Evaluación de la efectividad de manejo del Refugio de Vida Silvestre El Zarza

Abstract

Abstract: This research aimed to evaluate the management effectiveness of the El Zarza Wildlife Refuge (RVS EZ) to determine its institutional capacity in protecting the biodiversity of the Cordillera del Cóndor. The methodology was based on measuring management indicators distributed across six areas: context, planning, inputs, processes, results, and impacts. The main findings revealed an overall management score of 74.00%, rated as Moderately Satisfactory. Exceptional performance was identified in the areas of Impacts (100%) and Results (88.89%), supported by the conservation of biodiversity that includes 2,030 plant species, 315 bird species, and 44 mammal species, while maintaining 97.81% of its forest cover. However, critical deficiencies were detected in the area of ​​Inputs (55%), due to a budget deficit of 41.54%, and in Processes (67%) due to the lack of a Management Committee. It is concluded that, although the refuge is biologically successful thanks to its isolation, its operational sustainability is vulnerable. Current management is insufficient in financial and governance terms to mitigate external threats such as illegal mining, so it is necessary to strengthen community engagement and resource acquisition to guarantee the permanence of its endemic and emblematic species, such as the orchids Lepanthes curiosa and Pleurothallis batracha, the Amazonian tapir (Tapirus terrestris), and the spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus)