Napo moist forests

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Napo moist forests (NT0142)
Flickr - ggallice - Common woolly monkey.jpg
Brown woolly monkey (Lagothrix lagotricha) in the Yasuni National Park, Ecuador
Ecoregion NT0142.svg
Location of the Napo moist forests
Ecology
Realm Neotropical
Biome Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests
Bird species>500
Mammal species>70
Geography
Area251,750 km2 (97,200 sq mi)
Countries Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
Coordinates 2°30′00″S74°57′18″W / 2.500°S 74.955°W / -2.500; -74.955 Coordinates: 2°30′00″S74°57′18″W / 2.500°S 74.955°W / -2.500; -74.955
Geology Caguán-Putumayo, Napo, Marañón Basin
Rivers Napo, Caguán, Curaray, Marañón, Morona, Pastaza, Putumayo, Tigre
Climate typeAf": equatorial, fully humid

The Napo moist forests (NT0142) is an ecoregion in the western Amazon rainforest of Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.

Contents

Geography

Location

The Napo moist forests ecoregion covers part of the Amazon basin to the east of the Andes in the north of Peru, the east of Ecuador and the south of Colombia. It has an area of 25,174,684 hectares (62,208,000 acres). [1] The ecoregion extends from the foothills of the Andes in the west almost to the city of Iquitos, Peru in the east, where the Napo and Solimões (Upper Amazon) rivers join. [2]

In the extreme northwest the Napo moist forests ecoregion transitions into Cordillera Oriental montane forests to the west. Otherwise it transitions into Eastern Cordillera Real montane forests in the west. To the south it transitions into Ucayali moist forests, and into a broad belt of Iquitos várzea along the Marañón / Solimões river. To the east it transitions into Solimões-Japurá moist forests in the south and Caquetá moist forests in the north. The Napo moist forests contain areas of Iquitos várzea along rivers in the south and areas of Purus várzea along rivers in the north.. [3]

Terrain

The terrain consists of floodplains and very low hills. [1] To the west it is bounded by the foothills of the Andes. It slopes gently down from elevations of 300–400 metres (980–1,310 ft) in the west to elevations of 100 metres (330 ft) in the east. In the plains of the north the higher land rises no more than 10 metres (33 ft) above river level. Soils include older material from the Guiana Shield mixed with Quaternary sediments washed down from the Andes. [2]

The Marañón River defines the southern boundary of the ecoregion. The Caguán River, a tributary of the Caquetá River defines the eastern boundary in Colombia. The Napo River, a tributary of the Solimões, defines the eastern boundary in Peru. Other important Amazon basin rivers that cross the ecoregion include the Morona, Pastaza, Tigre and Curaray, and the headwaters of the Caquetá and Putumayo. [2]

Climate

The ecoregion has a humid tropical climate. Mean annual temperatures are 26 °C (79 °F). At different times of year, different elevations and different distances from the equator monthly temperatures may vary from 12 to 38 °C (54 to 100 °F). Annual rainfall in the furthest west of the ecoregion is up to 4,000 millimetres (160 in), while in the east it is 2,500–3,000 millimetres (98–118 in), still a very high level. There is a "dry" season with rather less rain than at other times of the year. [2] At a sample location at 1°45′S75°45′W / 1.75°S 75.75°W / -1.75; -75.75 the Köppen climate classification is "Af": equatorial, fully humid. [4] At this location monthly mean temperatures range from 25 °C (77 °F) in July to 26.9 °C (80.4 °F) in November. Yearly total rainfall is about 3,250 millimetres (128 in) Monthly rainfall varies from 193.7 millimetres (7.63 in) in December to 366.9 millimetres (14.44 in) in May. [4]

Ecology

Scene in the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve Laguna, parque nacional de Cuyabeno, Ecuador.jpg
Scene in the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve

The ecoregion is in the Neotropical realm, in the tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests biome. [1] The Napo moist forests terrestrial ecoregion is part of the 367,000 square kilometres (142,000 sq mi) Napo Moist Forests global ecoregion of the northern Amazon basin, which also includes the Ucayali moist forests. The heavy but seasonal rainfall, diverse terrain and soil, and barriers formed by large rivers contribute to great diversity of flora and fauna. [5] In the past the region has undergone large shifts in average temperature and humidity, with new species invading the region or evolving within the region. Large changes in river meanders in the Santa Cecilia region of the northwest of Ecuador may have created barriers that split species into population that then evolved independently. [2]

Flora

In a 1 hectare (2.5 acres) area of the Napo moist forests over 310 species of trees have been counted. [5] The Yasuní Biosphere Reserve contains about 4,000 species of plants. [6] 138 species of orchid have been reported below 300 metres (980 ft) of elevation in Ecuador. [2]

Fauna

white-banded swallow (Atticora fasciata) on the Tiputini River in Yasuni National Park Atticora fasciata -Rio Tiputini, Yasuni National Park, Ecuador-8.jpg
white-banded swallow (Atticora fasciata) on the Tiputini River in Yasuni National Park
common squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus) in the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve Saimiri Sciureus.jpg
common squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus) in the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve

The Yasuní Biosphere Reserve has at least 70 species of mammals. This includes 13 primate species including the silvery woolly monkey (Lagothrix poeppigii), Venezuelan red howler (Alouatta seniculus), white-bellied spider monkey (Ateles belzebuth) and monk saki (Pithecia monachus). Other mammals include the South American tapir (Tapirus terrestris), white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari), jaguar (Panthera onca), Amazon river dolphin (Inia geoffrensis), tucuxi (Sotalia fluviatilis) and giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis). [6] The region is home to the spectral bat (Vampyrum spectrum), the largest bat in the New World. [5] Endangered mammals include white-bellied spider monkey (Ateles belzebuth), giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) and mountain tapir (Tapirus pinchaque). [7]

The Yasuní Biosphere Reserve has more than 400 fish species. [6] Endangered amphibians include Hemiphractus johnsoni (Johnson's horned treefrog), Hyloxalus cevallosi (Palanda rocket frog) and Pristimantis festae . [7]

The Yasuní Biosphere Reserve has more than 500 species of birds. [6] Endangered birds include wattled curassow (Crax globulosa). [7]

Status

The World Wildlife Fund gives the ecoregion the status of "Critical/Endangered". [2] Studies in the Yasuní area of Napo Province, Ecuador, show that where roads within oil concessions are uncontrolled they are quickly used by colonists who deforest the area so they can grow crops and pasture for cattle. Where the roads are policed, colonization by non-indigenous people is avoided but species whose meat is sold for food are rapidly depleted in areas within walking distance of settlements. [8] As the indigenous Huaorani people become more connected to markets, their farms are expected to increase in size and the pressure on wildlife to intensify. [9]

Conservation

Protected areas include the Cayambe Coca Ecological Reserve and the Yasuni National Park. [1] The 2,800,000 hectares (6,900,000 acres) Yasuní landscape in Napo, Ecuador, combines the Yasuní National Park and the surrounding Waorani Ethnic Reserve. It contains parts of the lower Napo and Yasuní rivers. UNESCO designated the area the Yasuní Biosphere Reserve in 1989. It protects the heart of one of Ecuador's last remaining areas of untouched, continuous tropical forest, a biodiversity hotspot that is one of the richest on the planet. It is also home to the uncontacted Tagaeri and Taromenane clans of the Huaorani people. [6] Although a large part of the Yasuní Biosphere Reserve is undisturbed, it is in an area where the rule of law is not enforced and where immigrant farmers are advancing along roads build by oil companies and clearing forest so they can grow crops and graze livestock. [6]

Related Research Articles

Amazon natural region Region in Colombia

Amazonía region in southern Colombia comprises the departments of Amazonas, Caquetá, Guainía, Guaviare, Putumayo and Vaupés, and covers an area of 483,000 km², 35% of Colombia's total territory. The region is mostly covered by tropical rainforest, or jungle, which is a part of the massive Amazon rainforest.

Southwest Amazon moist forests

The Southwest Amazon moist forests (NT0166) is an ecoregion located in the Upper Amazon basin.

Amazon biome Ecological region of South America

The Amazon biome contains the Amazon rainforest, an area of tropical rainforest, and other ecoregions that cover most of the Amazon basin and some adjacent areas to the north and east. The biome contains blackwater and whitewater flooded forest, lowland and montane terra firme forest, bamboo and palm forest, savanna, sandy heath and alpine tundra. Some areas are threatened by deforestation for timber and to make way for pasture or soybean plantations.

Caquetá moist forests

The Caquetá moist forests (NT0107) is an ecoregion of tropical moist broad leaf forest to the east of the Andes in the east of Colombia, with a small section in Brazil, in the Amazon biome. The forests are in the transition between the Guiana and Amazon regions, and have highly diverse flora and fauna. They are relatively intact, although they are mostly unprotected and are threatened with deforestation to create cattle pastures.

Negro–Branco moist forests Tropical broadleaf forest covering portions of Venezuela, Colombia, and Brazil

The Negro–Branco moist forests (NT0143) is an ecoregion of tropical moist broadleaf forest to the east of the Andes in southern Venezuela, eastern Colombia and northern Brazil, in the Amazon biome. It lies on the watershed between the Orinoco and Rio Negro basins. It includes both blackwater and whitewater rivers, creating different types of seasonally flooded forest. The vegetation is more typical of the Guiana region than the Amazon.

Japurá–Solimões–Negro moist forests

The Japurá–Solimões–Negro moist forests (NT0132) is an ecoregion of tropical moist broad leaf forest in the Amazon biome.

Gurupa várzea

The Gurupa várzea (NT0126) is an ecoregion of seasonally and tidally flooded várzea forest along the Amazon River in the Amazon biome.

Monte Alegre várzea

The Monte Alegre várzea (NT0141) is an ecoregion of seasonally flooded várzea forest along the Amazon River in the Amazon biome.

Purus várzea

The Purus várzea (NT0156) is an ecoregion of seasonally flooded várzea forest in the central Amazon basin. It is part of the Amazon biome. The ecoregion is home to a vegetation adapted to floods of up to 12 metres (39 ft) that may last for eight months. There is a great variety of fish and birds, but relatively fewer mammals. Ground-dwelling mammals must migrate to higher ground during the flood season. Threats include logging, cattle farming, over-fishing and mercury pollution from gold mining.

Purus–Madeira moist forests

The Purus-Madeira moist forests (NT0157) is an ecoregion in the central Amazon basin. It is part of the Amazon biome. The ecoregion covers a stretch of flat and relatively infertile land between the Purus and Madeira rivers, extending to the Solimões River in the north. It is isolated from other regions by the seasonally flooded várzea forest along these rivers, and has a high degree of endemism among its flora and fauna. The natural environment is relatively intact. The BR-319 highway was built along the length of the ecoregion in the early 1970s, but rapidly deteriorated and is now closed.

Solimões–Japurá moist forests

The Solimões-Japurá moist forests (NT0163) is an ecoregion in northwest Brazil and eastern Peru and Colombia in the Amazon biome. It has a hot climate with high rainforest throughout the year, and holds one of the most diverse collections of fauna and flora in the world. The ecoregion is relatively intact.

Iquitos várzea

The Iquitos várzea (NT0128) is an ecoregion of flooded forest along rivers in Brazil, Peru and Bolivia in the west of the Amazon biome. The forest is seasonally flooded up to 7 metres (23 ft) by whitewater rivers carrying nutrient-rich sediment from the Andes. The meandering rivers often shift course, creating a complex landscape of oxbow lakes, marshes, levees and bars, with grasslands, shrubs and forests in different stages of succession. During the extended flood periods fish enter the forest in search of fruit. The várzea is accessible by the navigable rivers that run through it, and has suffered from extensive deforestation to extract timber and create pasture for livestock.

Juruá–Purus moist forests

The Juruá–Purus moist forests (NT0133) is an ecoregion in northwest Brazil in the Amazon biome. The terrain is very flat and soils are poor. The rivers flood annually. There are no roads in the region, and the dense rainforest is relatively intact, although plans to extend the Trans-Amazonian Highway through the region would presumably cause widespread damage to the habitat.

Uatuma–Trombetas moist forests

The Uatuma–Trombetas moist forests (NT0173) is an ecoregion in northwest Brazil in the Amazon biome. It covers the Amazon basin north of the Amazon River from close to the Atlantic Ocean to the Rio Negro west of Manaus. The ecoregion is relatively intact, although it has been damaged along the main rivers and around population centers.

Amazon–Orinoco–Southern Caribbean mangroves

The Amazon–Orinoco–Southern Caribbean mangroves (NT1401) is an ecoregion along the coasts of Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana and Brazil.

Cordillera Oriental montane forests

The Cordillera Oriental montane forests (NT0118) is an ecoregion in Venezuela and Colombia along the east slopes of the eastern cordillera of the Andes. The extensive region of submontane and montane forests includes distinctive flora and fauna in the north, center and southern sections. The ecoregion is home to numerous endemic species of fauna. Despite extensive changes due to logging, farming and ranching, large areas of the original habitat remain intact, and the ecoregion has rich biodiversity.

Ucayali moist forests

The Ucayali moist forests (NT0174) is an ecoregion in the western Amazon rainforest of Peru.

Eastern Cordillera Real montane forests

The Eastern Cordillera Real montane forests (NT0121) is an ecoregion in the eastern range of the Andes of southern Colombia, Ecuador and northern Peru. The ecoregion covers the eastern slopes of the Andes, and includes montane forest that rises from the Amazonian rain forest, with cloud forest and elfin forest at higher elevations. It is rich in species, including many endemics. It is threatened by logging and conversion for pasturage and subsistence agriculture.

Western Ecuador moist forests

The Western Ecuador Moist Forests (NT0178), also known as the Pacific Forest of Ecuador, is an ecoregion in the plains and western foothills of the Andes of southern Colombia and Ecuador. At one time this region contained dense forests with highly diverse flora and fauna, and many endemic species. Most of the original habitat has now been destroyed, and the ecoregion is one of the most threatened in the world.

References

    1. 1 2 3 4 Napo moist forests – Myers, WWF Abstract.
    2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Sears, Marín & Schipper.
    3. ↑ WildFinder – WWF.
    4. 1 2 Napo moist forests – Myers, Climate Data.
    5. 1 2 3 Napo Moist Forests – WWF Global.
    6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Greater Yasuní-Napo Moist Forest ... USAID, p. 7.
    7. 1 2 3 Napo moist forests – Myers, All Endangered.
    8. ↑ Greater Yasuní-Napo Moist Forest ... USAID, p. 9.
    9. ↑ Greater Yasuní-Napo Moist Forest ... USAID, p. 13.

    Bibliography

    • Greater Yasuní-Napo Moist Forest Landscape Conservation Area (PDF), USAID / Wildlife Conservation Society, 2010, retrieved 2017-05-02
    • "Napo moist forests", Global Species, Myers Enterprises II, retrieved 2017-04-30
    • Napo Moist Forests, WWF Global, retrieved 2017-04-30
    • Sears, Robin; Marín, César; Schipper, Jan, Eastern South America: Southern Colombia, eastern Venezuela, and northern Peru, WWF: World Wildlife Fund, retrieved 2017-04-30
    • WildFinder, WWF: World Wildlife Fund, retrieved 2017-04-26
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