The Atlantic Forest 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 the WLT is helping protect a large area of rainforest as a wildlife corridor....
Project aim
Just 1% of the original Atlantic Forest 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.
Partner:
Fundación Biodiversidad-Argentina »
Other projects in Argentina:
How the 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 the title to the land will be held as Traditional Indigenous Lands, by the 3 Guarani communities who support the area's protection 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:
116 species including; the Endangered Giant Otter (Pteronura brasiliensis); Giant Anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla); Jaguar (Panthera onca); Maned Wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus); Tiger Cat (Leopardus tigrinus);
Birds:
548 species including; the Critically Endangered Brazilian Merganser (Mergus octosetaceus), the Endangered Black-fronted Piping Guan (Pipile jacutinga) and the Harpy Eagle (Harpia harpyja).
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 Forest 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 Forest in Misiones originally covered about 25,700km2 (6,350,470 acres or 2,570,000 ha), 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 – that 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.
