The vegetation around the town of Sexi comprises a heterogeneous mosaic of pastureland, degraded zones dominated by Dodonea, Eucalyptus plantations, highly eroded zones with exposed soil, and patches of more or less intact shrubland and forest vegetation. Characteristic elements include Polylepis, Oreopanax, Oreocallis, Mrytaceae species, epiphytic bromeliads and orchids, and mat-forming plants including bromeliads, orchids, and ericaceous species. The vegetation may be similar to the dry cloud forest described by Valencia (1992)¹

The site is within the depression of Huancabamaba, an area in which the Central Andes attain their lowest elevations and also a region of high biological and biogeographical importance. This area not only served as a bridge for movement of Amazonian species toward the West and a barrier for many High-Andean species but also is considered a center of diversity with respect to other Andean areas and contains a large number of endemic genera and species.²

• [1] Valencia N. 1992. Los Bosques nublados secos de la vertiente occidental de los Andes del Perú. Memorias del Museo de Historia Natural, UNMSM 21:155-170
• [2] Weigend M. 2004. Additional observations on the biogeography of the Amotape-Huancabamba zone in Northern Peru: defining the South-Eastern limits. Rev.Peru. Biol. 11:127 -134; Young K.R. & C. Reynel. 1997. Huancabamba Region, Perú and Ecuador. Pp. 465-469 in Davis S.D., V.H. Heywood, O. Herrera-MacBryde, J. Villalobos & A.C. Hamilton (eds.), Centers of Plant Diversity, a guide and strategy for their conservation Vol 3. The Americas. IUCN Publications Unit, Cambridge.