Pol. J Environ. Stud. Vol. 20, No. 4A (2011), 67-71

Galas Andrzej, Galas Slavka

Faculty of Geology, Geophysics and Environmental ProtectionAGH University of Science and Technology

Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow, Poland

Abstract

The Valley of Volcanoes is located in the Andes of south Peru. Together with the Colca Canyon whichit joins, it is an object of research of Polish scientists whose goal is to protect the area by designating the

Colca Canyon and the Valley of Volcanoes National Park. The valley is approximately 90 km long anddespite its location at high altitude it is relatively well economically developed. The aim of the paper is topresent an analysis of the state and structure of land use, including factors and barriers of development andlandscape-functional values. Individual elements of the landscape of natural and anthropogenic origin havebeen identified including division into harmonious landscape resources e.g. viewpoints and picturesqueroutes, landscape dominants and existing threats to the landscape by landscape degrading objects.Landscape-functional zones of various attractiveness and geodiversity were designated. Principles of envi-ronment management were established in each zone, objects and protection goals were determined and

their threats defined. The results will be applied to a plan of protection of the future national park.

Keywords: structure of land use, development barriers, landscape-functional zones, the Valley of theVolcanoes, Peru

Introduction functional structure. Environmental values in the structureneed various fonns. of protection depending on theirimportance and sensimlity.

Characteristics of the Research Area

The research area is located in the Western Cordilleraof Central Andes. The area belongs to the ArequipaDepartment, the Castilla Province and it lies within thefollowing communes (from the north): OrcopampaChilcaymarca, Chachas, Andagua, Ayo and partly Choco.

The Valley of Volcanoes is approximately 90 kin long,3-8 kin wide in the northern part 4-6 kin in central and1-3 kin wide in the southern part. In its northern part,where the bottom of the valley is situated at the altitude of3800 m a.s.l. there is mining town Orcoparnpa. Further, it

The Valley of the Volcanoes and the Colca Canyonhave been the object of research since 2003 carried on bya team from several scientific centres and coordinated byProf. Andrzej Paulo from AGH University of Science andTechnology in Cracow. The goal of the project is to createscientific foundations for a national park that would bedesignated in the area [1]. The field investigations havebeen almost completed and the current results were pre-sented at the Polish-Peruvian scientific conference(Arequipa, 15-16.07.2010) "Geology of the Colca and theValley of Volcanoes regions - a bridge between nature and

man".The authors of the article intend to prove that the

Valley of Volcanoes, despite representing broad range ofaltitude-climate zones forms common linear landscape-

Galas A., Galas S.68

and usability for various economic and social needs. Theresult was the designation of landscape-functional zones.

IIIrd involved division of the area into zones of variouslandscape attractiveness differing in rigors of protection

(Fig. 2).

Results

descends gently down and in the vicinity of Andagua ( cen-tral part, 3659 m a.s.l.) it turns into a system of steepmorphological thresholds. The outlet of the valley into theColca Canyon is located at the altitude of 1360 m a.s.l(southern part). Recent lavas fill up the Valley of Volcanoesbetween Misahuanca and Ayo along the distance of 60 kInfonning a cover (Fig. 1). The remaining valley fill are flatlying sediments: gravels and colluvia or sands.

The Valley of Volcanoes is a typical example of a tec-tonic graben. The northern part of the graben runs meridi-onally and is significantly older. It can be proved by occur-rence of well-developed soil on the slopes. Rock wallsappear in the central part. The eastern part of the grabenabove Chachas Lake is still active. It is similar to the outletof the valley into the Colca Canyon where longitudinal,vertical faults cutting recent lavas of the Andahua Group

can be observed.Volcanic forms of the Andahua Group are almost ero-

sional intact, prominent, resembling primary landscape.Lava flows predominate, lava domes and pyroclasticcones. The lava covers total area of 221 km2. There are 40lava domes and 17 pyroclastic cones on the bottom of the

Valley [2].The lava fields are related to at least three periods of

volcanic activity. The oldest lavas are weathered, surfacemostly smooth, covered with vegetation and often turnedinto fields. There is gentle relief on the second generation ofthe lavas, initial soil, sometimes covered with grass, cac-tuses and bushes. The surface of the youngest lava isuneven, the lava flows slopes are steep, unstable and almostinaccessible. Vegetation has little chance to root there.

The fonns of the two latter generations can be distin-guished in the field. The largest part of the area is coveredby the youngest lavas (Holocene) beginning south ofAndagua and extending down to the Colca Canyon. Aslightly older lava field (Pleistocene - Holocene) occurs

north of Andagua. It is the vicinity of the abandoned anti-mony mine Santa Rosa where Puca Mauras volcanodominates (4181 m a.s.l.). The lavas are over 100 m thickthere and they outpoured from five lava domes (Fig.l).

Estimating the spatial structure of the landscapes of theValley of the Volcanoes and the surrounding area in morespecific terms, we can distinguish the following four typesof landscapes:- The bottom of the intermountain graben filled with

fluvial and limnic sediments, peat bogs or lava flows,used as pastures or terraced fields fed by irrigationditches.

- Mountain slopes forming the verges of the intermoun-tain graben, passing into very steep rock walls, withwell-developed talus which is covered in the north bysoil.

- Altiplano, which directly adjoins the Valley ofVolcanoes in the north, represents a semi-desert land-scape with gentle hills and lakes.

- The Cordilleras, where mountain peaks with permanentsnow cover occur (the massif of Coropuna volcano6425 m a.s.l.).Planned national park covers approximately 350 km2

in the southern part of the valley. Its boundaries at the

Research Methodology

The works on landscape-functional valorisation werecarried out in three stages:

1st included field and desk works enabling to identifyeach fonn of land management and usage, ecologicalzones, existing and planned objects and protected areas ofnature, landscape and cultural heritage, harmonious land-scape resources e.g. viewpoints and picturesque routes,landscape dominants and existing threats to the landscapeby landscape degrading objects. The results of this workwere marked on a geoenvironmental map of the investi-gated area and allowed the making classification of thelandscape based on its resources and the degree of anthro-

pogenisation (Fig. I).IInd involved an assessment of environmental compo-

nents and identified the areas in tenns of their usefulness Fig. 1. Geoenvironmental maps of the Valley of the Volcanoes.

69Landscape - Functional Valorisation...

central part of the valley to the south of Chachas LakeAndagua River disappears beneath lava flows for some 15km and abundantly flows out into Mamacocha Lake.

The climate of the Valley of Volcanoes is characterizedby distinct vertical zoning, which is reflected in land usein agriculture (Table 1). Favourable conditions for agricul-tural crops exist in the vicinity of the village Andagua(some 7 km2) and north of the Chachas Lake. Smallerarable fields occur in the lateral valleys Sucna and Soporo.Exceptional vegetables are cultivated in Ayo. At the alti-tude of about 2000 meters a.s.l. not only maize, potatoes,but also guava, papaya, peach, bananas, citrus fruits andeven grapes are growing. Farming conditions are Watersupply is not stable, as may be proved by the abandonedsettlements of Quello Quello north of Ayo. Agriculture isnot mechanized and so far seems to have no impact onother components of the environment. Above the altitudeof 3600 m a.s.l. livestock farming based on herds ofalpacas and llamas occurs in areas where water is avail-able. Large pastures spread west and north of Andagua,practically up to Orcopampa.

bottom of the Valley of the Volcanoes and extends alongCanyon of the Rio Colca. Its boundaries at the bottom ofthe valley have been proposed basing on the range of theyoungest generation of the Andahua Group. This is an areaof the highest scientific, educational and landscape values.Within its boundaries the following zones applied nationalparks of Peru have been designated [3]: strict and partialprotection, special use and recreation.

A buffer zone, covering the area of 187 krn2 has beendesignated to the north of the valley. It covers lavas ofolder generation (Pleistocene-Holocene). Inside and out-side the buffer zone within the Valley of the Volcanoesthere are areas of the following potential (Table 1, Fig. 2):a) highly productive, b) settlements, c) mineral depositsand d) nature and culture protection.

The Highly Productive Areas

Access to water, suitable climate and topography arethe conditions necessary for development of agriculture inthe Andes. The lavas near Andagua were significantlyweathered and fertile soils have formed on them. They arecurrently developed as a system of terraced filds with irri-gation ditches. The Andagua River located in the catch-ment area of the Rio Colca is the main watercourse in theprovince of Castilla and the source of water for agricul-tural development in the Valley. Abundantly supplied, theriver forms small pools and bogs in its upper part. In the

Settlements

The largest town in the Valley of the Volcanoes is amining town Orcopampa with population reaching sixthousand. Buenaventura Mining Company, which obtainedconcession on mining and exploration in Orcopampa in1960, has developed the basic residential and communi-cation infrastructure and also medical and educationalfacilities in the town. Andagua is the second settlementwhere about one thousand people live. Other settlements:Chilcaymarca, Chachas, Ayo are even smaller. All inhab-ited places are located near water resources. Larger settle-ments have water pipeline systems, sewage systems andelectricity supply. There are also few hotels offering ratherlow standard of services.

The road network consists of one main unpaved roadthat runs along the bottom of the Valley. The few branchesare practically available only for 4WD vehicles. A newroad connecting Ayo and Huambo together with the bridgeover the Rio Colca is under construction. It would shortenby half the road distance to the capital of the ArequipaDepartment.

Mineral Deposits

The gold mine Chipmo, built close to the historic sil-ver and gold mine Orcopampa and the ore treatment plant,is currently the most important industrial facility in theregion. The exploitation is carried on at the depth of 600m below the surface [1]. In 2010, approximately 0.5 mil-lion tons of ore were mined, which gave 9 tons of Au [4].The number of exploration claims on both sides of theValley Volcanoes grows every year. Among successfulShila, Poracota and Parihuana should be mentioned. Thepositive effects of exploration, and good economic resultsof the mines attract new investors and employees, result-ing in economic development of the region [I]. In theFig. 2. Landscape-functional zones in the Valley of the Volcanoes.

Gala.~ A.. Galas S.70

Table 1. Functional-landscape valorization of the Valley of the Volcanoes.

Evaluation ofenvironment, landscape,

educationConflictsEconomic potential Protection areasEcological units [8]

High: lavas and faults(Holocene), active mor-phological processes,

! few types of landscape,otter habitat

a) productive area,,d) nature and culture! Drotection,

Strict conserva-tion for mainlyarea

Power line, planedchanging of location andhigh of the transmissiontower, road in planed

Strict and partialconservationfor mainly area,butler zone withcultivated areas

High: volcanoes (Holo-cene), lavas and faults,active morphologicalprocesses, diversity oflandscape

Yunga (500-2300 m a.s.l.) Southpart of Valleyhas a desert character, surface oflavas is water and plants less, samespecies of cacti and sec bushes.

Quechua (2300-3500 m a.s.l.)Central and south part of Valley,were temperate to sec conditionsof climate are dominate, goodpredispositions for agriculture. Areobserved same trees (eucalyptus).

a) productive area,b) settlements,d) nature and cultureprotection,

Power line, planed: changing of location andhigh of the transmissiontower.

Middle: volcanoes andlavas (Pleistocene-Ho-locene) few types oflandscape

Planed changing ofhigh of the transmissiontower,

Partial conserva-tion, butTer zoneand communalreserve

Suni (3500-4000 m a.s.I.) Northpart of Valley. The temperate coldclimate are dominate, is the borderof extent of agriculture. Are obse-rved tuft of grass ichu and chudo.

a) productive area,b) settlements,c) mineral deposits

No existsSmallPartial conse-rvation for smallarea,

Puna (4000-4800 m a.s.I.), Sur-roundings area of Valley. Typicalin vegetation cover are species ofstrong grass, herbs and pastures.

c) mineral deposits

There are ruins of ancient settlements and tombs in the

Valley ego Pajareta, Pumajallo, Antaymarca, Soporo,Quello Quelloand old Ayo. Most of the objects have notbeen inventoried and investigated yet. Before they becomeopen for tourists, detailed archaeological investigationsand necessary reconstruction works should be carried out.

closest vicinity of the protected area near the Mauras vol-cano, there is also a small quarry supplying rock materialsused for road constructions and closed mines Santa Rosaand Shila.

Nature and Culture Protection

Conclusions

Considering the civilization progress, there is a needfor concrete actions towards the rational management ofanimate and inanimate nature. The concept of shaping thedevelopment of the Valley of Volcanoes, resulting fromthe usage and exploitation of resources and environmentvalues, should be preceded by determination of their valueand suitability to perform specific functions in regional

economy.The method of determining specific zones of land use,

nature and culture protection presented in the paper, wasapplied successfully to heterogeneous region of the Valleyof the Volcaones. The thesis that the early exclusion ofareas with high geodiversity from investment pressurewill enable optimal land use in other areas. Environmentalresources usage: agriculture, pastures, tourism and recre-ation, exploration and mining of mineral deposits followthe boundaries of geological formations and ecologicalzones, which occur in the Valley of the Volcanoes. Themining centre Orcopampa which attracts investors andcraftsmen and drives economic development is dominat-ing in the region.

A unique geological position and exposure are the mainadvantage of the Colca Canyon and the Valley of Volcanoes,which result in large lithological, stratigraphic and tectonicvariety. Active geological processes such as earthquakesand faulting, erosion and mass movements and, above all,various forms of volcanic edifices can be observed there.Accumulation of different, dwarf volcanic forms on rela-tively small area makes it exceptional in that part of theAndes. Those are extremely attractive pyroclastic cones[5], lava domes and lava flows [2,6], which add greatly tothe geodiversity of the planned national park. The pyro-clastic cones are relatively small 100-250 meters high.Some cones have craters broken by lava, which allows toenter there study their interior. The surface of lava flows isbuilt of sharp-edged lava of"aa" type and deeper of blocklava. Research works show that the last volcanic activitytook place in the Valley about 370 years ago [7].

The edges of Valley of Volcanoes graben are tectoni-cally active. Structure of faults and folds can be observedin many exposures. Several transverse faults cut the valleywhere congealed lava formed cascades [2].

A group ofPanahua ice/waterfalls, south of Orcopampahas been covered by protection as a landscape reserve.Other interesting waterfalls are located near Andagua.

71Landscape - Functional Valorisation.

ReferencesProtection of geodiversity resources and designationof the Colca Canyon and the Valley of Volcanoes NationalPark depends entirely on the abilities of state administra-tion and regional and the awareness of local communities.Investments which are to be carried out in the Valley of

Volcanoes i.e. increase of the hight of transmission towers,construction of a bridge and a road at the mouth of theColca Canyon were the subject of intensive protests inArequipa. In the authors' opinion, both projects needdetailed analysis of their influence on the environment andpublic consultations. Their proposed location will causeirreparable damage of the landscape of the most valuablepart of the Valley of Volcanoes and the Colca Canyon. Theproposed changes in the spatial structure (designation ofthe National Park and the buffer zone) would enhance thechance for balanced development of the designated zonesbased on tourism and recreation and to protect areas withhigh geodiversity, great natural beauty and still little-

known cultural and natural values.

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Acknowledgements

Financial support was provided by AGH statutoryfunds no. 11.11.140.560.