The Andean Paramo Project: Conserving biodiversity and hydrological services on the roof of the Andes

Paramos form the upper part, above the treeline, of the Northern Andes. As such, they form a discontinuous belt between the Cordillera of Merida in Venezuela and the Cajamarca area in Peru. Vertically, they cover the upper region of the northern Andes between the upper forest line (about 3400 m altitude) and the permanent snow line (about 5000 m) (Castaño, 2002; Hofstede et al., 2003)

Paramos are an important source of plant and animal biodiversity, housing nearly 5,000 plant species, half of them endemic to this ecosystem, some large mammals such as the Andean spectacled bear and the mountain tapir, as well as the emblematic Andean condor.

This ecosystem also is a critical regulator of watershed hydrology, and it plays an essential role in this topic on the continent. Many of the largest tributaries of the Amazon basin have their headwaters in paramos. At the same time, they are the major water sources for the Andean highlands, and irrigate arid and semi‐arid lowlands, especially in the Northern Peru.

Paramos provide the important hydrological service for domestic use, irrigation, industrial consumption and generation of hydropower. Goods and services of the paramo benefit directly and indirectly to about 100 million people, according to data from IUCN.