both geographical terms and in terms of the number of species that live within its borders. In fact, Peru has the greatest climate range and diversity of life zones found anywhere in the world. It possesses 11 eco-regions, 15 bio-geographic provinces and a total of 84 of the 117 life zones identified across the entire planet. And when it comes to fauna and flora, Peru is one of the five most biologically diverse countries in the world. It is home to an estimated 1816 species of birds, 3532 species os butterflies and 4000 types of orchids, and it is one of the leading countries en the world in terms of plant use by the population. Throughout Peru, around 4000 plant species are used as part of the dietary and traditional medicine practices of the nation. // El territorio nacional del Perú cuenta con una extraordinaria diversidad de formas de vida. Es megadiverso tanto en términos geográficos como en términos del número de especies que viven dentro de sus fronteras. De hecho, Perú tiene el mayor rango climático y diversidad de zonas de vida que se encuentran en cualquier parte del mundo. Posee 11 ecorregiones, 15 provincias biogeográficas y un total de 84 de las 117 zonas de vida identificadas en todo el planeta. Y cuando se trata de fauna y flora, Perú es uno de los cinco países con mayor diversidad biológica del mundo. Es el hogar de aproximadamente 1816 especies de aves, 3532 especies de mariposas y 4000 tipos de orquídeas, y es uno de los principales países del mundo en términos de uso de plantas por parte de la población. En todo el Perú, alrededor de 4000 especies de plantas se utilizan como parte de las prácticas de medicina dietética y tradicional de la nación.

Una publicación compartida por Perú (@peru) el 22 de May de 2020 a las 8:47 PDT

Moreover, this universe of green is not only made up of beautiful flowers, but also useful ones. Peru ranks first worldwide in plant species that have diverse properties used by the population (more than 4,000 species), as well as native domesticated species (128).

And that’s not all! Peru also tops the chart in terms of edible plants and their wild relatives, with 787 species.

Diverse fauna

Peru also stands out in terms of animal varieties thanks to the diversity of ecosystems that converge in its territory. There is no country with a greater variety of fish, for example: there are almost 2,000 species (10% of the world total). And there is no other place on the planet with a greater variety of butterflies: 4,441 species.

Furthermore, Peru is ranked second in terms of its variety of birds, third in terms of amphibians and mammals, and fifth in terms of its number of reptile species.

And if this doesn’t convince you, check out what Antonio Raimondi had to say: "The hiss of the snake; the buzzing of insects (...) together form the noisy music of the workers in the great workshop of nature" (written in the middle of a journey through the East of Peru).

A treasure worth protecting

In difficult times for biological species, it is the moral duty of every inhabitant of the planet to protect natural resources. In the case of Peru, the institution in charge of this important task is the National Service of Natural Areas Protected by the State-SERNANP, an agency attached to the Ministry of the Environment, whose motto is "Our nature. Our Development".

One of the various mappings carried out by this entity refers to the fact that 84 of the 117 life zones on the planet are in Peru. This privilege is due, in part, to the geoclimatic conditions and the presence of the Amazon River, which originates in the thaws of the high peaks of Arequipa.

Peru is a poem to life that we all have an obligation to protect.

Otherwise, let Vallejo do the talking: "Sierra of my Peru, Peru of the world, and Peru at the base of the orb; I stick with you!"

Sources: Sernanp/ Andina/ National Geographic/ biblioteca.org.ar