Lomas de Lachay National Reserve

You are going to visit one of the 6 National Reserves of Peru – Las Lomas de Lachay.

The National Reserves are areas of protection intended for conservation of biological diversity and

the sustainable use of resources like wild flora and fauna, aquatic or terrestrial. Among the reser-

ves commercial exploitation of the natural resources is permitted under approved management

plans. They are supervised and controlled by competent national authorities.

Useful information

Location The region of Lima, province of Huaura.

How to Get There From Lima take the Panamericana Norte, take the turn off at the height of 105 kilometers.3 kilo-

metres of a secure road.

When To Go Between August and October

Activities Photography, Observation of the wild life, Cultural observation

Climate Two distinct seasons exist. An interval between August and October, when the hills are green and

rest of the year it is found dry. It is recommended that you bring a waterproof jacket. The tempera-

tures rarely drop below12° C in the winter and it reaches 25° C in the summer.

Services The reserve has marked trails, areas for camping, BBQ, and hygienic services, in addition to a

translation centre.

History of the Reserve

On June 21, 1977, the government established the National Reserve of Lachay. It is located in the

province of Huaura, Lima and it expands across an area of 52,070 hectares (1 hectare is 10,000

square metres).

The hills are a result of a combination of coastal climate factors, and subject to a peculiar geograp-

hy. They originate from the primary spurring of the Andes, a location where they contact the

clouds which cover the area the majority of the year. There are two distinct seasons in Lachay: the

humid season (which is the most important), from approximately June to November and the dry

season, from December to May. The first season is emphasized due to it's ability to give life to the

green vegetation and attract the fauna of the region, while the second season is noted for presen-

ting a drying process which ends when the first fog appears in the autumn.

Biodiversity of Las Lomas

In the Lomas de Lachay (Lachay Hills) there are 74 plant species registered, among them 25 are

on their way to extinction. Among the most notable, you will find the peruvian papaya (Carica

candicans), (Capparis prisca), (Caesalpinia tinctoria) and the nettle (Loasa urens), which cover the

reserve with yellow attractive flowers. Also, you can observe numerous gramineous, tillandsias

and succulents.

Route map of Lomas de Lachay

The common mammals found here are the rodents, but you can also find other species like the Sechuran Zorro (fox) (Pseudalopex sechurae), the Andean Skunk (Conepatus rex), the mountain mouse (Phyllotis spp.) and the vizcacha (Lagidium peruanum). Throughout the reserve there are approximately 55 bird species belonging to 16 fami-lies, among them are: the Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia), the Andean Tinamou (Nothoprocta pentlandii), the American Krestrel (Falco sparverius peruvianus) and di-verse species of hummingbirds. Among the most notorious reptiles, you can observe the peruvian snake (Bothrops pic-tus) and the Curl Tail Lizard (Tropidurus sp.). There are also many arthropods. In the reserve you can find archeological paintings and remains from the Pre-Columbian cultures. At the same time, you can appreciate the huge granite and diorite rocks which have worn away over time leaving concavities and soft contours, which are of great geo-logical interest. The primary objectives of the Lachay National Reserve are to restore and conserve the wild flora and fauna, perform research in order to use the hills rationally and encourage the recreation to be in harmony with nature.

Information was taken from: http://peru.gotolatin.com/

Task 1: Fog catchers

Listen to the explanation of how the fog catchers work.

Use the space below to draw a neat diagram of the fog catchers, and then place the correct number

next to the boxes of information to describe how they work.

Air from the ocean contains a

lot of moisture.

The air from the ocean is forced

up and over the hills. The air cools.

The moisture in the air conden-

ses onto the nets.

The water drains down

the nets.

The water is collected and and

passed down the hills.

Number the boxes to show the correct order

Task 2: Tara trees

The Tara trees are an example of how plants can show adaptations to their environment.

The trees work much the same way as the fog catchers. Carefully examine the trees to see what

features they have that enable them to catch water from the fog.

Complete the following passage:

The tara trees are succesful at growing in lomas de Lachay because of their bark. The bark is very

tough and .............., which increases the .................................. of the tree. The rough surfaces also

allow the fog to collect inside the small spaces. The fog then ......................... into water. The water

flows down the tree, into the ground. The tree is also adapted in that it grows very slowly, redu-

cing the need for water and .....................

Words to use:

energy surface area rough condenses

Draw a Tara tree

Task 3: Food chains (information centre)

The sun is our provider of energy. Some of this energy is captured by plants and converted into

food. Herivores get their energy from the plants, and then some of this energy is transferred to car-

nivores (animals that eat the herbivores).

A typical food chain that might exist is as follows:

Grass Rodent Fox

Think about energy transfers you have studied. What type of energy is stored by the palnts?

Find the charts that show food chains that exist in lomas de Lachay. Write down 3 examples, and

include Scientific names where possible.

Example 1

Example 2

Example 3

Task 4: El mirador

The ‘mirador’ is a viewpoint that allows you to see the landscape and the changes in vegetation.

Listen to the instructions from your teacher as to how to draw a sketch of the landscape.

Draw a neat sketch of the hills as seen from the viewpoint

Use this space to add any additional information you can find out about the mirador

Task 5: Follow up work

You are going to produce an A4 leaflet about Las Lomas de Lachay.

Use the information from the first part of this booklet to help in your research.

Your leaflet should contain:

Basic information about the Reserve and the climate

Description of the main features such as the Tara trees and fog catchers

A description of 2 animals and 2 plants that live in this area. (Find their Scientific names where

possible)

This work will be assessed in the following way:

1. Presentation

2. Use of information from the trip and external resources (internet)

3. Effort

This leaflet should be completed and handed in before the end of Bimester 3.