Sandplains of Pisco

The Sandplains of Pisco are located on the Pacific coast of Peru in the department of Ica, south of the Pisco River, east of the city of Pisco and northwest of the city of Ica. This sandy desert landscape extends to the west, from the edge of the "bat hills", in the alluvial plains of the Seco River, about 750 meters above sea level, running parallel to the east-facing hills. west to the north and entering the plains south of the Pisco River, and gradually descending to an elevation close to 256 masl, northwest of the Laguna de Morón.

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The coverage of this ELU is dominated by desert dunes (75%) without any substantial plant cover. Other areas (23%) are dominated by mat-forming bromeliads (Tillandsia latifolia and T. paleacea) that are found in sandy substrates and obtain moisture directly from the mists typical of coastal deserts, especially in low hills around the kp 308-311.

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Most of the RoW passes through sandy desert dunes devoid of vascular plants. There are isolated wells of hydromorphic vegetation in depressions that support some bushes and trees, the most typical ones include Pluchea, Tessaria and Acacia macracantha, sometimes associated with open waters, such as the Morón and Bernal lagoons. These lagoons contain fish native to coastal Peru such as the Green Terror (Aequidens rivulatus), a species occasionally consumed by local communities. The lizards Ctenoblepharys adspersa and Dicrodon heterolepis, cataloged as Vulnerable by Peruvian legislation, were observed throughout the RoW during the ecological and vegetation field surveys. These surveys also documented that the hydromorphic vegetation of this ELU supports populations of the Pico Delgado Pinzon (Xenospingus concolor), a species classified as threatened by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and vulnerable by Peruvian legislation.