• Japan and the United States are the main export markets of Peru’s biodiversity-based products.

• Peru is one of the world’s top 10 “megadiverse” counties.

• About 25,000 species of plants or 10% of the world’s total grow in Peru of which 30% are native of the territory and 4,400 are actively used by the population.

• About 75% of its endangered species are protected.

• There are 122 threatened animal species.

• There are 695 known breeding bird species (3^rd in the world) of which 4.61% are threatened.

• There are 460 known mammal species (3^rd in the world) of which 46 are threatened.

• Peru is the second country in marine fish catch with 8,257,120 tons a year.

• Peru is number one in number of fish species with close to 2000, about 10% of the world’s total.

• More than 4000 species of butterflies live in the Peruvian territory.

• Peru has signed the following international agreements: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands and Whaling.

• Peru has the second largest share of the Amazon rain forest after Brazil and it covers 74% of the county’s area.

• Deforestation contributes 50% of Peru’s greenhouse gas emissions.

• Peru has 84 of the 103 existing ecosystems.

• There are 28 climates in Peru out of the 32 climates on the planet.

• There are 63 natural areas protected by the government: National parks, reserves, natural sanctuaries, historical sanctuaries, wild life refuges, forest, communal reserves and hunting zones.

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Related Information about Peru’s biodiversity

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Saving Peru’s Ecosystems and Biodiversity

According to the Conservation Foundation, Peru is a country of surprising diversity in human and biological terms, and because of its vast genetic wealth, if Peru can be saved, it could serve as the basis for “rehabilitating” the rest of the world.

Endangered Animals in the Andes

Among the most endangered animals in the Andes are the condor, yellow tailed wolley monkey and the Andean mountain cat.

Protecting Peru’s Amazon Rainforest

Overfishing and dam-building threaten the Amazon River and its ecosystem. Deforestation to clear land for mining, road building and agriculture destroys the habitat of plants and animals that live in the rain forest; it also contributes to the erosion of the soil creating mudslides.

Amazon River Ecosystem and Biodiversity

The Amazon river is home to many species of animals and many of them are in danger of extinction.

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Tags: biodiversity, birds, butterflies, climate, ecosystem, environment, national parks, natural resources, Peru, rainforest