BomFuturo.org - Pantanal - THE ECOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE OF PANTANAL

IMPORTANZA ECOLOGICA DEL PANTANAL

THE ECOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE OF PANTANAL Biodiversity The annual flood cycle is the key-process that makes Pantanal a hotspot for biodiversity. This wetland offers a magnificent, impressive scenery made of different natural habitats. Its landscape encompasses a variety of ecological sub-regions, including river corridors, gallery forests, perennial wetlands and lakes, seasonally inundated grasslands and terrestrial forests. Pantanal is one of the most productive eco-systems on our planet; the fauna is extremely diverse, including more than 650 species of birds, 80 of mammals, 50 types reptiles and about 260 fish species. Some terms of comparison: the fresh waters of Pantanal are home to more fish species than in all of Europe (where about 200 fish species can be found). Moreover: there are more bird species in the Pantanal (more than 650) than in North America (about 500). Bio-Geographic Corridor In relation to the vast extension of Pantanal the endemic, that's to say the original species of the region are relatively few. The Pantanal functions primarily as an invaluable ecological and genetic corridor - the so-called bio-geographic corridor - where many species from the Amazon River watershed and La Plata Basin (which includes the Paraguay, Paraná and Uruguay Rivers) gather for reproducing and feeding under ideal conditions. Some migratory birds - for instance the small (20 cm high) maçarico-de-papo-vermelho - undertake an incredibly long seasonal migration from Canada to Chile to avoid the arctic winter, making a stop in the Pantanal to recover. Plants and Animals ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Due to its unique ecological features the Pantanal was included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. The site represents just 1.3% of the region and includes the Pantanal National Parks and some private preserves. The Pantanal was also proclaimed a Biosphere Reserve in November, 2001, comprising the States of Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul and a small portion of Goiás State. The Pantanal Biosphere Reserve covers the headwaters of the rivers that make up the Pantanal. Totalling approximately 25 million hectares, it represents the third largest Biosphere Reserve in the world.