Area

Lobitos and Piedritas are neighboring coastal communities located in the Piura region of
northern Peru, South America. Lobitos is a small fishing and surfing town of 1,300
residents located 17 km from the city of Talara, the tourist capital of Piura. Piedritas is a
community of 400 residents located halfway between the city of Talara and Lobitos. The
residents of Piedritas are in the process of obtaining a land title to formally establish the
community and gain reliable access to basic services such as electricity and water. Both
Lobitos and Piedritas are located within an oil concession area. ( from the hand out )

The areas of peru can be classify using 3 main categories:

The Costa

Evidence of plant life is relatively rare in the barren desert of coastal Peru. Where
coastal fog is heavy, lomas (a mix of grasses and other herbaceous species) are common.
In the north coast region, some parts of the desert are covered by epiphytes or by stands
of sapote or algarroba (mesquite). The most important feature of the coast, however, is
the enormous amount of bird, marine mammal, and fish life that abounds in the coastal
waters. The biomass includes such small fish as anchovies and such larger types as
corvina (sea bass), tuna, swordfish, and marlin. Sea lions thrive in isolated parts of the
coast. Bird life is heavy on islands off the coast. Among the most important bird species
are pelicans, cormorants, gannets, and various gulls. Humboldt penguins, and
endangered species , are found as far north as the Ballestas Islands near the Paracas
Peninsula.

The Sierra

Two plant communities characterize the Peruvian highlands: puna grasslands at

elevations from about 13,000 to 16,000 feet (about 4,000 to 5,000 metres) and, at lower
elevations, a mixture of native and introduced species. The puna has an abundance of
forage grasses and is home to the llama, alpaca, vicuña, and guanaco, which are native
to the region. At lower elevations grow such domesticates as potatoes, quinoa, and corn
(maize). Several species of eucalyptus have replaced native tree species.

Amazonia
The eastern slopes of the Andes and the Amazon plains are covered by a heavy growth of
tropical forest. In its woods and waters live thousands of plant, insect, and animal
species. Interesting mammals of this region include the jaguar, capybara, tapir, and
several species of monkey. Of special note is the wide and colorful variety of bird and
fish life. Reptiles and insects abound. The forests have a broad assortment of hardwood
and softwood species that produce a variety of forest products. Manú National Park,
designated a UNESCO world heritage site in 1987, is home to many examples of
Amazonia’s diverse plant and animal life. Scattered in isolated fields in the eastern
foothills of the Andes, too, are plantations of coca, the plant from which cocaine is
illegally produced.

Lobitos and piedritas respectfully fall into a mixture of sierra and costa , and costa
category in the terms that their features and geographic location resembles these 2 areas
the most