"Cerro Colorado" Archeological and Natural Park

IUCN Management Category V (Protected Landscape)

Biogeographical Province 8.21.4 (Gran Chaco)

Geographical Location Cerro Colorado, which constitutes part of the east flank of Cordoba's northern Sierras, is located within the Departments of Rio Seco, Tulumba and Sobremonte in the province of Cordoba; 30°08'S, 63°54'W.

Date and History of Establishment Various resolutions and decrees of the provincial government provide some protection for the area. In 1954, Resolution 3674 declared the forests in the vicinity of Cerro Colorado 'Permanent Forests'. This was ratified by Resolution 261 of 1974 which extended the size of the park to 3000ha. In 1957, Decree 3406 (subsequently modified 1963 - No 499) declared 482ha an Archaeological and Natural Park. In 1975, Resolution 174 declared the area of Cerro Colorado closed to hunting of any species. Provincal Law 6964 "Natural Areas of the Prov. of Cordoba" is not yet applicable to the Park.

Area 3,000ha.

Land Tenure Private property, except for the roads, the irrigation system and about 600 square metres, where the entrance and an archeological display room are located, which are State property.

Altitude Ranges from 650m to 830m (at the top of Cerro Colorado).

Physical Features The park comprises two geological formations, the predominantly red sedimentary sandstones of the Cerro Colorado, and the surrounding granite bedrock. It is generally thought that the sandstone block which remains today has sunk into the granite bed as a result of faulting in the granite which arose at about the time the Andes were first raised. There are three small hills known as Cerro Colorado (830m), Cerro Veladero (810m) and Cerro Intihuasi (772m).

Climate There is no meteorological station within the reserve, and the only records are infrequent measurement of rainfall. The climate is semi-arid and, although some 6-700mm of rain falls during the year, almost all of this falls during the humid summer season (October-April). During this time the average daily temperature is 22°C.

Vegetation Cerro Colorado is a wooded area made up almost entirely of Myrcianthes cisplatensis (Myrtacaea), known locally as "mato". This species is distributed in the phytogeographical regions of Chaco and Parana, and the park is reported to be one of the dispersion centres of the Myrtaceae in the Neotropics, along with two others located in Brazil and Uruguay (Legrand, 1968). Otherwise the plant vegetation is dominated by that of the Sierras to the north. On the lower parts of the hills, the woodland formations gradually give way to vegetation characteristic of the plains of eastern Chaco. In the east, on slopes of more than 35° where rock is exposed, extensive patches of 'chaquares' (Puya spathacea, Dyckia floribunda) are to be found, giving the landscape a grey hue.

Fauna Various mammal and bird species have been recorded from Cerro Colorado, including two species of weasel (Didelphis azarae and Marmosa pusilla brchi), various bats (Desmodus rotunds, Eumpos perotis, Lasiurus cinereus, Miotis spp.), small grey fox Dusicyon griseus gracilis, puma Felis concolor cabrerae, and other felids, the "Charata" Ortallis canicollis, the owl Bubo virginianus, the "Chuna de patas rojas" Cariama cristata, and the bald eagle Geranoetus melanoleucus. Cave drawings suggest that the area was also once occupied by the condor, honey bears, and the guanaco.

Cultural Heritage Cerro Colorado is one of the most important repositories of cave drawings in South America. There are about 113 archeological sites with a total of 35,000 rock-drawings, made by different indian cultures that once lived in the Chaco (mainly Comechingones and Sanavirones). The styles of the drawings begin with the ancient Ayampitin culture (V to X century), and most of the drawings (around 70%) concern people (both Indians and Spanish), mammals, birds, reptiles and insects. There are also some geometrical drawings.

Local Human Population Some 50 people reside in the park, and 400 in an adjacent area of 7-8km radius, 50% of them at the foot of the Cerro Colorado. Their primary occupation is raising goats.

Visitors and Visitor Facilities About 10,000 people a year (2% of these are foreign) visit Cerro Colorado, as the site is only 160km NNE of Cordoba and easily accessible by road (there are no accommodation facilities within the park). There is a network of trails from the guard post to major caves where the drawings are located, and there is an archaeological display by the entrance to the park.

Scientific Research and Facilities Most of the research in Cerro Colorado has been concerned with the rock-paintings (see reference list), although work has been carried out on the populations of Myrcianthes cisplatensis by Legrand (1968), Sayago (1969), Rotman (1979) and Losano (1985). There are no laboratories or accommodation facilities available to scientists within the park.

Conservation Value No information

Conservation Management Legal protection is provided under provincial law for both the wooded area, and for the animals found within the area (which has been declared closed to hunting). The principle justifications for conserving the area are suggested to be the cave drawings, the fact that the park is in one of the three principal centres of dispersion of the Myrtaceae in the Neotropics, and the geological formations. Recently two zoning maps based on vegetation characteristics have been drawn up. These maps indicate the areas most suited for tourist and recreational development. There is no management plan but an environmental inventory has been prepared by the University of Cordoba.

Management Constraints Despite the existing legislation, the Provincial Government feels that the area still does not possess adequate legal status required to guarantee its preservation. There would appear to be insufficient control over the increasing tourist and recreational activities, which have been a threat to the archaeological and natural values for which the area is noted. The major threat to the cultural heritage of the park results form cracking in the rocks which has resulted in infiltration of water and deposition of salts on the rocks where the drawings are found. A hydro transmission line and a television transmission tower were constructed in 1985 in the centre of the Park despite protests by local conservationists.

Staff F The park has 7 guards.

Budget The annual budget for salaries and maintenance of the area of Cerro Colorado is 18,000 Australes (US$ 10,000).

Local Addresses

Direccion de Area Naturales, Subsecretaria de Desarrollo Agropecuario, Secretaria Ministerio de Agricultura, Ganaderia y Recursos Renovables, Avdda. Velez Sarsfield 340, 5000 Cordoba; and Direccion de Patrimonio Cultural, Secretaria de Cultura, Avda General Paz 254, 5000 Cordoba.

References

Argentina (1986). Nomination of "Cerro Colorado" by the Government of Argentina to the World Heritage List. 10 pp.

Capitanelli, R. (1979). III Clima. In: Geografia Fisica de la Provincia de Cordoba Edts. Vasquez, J., Miatelo, R. y Roque, M. Pp. 45-138 Edt. Boldt. 464 pp.

DRNR (1976). Guia ilustrada del Parque Arquelogico y Natural "Cerro Colorado". Serie Areas Naturales: No.1. Departamento Areas Naturales, Direccion de Recursos Naturales Renovables S.E.A.G., Cordoba, Argentina.

Gadner G.A. (1931). Rock paintings in the north-west of Cordoba. Oxford University Press.

Gonzalez, A.R. (1940). Las pinturas rupestres de Cerro Colorado. Rev. Geogr.

Amer. Vol. XIV, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Gonzalez, A.R. (1963). Las pinturas indigenas de Cerro Colorado. Revista Gacetika 63.

Legrad, D. (1968). Las Mirtaceas del Uruguay III. Bil. Fac. Agron. 101: 1-77. Montevideo, Uruguay.

Losano, A. (1985). Estimacion de edad y estudio comparativo de dos poblaciones de Myrcianthes cisplatensis. Catedra de Geobotanica. Seminario I y II. Universidad Nacional de Cordoba.

Molina, E. Gomez, (1985). Proyecto Cerro Colorado: Diagostico y Objetivos Generales. Centro de Ecologia y Recursos Naturales Renovables. Universidad Nacional de Cordoba.

Pedersen, A. (1959). Las pinturas rupestres de la Sierras de Cordoba (Republica de Argentina) y sus normas convencionales de represencion. Publicacion Tecnica No. 26. Anales de Parques Nacionales VIII: 51-62. Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Pedersen, A. (1972). Estado actual de las pinturas rupestres de Cerro Colorado y su alarmante de destruccion. Resumenes 2nd. Congreso Nacional de Arqueologia. Cippoletti, Rio Negro, Argentina.

Rotman, A. (1979). Las especes argentinas del gen. Myrcianthese (Mirtacea). Darwinia 22 (1-3): 109-123. Bs.As.

Date June 1987