Puya reflexiflora

The region has been inhabited for centuries, triggering changes in the natural vegetation and is one of the most altered of Peru. Threats to plant species in the region include grazing, burning, firewood collection, soil erosion, clearance for cultivation, pollution due to mining activities, a predicted major increase in tourism, and the continued escalating demands of economic development for mining, roads, water power and resorts. Deforestation is a direct threat to this species, which is epiphytic.

Part of the range of this species occurs within the national Park of Huascaran, which is also a World Heritage Site and a Unesco Biosphere Reserve, where programs involving communities for sustainable use and restoration are in place. Effective implementation of the management plan is, however, hindered by inadequate budgets. The taxon does not benefit from any legal protection.

More protected areas are needed on the Andean slopes of Peru, which have a very high density and absolute number of endemic plant species. The knowledge of plant distribution in Peru is poor. Surveys should be conducted in the region to determine the exact range of this species, assess its population and verify its conservation status. The population should be regularly monitored. The ecology and biology of the taxon should be studied. Seeds should be collected for germplasm and ex situ conservation (Van der Werf and Consiglio 2004).