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| Biosphere Reserve Information | ||||
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YASUNI |
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| General Description | The Yasuni Biosphere Reserve and National Park is situated in the Amazonian region, in Napo Province in the north of the country. The terrain is very sinuous, despite of being in the Amazonian plains. With the exception of Rio Napo, which originates in the foothills of the Andean Cordillera, rivers crossing the national park originate at altitudes from 300 meters to 600 meters above sea level. The topography is represented by low plains alternating with the foothills of the Andean chain, with a softly inclined platform supported by the Guyano-Brasilian shield that extends from the south of Colombia to Peru. Three main types of vegetation occur: 'Terra firme', found on the high reliefs areas and not subject to flooding; 'Varzea', a forest type subject to periodic flooding, and 'Irapo' in the permanent or near permanent flooded forest. Cononaco is traditionally a settlement area for indigenous communities such as the Huaorani, Aucas and Quichuas. There are more than 9,800 people engaged in agriculture (coffee, bananas, yuca, paw paw, citrus fruit, maize and achiote), fishing, forest dwelling, hunting and gathering forest products. About 150 people visit the reserve each year; the potential for tourism is considerable and therefore encouraged. Oil exploitation by the National Petroleum Company affects local communities’ social practices and the natural ecosystem. The objectives of the biosphere reserve are to conserve natural ecosystems, to provide protective legislation, in situ conservation, encourage regional planning and rural development, encourage local participation in land use and environmental education | |||
| Major ecosystem type | Tropical humid forests | |||
| Major habitats & land cover types | Moist tropical forest including Macrolobium acaciifolium, Coussapoa trinervia, Licania sp., Eugenia sp. etc.; "terra firme" forest on high reliefs; "varzea" forest subject to periodic flooding; "irapo" forest in permanent or near permanent flooded areas; agroecosystems with coffee (Coffea arabica), yucca (Manihot esculenta), rice (Oryza sativa), sugar cane (Saccharum sp.) etc. | |||
| Location | 00°10' to 01°45'S; 75°20' to 77°00'W | |||
| Area (hectares) | ||||
| Total | 1,682,000 | |||
| Core area(s) | 500,000 | |||
| Buffer zone(s) | 700,000 | |||
| Transition area(s) when given | 482,000 | |||
| Altitude (metres above sea level) | +200 to +300 | |||
| Year designated | 1989 | |||
| Administrative authorities | Ministerio del Ambiente - Jefe del Area Natural | |||
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| Brief description |
Aerial photography, topographic and resource mapping Hydrology, climatology and geology Ethnobiology Species inventories Agroforestry |
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| Specific variables... | ||||
| Abiotic | Climate, geology, hydrology, topography. | |||
| Biodiversity | Natural resources, species inventorying/inventory. | |||
| Socio-economic | Agroforestry, traditional practices/ethnology/traditional knowledge. | |||
| Integrated monitoring | Geographic Information System/GIS, mapping. | |||
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| Contact address |
Alonso Jaramillo Reserva de la Biosfera Yasuni, Dirección Nacional Forestal Ministério del Ambiente, Calle Madrid y Andalucía Quito Ecuador |
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| Telephone | (593-2) 3987600 ext. 1420 098316916 |
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| Fax | ||||
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asjjaramillo@yahoo.com |
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| Web site | http://www.ambiente.gob.ec | |||
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| Last updated: 1/12/2011 |
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