Determination of bird diversity in the context of the oil industry environmental liabilities of Ahuallani, Peru

Abstract

Oil drilling operations in Ahuallani, situated in the highlands of the department of Puno, are among the oldest in Peru. For more than half a century, brine water emulsions flowed into Lake Titicaca. Information regarding the effects of these emulsions on diversity is almost nonexistent. The aim of this study was to determine the diversity of avifauna in the area degraded by oil activity in Ahuallani, Peru, by conducting point counting evaluations, the results of which were corroborated by reviewing the literature in order to determine migratory status, the recording environment and state of conservation, in accordance with Peruvian legislation and CITES and IUCN guidelines. A total of 28 bird species were recorded: 20 resident species, 7 migratory species, and 1 undetermined species. Of these, only Phoenicopterus chilensis is categorized by Peruvian legislation, CITES and the IUCN. The recordings in Ahuallani have low diversity indexes, pointing to evidence of the effects of oil activity in the area upon the avian community.