Important flora and fauna to residents of the Upper Colca region include the following (Gomez Rodríguez 1985;Guillet 1992: 130;Markowitz 1992: 42-44;Romaña 1987;Tapia Nuñez and Flores Ochoa 1984). Major flora comprise grasses such as Chilliwa( Calamagrostis rigescens), a frost-resistant perennial grass that thrives during the rainy season and in bofedales, grazed by a wide range of animals and also used for roof thatching. Other important puna pasture grasses include llapa, malva, sillo, and paco,though these are principally consumable by herbivores only during the rainy season. Ichu/ Paja( Stipa ichu) is a common grass used for thatching. In the higher elevation bofedales one can encounter parru, a grass preferred by alpacas. Wild fruits are gathered seasonally by locals including locoti(cactus fruit), q'ita uba(wild grapes), and sanquayo(a plant related to chirimoya) (Markowitz 1992: 43). In the high elevation area of the obsidian source yareta( Azorella compacta), a green, flowering cushion plant is one of the few flora that grow in the unirrigated areas of this harsh volcanic terrain. In addition to animal dung, dried yaretais the only dense, combustible fuel widely available above 4500 masl. As a local herder, T. Valdevia demonstrated, the cushion plant will burn when it is kicked over and allowed to dry out for several weeks. Drought and cold-resistant shrubs, including tolaand cangi, are valuable sources of firewood in the punatoday, though the shrubs are over harvested in many areas.

Fauna species include a number of birds that are hunted for their meat including the Grey Breasted Seedsnipe known as puko elquio( Thinocorus orbygnianus), partridges ( pishaq), and the guallata,the large white Andean Goose (Chloëphaga melanoptera)(Hughes 1987;Markowitz 1992: 43) .Several Andeancondors ( Vultur gryphus), for which the Colca is renowned, flew repeatedly near our work at the Chivay obsidian source in 2003. Wild mammals observed in the study area include viscacha( Lagidium peruana), tarucadeer ( Hipocamelus aticensis), and the wild camelid vicuña (Vicugna vicugnaor Lama vicugna).Thetrout found in the streams represent an important food source, but these fishes were introduced in the nineteenth century.