The Atlantic Rainforest is suffering from relentless habitat destruction as huge areas with massive trees are logged for timber and to make way for monoculture plantations, cattle pastures and urban developments. Find out how WLT is helping protect a large area of rainforest as a wildlife corridor...
Project aim
Just 1% of the original Atlantic Rainforest survives in Argentina. This project will protect one of the last strongholds of sub-tropical rainforest in Misiones Province by creating a wildlife corridor to connect the Moconá Provincial Park with the Esmeralda Provincial Park and the Turvo State Park in Brazil.
Partners:
Fundación Biodiversidad-Argentina »
Fundación Naturaleza para el Futuro (FuNaFu) »
Other projects in Argentina:
How World Land Trust is helping
The first stage of this project reached an unprecedented agreement to protect 9,301 acres (3,764 hectares) of tropical broad-leaf forest within the Yabotí Biosphere Reserve in April 2012. Under the new agreement part of the title to the land will be held as Traditional Indigenous Lands by three Guarani communities, and part will be held by communities and FuNaFu in a co-ownership arrangement to support the protection of the area for biodiversity. The next stage will be to continue conservation work within the corridor and to expand its reach to include further areas identified in need of protection.
Biodiversity
Mammals:
45 species of mammal have been recorded including:
Six feline species: Jaguar (Panthera onca), Tiger Cat (Leopardus tigrinus), Puma (Puma concolor), Jaguarundi (Puma yagouaroundi), Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) and Margay (Leopardus wiedii).
Three species of monkey: Black-and-gold Howler Monkey (Alouatta caraya), Southern Brown Howling Monkey (Alouatta guariba) and Tufted Capuchin (Cebus apella), also known as Brown Capuchin, Black-capped Capuchin, or Pin Monkey.
Two species of peccary: Collared Peccary (Pecari tajacu) and White-lipped Peccary (Tayassu pecari)
Other mammals include: Red Brocket Deer (Mazama americana and Mazama nana), Lowland Tapir (Tapirus terrestris), Bush Dog (Speothos venaticus), Neotropical Otter (Lontra longicaudis), Capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris), Tayra (Eira barbara), Greater Grison (Galictis vittata), Lesser Grison (Galictis cuja), Aardvark (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) Anteater (Tamandua tetradactyla), Coati (Nasua Nasua) and Crab-eating Raccoon (Procyon cancrivorus).
Birds:
Yabotí Biosphere Reserve (YBR) is an AICA (Area of Importance for the Conservation of Birds) with the largest number of endangered species in Argentina. To date 293 species have been described of which 40 face some degree of national and international threat. Of the 83 species endemic to the Atlantic Rainforest, 60 are confirmed for YBR.
Rare species recorded include: Crested Eagle (Spizaetus tyrannus), Harpy Eagle (Harpy harpyja), Spotted Bamboowren (Psilorhamphus guttatus), Rufous-tailed Attila (Attila phoenicurus), Thick-billed Saltator (Saltator maxillosus), Solitary Tinamou (Tinamus solitarius), Black-fronted Piping-guan (Pipile jacutinga), the Rufous-tailed Antthrush (Chamaeza ruficauda), and Sao Paulo Tyrannulet (Phylloscartes paulista)
There are also 124 species of amphibian and 222 fish species.
Threats to the Yabotí Biosphere Reserve
Protecting the Atlantic Rainforest in the Yabotí Biosphere Reserve is a high priority as although it is called a reserve much of the land within it is privately owned and therefore at risk of exploitation. There is a high concentration of endemic species and severe habitat destruction is taking place in this region. Atlantic Rainforest habitat is being destroyed due to:
- Exploitation for products such as timber and sugar cane
- Forest clearance for tobacco and soya plantation, cattle pastures, settlements, roads and the growth of cities
The Interior Atlantic Rainforest in Misiones originally covered about 25,700km2 (6,350,470 acres or 2,570,000 hectares), but estimates suggest this has been reduced to about 16,000km2.
The corridor
Emerald Green Corridor (Esmeraldas Corredor Verde)
The corridor links the Moconá Provincial Park - which is next to the River Uruguay opposite Moconá Falls – to the Turvo State Park in Brazil. The area protects one of the most fragile habitats in the world and is protected as Traditional Indigenous Land, which means it belongs to the local Guarani Communities who live within the corridor and is the strongest level of protection for the reserve's biodiversity.
